Elbow Security Blanket: Update

DEATH GRIP

It's been about half a year since I first mentioned Noey's fondness for my elbow. In the months that have followed, I have realised, to my dismay, that his liking for it has not abated. If anything, it has intensified. This wouldn't be as bad I think if not for the fact that, by a quirk of nature, I happen to be a person who absolutely cannot stand excessive physical contact. I need my own space and I don't like people touching me unnecessarily. DD can't help but crack up when I silently (or sometimes not so silently) tear my hair out in frustration over the needless pawing from Noey that I put up with just to help him to get to sleep. 15 mins I can take, but when it reaches or exceeds 45 mins, I go slightly insane and have an urgent need to shove him off.

We tried once to get Noey to stop feeling up my elbow or in the alternative, my leg. (Don't ask.) He cried for more than an hour before he was so tired he fell asleep. I went to sleep feeling like a horrible person. I braced myself for the next day, but this boy, he learns fast. He knew not to push it when I told him no, but that didn't stop him from making a grab at my elbow then smiling like it was a joke when I refused him, or from casually stretching out a foot, or an arm to carelessly brush past my elbow, as if by accident. Maybe he thought I wouldn't notice. I couldn't help but laugh at his efforts.

As things usually happen, we slipped up somewhere along the way. It was probably my fault -- I always slip down the slippery slope, thinking that it wouldn't matter this once, and before you know it, he's demanding my elbow at naptime and bedtime, and I'm back to tearing my hair out again. Only this time it's slightly worse, because he would randomly grab my elbow, even in the daytime, if it was in a convenient spot. I could be mooching on the couch with my arm resting on the backrest and he would clamber up next to me and stroke my elbow happily. It was like a drug habit and he was a total junkie.

This continued till sometime last week, when he was not able to fall asleep for nearly 4 hours. He had fallen asleep at around 7.30pm on route back from my parents' place, woke up at around 10.30pm when DD and I got home, and just couldn't fall back asleep. As usual, after the nearly an hour of elbow stroking, I couldn't take it anymore and told him there would be no elbow that night. I decided I had to stand my ground and cut this habit once and for all. He tried to reach for my leg, and I had to tell him that was out of bounds too. He tried ways and means -- using his arm to touch my leg, using his feet, even at one point trying to use his bum to rub against my leg. He even tried to explain to me what he was doing, as if I didn't understand. "Noey touch! Noey use Noey's foot to touch!" and later, "Noey use Noey's bum bum to touch Mummy's leg!". DD, highly amused by the whole situation, pointed out that it was pretty impressive that he was able to articulate what he wanted so well. On hindsight it was pretty funny though I didn't find it quite as funny then.

It was nearly 2am when he finally fell asleep, with a leg thrown over mine, which were hiding under the covers.

The next day, I again braced myself for battle, only to realise yet again, that it was unnecessary. I turned to Noey before bedtime and told him firmly that there would be no elbow or leg that night and to my surprise, he agreed. Even more amazingly, he simply turned while lying beside me and fell asleep within 15 mins. My conclusion from that was that God truly knows how much I can take.

Since then, there's been a strict no elbow and leg policy for bedtime. There have been occasional tears, but by and large he is taking it rather well. We're still some ways from eliminating the fetish altogether though. He still makes a grab for my elbow randomly throughout the day, and often during naptimes. I guess I don't mind as long as it is not prolonged, seeing the comfort he derives from it.

Hmmm, something tells me I might still be writing an elbow post 6 months down the road. Ugh.