I worked my first night shift on Friday night, and if there is anything that I learned it’s that we are not ready for mommy to tackle a week of night float. Logan went to Gam Gam’s with Elliot and Gam Gam volunteered to let Elliot sleep in her room and take care of him. I appreciate that but I bet she won’t volunteer to do that again! Elliot would not sleep unless she held him. Otherwise, he was up at 1:30 and 4, although he only ate at 4. Poor Brigitte. We’ve got to get this taken care of before December.
So, perhaps it is time to learn some self soothing. Unfortunately, Elliot has NEVER been easy to get to go to sleep. He generally naps with someone rocking him and he sleeps in our bed. I do actually like sleeping with him, except for the part where I don’t get very much sleep. He is cuddly! I have not been ready to let him cry it out… Attachment parenting advises against it and those that follow the philosophy feel that it is cruel. On the other hand, those that advise to let them cry it out say that it “empowers” the child to learn to soothe themselves. It basically feels like (to me) that it is a question of do you want an obedient child or one that loves you? Where is the middle ground? and why won’t little Elliot just sleep on his own? Sleep is so nice!
So we are attempting a Ferber style plan where we check on him at increasing intervals. So far with the current nap it has not worked. What is going to happen is that he is not going to get a nap and I am going to go out this afternoon on some errands and he will sleep in the car, thus defeating the purpose.
We are going to the pediatrician for his 6 month check up this Tuesday. I feel like the GERD set us back on the sleep thing in the first place. He still cries a lot when we try to put him on his back. Maybe his medication dose is too low? He is a BIG 6 month old…
When I got home from my night shift, Logan had him dressed in this. (Courtesy Teresa)
It cut me to the quick. It felt like Elliot had grown up overnight while I was working. I told Logan the same and he said to me that Elliot and he had discussed that (him growing up) on the way home from Gam Gam’s and Elliot apparently made some very interesting points… Haha… Still, he really won’t be a baby forever…
Now (an hour later) he is finally lying down, but he is making great big sob sounds. It is breaking my heart…
Suzanne did those sob sounds for a long time but she finally got over it and I took the pillow off my head
aaaaaawwww, poor Mommy Kate
🙁
That sounds hard.