Check Up

Since I tend to write about things with the routine and Baby Z when things are hard, I decided it was a good time to do a little self check up when nothing in particular is going wrong. It's been 2-3 weeks, I think, that Baby Z has been sleeping much better through his naps. He's only waking up for 5 minutes or less at the 45 minute mark during his nap. The first few times this happened consistently I told myself it was a fluke. And then I stopped noticing. Yesterday, Baby Z cried for maybe 7 minutes during his nap and I thought, "Hmm, that's strange." Then it hit me. He hasn't been crying for 15-30 minutes or more like he was a month ago. What a blessing and a relief!! Yeah!

As I mentioned before, John and I left Baby Z with my Mom while we went away for a night. I thought he would probably be okay at night, but worried a little that he might wake up and realize he was in a strange place and freak out. He didn't. He slept great all night long and my Mom got to go in and get him up at 8am and see his beaming, smiling face, like John and I do every day. Baby Z also slept fine through his morning nap, which I thought he might miss completely. He went down fine and did a little fuss mid-way but went back to sleep for the full 2 hours. Piece of cake! Yeah, yeah, yeah!

It's really great to think about how much both Baby Z and I have grown. There are so many little struggles that we made it through and I'm so, so glad I stuck to the routine and worked through the issues. Things I used to dread, like putting him down for a nap, or the 45 minute mark during the nap, aren't as big of deal anymore. It's just a regular part of the day and is so much easier for both of us. I can see how keeping consistent and helping him learn to sleep well have made him a well-rested and content baby (Most of the time. He is still a baby!). What a joy it makes spending every day with him!

P.S. Another thing I've noticed recently and am extremely thankful for... even when Baby Z does wake up from a nap, in the middle, or when it's over, he doesn't cry the "I'm upset" cry. It is more like a "hey, hello? are you there?" or a "Ergh. I'm awake and I don't want to be." It's much easier to hear and doesn't twist my heart into a knot like his "upset" cry used to.