Battle for Sleep

There are certain fears shared between most expecting parents.  Common favorites include apocolypse-rivalring diaper blow-outs, projectile spit-ups, and fussy eaters.  However, quite possibly the most dreaded... 

... the sleepless baby.

Leon has many great qualities.  He is a generally happy, healthy, and mild-tempered baby.  In many ways, we have been incredibly blessed.  However, when it comes to sleep...

...there is much to be desired.

Leon has yet to sleep through the night. We have been waging (and losing) the Battle for Sleep since day 1.  The moment we think we are making some strides on the sleep front, Leon throws us a curve ball.

Over his first month, he declared a sleep strike on every proposed option.  He rejected his crib, pack and play, and finally bassinet.  No amount of swaddling, rocking, or soothing could convince this child that these were places of rest.  He had no problem loudly announcing his disapproval to the entire neighborhood.

Although there has been much improvement since then, Leon still will not go more than a 3-4 hour stretch without waking up.  A horde of helpers have gotten involved to offer possible theories about his sleep resistance. Offered theories include room temperature, fan speed, diaper size, security object, room location, noises... alignment of the stars.  But, when it comes down to it...

... my son just likes to eat more than sleep.

We have discovered 2 saving graces to fight the food vs sleep battle, hoping to lull Leon into believing shut-eye is better than (multiple) midnight snacks:

(1) The Swing: Although Leon still will wake up every few hours, he loves his swing.  Daily naps have been much improved.  This child loves motion... maybe because it distracts him from his emptying belly

(2) The Taco:

My friend, Cassie, introduced me to this wonder.  Fisher Price's Rock and Play sleeper.  It is shaped similarly to his swing, giving him that swaddled feeling. Like a taco, it easily folds up.  We have brought this everywhere with us, particularly when visiting friends, as our go-to portable sleeper.  We have kept this in our room, where he has at least somewhat maintained the same sleeping schedule. Again, although not sleeping through the night his schedule looks more like this...

Sleep at 8PM with awakenings at 10PM, 12AM, 3AM, and 5AM

...vs...

Sleep at 8PM with awakenings at 9PM, 9:30PM, 10PM, 10:15PM, 10:30PM, 11:30PM, 11:45PM, 12AM, 12:15AM, 12:45AM, 1AM, 1:30AM, 2:30AM, 2:45AM, 3AM, 3:15AM, 3:45AM, 4AM, 4:30AM, 5AM

Literally, these have been our two saving graces in the fog of the battle for sleep.

However, this week, the game has again changed...

... and we have an escape artist on our hands.

This weekend marked our transition to the crib, which somehow has been going better for the first time around.  Fewer tears (from mommy as well as Leon).  And, I am getting the funny feeling that he may even be starting to like the crib.

Although the nightly awakenings haven't changed much yet, I think (fingers crossed) the tides may be turning.  For now, the score is Mommy 0.5 vs Leon 137.5

A Simple Smile

It was 5AM.  I could hear Leon stirring next to me, the gentle rocking of his sleeper starting back and forth.  In the 8 weeks since he was born, I hadn’t managed to squeeze out more than 3 hours of sleep.  I was exhausted, begrudgingly rising out of bed for the seemingly hundredth time that night.   Through sleep-laden eyes, I stared glassily through the dark at my wide-awake little baby.  And, there it was: for the first time, a real smile.  It was the kind that spread from his gummy lips to his twinkling eyes.  For the first time, it wasn’t meant for a toot or an awaited bottle… it was just for me. 

In that moment, all of the spit-covered shirts, diaper blowouts, bath-time tinkles, and midnight awakenings were all forgotten… that first time that Leon smiled at me.

A Morning with Amelia

Meet Amelia!  Last week, I had a chance to meet this gorgeous sweet pea for the first time.  At only one week old, she already is such a cuddly little beauty.

Before Amelia was born, I met her mommy, Jess, through work.  We both were pregnant at the time and became fast friends over shared food cravings, wardrobe malfunctions, and pregnancy milestones.  At the photo shoot, I finally had a chance to meet her other half, Tom, whom I had heard so many great things about over the previous months.  We enjoyed a fun morning, recording some of the Amelia's first moments.

It is so clear the love these two share for their little Amelia.  What a joy it was to capture these three!

And, I was so impressed by baby Amelia.  Already, such a natural model!

Thank you so much, Tom and Jess, for asking me to capture your beautiful family!

Grandparents

As a kid, whenever my parents made me do something I didn’t want to, I would make promises to my future children. As a 7 year old, I swore that candy would always be kept on the bottom shelf, not the top.  Bed times and naps would be outlawed.  Cartoons would be left indefinitely on repeat.  And, clothes would never be an acceptable birthday present.  Later, as a teen, I promised I wouldn’t incessantly nag my someday children about cleaning their rooms making their beds.  No yard work would be required on the weekends.  Friends would be able to come over any time of day, and I wouldn’t make my kids ask permission to drive, let alone share, the car.

Then, I became a mom...  

...and all the things my parents did throughout my childhood made a little more sense.  But, even more frightening: I found myself starting to do those things my kid-self swore would never happen… Somehow, I don’t expect that to change anytime soon. 

It is a beautiful process watching your parents become grandparents.  

It’s like a snapshot back in time, remembering the gentle hugs and sing-song voices from childhood.  

And, as a new parent, it softens the learning curve as you discover the tricks of the trade from the experts.  

You start to hash out your own parenting style, taking bits and pieces from those whom raised you.

Over the past few months, I have watched as Tony and my parents have poured their love onto their new grandson.  While awaiting the arrival of my sister, Kit, whom will be coming to live with us in August, the grandparents have been taking time to visit and help with Leon. 

It has been fun sharing our home and San Antonio with each, celebrating our growing family.  I realize how much I have missed all of them over the last year since leaving NY.

I look forward to what the future holds, as I see each of them a special part of this new phase in our lives.  Each has a slightly different style to grandparenting…

… but it is clear that they all will have much to give to this growing boy throughout his lifetime.