Elsie-roo, you have become quite a force! However, I am writing this post right now because I feel like we have had some sort of breakthrough, me and you. Again, you are napping, but unlike the last few times I've written to you, this nap was a hard fight. Lately, I've not been able to count on my old standby method of getting you to sleep: lay you on my tummy and let you suck on my finger until you drift off like an autumn leaf on the wind. We end up fighting, often, when I lay you down to nap like this. You turn your head away from my finger and scream. This can go on and on and on until I let out a muffled scream every time you do. Sometimes your dad thinks it's because you're not actually tired, but I know you are because I've seen all the signs. You've yawned and rubbed your eyes, and when I look at you, you wrinkle your forehead and wimper a little. Oh my blood can really boil, as they say, when we've worked on napping for more than 40 minutes. I know I can't be mad at you, so I'm probably mad at myself for not "figuring you out" correctly, if that's even possible. And, apparently, 4 months is a very typical time for babes to want to stay awake as much as they can get away with; your brain is getting bigger and you're seeing everything around you like it's the first time. It's like being at an amusement park with strange noises and colours and flashes of cats going past! Our house might not be like your typical amusement park.
Anyhow, today, after 4 hours of very awake time in spite of my failing efforts to put you to sleep (and one slightly crazed phone call to your papa who said he'd be home as soon as he could manage), I switched it up a bit. You were crying your frustrated cry quite loudly when I searched out the largest light blanket I could find, laid it out on the bed, swaddled you like you were a newborn, held you in my arms on your side, and shushed and jiggled like my life depended on it. Lo and behold you were out ... I mean o-u-t in less than 2 minutes. It was all a bit of a blur, but I know it was safely less than two minutes. Thanks to those Harvey Karp, PhD youtube interviews for the inspiration, of course, but it had never really worked before.
Obviously, I'm excited now that I have another tool in my bag of nap tricks, but I will probably slowly realize that you have found some way to fight the swaddle over time and then we'll be back to square one. Never mind. I'll revel in this moment, do the dishes, and wait for your dad to get home. "What? I sounded crazy on the phone? I don't know what you mean. She's been sleeping for well over 2 hours now."
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