A Hard Day's Night

Last night was our first Bad Night. We've been putting Clyde down to sleep around 8 or 8:30, then I wake her up around 10 or 10:30 to breastfeed, and she sleeps better after that. She woke up around 1:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep for TWO HOURS. It was tough. She was soothed when we held/jiggled her, but she'd scream and cry if we put her back in her bed. It was very trying; we were all really tired and losing our patience. It was the first time I thought, 'I don't know how to do this.' I didn't cry because I was too tired to be that cognizant, but I was certainly crying inside.

This morning, though, as Clyde slept, she truly looked like an angel. I've been calling her An Angel from Heaven---God, that's cheesy, but that's what she looks like, I swear!! And it's hard to be mad at an angel.

So that's where we are this morning. Hoping that that phase passes sooner than later. We watched this great DVD: The Happiest Baby on the Block, that our friends who have an 11-week old, loaned us. It has tips for soothing an upset baby. The doctor who narrates it has five S's: Swaddling; Side/Stomach Lying; Swinging; Suckling; and Shaking (jiggling, not Shaken Baby Shaking). Those tips have been tremendously helpful but sometimes she cries inconsolably anyway, and we don't know what to do about it. She now cries about an hour or an hour and a half during a 24-hour period, which I guess, could be worse.

PS My high school friend Juliet had a baby two weeks after we did. Welcome, Else! (This is the fourth daughter born in six months' time to me and my three close high school friends, Kurt, Shana and now Juliet.) Mazel tov!