It’s not easy being green (and pink)

So, on Saturday our neighbour came to install the new door (and took much longer and charged much more than I expected, but that’s another story) and I started preparing myself for a night without my baby.

As it turned out, eight and a half months wasn’t long enough for us to get organised and by the time bed time came around his room was still a complete shambles so the plan was postponed.

On Sunday, though, he slept in his own room. And by slept, I mean he closed his eyes for several 90 minute stretches. I got up four times between 10 and 4, at which point he came back to bed with us. There were also a couple of times where he cried a bit then put himself back to sleep for 15 or 20 minutes – rinse, repeat.

Leigh thought it went well for the first attempt, but I think what she meant was that it went well for her.

It was never going to go well for me, no matter how he slept. Even though he’s been driving us both crazy and sleeping less and less, I missed him so much. Plus, it’s just way more tiring to be getting up for 20 minutes at a time to feed and settle instead of half waking while he feeds in bed.

Anyway, he slept in his own room again last night. I got up three times and brought him to our bed at 4.30. By that time both nights it was clear he was not going back to sleep on his own, and I was out of energy.

We’re all pretty happy with the strategy of having him start his night in his room then come to us in the wee hours. Now we just have to get him to sleep more than three hours maximum at a stretch.

I really, really don’t want to have to do CIO (controlled crying) this time. We did it as a last resort with hunter and although I don’t regret it, I do remember how awful it was. It’s brutal and traumatic for all concerned and I am more of a pushover than ever and just really don’t want to have to go through it again.

That’s not to say we won’t do it. I need to get more sleep, especially once leigh goes back to school in a few days. And he’s going to be nine months old in a few days, so there’s really no need for him to be up so much. One waking per night I could probably live with for another few months, but three or four or more…not so much.

So, here’s to hoping he just magically starts sleeping through the night some time in the next, say, four days. Hmm.