New stages

Friday, I was starting to feel too tired from Michael keeping me up at night (probably because he wasn't sleeping enough during the day, ironically), and I read in the Focus on the Family book that if babies don't learn by six months to sleep on their own, you lose the opportunity to effectively teach them until a year.  So, with thanks to Sarah and Patricia on the method (and encouragement!), I did what I had to do: a modified cry-it-out at naptime on Friday.

I had bought a great mobile at Walmart the day before (on clearance -- only $15 instead of $40!), so I fed and changed Michael, walked him down a bit till he was drowsy, then put on the mobile and put Michael in his crib and let him cry a bit.  I resolved to try this for an hour.  I went in every 5-8 minutes and picked him up and calmed him down, then laid him back down.  Then after a half an hour I called my mom because *I* felt like crying.  He just sounded so betrayed!  :(  But by the time I got off the phone to check on him again . . . he had fallen asleep.  Yay!  Slept for 45 minutes (then dozed through a feeding for another hour or so).  That night I also moved him from the bassinet in our room, where he has been sleeping since he was born, to the crib for overnight.  He still woke up a few times, but went back to sleep after I fed him each time.  On Saturday, he only cried for 10 minutes before his nap.  And then on Saturday night, he slept 5 1/2 hours until 5:30 and then again until 8:45.  Yay again!  That was the best night's sleep I've had in three or four weeks!  And Mike said the baby seems happier in the evenings too.

[caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="Monkeys are cool"][/caption]

So now I'm committed to the nap routine.  It worked yesterday and this afternoon and I think it's good for him.  He is a smart cookie though.  On Saturday morning when we put him in his crib for a few minutes (with the lights on and everything -- we were just getting dressed) he got very anxious and started crying because of its instant new associations :(  So I'm putting him in the crib at random times (like around changing times) too for a couple of minutes so he doesn't just associate it with abandonment or anything.  I hate hearing him make that you-betrayed-me wail.  But then again, I may just be more emotional about him this week anyway because of all the nanny interviews.  On which, more as it develops . . .  In the meantime, a few pictures of a happy baby in his strollers.  This kid loves our neighborhood walks!

[caption id="attachment_773" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="So cute!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_772" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mama must be hi-LAR-ious"][/caption]