Maybe a miracle.

[rivka]

One 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.

Comments

[redbird]

That's excellent news.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Hoorah! That's wonderful news, and an important milestone.

Wishing you many more naps.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I remember with my children what an intense blessing it was to sometimes be able to just not hold the baby.

K.

[perceval.livejournal.com]

Yay for getting (part of ) your life back!

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

Oh huzzah! It's amazing what a difference six weeks makes!

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Oh, good luck to you! And yes, no matter how much you want to snuggle and hold your baby, sometimes you just want a sessame seed bagel and don't want the seeds to fall on her in the sling.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

She sounds just like my eldest. Some nights we got desperate and put him in his carseat and drove him around until he fell asleep.

Here's to naps! Wonderful things, they are.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

Amen sister! (I had such a nice weekend last week because I was surrounded by 20+ relatives, all vying for the chance to hold her. She was passed around from person to person, and I only got her back to feed her. It was a *wonderful* break.)

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

fingers crossed for you, sweetie.

[tea-dragon.livejournal.com]

I know how you feel! My two both had reflux, and hated to be put down as well. With each one we tried letting her sleep in our bed, but neither one would sleep unless she was actually lying on one of us. So we weren't getting any sleep due to pins and needles in our arms. Our pediatrician told us to put them to sleep in the car seat, as they were more comfortable in the upright position. It did seem to help them sleep longer and spit up less. The good news is that with Zantac and time it gets much better. My 5 and a half month old now loves tummy time, especially since she learned to roll over.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

That sounds great! It also sounds good that you got together with someone from the birthing class.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the wonderful world of the not-so-newborn. They do change and learn at an amazing clip, don't they?

One of mine abruptly decided, at about 8 weeks, that any time not spent in the bouncy seat or swing was clearly cruel and unusual punishment. And back in 1976 the bouncy seat was a cumbersome and battery eating monster, let me tell you.

I can't tell you how happy I am to read that things are getting better for you and Alex. Love you, hugs to Miss Girl.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Oh, hooray!

[richtermom.livejournal.com]

Wow! Squeaky never liked the bouncy seat, and while she didn't mind falling asleep in the car, 1)I don't drive and 2) Our car seat doesn't come out. So, it was pretty much not an option.

This meant she was high-contact until about November, when she was 7 MONTHS old, and part of that adjustment may have been because her old sitter had 2 other pre-1-year-olds in her care.

But she's happy and independent and snuggly now, so I guess no harm no foul.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Re: your icon. Have you seen this trailer? I saw it on baaaaabyanimals and thought it would give you a smile.