Operation Tough Love

I wanted to wait at least 4 days before I shared this news. Just in case it was a one time thing. Or a two time thing. But, because it is at the very least a four time thing, I feel confident in sharing...

BABY DAY IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!

And through the night means only getting up 2-3 times between 7 PM and 6/6:30 AM. This is miraculous. We had been averaging 10 times a night before we enacted Operation Tough Love. From 10 times down to 2 or 3 has changed my life. How have I functioned this long without sleep?

So, here’s how it went. Last Friday night was awful. Up every hour. Wiggling. Kicking me in the stomach and the boobs. Head butting me. At one point I just got out of her way and she stretched out in MY spot and was happy. At some other point she started her fussing business and I had already nursed her 135 times so I scooted her over to Ken and told him, “I am sick of nursing her. HELP ME!” So he was trying to soothe her and about 15 seconds later I grabbed her feet and pulled her back to me to nurse… yanking her FAST across the bed. She hushed (partly because she was startled by the scoot, mostly because she got what she wanted = NURSE), but I realized that I was MAD at her and that something had to change.

So, I staged my own intervention.

Some quick background info: Day has been sleeping in our room for 7 ½ months (her whole life). She started in her bassinet, then spent a couple of months in our bed. Then we moved her crib into our room. I spent another couple of months moving her from our bed to her crib every few hours, several times each night. Then over the last 4-5 weeks, she has been back in our bed full time. And just recently started waking up EVERY HOUR. I took it for as long as I could - maybe 3 weeks of that, then last Friday happened…

Ok, back to my intervention. Saturday morning I called Cindy and told her I needed advice. She said, “You don’t want to hear what I have to say.” I explained to her that, yes, not only did I want to hear it, but it was why I had called. I knew what she would say. She gave me a pep-talk, told me yes it would be hard, but MOVE that baby into her own room. She also told me that I was the biggest B*TCH she knew, so it was time for Operation Tough Love. That worked for me. No offense taken. Time to put the big girl panties on. After all, if I am honest with myself, I had her in my room more for MY comfort than hers.

And it actually has not been that tough. Obviously, we are all sleeping better. I did miss her pretty bad the first night, but one night of loneliness is NOTHING compared to months of sleeplessness. Now, when she gets up Ken or I go to her room and rock her (or I nurse her) back to sleep. It usually takes less than 5 minutes, then she’s back in the crib. Sound asleep. We’re living like normal people.

Philosophically, I believe co-sleeping is ideal. But if you will notice the root word there is sleep. That was not happening, so we were never really co-sleeping. We were co-laying in the bed and fighting. Nobody can say I didn’t give it everything I had. We tried.

Last night she went to bed at 7, got up briefly at 10:30, then not a peep until 5 AM. Even then, she went back down until 6:30. And yes, I did go check on her twice. At 4:00 had wiggled herself into the corner and was on her stomach with her butt in the air. HEAVEN! She could have never gotten into that position in our bed. So, I think she’s happier. I’m definitely happier. Ken gets a little less sleep, but happy momma makes him happier.

I’m sure that the next growth spurt, illness, or tooth will disturb our perfect pattern, but now I know that it CAN be better than it was. And I am stubborn enough that I needed to learn that lesson all on my own. It’s how I operate.

In other Big Girl news, Day is drinking her milk out of a sippy cup at daycare. She doesn’t look really thrilled about it in this picture, but Miss Jackie says she’s doing a great job.

And this was Monday… out enjoying the beautiful weather. She kept her leg propped up like that and her shades on the entire time. Hollywood.

You CAN always get what you want!

Day will be 7 months old tomorrow. She sits up all by her big girl self. She hasn't really tried to crawl yet, but why would she need to? We put everything she wants within her reach. And we also pick her up every single time she fusses. And she still mostly sleeps in our bed. And she still thinks she has to nurse all night. If it is even possible to spoil a 7 month old, she is officially spoiled. But we all like it that way. She rules.

