11-11-11, a day that will be forever remembered in our parenting history as Herbie’s Battle with the Bassinet…
Prelude to our most challenging 12 parenting hours EVER: My beloved NPR posted an article on my FB newsfeed warning of the dangers of co-sleeping. Apparently a woman co-sleeping with her 2 month old fell asleep breastfeeding; when she woke, her child was not breathing…what an absolute nightmare! Our last 5 weeks have been a sleeping struggle; we've wanted Herbie to sleep in his bassinet, but he's never liked it. We even try putting him in when he's fast asleep...but I swear, it’s like an inner alarm goes off as soon as his back touches the mattress...he knows! He will wake himself up within 10 minutes of being placed in his least favorite place! We've also tried to have him sleep in his car seat, swing, and a co-sleeper bed with little success. So at mama's side on the couch it has been. Obviously, this is not ideal for many a reason but it worked allowing us to catch some much sought after z’s. After reading the article however, I vowed, "No matter what…co-sleeping NO MORE!" H was going to HAVE to sleep in the bassinet or in the co-sleeper bed…not cuddled up next to me.
Fast forward to 7:30pm. Herb falls asleep after his bottle, so we retire to the boudoir where I ever so gently place him on the co-sleeper bed. Surprisingly he sleeps through it…go me-maybe this won’t be so difficult after all! Hopeful, I climb into bed next to him (right next to him), fluff my pillows, turn out the light, and lay my head dow…H startles himself and wakes up…FAN-freaking-tastic! He starts crying and I try to soothe him by giving him his pacifier. It works! After about 5 minutes he drifts back to sleep and I get ready for some serious z’s myself by laying my head on the pillo…”WAH”!!! Seriously!? This kid has impeccable timing! This continues for the next HOUR until he finally, FINALLY falls asleep and stays asleep! At this point I am so frustrated and worked up that, though Herb sleeps restlessly for the next 2 hours, I lay uncomfortably awake, listening for ANY and EVERY tiny sound or movement he makes. 9:30pm H wakes for his feeding….and REPEAT the above situation. Fast forward, yadda yadda yadda…I won’t continue to bore you with the details, but 12 hours, a very tired mommy and daddy, and an incredibly frustrated cranky baby later, I lay on the couch with my munchkin by my side, doing the one thing I set out never to do again! I’m embarrassed to admit my mommy failure, but I was literally at my breaking point…angry, frustrated, and beyond tired!
It’s times like this when we wish we had about 8 nannies, 2 professionals, a manual, and a glass of wine! But here’s to small victories…this morning I waited for him to drift off, then slyly swaddled him to keep him from startling himself awake. We hadn’t swaddled him previously because he hates it and grunts like a pig trying to kick himself out of the blanket. Anywho…swaddled, he ended up napping for over 30 minutes in his crib!!! HALLELUJAH people!!! Tonight we're crossing all of our fingers and toes, hoping, wishing, & praying that by swaddling the babe, he will sleep and we will win the battle of the bassinet!
11-11-11 also marked Hudson's five week birthday! Our sweet-thang is looking more like his mama, and less like his old man every day! He actually quite resembles his handsome little cousin Ayden...which means he definitely got the Butcher family genes! It's so amazing watching him change from previous pictures and we can't help but wonder what he will look like as a toddler, 4th grader, teenager...oh boy...I need to get off this computer and get back to snuggling my tiny 5 week old while I can still hold his entirety in my arms. Much love. B&A
5-week-old pic of Hudson for comparison.
H & mommy getting in what will likely be our last fall walk of the year.
H always sleeps during our walks.
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