Friday, June 04, 2004
Boo's graduation, of sorts
Someone called to my attention that I've been at this blog for over a week and still haven't written about Boo. Sadly, I'd say that pretty fairly reflects the relative amount of my attention that each of my boys receives. Max consumes a lot of the oxygen in a room. And easy-going Boo is, well, easy-going. But I'm going to make a more conscious effort to remedy the disparity in who gets my attention, and not just on the blog.
Yesterday Reed graduated from our bed to his bassinet. Having spent three more months sleeping between us than Max did, he's been capable of this transition for quite some time. But Lee and I have had a difficult time letting go. First, we both love the feeling of his little body snuggled up against us, and of his hand tugging on the back of our T-shirts. But perhaps more significantly, we know that this is the last baby who will sleep between us, and it's a phase that we're sad to see go.
So why now? Two reasons, really. First, the longer we wait and the more conscious he becomes, the more difficult it will be for him to learn to sleep on his own. From that standpoint, frankly, we've probably already waited a little too long. But WE weren't ready. (At least we were clear that our delay was about us, not him.)
The second reason is one of pure self-interest: I need more sleep. This was the same trigger that led us to expel Max when he was about 4 months old, although it evolved differently. Max squirmed, kicked, thrashing and thumped in his sleep, usually on me. Reed is as serene at night as he is during the day, but he takes up a lot of real estate, and I find myself squeezed closer and closer to the edge of the bed.
A few days ago we reached the tipping point. By 3 a.m., Baby Reed, fully spread-eagle, had so overtaken the upper right quadrant of the mattress that I curled up in a fetal position at the foot of the bed to try to eke out a few more hours of sleep. After this became a pattern for a few days, my fatigue, coupled with the ironic image of a 2 foot 4 inch baby having more space on the bed than me, took hold. I'm committed to reclaiming my territory.
But it isn't easy. Last night I rubbed Reed's back until he nodded off, but when he flipped over a couple of hours later he became frantic and couldn't get himself back to sleep. So I suppose it's an oversimplification to say he's graduated completely. But at least we've begun the journey. Hopefully, this transition will also alleviate some of the envy that Max has been showing this week. Very early one morning, he tried to crawl into bed with us, saying, "I want to be little like Baby Reed." (Ouch!) Later that day Lee observed that Max is the only member of our household who doesn't sleep in our room. Who wouldn't be feeling left out?
Yesterday Reed graduated from our bed to his bassinet. Having spent three more months sleeping between us than Max did, he's been capable of this transition for quite some time. But Lee and I have had a difficult time letting go. First, we both love the feeling of his little body snuggled up against us, and of his hand tugging on the back of our T-shirts. But perhaps more significantly, we know that this is the last baby who will sleep between us, and it's a phase that we're sad to see go.
So why now? Two reasons, really. First, the longer we wait and the more conscious he becomes, the more difficult it will be for him to learn to sleep on his own. From that standpoint, frankly, we've probably already waited a little too long. But WE weren't ready. (At least we were clear that our delay was about us, not him.)
The second reason is one of pure self-interest: I need more sleep. This was the same trigger that led us to expel Max when he was about 4 months old, although it evolved differently. Max squirmed, kicked, thrashing and thumped in his sleep, usually on me. Reed is as serene at night as he is during the day, but he takes up a lot of real estate, and I find myself squeezed closer and closer to the edge of the bed.
A few days ago we reached the tipping point. By 3 a.m., Baby Reed, fully spread-eagle, had so overtaken the upper right quadrant of the mattress that I curled up in a fetal position at the foot of the bed to try to eke out a few more hours of sleep. After this became a pattern for a few days, my fatigue, coupled with the ironic image of a 2 foot 4 inch baby having more space on the bed than me, took hold. I'm committed to reclaiming my territory.
But it isn't easy. Last night I rubbed Reed's back until he nodded off, but when he flipped over a couple of hours later he became frantic and couldn't get himself back to sleep. So I suppose it's an oversimplification to say he's graduated completely. But at least we've begun the journey. Hopefully, this transition will also alleviate some of the envy that Max has been showing this week. Very early one morning, he tried to crawl into bed with us, saying, "I want to be little like Baby Reed." (Ouch!) Later that day Lee observed that Max is the only member of our household who doesn't sleep in our room. Who wouldn't be feeling left out?
1 Comments:
I hope you're getting to sleep spread-eagled on your bed soon. (Sorry, Lee.) Does Max have a sleeping bag at home, so that he could sleep in your room but not in your bed? Or maybe he could have the chaise lounge? I can see where he might feel singled out, especially if even the dogs are sleeping in your room, too.
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