Bop Be Gone: Getting There.

Last night, if you remember, sucked big time. Once Rohan was asleep after out long and drawn-out battle of the wills, he slept until 4:10 this morning. I sent Darrick in then because I was afraid he'd take my presence crib-side as a wake up call since I usually get him in the morning. Darrick got him back to sleep, but he was awake again at 4:35 at which time I got him and brought him in to lay with me in bed. I was able to snuggle and shush him back to sleep for about 45 more minutes before I gave in and took him downstairs. Nothing like getting up at 5:20 on a Sunday morning, during a long weekend no less.

The good news is, once he was up his mood was fabulous and we got some good early-morning snuggles in while he sipped milk and I sipped coffee. I don't miss the newborn lack-of-sleep phase, but I do love something about a quiet early morning with your baby when it feels like the whole world's still sleeping and the neighborhood belongs to you, your baby, and the birds singing on a tree outside.

Naptime today was a shorter but just as ferocious tantrum, lasting about 15 minutes. He woke after 45 minutes and I rocked him back to sleep, but I was getting really, super nervous about tonight.

When he was tired I carried him up to his room. He spotted the chopped bop on his dresser and asked for it, so I gave it to him, kissed his nose, and put him in his crib, as usual. I walked out and sat at the top of the stairs to see what he would do.

After a minute or two of silence, I heard him whining for me, so I went in and picked him up. He took the bop out of his mouth and shoved it in mine as if to say, "See for yourself. It's broken." I laughed and handed it back to him, and he said, very quietly, "Nooooo bopbop." and tossed it on the ground. I ignored it, and continued to rock him and with no further tears or whining he was asleep in 12 minutes.

It is not perfect. I want to get him back to going to sleep on his own as soon as he's put in the crib. But the silver lining is I get to rock my baby boy to sleep again, which he hasn't let me do in months and months. Sometimes I accidently wake him a bit, thus prolonging the rocking, because I can't resist smooching up on his forehead, cheeks, nose, lips, shoulder, and neck. He's edible, I tell ya.

So, Night 3: Manageable, bordering on almost optimistic.