I wonder if this is a common problem. Apparently, I’ve got a baby with too many plans.
As I write this, I feel quite sure this is a common problem. Tracy Hogg (the Baby Whisperer) even said so, and what a relief to see it in print: at this age, you just need to “ride out the inconsistencies”. We’ve basically gotten rid of the catnap, but recently the tendency is for E to stay up all evening, much longer than he used to, then sleep for the length of a catnap and wake up again. He’s all yawny and eye-rubby, but also arm-wavy, air-strummy, and rolly. (Except when he’s very very sleepy, he is intolerant of his swaddle, the thing that most helped him settle.)
Tracy has solutions for the not-sleeping thing – her method, which is preferred by someone like me who wants my baby to be able to fall asleep independently but doesn’t want him to cry alone, is called Pick-Up-Put-Down. The trouble with this method is that it’s based on a crying baby. In theory, when E cries, I pick him up, and put him down again as soon as he stops crying, and repeat as necessary. We do this sometimes; however, most of the time E isn’t crying. He’s strumming or rolling.
Ah, well. I guess we’ll figure this out as we go, and do our best for now. Thank goodness for maternity leave.
In other baby news: today, February 16th, there is finally evidence of tooth #3! Teeth #1 and #2 have been waiting almost four months for upper counterparts, and now, at long last, there is a tiny ridge of toothiness on the upper left. Woo hoo, top teeth! Gonna be so cute!
I just hope he doesn’t suddenly remember about nipple-biting. We’ve been doing so well on that.
words of precious wisdom:
“Ah, well. I guess we’ll figure this out as we go, and do our best for now.”