Let Sleeping Babies Lie

About the time Ella turned 7 weeks, she started becoming really fussy when she got tired.  It was challenging to get her to fall asleep even though she was obviously exhausted.  We would have to hold her all the time and it was starting to wear on me.  I figured it was because she was going through so many physical and developmental changes.  Last weekend was particularly demanding and it seemed like she was super sensitive and easily overstimulated.  The only time she could get a good nap in was while we rocked her in her room.  (And of course I choose this time to start putting her down for naps in her big crib, which she never sleeps in since she still sleeps in her co-sleeper next to us at night).  Let's just say that ten seconds in, she woke up screaming, and after a failed nursing attempt and vomiting all over herself, me and the glider, we were all exhausted and frustrated.  Saturday evening was spent taking turns holding her so she could get some much-needed rest, while I reevaluated the whole napping routine attempt.

So is my baby just a totally needy cuddle bug?  I mean, I know she's still pretty young.  But at the same time I would love to have the freedom to do things around the house while she naps for a couple hours.  I was really going back and forth until the past couple days.  While Ella still doesn't nap well in her crib, I still expose her to the routine of going down for a formal nap.  After a good meal in the afternoon, I take her to her room, put on soothing music, and read to her in her rocker.  Then I let her fall asleep and ever-so-gently lay her down in her crib.  Of course she wakes up (her longest stint was ten minutes yesterday) and I have to rock her back to sleep again, but at least there are no crying jags and puking all over Mommy, so I'd say these attempts are a 100% more successful.  

I've been experimenting with different sleep positions and the side works the best for now.  I use a swaddle to prop her up and I keep the baby monitor close to make sure she doesn't roll over.

She woke up right after I snapped this shot.  Sigh.

The greatest progress that has been made lately is that she's learning to fall asleep on her own.  She successfully did it twice last night when I put her down in her co-sleeper and all this morning as she naps on and off in her bassinet downstairs.  And she stays asleep!  I'm so proud of her and really happy to embrace this new sleeping pattern (though who knows, it will probably change in a week!).  She is eight weeks today and I see so much growth in her, it's amazing.

Napping this morning in her bassinet.  I'm going to try the Boppy in her big crib so she doesn't feel so lonely.

Apparently she doesn't like the smell of our kitchen.