What to do in the middle of the night. This little man of mine continues to grow and apparently requires the calories to support the effort. I suspect I've done what several books have warned me about. I have, according to brilliant researchers, spoiled my son into thinking the only way to fall asleep is after he's nursed. But this only seems to be the case at 3am. Something about 3am wakes up this sleepy baby. The books tell me its not hunger. (They've never met Sam but seem to know this beyond a shadow of a doubt) He needs to learn to settle himself. Then it occurs to me 'Sam does settle himself'. He ofen wakes up, sighs, changes position and goes back to sleep. Even if I didn't hear him I'd know this to be true. I put Sam down near the left end of the crib lengthwise. I find him in the morning at the right end of the crib, widthwise. I suspect he was able to settle himself several times and in several positions throughout the night in order to travel this distance.
The challenge with motherhood at this phase is that the only individual who can tell me what the right and wrong answers are is Sam. I must, therefore, theorize what this little baby might be thinking. I sometimes put myself in his place, in his crib, unable to get out on my own... Its dark, I'm awake. I am wet/ hungry/ lost my soother. Its very quiet. I'm so sleepy but can't make myself sleep... Some milk would be good right now. Where did that soother go? This is so frustrating! I'm going to need mommy for this. "moooooommmmm". What's taking her so long? What could she be doing that's SO important. It can't be much of anything because its very quiet and there are no lights on. Okay, I can stop shouting now. I hear her getting up. There she is. She's always smiling at me...but I wonder why she looks so tired. Was she awake in her crib too? Maybe she needs to be changed, or she needs some milk? I bet she can't find her soother. I'll help her go back to sleep. She always relaxes after she rocks me to sleep. I think I've spoiled her.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
sleeping like a baby
Bedtime was too easy. An hour of tummy time followed by some singing of the Beatles greatest hits. I picked out Sam's jammies and broke out the lavender vanilla lotion for a quick baby massage and then scooped him up and popped in his soother. He was asleep within minutes. I cuddled a little extra because it was a long day and he was in that sweet spot where you really feel that mommyness. I only have a small window of opportunity with Sam though. If I put him down too early, he wakes up. If I hold him too long he gets too hot, and you guessed it, he wakes up. So, I creep upstairs with him and place him in his crib. Seamless.
So now I am on the couch. Listening for his movements on the monitor, waiting for his breathing to settle into a pace indicating a light coma has set in. It's been half an hour and he seems to be in a comfy kind of slumber. So, I let myself relax. I relax too soon, and the bedtime adventure continues.
Do I leave him to "cry it out" or "CIO" as its dubbed in the mommy forums. What did that other book say? Pick him up, balance on one foot, close your left eye and sing Brahms? Nurse him? Don't nurse him? I'll just ask Ben what he thinks I should do. Wait, that won't work. He's in Afghanistan.
I go up the stairs quietly and tip toe into his room. In a swift maneuver, real double-oh-seven style, I put Sam's soother in his mouth and electric slide back out his door. Smooth. He's asleep again.
I'd take real pride in my ability to settle this little man but I know what lies ahead. Awake at 3 o'clock to nurse, awake at 6 o'clock to nurse and then up for the day around 9. Wait! Stop the presses! That's right, he's awake again. Mission Impossible. Can you hear the theme music? I'm going back in...
It's 2216 (10:16pm) and my mission is complete for the time being. Ben, will you take the first watch for the night? Fack! I keep forgetting. This is a solo mission, my own tour of duty.
I'd better close this first blog post. I'm not going to bother editing. I'm tired. Grammatical and spelling errors are just going to have to be viewed as an endearing quirk of a tired mom. I've given up on watching Grey's. I never know when Sam will decide to wake up, so it's better that I get to sleep. I've decided that from now on when people ask me how I've slept I'm going to tell them "like a baby".
So now I am on the couch. Listening for his movements on the monitor, waiting for his breathing to settle into a pace indicating a light coma has set in. It's been half an hour and he seems to be in a comfy kind of slumber. So, I let myself relax. I relax too soon, and the bedtime adventure continues.
Do I leave him to "cry it out" or "CIO" as its dubbed in the mommy forums. What did that other book say? Pick him up, balance on one foot, close your left eye and sing Brahms? Nurse him? Don't nurse him? I'll just ask Ben what he thinks I should do. Wait, that won't work. He's in Afghanistan.
I go up the stairs quietly and tip toe into his room. In a swift maneuver, real double-oh-seven style, I put Sam's soother in his mouth and electric slide back out his door. Smooth. He's asleep again.
I'd take real pride in my ability to settle this little man but I know what lies ahead. Awake at 3 o'clock to nurse, awake at 6 o'clock to nurse and then up for the day around 9. Wait! Stop the presses! That's right, he's awake again. Mission Impossible. Can you hear the theme music? I'm going back in...
It's 2216 (10:16pm) and my mission is complete for the time being. Ben, will you take the first watch for the night? Fack! I keep forgetting. This is a solo mission, my own tour of duty.
I'd better close this first blog post. I'm not going to bother editing. I'm tired. Grammatical and spelling errors are just going to have to be viewed as an endearing quirk of a tired mom. I've given up on watching Grey's. I never know when Sam will decide to wake up, so it's better that I get to sleep. I've decided that from now on when people ask me how I've slept I'm going to tell them "like a baby".
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