Operation Un-Swaddle: Part Two--Total Freedom

The first stage of OUS went much better than expected. After the first night of 45 minutes of sleep and then a long day of painful 'napping,' the little bugga figured it all out--and slept through the night thereafter (or until teeth as the case may be). We still wrapped a blanket (or two) around her legs because of her constant kicking and stomping, to keep her warm, and to keep her safe as she hadn't yet mastered the whole roll over thing. She's also been in a sleep positioner this whole time as well. I know it's shameful, but it's safe and keeps her snug and well, Justin is as paranoid as possible about her sleeping as it is. Once she started rolling one way consistently, I knew the time was near, but kept her bound. I could just see the nights of having to go rescue her from her tummy every time she rolled over and got herself stuck.
Well now that she can roll all the way, it's time. IT'S TIME for the child to be free to get into a position of her own choosing to sleep. . . much to her father's dismay. This morning he found her, in her sleep positioner, wrapped from the waist down, and with half her body on the tummy and the bottom half still on her back. IT'S TIME.
So here I sit. . . listening to her struggle in her crib. She doesn't need me, but needs to work it out. She's not used to the freedom and though it's a good thing for her and she fights the snugness, now she's at a loss without it. She's wrestling around in there and grunting and everything that is not sleeping. I figure she hasn't napped a wink in the last few days anyway, so may as well go for it. If we don't do it now, I am going to go in there someday and find her standing up in her crib, wrapped from the waist down. Or better yet, find her on the floor of her bedroom after fastening her swaddle blankets together and climbing out of her cell like a felon. . . and just as we applaud all of the amazing changes babies make so quickly, they are exactly what make being a mommy so hard. Nothing ever just settles in or gets easy. You never get a chance to get comfortable in your own knowledge, experience, schedule, or rest. In fact, as each stage becomes more fun and doable, so too they become more complicated and difficult.

The Baby and the Mommy


Prof. M.O.M.