Life since Eliza has been amazing but I gotta admit that living in a one bedroom flat with a newborn is tough. Currently, the only space to house her crib is the bedroom because that's the only space in our place that has a spot that the kitty can't access (every where else in the house has a surface Pinks can jump onto and then into, that is, if she wanted to. Personally, I don't think she has much interest, however it is a consideration and a strong one at this point.
I never wanted the crib in the bedroom (the only co-sleeping arrangement I'm interested in is the one between myself and my husband) but with that as easiest option at this point, we've gone with it.
Matty needs his sleep whereas sleep has never been one of my priorities: I don't require too much sleep and only crash when I push its boundaries to extremes. But Matt's the one who is working right now and, well, needless to say, having the crib in the bedroom is not working out.
We've tried several approaches to this situation and have formulated many game plans in the week she's been home to try and ensure we all get some sleep. We try to put her down in our room around 8; we've established a little ritual to soothe her and let her know it's bedtime. We turn on her ocean sound machine and flick on the dimmest little nightlight, (which took FOREVER to find because apparently, they are no longer in vogue - screw you, Target, for making us run to Home Depot!)
Once she's in her crib, we then stay up and try to find some semblance of our former selves by watching DVR, Facebooking, bill paying, Booyaaing Jim Cramer, making out on the couch (ha! you believed that one for a minute, didn't you...) until we go to bed around 11. We change into our nightclothes in the living room (well, Matt pulls on sweats and I go to sleep in whatever pajamas or yoga pants I've been wearing all day, along with my umphteen layers of sports bras, Belly Bandits, compression tanks, etc. and we sneak in to bed. The room is already prepared for our arrival: the bed is turned down, Pinks' treats are within easy reach, my series of leg elevating pillows are in place, our phones are charged and on nightstands (or under pillows), and my meds are sorted.
At that point, E is usually asleep making her little baby noises; they comfort me by reminding me that I've kept her alive another day but they make Matt a little crazy because, you see, he can't stand noise of any kind unless it's a television or sporting event. On Saturday mornings when I used to write at the opposite end of the flat, if I forgot to shut the bedroom door tightly, the sound of the keyboard would drive through him like someone was tapping out Morse Code on his skull.
Today (um, it's sometime in the early morning hours right now) is Matty's first day back to work and so of course, everything got all banged up last night: we've been lucky that her schedule has matched the one we want for her, but that changed today and we had to improvise.... which means that I had to ignore Matt's protestations and insist he go to bed and shut the door while I stayed with her in the "outer realm" until I was sure she was asleep. He did so reluctantly and no doubt felt terribly selfish, which is certainly one character trait he does not possess.
This can't continue every night; we need to crack this one-bedroom-living-with-an-
But while I'm confined to the outer realm, I'm trying to make use of the time here. One positive is that I have begun my own version of professional development via YouTube. In the past hour, I have a). learned how to use a baby aspirator and in turn, found some sick satisfaction in sucking out all of her boogies and b). despite my usual inability to follow directions, after several viewings and a bit of trial and error, I figured out how to use a Moby Wrap (which is where she is soundly snoozing right now). Not only that, I cleaned the kitchen, too, and am now enjoying the sound of the dishwasher (I have an obsession with making sure that every dirty dish is clean when I awake each morning) while I catch up on email and my internet life.
Later today, I'll find a solution to this problem because I am goal oriented and to be honest, need a sense of accomplishment to get me through this first day alone with the baby.
Because remember how I said that I don't require much sleep and that it only catches up on me when I push it to extremes?
Well, 17 hours of sleep spread out over 6 days just may be the start of my breaking point.
Buy the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". The methods worked with all 3 of mine (skip the first 150pgs or so...it's all scientific gobbly gook and go right to the age sections). Invest in ear plugs for your husband. That's what my husband did when he had to go back to work b/c he does not function well on little sleep either! I am the lightest sleeper alive now b/c of my kids! The first of many transitions! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Very detailed and informative, and still a "confession of first time mother is very small space." I imagine that the push and pull between being with husband and letting him sleep is something I will struggle with if I ever have a kid...Curtis wouldn't do well with the "I'll deal with it; you sleep" plan either.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update! I miss your online presence...I have totally noticed. Feel free to e-mail me random tidbits when you need to connect...they don't have to be coherent. ;)
Kimlani has the book, How To Keep Your Baby On A Sleep Schedule. Might want to read that one too! Sounds like you've got it under control. Hope your flat sells quickly. xoxo j
ReplyDeleteMy solution would be a Moses basket for bebe and ear plugs for Matty. Cart a sleeping baby anywhere in the house without waking them up = worth the price of the damn things. (At least for me.) Plus you can pop it in and out of the crib as needed.
ReplyDeleteAnd the ear plugs are self explanatory. ;-)
Good luck!