Three Hours

When you have a baby, they should just reprogram your body to only be able to do things in three hour increments.  Feedings now rule my life schedule. I'm constantly looking at the clock calculating how much time has elasped and how much time remains between feedings. I started out in the hospital using an app to time it all because I was on so much pain medication I couldn't be held responsible for remembering. As Colin has gotten older (2.5 months now) I have begun to learn his real hunger cries from his, I just want to be close cries and usually those occur right around the same time. However, I have days, like today, when I am reminded that even though he looks like a big boy he is still a baby and those two cries are really one in the same. 

This morning Colin woke up early, but if just couldn't face the world just yet. He has been sleeping in his own room and his his big crib for almost two weeks now, so I thought as a treat, I'd bring him into my room and out him in his rock n play for a little bit while I geared up for the day. The little guy LOVED IT. I think he knew it was a treat because he cooed and laughed and sucked on his hand (his new favorite trick), for almost an hour. I lay there watching him, responding a bit, but mostly just watching him entertain us both.   Then something magical happened. We both fell asleep... I'm not sure who was first (I'd bet it was me...) but I awake with a start 45 minutes later to a sleeping, smiling, snoring little boy.  I let him sleep for a bit, I wanted to soak up the peaceful moment and to put that memory in my storage bank for a day when I'm teaching again and miss my baby.   It was inevitable, it had been three hours since his last feeding and once it hits 5am, I have a rule that I don't let him go longer than three hours. I like to calorie load during the day so he will have those stored for the night time. It works too.. On days he has good eating habits, and when he calorie loads on this few feedings before bedtime he always sleeps better. 

We didn't leave the house today... He was very much attached to me and it was proving difficult to shower. Not the worst thing in the world. We snuggled, and played and watched Top Chef!! 

When it came time for bed, he was so sleepy so I brought him upstairs to feed him and put him in his crib.... This is the end of my fabulous day.  It wasn't a bath night (those are always the best because he calms down immensely with a bath), but I still changed him, read to him, rocked him, and held him.  All in a dark room with a soothing voice. None of this mattered. The little guy was basically comatose in the living room, but as soon as we got upstairs it was party time. 

An entire three hours of rocking and diaper changes and three feedings (on the hour), and many many tears , went by before he fell asleep. Now, I know... He's a baby, and schedules are the easiest For them.  I just don't know what was so different about today than yesterday. Why was today's fight?  

In fact, I've gotten up twice while writing this. Once to calm him, once to give him a pacifier. 

I'm so sleepy that I'm not sure any of this makes sense.... And now that he seems to me calm and in a semi deep sleep, I think I should make the call and do the same. 

(Spoke too soon, time to soothe the baby).