We bought her a sippy cup this past weekend, and she is very proud to sip her water out of it. Ken has been concerned that she has something to drink while she's eating dinner, so now we have the sippy. And she loves it. And Daddy is happy. He is also happy because Day's babble is Da-Da this and Da-Da that. We have been talking about whether it counts as her first word or if she is supposed to know what she is saying before we can officially call it her first word. Really, I'm just giving Ken a hard time because the only time she says anything remotely like Mama is when she is crying. It's all Da-Da when she is happy and playing.

We are entering the stage of separation anxiety. Big time. And I mean break down crying and screaming when I walk out of the room like she may never see me again. "THEY" say not to sneak out of the room, but to say "bye" and tell them where you are going. That when you sneak out, you are just feeding their fear that you will disappear into thin air. But, sometimes I just have to sneak out. And she'll get distracted and not miss me until I reappear. Then she gets mad that I ever left and pitches a big fit. And so I pick her up and reassure her that I did not vanish into thin air. And of course that reinforces the "pitch a fit equals being picked up" equation that she is so fond of. Miss Jackie does this for her at school, too. So she's learning fast that fussing gets her what she wants. How else will she get what she wants? She's a baby!

She has 4 teeth now - 2 top and 2 bottom. Yeah, sometimes she tries them out on me while she's eating, but mostly when she's finished and just bored. It doesn't hurt long. And it doesn't happen that often. I think more teeth must be trying to break through because she grinds. It is an awful sound! I've felt in the back for molars, but none have appeared. I'm really not sure which ones are supposed to come in next anyway.

These pictures are from the last few weeks. Just random stuff:

Sometimes she goes to sleep while I'm feeding her at lunch. It melts me.



Here's a shot of the chompers.



This was her first ride in the grocery store buggy. Ken is still doing the produce comparison thing from when I was pregnant. Looks like Day might be as big as that watermelon!



Just about the only place in the house that she is happy when NOT being held is in her Bumbo on the kitchen counter. I think it's just a good height and she doesn't feel like she's missing anything. Makes doing dishes and cooking more pleasant with such happy company.



This is a STAGED shot. I did not, repeat DID NOT, feed my baby ribs on Labor Day. But I did pose her chewing on one for Miss Jackie (from the chicken bone incident).



Look at this sprig of hair! This is the last of the mohawk she was born with. The rest is new hair. It's like a baby comb over most of the time, but then sometimes it sticks straight up. I love it!



This was her 1/2 birthday party. It was only me, Day, and Ken. And there wasn't a cake - just green beans. But she did get a card. And what did she do with it? Straight to the mouth.



We are in between stages with bath time. She sits up, so she could take a bath in the big tub. But that would require bending over her and well, that's just not comfortable. She doesn't like to lean back. She never has, really. So this plastic tub is not her favorite. We tried just sitting in the sink and that worked ok, but I have sanitation issues with it. Guess we'll work through that soon enough.



We have been working on good sleep habits since the beginning, with MUCH struggle. Most days when we get home from work/school she takes a 30 minute nap. Sometimes in the swing, sometimes in my bed with my help. This particular afternoon she was exhausted so I just put her in her crib and walked away. I do this periodically and the result is always the same. FREAK OUT. This time she just wiggled around, chewed on Arnold's tail (the pig), and went to sleep. I was so proud! She almost lost her sock in the process.



No story here. Just unbelievable cuteness.



And for the record, she will also pant for a glass, regardless of what's in it. So, my theory is that it is the material she is so crazy about. Not the alcohol. But, it is still a little bit unnerving to see her pant like a dog while reaching for a bottle of beer. And just like most things at our house, she gets what she wants. At least it's good beer.



I love this crazed look. This is how she gets when she's sleepy and can't really stay with any one thing very long.



Another picture from lunch at First Methodist. Would you call this look mischievous?



This was a strange happening. She was home with a fever, so that might have contributed, because like I said earlier, she has very specific sleep patterns, but she bounced herself right to sleep. It was so cute. She would nod off, then kinda wake up and automatically her legs would start bouncing again and that would lull her back to sleep. Hasn't happened since. I've tried.

And this is her favorite thing in the world (and mine). A clean fresh sweet smelling baby in her footy pajamas ready to go to bed. In her left hand is Milky Love, a cow thing Susan bought her in the hospital. She holds onto him when she's nursing. When she finishes (if she is still awake) she chews on his ears and horns while I read until she's asleep. Heaven.