midnight and 4 a.m.

These are the times that our precious, once-perfect child has decided are prime wake-up-and-cry times.

Last week, we enjoyed six nights in a row of completely uninterrupted, cry-free sleep. This week, we're waking up at midnight and 4 a.m. We don't know why. Drew won't tell us.

Consulting the Internet was fruitless. According to the experts, he's suddenly waking up and crying for one of the following reasons:

1. We recently changed his routine or schedule
2. We haven't changed his routine or schedule enough
3. We're making the mistake of picking him up when he cries at night
4. We're making the mistake of not picking him up when he cries at night
5. He's teething (isn't he always?)
6. He's going through a "leap in development" (isn't he always?)

So, that's been helpful.

Consulting with other parents online also has been fruitless, as we're either A) the worst parents in the world for trying to let him cry it out or B) the worst parents in the world for picking him up and "spoiling" him.

I mean, man, I didn't know how sharp the division was between the "cry-it-out" moms and the "pick-them-up" moms. One day, these two opposing factions will have a civil war and life as we know it will be forever altered.

Me, personally, I've decided to be a "do-whatever-makes-the-baby-shut-up" kind of mom.

I mean, I guess I could look at it this way; when he turns 18, he's moving out, so after that I can get all the sleep I want. OK, so 17 years to go!

Comments

[Jan]

I laughed out loud at this. You are SO right about CIO being so controversial! Just do what you think is best, and try to get some sleep when you can. Sounds like it's time for a weekend at Grandma's. lol