Growing up in my house we used to watch animal programs all the time- I absolutely loved them. They would start with beautiful images of tender moments between animals and their young; such as a Mama bear and her sleeping cub, a baby elephant stumbling along with the herd, little monkeys playfully wrestling with their brothers and sisters and then BAM! The Mama bird pushes her baby birds out of the nest. WHAT?!
That’s where we are during month number 5. No we didn’t push Jax out of any nest. What we did was start sleep training. And when we closed the door on our crying baby for the first time I asked myself the same question I used to ask as a little girl while watching the animal shows, “WHY is the Mama doing that!?!”
Sleep training is a huge debate not only between the parents but with the family, within play groups, on the playground, the work place and all over the internet. The wide range of answers and information on this topic alone can make a new parent crumble. We started sleep training because if we didn’t, things around here were going to get ugly. A new Mom can only go so long getting up in the night several times before she can no longer put on that smiling face. Moms need sleep. Dads need sleep. And what we learned- babies need the sleep too.
The first night of sleep training was absolute torture. Every single CELL in my body was fighting what we were doing. Since the moment I saw the plus sign on the pregnancy test I have nurtured this child and leaving him to cry on his own went against everything I had been doing for the past 14 months.
But we made a plan, picked a night and made a pact that we would stick to it. As I was nursing Jax for his last feeding that night, I was looking down at his sweet little face and I couldn’t stop thinking that after tonight he would no longer love me. Now I know this is ridiculous, but those were my thoughts. When Greg said it was time to put him in the crib my heart and stomach teamed up against my brain. I knew we needed to do this but it was the very last thing in the world I wanted to be doing.
We kissed him, placed him down and our little Jax looked up, smiled and cooed and then… we left.
Within seconds there was crying. I’m sure it was just like all his other cries but for me it was the worst cry I have ever heard. Greg and I stood at the counter watching the monitor and the clock. We questioned our plan, we questioned each other and we waited. It was terrible. Desperately I wanted to run into his room, scoop him up and nurse him back to happiness…
…just when we thought we couldn’t take it any longer the crying lessened. With hope we watched and there on the monitor we saw Jax settle down and fall into a deep sleep. He did it. We did it. The best part, it didn’t take that long. Turns out that Jax may have been more ready for sleep training then we were. As a fellow parent told us at the park, they should call it parent training.
Gratefully when he woke up in the morning he gave us the same smile that he always did- relief, our baby still loves us.
For a few days we went on like this, with the crying becoming less and less and the sleep longer and longer. By day 3 our little guy was sleeping 12 hours with only one feeding. We thought we had a happy baby before but now Jax’s mood is incredible! Turns out that Jax needed some extra sleep too!
The worst thing we ever had to do as a parent has turned out to be one of the best things we have ever done.
We headed to Buffalo for the second time and Nanny’s house had some incredible light. I will never grow old of capturing Jax’s eye lashes. They are just like his father’s. Why do men always get the great eye lashes?
We exposed him to as much nature as possible!
And even though it was a WORKcation we played, it’s all about the balance.
Since Nanny did not have a baby bath tub, Greg did some MacGyver-like thinking. He used the swimming tube and got into his board shorts and joined Jax in the tub. Brilliant!
And then Greg gave Jax his first driving lesson. Jax was a natural.
It didn’t end there, Jax learned how to do some swimming too! He LOVED it!
When we arrived back home Jax had found his feet. But don’t worry little thumb, he still loves you dearly.
I’m in love with my son’s lips.
Lazy Boy.
Jax is now the same size as a stuffed Polar Bear I have had FOREVER!
Love this little redhead! It makes him devilishly handsome I think- just like Prince Harry!
I like when Jax plays when he thinks I am not around and seeing what he does, such as play with his new toys- the feet!
But he finds me every time!
Lastly, Jax went to Fire Island and chilled in our friend’s beach house. Life is rough when you’re 5 months old, sleep training can really wear you out!
Your baby is so adorable! he looks so happy and healthy!
Oh gawwwsssh! Let the bawling commence! Looove that shot of you holding him looking into the trees and the one in the bath “tube” (ROFL, am I witty or what?) is priceless.
P.S. Prince Harry has NOTHING on little Jax. Love his little eyebrows.