Last Wednesday your father and I had the crazy idea to see if you'd sleep in your crib at night. We're not entirely sure why we decided to do this since both of us love having you with us at night and getting to wake up to your cheerful smile and lovey face pats is the highlight of our days. I worried that you wouldn't sleep as long, wake up multiple times or you'd wake up upset that you were alone.
I was especially distraught over this change as I've settled into a nightly routine with you: I change your diaper and get your jammies on while your dad makes your bottle and then he feeds you. Swaddling you after your bottle is a team effort as you now think it's a game and apparently a very funny one. I usually then go rock you to sleep in your room, often singing to you and every once in a while you'll sing back. I'd then put you down in your co-sleeper in our bed and kiss you good-night and tell you I love you. Once I eventually came to bed myself, I'd use my cell phone to light the area around your face, place my hand on your chest to make sure you were breathing and then give you another kiss before finally going to sleep.
You sleeping in your own room messes up my whole routine, a routine I've become quite dependent on in order to get a good night's sleep. Now, once I lay you in your crib, I turn on your monitor and then check the little screen every so often to see you sweetly sleeping. Ok, fine, I look at the monitor every 5 seconds, but it's just because no matter how trying a day we may have had, I can't wait for you to get up so we can do it all over again. Overnight as I try to sleep I'm usually distracted by the glow of your monitor and the image of you sleeping. I don't sleep as well without you by my side, but I'm trying to do better about relaxing and acknowledging the fact that you're growing up and need your own space. I'm proud to say that you've been a champ with this while transition. You sleep until about 5-6 a.m. without as much as a whimper and then you want one of us to come give you your paci and you quickly fall back to sleep for another couple hours.
Before I head to bed now, I stop by your crib to check in on you. I still place my hand on your chest to make sure you're ok and I still tell you "I love you, baby girl".
I guess some things never change.
Love,
Mama
2 comments:
Oh wait until she can get out of that crib - she will be back in your bed the first thing in the morning! (I secretly cannot wait for it=))
it's great that you had no problems with this transition! even though it might be hard for you now, it is a right thing to do
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