Beauty sleep

A photo from the airport when we returned last week that I forgot to put in the Bangkok posting.

Fun fact: There are now two arrival terminals so the spectators that you (barely) see behind the bars now have to choose which one to camp out at.  Thus, before the second terminal was built there were at least twice as many people behind the gates. Keep in mind, these people are STARING with their faces pushed against those bars.  One of my first memories of Peace Corps is walking out of the airport, getting the air sucked out of me by the August heat, and seeing what seemed to be hundreds of people pushing up against those bars wanting to greet me.  Lovely memory.
On a Henry note:
About a month ago - during the Kuala Lumpur trip - Henry started waking up every two hours in the middle of the night after having slept through the night for a few weeks.  We figured it was a growth spurt and decided not to worry - worry about my sleep, not Henry.  Well, then he was teething so again, not to worry.  But, let's face it, after those few weeks when he slept through the night, I was getting frustrated that I was feeling so tired again.  During our last trip we decided that when we got back to Dhaka we had to help Henry learn how to fall back asleep on his own again.  Oh boy, could I muster up the will power to hear him cry during the night knowing that if I just got up and went to his room he would be asleep pretty quickly?  Wait, NOT going to his room sure beats getting up multiple times a night.  What was I thinking? It was time to let him "cry it out".  Scott came up with a brilliant plan.  When Henry would wake up in the middle of the night, I would set a 10 minute timer and during that time turn off the baby monitor.  Voila - I didn't have to hear him cry!  The first night he woke up 3 times at midnight, 3:30 and 4:30 and lightly woke up with the call to prayer but I set the timer, fell back asleep for those 10 minutes and then checked the monitor again.  The first time it took 30 minutes to hear silence but after that it was just one 10 minute segment and he was back asleep.  He slept until after 6am.  The next night he woke up only at 4:30 and fell asleep quickly and only minimally woke up with the call to prayer.  The third night - last night - he slept without a peep until 6:30am - a 12 hour stretch!! I actually woke up before him.  Now that wasn't so bad.  Finally I get to catch up on the much needed beauty sleep.

We planned on having Henry learn this weekend how to fall asleep alone at bedtime assuming that we would have to hear him cry and scream for a long time...and just sit in the living room like we're listening to the new trend in music.  But, then, tonight as I was putting him to bed I suddenly felt the motivation to begin the process.  I felt that he, and more importantly I, was ready.  Henry was already crying by the time I closed the door.  Then, he cried for….9 minutes!  I think he was ready, just like we sensed. 


Here are a few more random photos
Katherine and Olivia - who just took her first steps the day of this photo - at the Club playground:

And me and Henry walking to the Club this afternoon:  

Can you see the fires? They seemed a lot bigger in real life. At least each one had a dedicated manager.