Every parent has heard the stories of losing sleep and becoming a zombie for the first year of a child’s life. Well, my first year with Cohen was no different with endless, sleepless nights! From the moment he was born, the only way he would sleep was in someone’s arms. My husband and I spent several nights sitting on the couch holding Cohen on our chests watching him sleep. Finally, after a month of exhaustion, we bought a Rock ‘n Play Sleeper™ (a portable sleep seat for newborns) and it was life changing! The first night he slept right next to our bed for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only three, yet still it was exciting. I felt like a new woman.
Cohen slept in the sleeper for months. I was terrified to move him intro his crib because I was finally getting sleep! But the time came to put him in his crib again and soon enough those sleepless nights returned. Cohen hated his crib! He screamed for what felt like hours. My husband and I took turns going into his room, patting his back and trying to put him to sleep. As soon as we tiptoed out of his room there were instant tears. We tried everything, read every article and asked other parents for advice. Days felt like months, but after two very, very long weeks of crying himself to sleep, he learned to sleep in his crib.
New Baby, Same Story
Now… fast forward three years, and it’s time to do it all over again!
It’s hard to believe that my baby girl, Collyns, is growing up so quickly. I’ve been trying to hold onto every aspect of the baby stage including her sleeping next to me in the sleeper. Considering our struggle with putting Cohen in his crib, I knew it was probably going to be just as hard with Collyns. I wasn’t ready to have Collyns cry herself to sleep. Likewise, I wasn’t ready to feel like a zombie again.
I used to justify her sleeping in the sleeper with asking “If she’s still waking up at night, then why would I climb out of bed when I could just roll over?”
Learning to Let Go
I felt like putting her in the crib meant she was growing up, and I wanted to hold onto my newborn as long as possible. If I put her in her own crib in her own room, then I thought we wouldn’t continue having that special bond. Despite wanting her to sleep through the night, the constant waking up and needing her mom made me feel special.
Thankfully, the decision to begin having her sleep in the crib was made for me. My mother-in-law was staying the weekend while my husband and I were away. I mentioned to her that Collyns still slept in her sleeper, but if she wanted to try putting her in the crib, then that would be great too. All the concerns and difficulties we had getting Cohen to sleep in his crib were set aside once Collyns slept through the night almost immediately — I was amazed! She hadn’t slept through the night in months let alone in her crib.
Hoping this wasn’t a fluke, we continued putting her in the crib and said goodbye to sleeper. It was challenging at first as there were several minutes of screaming, but she never cried longer than 20 minutes. And best of all, she still makes me feel special when she wakes up in the morning with a smile on her face!
I haven’t quite mastered putting her in her crib for naps. That’s my next challenge! For now, I will enjoy every moment as my baby grows into a toddler!
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
