Sunday Gush

The night President Obama was elected was historic. One of those moments where 20 years from now, I'll still remember what I was doing...and I would regardless of what that was. But friends, I'll also remember it for a different reason. It was night number four-thousand, six-hundred and eight-two of listening to Keelyn cry. Okay, maybe it was more like somewhere in the beginning of a couple hard weeks. All I know is that it was during the time when she was about 9 months old, and we were trying to sleep train so that she would sleep all night long, including sleeping through her normal 4am waking, that meant coming to bed with us.

That night, Andrew was out of town, and we'd gotten far enough with things that Keelyn was sleeping straight until 4am, with little help, which really was an improvement, even though it was a hard road. But that 4am wake time wouldn't go away. It was ingrained in her body. So, at the suggestion of so many people, I tried letting her cry it out (extinction-style, a.k.a. NOT-my-style) from 4am until my "reasonable wake time" which as about 6am. I caved under the pressure of other people's suggestions and ideals out of desperation and exhaustion. And I think I needed to, in order to feel more vindicated in my own beliefs about how my family should look, and about exactly who my baby was and what she needed. Every doctor and person told me she'd never cry that whole time, and if she did, it would only be the first day, and if she did that, it would be over in three days, TOPS. They were all wrong. So, after much time sitting in front of the TV at 4am watching CNN and every analyst alive talk about the election, somewhere in the vicinity of more than a few days later (meaning much past my comfort level) I decided she'd probably cried enough. For at least a few months.

I worked on naps beginning a few weeks later, and by sitting in her room as she fell asleep every day for a little more than a month, she now goes to nap time tear-free. If it's an off day, I can put her down, confident she'll calm quickly. We did what worked for us, all popular methods out the window...and it worked for us. With naps going well, and only one waking at night, everyone was pretty happy and rested.

But recently, the 4am thing has become an issue because SHE's NOT GOING BACK TO SLEEP when she comes to bed with us. It used to be the only way we all got sleep, and good cuddle time, of course. Now, it's, "Hey Mommy! You wanna jump around the bed a bit?...Since we're up and all..." Partly because she doesn't nurse then any more (by her own choice).

Anyway, at the beginning of the week, the grouch in me convinced the fearful side of me to try again and see if she could sleep in her crib all night long. It was no longer allowing the sleep we all needed, but instead, depleting it, and leaving behind a groggy, grouchy, me, and a baby who could barely keep her eyes open all day. T. I. R. E. D.

This week I'm gushing about a baby who slept through the night!!! Well, kinda, sorta, anyway. She woke up a few times last night, but cried only briefly before going back to sleep on her own...all the way until 6:30 this morning!!! Last night was night two. The first night, when she woke up, Andrew went in for gentle reassurance, and she was asleep within five minutes or so. He had to do that twice. Last night, she managed it all on her own. It's not a done deal yet, but I think we're close. Obviously she wasn't ready before. I'm thankful that we've been able to adapt and do what fit for us best up until now, and I'm thankful that we all seem to be ready to make a change for what will fit best as she gets older. And, I'm thankful for sleep.