Squid is now officially my bedmate. He doesn’t ever want to sleep in his crib anymore! It’s okay. I like to have him next to me, but I find it really hard to get a good night’s rest. I’m not afraid of him falling off anymore. He seems to be a bit more coordinated and aware of the edge. It’s just that he moves around constantly and he snores! I can’t blame him. He’s a mouth-breather, like me. It’s my fault! Arg, but it drives me crazy. Anyway, I’ll have to get used to it because I really do like him to sleep next to me. I don’t care if he gets used to it and never wants his crib. He’s been faithful to his crib for 2 years. I think it’s time for a change. Eventually, we’ll get bunk beds and the boys can share that.

Oh, wow. Squid’s new “thing” is getting up in the middle of the night and wanting to come sleep with us. It would be great if he didn’t take the entire bed, pushing me out of it entirely. I remember the days when I used to want him to enter this stage. Now, functioning on 4 hours of sleep, I’m pretty much over it.

I can’t seem to shake the weird dreams lately! Last night’s had to do with Danny Glover, Paris (the city, not the socialite) and heroin! I’m serious, it’s just too bizarre to handle.

I had crazy dreams last night. You know the kind that are full of all these strange metaphors and dark alleys? It was totally bizarre. I woke up feeling like I needed to go back in and figure it all out! Don’t you hate that? You try so hard to get your dream back, but it’s gone! Maybe tonight…

I can’t believe it, but I actually napped with Squid today. I just ignored the laundry that was piling up and the dishes and everything else and I slept from about 2:30 to 4:30. It was awesome. The rain was pouring down and I was all cozy on the couch under my fluffy blanket. It felt so peaceful, and I really needed the extra rest. Plus, I still got all my stuff done, I just did it later! What a revelation.

I’ve been so spoiled for the past 3 weeks. Ever since we weaned Squid off night feedings, I’ve been sleeping like I did before I got pregnant! I mosey out of bed around 8:30 and begin my *NEW* morning routine of playing with the baby, leisurely drinking coffee, checking my email and watching The Price Is Right. I’m so well-rested that I’ve actually gotten lazier! Take today for instance - it is nearing one o’clock and I’m still in my pajamas. Can too much of a good thing (i.e. sleep) be bad?

All you mamas who (virtually) patted my back and told me that weaning Squid off the night-wakings and 2 a.m. bottle-feedings was O.K. to do, that it was O.K. to let him cry a little…THANK YOU!

It’s been four days now of no running to the crib in the middle of the night, no picking Squid up, no feeding him when I should be dreaming. The first night, his cries were more of a wail - the hardest to bear. The second, they calmed a bit to an anxious plea. The third, they were nothing more than a slight groaning. And they are now barely awakenings! He still lets out a few little yelps, but now quickly goes back to sleep.

It’s as if he still wants me to know how things used to be done, how he used to have the power to get my tired ass out of bed! “Hey, you! Yeah, you in the next room! I still have you tied around my littlest baby fingers!” And, yes, he most certainly does. But I’m not the least bit guilty in letting sleep back into my life. (There’s more than enough room for both!)

Kate Hudson was recently ridiculed for allowing her son, Ryder, 3, to continue to use a binkie. While three years does seem like a long time to be relying on a pacifier, who really cares? It’s her kid, so mind your own business, right? Is it harming us in any way that her son uses a pacifier?

Squid never took to the pacifier. I bought a few before he was born because I thought all babies used them. I was wrong. And, although I wanted to agree with those who claimed with strong conviction, “I just hate it when parents use pacifiers. It’s like telling your kid to shut up,” I soon realized I would be quite happy if Squid took one. Especially at 3 in the morning.

It never happened. I think, ultimately, it is a good thing that he never liked pacifiers because it’s one less thing we will eventually have to wean him off. I’ve heard parents say binkies were more of a pain than a cure since if it dropped from their baby’s mouth mid-sleep, their little one would cry out until it was replaced.

Long story short - Squid is now 9 months and still wakes up twice during the night. This morning, when he began crying before 5, we just let him wear himself out. Eventually, he did fall back asleep. If we could just do that for say, a week, perhaps he’d drop the habit. But it is so hard to lie there and hear him wail, especially in the middle of the night! Someone wiser, please help!

Celebrity Smut, Sleep!, Parenting/Family | Comments (10)