An Easy Sleeper!

Dear Son continues to nap fine in his crib. I think it's been over a week now. I am actually in a bit of shock, as I was completely unprepared for this. I just guessed we would have the same or similar issues as we had with Dear Daughter. It couldn't be more opposite. When Dear Son begins to get that whiny, "I'm tired" fuss, I cuddle him for a couple minutes (which I suspect is more for my benefit than his) and then place him in his crib. If he's fussing really hard, I turn on the mobile to snap him out of it before leaving the room. Other times I just lie him down and leave. He goes right to sleep, most of the time without even crying. Other times he fusses a bit, but rarely breaks into a full cry, and is asleep within 5 - 10 minutes. This is useful when I am juggling Dear Daughter as well. I don't know how I would attend to her needs, which often coincide with Dear Son's needs, if he required the same time and labor that was necessary to get Dear Daughter down for a nap.

Other drama in life as I know it includes the practice of putting Dear Son to bed in his crib. Yes, I had a strong moment a week or so ago and decided it was time. It seemed Dear Son wasn't sleeping as soundly, and sometimes neither was I, with him in our bed. He was just getting too big for the snuggle nest. Have I mentioned that at a mere 12 weeks, he is wearing 6-9 month clothing? He weighed in at 14.8 lbs at his two month appointment.

So on that fateful night of the maiden voyage to the crib for bedtime, once again Dear Son did much better with it than I. I lingered in the rocking chair with him, fought back some tears, challenged Dear Husband to talk me out of it, and then finally got the courage to lie him down in his crib and walk away, leaving him alone in his room. I think the only way I did it was by consoling myself that if it was too traumatic for either of us (I was really thinking of myself the most at this point) I could always put him back in our bed when he woke up to be fed. He didn't wake up. At least not until about 4:30am. It was the longest stretch he's gone at night before wanting to be fed again. It's been at least a solid week of him going to bed in his crib just fine...even after hitting a really fussy snag. I used to try to hold him and soothe him through it, but one night I tried just lying him down like I often do at naptime, and he stopped fussing and went right to sleep without a whimper. He is now not waking up to be fed until 4:30 and a couple times 5:00 or 5:30. I am getting 6 and 7 hours of sleep in a single stretch for the first time in as long as I can remember. I think that went by the wayside by the time I was two or three months pregnant with him, so it has been at least 10 months.