For some reason, Parker is resisting his afternoon nap today. I put him down, and came back 10-15 minutes later to find him standing at the end of his crib, screaming his head off. I think he got up & forgot how to sit back down. I calmed him down, put him back in the crib, and told him to go back to sleep. Twenty minutes later, he was still crying, and not just crying; the gut-wrenching, whole-body sort of sobs that leave you still gasping for breath even ten minutes after the tears finally stop. Parker has what can only be described as a naturally happy personality, as long as someone (really, almost anyone) is holding him, he's pretty happy. But even Mama holding him wasn't enough to calm this little guy down this afternoon.
So, I cheated a little and used the trick that only Mama can do and nursed the little guy until he calmed down. Before I knew it, my precious little boy was asleep on my chest.
We made a very conscious effort from the very start to teach Parker how to fall asleep on his own. We don't drive-, nurse-, or rock-to-sleep; our usual going-to-sleep routine involves putting him down, handing over the Binky & blankey, saying "I love you" and walking out the door. Now I have no idea if this has been so effective because we worked so hard at it (which we did) or because Parker really just loves to fall asleep (which he does...yes, yes, I know, our next kid will be a colicky-fussy-tyrant, we have it coming). All this to say, while Parker is a fantastic sleeper, it's been a very long time since either of us have had him fall asleep in our arms, and it was the sweetest thing ever. I sat in his room for twenty minutes just rocking and kissing his little face. I feel sometimes like I really quit my job just so I could cook & clean & do laundry, but these moments with my little guy folded in my arms really are such a reminder of the amazing gift we've been given.
Sleep well little guy, Mama loves you.
A baby asleep in your arms, a suddenly peaceful house. Yep. That is worth breaking a rule now and then. Especially if it helps us love 'em a bit more. Dwayne and I always check in on all the kids together before we go to bed because seeing our kids sleeping is right way to end the day.
ReplyDeleteSee you soon!
Denise
Oh, so sweet! We've done the same thing with Sarah (trying to teach her to sleep on her own). I'm very happy to have an easy sleeper, and given a choice I would 100% choose a baby that sleeps well in her crib to one that needs to be rocked/held to sleep. But, one of the few things I miss about the first few weeks of her life is the quiet and sweetness of having a baby asleep in my arms for much of the day. Nowadays she's so used to sleeping in her crib that if I try to hold her when she's tired, she'll just want to play with me rather than sleeping.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, Sarah went through this stage, of standing up in her crib and then screaming because she didn't know how to sit down again. I think it only lasted less than a week before she went back to sleeping well, hopefully it will be short-lived for Parker too!