Well the kid keeps doing it - getting older and bigger. Over the last weekend, OH and I finally bit the bullet and accepted that the poor Munchkin really could not stay sleeping in the bassinet any longer. Her head was practically butting the top of the thing and her arms had long been folded up from the elbow and were now balancing along the sides when she slept.
So OH performed one of his man-tasks (I hate assembling furniture and I'm pretty sure the furniture isn't so keen on it either) and assembled the big baby bedding: the crib. Nothing says baby in my mind more than a crib. When we stood back and observed the final product, it felt like the room had really transformed into a parental room. Even though we've had the Munchkin for over four months now! I admit, I had been resisting the crib for a while. Nothing to do with not wanting to admit being a parent! But more not wanting to aknowledge that the Munchkin was getting bigger.
In fact the crib reminds me of how little she is! She is once again dwarfed by her giant-seeming bed. I thought as well that it would feel less personal or something. But actually I am loving the improved stalkability the crib allows. Bassinets are baskets - so of course you can't see your kiddo from the side. We have the crib next to our bed for now, and like most cribs, the sides are the classic bars allowing the obsessed parent to see their kiddo at any hour of the night while they are sleeping*. One can also stuff the binky/pacifier back into their mouth straight through those bars without even lifting their head from the pillow. I am sure I'll regret writing this now, but so long as your kiddo is not sleeping through the night I don't really see why you would want them in a separate room. Seems like precious minutes spent getting up, walking to the other room, and soothing the child could be saved for much more important sleeping. Perhaps if both bedrooms are located near to each other (on the same floor would be nice, in our case), but I am loving our new sleep arrangement for now.
Further good news - the Munchkin has no problems at all with her new bed. There is sometimes a problem if the baby does not like being so dwarfed by the bed. However our kiddo, she likes her space. I think this is why co-sleeping (this is where you share the bed with your child.) hasn't been an issue. The Munchkin's preferred sleeping position is arms spread eagle like a tiny little Jesus, head turned to one side. Parents in the same bed would only cramp her style.
*this validates my earlier decision not to get a baby monitor with video as I would probably do absolutely nothing else except obsessively check it at night.
So OH performed one of his man-tasks (I hate assembling furniture and I'm pretty sure the furniture isn't so keen on it either) and assembled the big baby bedding: the crib. Nothing says baby in my mind more than a crib. When we stood back and observed the final product, it felt like the room had really transformed into a parental room. Even though we've had the Munchkin for over four months now! I admit, I had been resisting the crib for a while. Nothing to do with not wanting to admit being a parent! But more not wanting to aknowledge that the Munchkin was getting bigger.
In fact the crib reminds me of how little she is! She is once again dwarfed by her giant-seeming bed. I thought as well that it would feel less personal or something. But actually I am loving the improved stalkability the crib allows. Bassinets are baskets - so of course you can't see your kiddo from the side. We have the crib next to our bed for now, and like most cribs, the sides are the classic bars allowing the obsessed parent to see their kiddo at any hour of the night while they are sleeping*. One can also stuff the binky/pacifier back into their mouth straight through those bars without even lifting their head from the pillow. I am sure I'll regret writing this now, but so long as your kiddo is not sleeping through the night I don't really see why you would want them in a separate room. Seems like precious minutes spent getting up, walking to the other room, and soothing the child could be saved for much more important sleeping. Perhaps if both bedrooms are located near to each other (on the same floor would be nice, in our case), but I am loving our new sleep arrangement for now.
Further good news - the Munchkin has no problems at all with her new bed. There is sometimes a problem if the baby does not like being so dwarfed by the bed. However our kiddo, she likes her space. I think this is why co-sleeping (this is where you share the bed with your child.) hasn't been an issue. The Munchkin's preferred sleeping position is arms spread eagle like a tiny little Jesus, head turned to one side. Parents in the same bed would only cramp her style.
*this validates my earlier decision not to get a baby monitor with video as I would probably do absolutely nothing else except obsessively check it at night.
6 comments:
No don't want to be cramping the Munchkin's style!
Ah the big bed! At some point, you will understand the need for their own room. I think around 6-7 months, Rose would rouse at the slightest noise from us, so sleeping in the same room was no longer cool. Also, while you would think that solid food would lessen the night feedings, sometimes those little buggers are just really hungry and there's nothing you can do. We are working through teething now (and have been for weeks now!), and if she only wakes up once, it's a good night. I can't wait for the 12 hour sleep, I think it happened for Lily around 11 months, so soon, soon!
Is commenting here the best way to get your attention or would an off topic question/subject be best handled through email or FB mail?
Oh my god, Lauren I am already going nuts from the sleep loss! But that is a good point - if she was a light sleeper (or OH or I were) then it'd be better to have her in a separate room.
Dad, this kid is not going to let anyone cramp her style I think!
Icarus, unless you want the world knowing the off topic, send via FB email. If you don't mind the world knowing, right here in the comments is fine!
Trust me, you will adapt to sleeping in 3-4 hour shifts, and when miracles happen and you get to sleep 6-8 in a row, you won't know what to do with yourself! So, she goes down for a sleep around dinner time? That's good, have you tried waking her around 10-11 for a feeding and then going to bed when you lay her back down? That helps, you can get a good couple of hours, wake up around 2-3 for a feeding and then sleep until 6-7. I am champion at waking, nursing, reading a bit and immediately falling back asleep when the babe is back in her bed!
Lauren - the dream feed! You know, we are actually going back and retrying all these tricks again. We tried the dream feed, we were doing bottles at night instead of breast, all in the hope of getting her to sleep longer. Now she's a little older, we are going to try again.
I do think she is genuinely hungry at night. I don't know how well she eats during the day, I suspect she is one of these kids that gets distracted quite easily so she needs to those night feeds to retank. The night feeds themselves go excellently for the most part. She cries, we feed, she falls asleep after she's eaten almost immediately. And you cannot get her to stop crying any other way - that we have tried recently. Hence why I think it is genuine hunger.
I know we are actually doing quite okay in terms of sleep but I don't think that should stop you from trying for more :)
Post a Comment