Mean Mommy...

I know that everyone has their own thoughts on babies and sleep issues. I am not opening this up for debate. I just need to talk....

When Austin and Brodie both turned 6 months I had them cry for 5 minute intervals until they fell asleep. It literally KILLED me. I would sit in my room and cry while they cried. However, I firmly believe in this method. It took one week and they were going to sleep alone, no fuss and sleeping pretty much all night. They continue to this day to be GREAT sleepers (we have had a few patches of issues, but nothing major).

Chase is now almost 8 months old and he is NOT a good sleeper. At all! He just isn't. He has no clue how to go to sleep without Mommy or Daddy holding him. If he coughs and wakes up we have to go pick him up to put him back to sleep (entirely our fault for starting it, but dammit he is our last baby...Jason's ONLY baby). I have always said that he is a bit more needy of a baby than Austin and Brodie were. He may not be, it may be that he is just spoiled since we know this is our last baby. I don't regret relishing moments with him....BUT I AM TIRED! I haven't ever come completely clean with how bad it is on here, because well...he is such a good baby and I don't want to complain. I am not exaggerating in saying he has only slept more than 4 hours at a time ONCE. He had one 6 hour stretch when he was 3 months old. Other than that, he is up every 2 hours. Lately, he goes down about 7:30 and sleeps until 10:30. Then it is back to every 2 hours.

So why haven't we done the cry out? Many reasons I suppose. The one I have verbalized is that every time we get ready to something comes up. I am a firm believer that the cry out only works if the baby is not sick, or teething, or out of their normal routine. Chase started teething right at 6 months...then he got several colds and ear infections in a row...then we traveled...then and then and then. Sometimes I know that I was just making excuses, mostly for Jason. He can't STAND hearing Chase cry. He is so loving as a father and just can't handle it. Well, here we are...no cold...2 pearly whites smiling, no red gums...no traveling....and Mommy is completely exhausted.

So, we put him down tonight and he wasn't happy. AT ALL....it has now been a little over an hour. He has a big, panicky cry. It is heart wrenching. However, it is comical when we go in to lay him back down and give him his pacifier he instantly goes limp and crashes. Then we leave and he screams....

Ahhhh...wait....there is now silence. And we are now asleep....only another week of this and hopefully we will have a better sleeper on our hands.