Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Consistently inconsistent

Each night, bedtime is different. Sometimes Dan goes right down and sleeps for five or six hours. Other nights, it's an all night battle to get him to stay in his crib. The one thing I have been able to count on is daily nap times. Morning from 11ish to 12ish and afternoon from 2:30ish to 4:00ish.

Today, I had a plan (big mistake). I called a girlfriend who lives up the block. After our boys' naps, we were going to meet for a walk. I put him in his crib, he was sleepy ... napping did not ensue. No sense forcing sleep on a babe who isn't sleepy. So, out we go, to the post office and the grocery store. Fussy, fussy, fussy ... then he falls asleep on the way home and sleeps from 1ish to 2ish.

Fast forward to after our walk, he fusses while I'm trying to get dinner ready - his and ours. Then I nurse him and he falls fast asleep at around 6:00. I just fixed dinner for a child who is now fast asleep. Oh, well, at least we got a nice quiet dinner out of it.

Later, after his dinner, he was wired, shrieking, talking, rolling around, grabbing at the dog, grabbing at my hair ... I thought, "There's no way this kid is going to sleep." I put him in his crib with night-night bear, turned on the sound machine (ocean waves!), and he fussed and cried. Tonight, I finally just let him cry. There was nothing I could do for him, he had been fed, changed, burped, cuddled, and loved. It took five minutes and now all is quiet.

I'm no fool. This probably won't happen again for at least another week. The thing I miss the most from my childless days is consistency.

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