Woodland creatures

Kate has hit a new phase in the last two weeks. The "I had a nightmare and I can actually TELL YOU WHAT IS FREAKING ME OUT" phase. And don't judge me, but in a really odd and twisted way, this has been a great experience for me.

Hear me out.

Before, if Kate woke up crying hysterically you could generally assume she had a bad dream. But you couldn't say much to make her feel better, because it could have been something truly terrifying, like flesh-eating zombies or Charlie Sheen that were invading her dreams. You just didn't know so you rocked her and loved on her and hoped that she wasn't dreaming about Mommy having a melt-down or how I told her she couldn't have a cookie before bed (scarring!) or even global warming.

But last week, Kate woke up with a bad dream for the first time in a while, and as I rushed in to check on her (seriously, her wailing "MOMMMYYYYYY" in the middle of the night while sobbing is the ONLY thing that can make my 38 week preggo body hustle) she hid under her blanket and told me that she was afraid and to hide. I plopped myself next to her bed, dragged her into my lap and wiped her tears as I rocked her and asked what she was afraid of. She looks around wildly, not quite wholly awake and wails to "Run mommy, run, run, run from the..."

BUNNY.

I shit you not, Kate was having a "crying hysterically, snot running down the face, can hardly breathe" nightmare about a bunny rabbit. I rocked her and assured her no bunny was going to get her and she eventually calmed down enough to go back to sleep.

Flash forward to last night and Kate once again woke up screaming crying. This time she told me that the bunny was STEPPING on her. That a-hole. Ben and I rocked her and got her back to sleep and not an hour later she woke us up AGAIN, this time cowering in bed from a raccoon that was chasing her. After she stopped shaking and we wiped up all her tears, she was ready to go back to sleep, wholly trusting me when I promised that the bunny and the raccoon couldn't hurt her in her home, that she was safe here.

I went back to my room and lay awake listening to night noises for awhile and thinking about how blessed we are. How with all the terror in this world, I can be assured that the worst thing my daughter has in her life are some unruly woodland creatures. And I thank God that we have been fortunate enough to protect her from so much of the hurt, and pain and sadness that exist.

Except evil bunnies. And as my brother-in-law so wisely pointed out, "Evil bunnies are SCARY, man."