Somebody Pinch Me . . .

. . .  because I must be dreaming! My baby is sleeping through the night! I should note here that the clinical definition of "sleeping through the night" isn't actually sleeping all night, but sleeping for at least 5 hours straight.  That may not sound like a lot, but to a new mom it's like the elusive Holy Grail.  I have despaired of Davis ever sleeping for such a long chunk of time.  On a good night, he has usually slept 3 or 3.5 hours, then awakened, then slept for 2 or 2.5 hours, then awakened, and then slept for another hour before getting up for the day.  On a bad night,  he has been known to be up every hour. The night before his baptism, Davis slept for 4 hours and 45 minutes!  I woke up a little before he did and couldn't fall back asleep because I was so excited wondering if he would make it to 5 hours.  4.75 was an entire hour longer than his previous sleep record, so I was still really excited! The next night,  he was up every hour. Sadness. But this past Saturday night, Davis went to sleep at his usual time (about 9 o'clock) and slept for FIVE HOURS AND 45 MINUTES - an hour longer than his record set the week before. I was so excited.  This was his first time actually "sleeping through the night."  But I was holding my breath wondering if it was a one-time deal or maybe - just maybe - the turning point I've been hoping for. On Sunday night, Davis slept for SIX HOURS even.  (He did cry briefly one time in there, but I shushed and patted him for a minute and he fell right back asleep, so I'm not sure if he was even really awake in the first place or just crying in his sleep.) I was doing a happy dance! Last night, on Monday night, Davis slept for SIX HOURS AND 45 MINUTES.  Wahoo!  After he ate, he went back to sleep for another two and a half hours, but I had a hard time falling back asleep because: 1) I was so excited. 2) I was worrying about whether my luck will hold and this will become the "new normal." 3) I was wondering if he's just reached that magic age where he's developmentally ready to sleep longer or if there's something new in his life that's helping him to sleep better.  The only things I've changed recently to try to encourage better sleep are having him sleep in a Woombie (he's been wearing it for about a week, but it takes a little while for a baby to adjust to it), making sure he goes outside and gets at least 20 minutes of natural light every morning (to help regulate his internal clock so he can sleep properly), and having him in cloth diapers full-time (previously he was in disposables at night because we didn't have quite enough cloth diapers to go full-time).  I don't know if any of these have anything to do with his sleeping so well, but I want to continue doing them just in case. 4) I was trying to decide when I should transition Davis from the co-sleeper bassinet to his crib.  I don't want to do it too soon and mess up his new awesome sleep pattern, but I want to get him in his crib at night by the end of June.  I've been waiting for him to start sleeping better consistently first so I don't have to run to and from the nursery several times a night.  If he's truly is going to start having only one night waking, it looks like the time is just about right!  It's exciting to think about, but also a little bittersweet.  I have to admit, I really, really, really like having Davis sleeping next to me at night.  It is so reassuring to be able to hear him breathe, to simply reach over and pat him when he squirms or fusses in the night to calm him down before he gets a chance to cry, etc.  I don't think Davis will have much trouble adjusting to sleeping in his crib . . . I think I'm the one who's going to have a hard time! In the meantime, I'm knocking on wood and hoping beyond hope that Davis continues to "sleep through the night."  It feels soooo nice to get decent sleep for three nights in a row, and I just don't want to go back to those bleary-eyed sessions in the middle of the night where I cry and plead with my baby to go back to sleep. On second thought, don't pinch me.  If this is a dream, it's such a good one that I don't want to wake up!

From Loving the Life We Live