Adventures in Sleeping

There is no photo for this post, for good reason. As much as I would love a picture of C asleep with his arms over his head, I could not risk waking him up with the flash. Maybe on a day when I am fully rested and can take the chance I will get a cute dozing shot, but for now you will just have to imagine it.

On Monday we took C for his 4 month appointment, and on our list of questions for the doctor was "should we stop swaddling C?" I don't know how long swaddling has been such a fad for parents, but I feel like it was all they talked about at parenting classes and in the books. So we swaddled. We even used the nifty "swaddle me" blanket that has Velcro (making C look like the cross between a burrito and a straight jacket. Due to the latter image, neither my dad or my mother-in-law seemed to get what it was we were "doing to him"). And when he got too large for the swaddle me, we upgraded to the "large."

And I would say in large part, C has been sleeping through the night since the beginning of November due to swaddling. When he was overtired, once he was wrapped up he calmed down. It kept him from scratching his head and waking himself up with his hands.

But as we expected, the doctor said now is a good time to do without the swaddle. This also happens to coincide as we are trying to get him to sleep in his own room, and possibly sleep train him (but that is a whole other story!)

So Tuesday night we go without the swaddle. There is a lot of rocking C, C falls asleep in our arms, we put him down, C wakes up. This goes on forever. We quickly realize tonight is not the night for trying a new room. Let's just focus on one thing at a time. At long last, he goes to sleep. We are exhausted.

Wednesday is worse. Wednesday actually feels pretty awful. It is the same, but worse. Every time we lay him down, it is the same thing: eyes shoot open, hands bat his face, he grabs his pacifier out and drops it, sometimes shakes his head back and forth. All he wants to do is be held. I feed him at 3:00 am, and look at Matt with the "I need to get up at 6:00 for work" face. He takes C into the other room. I later find out that C didn't fall back to sleep until 5:00 am. Nice.

Thursday I get one of my baby info emails. No joke, 2 of the topics for 4 month olds are "should you stop swaddling?" and "why do 4 month olds all of a sudden want to stay awake at night?" On one hand it is reassuring, it is not just us. On the other hand, it doesn't make it any easier.

Thursday night. I learn that C had a 1 hour nap at daycare, which is huge progress for him. He sleeps in my arms from 8-10. He eats at 10 and I try to put him to sleep in his co sleeper next to me. He is chill, but awake, and not letting go of my hand. Since he's chill, I think to myself, "I am just going to try it."

I put him in his room, in his crib. I turn on the mobile that Grandpa got him for Christmas (this amazing model has cute animals that turn around, plays music, and projects a little light show on what looks like an umbrella). C kinda stares at it. I leave.

Matt and I lay in our room waiting for the screams. There are none. He's fallen asleep!

He wakes up to eat at 2, and then same thing. Oh, I love this mobile!

Same routine at 5:00. And when he gets up for good at 8:00, he is his usual, happy morning self.

I know it won't be like this everyday, but last night in and of itself feels like a victory. Here's to a long weekend with minimal sleepless nights!