The first question that everyone asks me right now is "how is he sleeping" or "are you getting any rest". I cringe every time because I hate answering this question. Not because I'm a sleep deprived pile of nerves but because I don't want to jinx things or have an angry mob of frazzled parents hunt me down and pin my eyes open. The truth is that so far we have a sleepy head and we sleep fine *crosses fingers and knocks on wood*.
In fact, I get more rest now than I have in years. Now... that's not to say that I've gotten more than 5 hours at a time, but let's face it - I've been up every three hours to pee for about a year in a half now, so I have gotten pretty use to catching a full night sleep in small increments. Also there are days that I never change out of my PJs and that don't seem to 'start' until dinner time... but those are also the days that I'm usually napping the entire day when I'm not feeding or changing him. So, right now the problem isn't a lack of sleep, but too much which leaves me groggy, lethargic and unmotivated.
So... since this blog was originally about my dreams - you may ask what it is that I'm dreaming with all this lovely sleep I'm getting. Well, the truth is I don't remember any dreams right now except for one... the same one I have about twice a day.
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I've fallen asleep with the baby in my arms and I wake up in a panic because I've lost him!. I sit bolt upright certain that I've smothered him or he's fallen. I turn on the lights to search the covers and check the side of the bed or the floor by the couch only to realize (once again) that I put him down in his crib like I ALWAYS do and that the only thing that was ever in bed with me is my pillows.
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I've never fallen asleep holding him or even napped with him in bed, but for some reason that's always my dream. Well, that and occasionally I'll try to trick myself in my sleep and dream that I've already woken up and fed him, but that's what alarms are for. Unfortunately it's rare that I'm ever woken by the alarm because I'm usually up doing the frantic baby search just a few minutes before it ever has a chance to go off. Then I'm doing the new parent thing and getting up to check that he's still breathing since he's been unbelievably quiet for so long... which more often then not ends up waking him up and starting the next cycle. So, the majority of my sleep issues are my own paranoia rather than a fussy kid right now.
However, as a good friend recently advised me - the one thing you can count on in parenthood is that nothing lasts forever! So I'm sure there will be some point in the future when I look back on this post and laugh with deep dark circles under my eyes.
In preparation for that day... here is a page from my new favorite book by Adam Mansbach called "Go the Fuck to Sleep":
Baby Stuff:
Dunstan Baby Language:
Ow = Tired Neh = Hungry Heh = Uncomfortable (hot/cold/wet)
Eh = Need to burp Eairh = Need to fart
Happiest Baby on the Block and the 5 "S's":
Swaddle Side Shhh Swing Suck
Babywise PDF (Parent Dirrected Feeding):
Time + Hunger cues + Parental Evaluation = Time to Eat
Flexible schedule with fixed times for first & final feedings can get baby sleeping through the night fast!
Firsts:
Trip into mommies work, Dim Sum, Smiles (more predictable now when we play & smiling with whole face now)
