On Sleep

I think it is time for another sleep posting.

It's been a good 6 weeks since we began sleep training, and I have to say that to my big surprise it has been mostly successful. We started a routine, even though having routines is really hard for me. For an hour before bedtime we play and read in Ben's room, and then he gets changed, the light is turned off, and we recite "The Going to Bed Book" while one of us holds him in the dark. Then he is put in his crib where he usually goes to sleep immediately (seriously, I still can't believe it). He usually wakes up once or twice a night, but has slept through the night a handfull of times, which - of course - is wonderful! Unfortunately for the husband I have proven useless in calming him down, so it's up to him to get up to pat Ben on the back in the middle of the night when he is up screaming. He is really good at it though and the screams usually subside quickly.

For a while Ben got up at 4 a.m. every morning, but lately he has been sleeping until 6 or 6:30. I am in heaven!

Naptime, however, is a completely different story. Maybe it's because I am on my own (or I try to be) and Ben knows I am a pushover. Any attempts to have him sleep in the crib have failed miserably. He used to nap in the crib okay, but somehow he seems to have forgotten all about that. Now what happens is that he will get cranky around 2 or 3 and will then eventually fall asleep in my arms. And I better not put him down! So I spend an hour sitting on the couch with the baby on me. Sometimes I cheat. The husband is currently working from home (which is the best thing EVER), and comes to help out. Of course when he is there, naptime works out much better.

Overall I am absolutely amazed at how well things are going in the sleep department, and I hope I didn't just jinx it.