the five stages of sleeping?

Sitting here, after putting Nandini to sleep, listening to Avinash struggle with going to sleep made me realize this.  For Nandini, going to sleep is as easy as drinking milk and being tucked in.  For Avinash it is an excruciating process, a la the Kubler-Ross stages of grief.

Denial
"Avi not tired" 
"Mommy sun out, moon down"  (Mind you it is like ten or eleven at this point.)
No Avi, the sun is down and moon is out.
"Avi see?"
No seriously, take my word for it.

Anger
The inevitable crying and tantrum

Bargaining
"One book?  Two?  Three? Otay, otay...Five books?"
(He may need a little help on his haggling techniques.  Or we do, since we usually give in...oops.)
"Avi eat!"
"Dudhu!"
"Avi wawa!"
"Oh no! Pee-pee coming!"
(This one is especially effective since he knows that we will never turn this one down)
"Bappi, tak to Avi.  Stories pease?"
"Rub back.  Adack.  Leg!"
(Still have no clue what word adack is supposed to be.)

Depression
More crying and carrying on.  Slowly realizes the inevitable is coming...

Acceptance.
Aaaaaand he's out.  Phew.

Luckily there is little else cuter than a baby sleeping.  And, because no post is really complete without photos prepare yourself for the montage of Avinash sleeping over the years.  (Can you imagine what his wedding slideshow is going to be like??)  Enjoy!

No, we didn't ever dress him in pink.  Just a picture of our good sleeper Nandini.

 A year ago, he didn't seem that big then, but looking back now he seems so huge to be cradled and drinking a bottle.

Sleeping instead of enjoying the scenery at Golden Gate Park last summer.

Fell asleep while we were looking for Shamu.

Tired out after a long night of dancing and eating cake.

 At our anniversary dinner in San Antonio.  This lucky happenstance lasted about ten minutes.

Okay, this is really Nuj mama sleeping.

Conked out amid all the hubbub and people at Garba night.

 Even on the edge of a yacht in Costa Rica.  See that life vest under him?  We are all about safety.

During a trek across hanging bridges in the jungle.

As a dinosaur in Disney World.

Like a baby.

 Trying to avoid the ladybug pictures by sleeping.

 Napping with Mommy post-call.

So tired that I apparently slept through him waking up and grabbing my nose too.

Dozing, in the little doggy house on his first Halloween.

 Sleeping (in Donna's arms) throughout the entire lunch at Donatella and Burks.  Even through the lollipop tree dessert.  Which I'm sure he is now regretting.  ("Avi pop?  Pink pop!!")

Smiling and sleeping.  Best picture ever.  A few weeks old and already we were so in love.