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Maybe a miracle.
May. 27th, 2005 08:20 amOne of the things that has made Alex such an exhausting baby to parent has been her complete unwillingness to be put down. When I've wanted to wake her up from a nap, the most reliable way has been to lie her in her bassinet. Even when she's sound asleep in the snuggle nest at night, if she reaches out and doesn't find either me or Michael within arm's length, she wakes up and fusses. She's only been happy in the swing or the bouncy seat for five or ten minutes, tops. She's only happy in the carseat if the car is moving - she fusses at stoplights, unless she's sound asleep.
So Alex is a high-contact-need baby. Which is fine with me in general, because I think lots of contact is good for babies, and because she's fun to snuggle. But sometimes even the most devoted mother wants to put the baby down.
And now two things have happened. On Wednesday, Alex and I went to visit a friend from childbirth class, to meet her baby and compare notes on early parenthood. Alex fell deeply asleep during the car ride home, and continued to sleep after I brought her inside. I handed her over to Michael, carseat and all, and went to take a nap myself. When I woke up two hours later, Alex was just waking up. She had napped in her carseat for more than two solid hours!
And today: she was in a fantastic mood after breakfast, grinning and vocalizing and waving her arms and legs around vigorously. I decided to try her in the bouncy seat, thinking that it would be a better place than Mama's arms for all that forceful movement. I strapped her in and sat on the floor next to her, helping her out by making the toys move. (There's a plastic bird that spins and sings when a ring is pulled, and of course Alex doesn't have the dexterity to pull a ring.) She loved it. She grinned and waved her arms around and vocalized and swatted at one of the hanging toys. We played together for about twenty minutes, and then I got up and did some chores around the room while she continued to play. After another ten minutes, she fell asleep in the bouncy seat. (It has "soothing vibrations.") She's slept for a good twenty minutes, while I've had breakfast and read my e-mail. Now I hear her again, awake (she's batting the toy around again, and it's jingling) but content.
If she's really learning to be content without being held 24/7, it's going to make such a difference to my quality of life.
So Alex is a high-contact-need baby. Which is fine with me in general, because I think lots of contact is good for babies, and because she's fun to snuggle. But sometimes even the most devoted mother wants to put the baby down.
And now two things have happened. On Wednesday, Alex and I went to visit a friend from childbirth class, to meet her baby and compare notes on early parenthood. Alex fell deeply asleep during the car ride home, and continued to sleep after I brought her inside. I handed her over to Michael, carseat and all, and went to take a nap myself. When I woke up two hours later, Alex was just waking up. She had napped in her carseat for more than two solid hours!
And today: she was in a fantastic mood after breakfast, grinning and vocalizing and waving her arms and legs around vigorously. I decided to try her in the bouncy seat, thinking that it would be a better place than Mama's arms for all that forceful movement. I strapped her in and sat on the floor next to her, helping her out by making the toys move. (There's a plastic bird that spins and sings when a ring is pulled, and of course Alex doesn't have the dexterity to pull a ring.) She loved it. She grinned and waved her arms around and vocalized and swatted at one of the hanging toys. We played together for about twenty minutes, and then I got up and did some chores around the room while she continued to play. After another ten minutes, she fell asleep in the bouncy seat. (It has "soothing vibrations.") She's slept for a good twenty minutes, while I've had breakfast and read my e-mail. Now I hear her again, awake (she's batting the toy around again, and it's jingling) but content.
If she's really learning to be content without being held 24/7, it's going to make such a difference to my quality of life.
