Thursday, January 22, 2009

Writer's Workshop: The Most Difficult Decision

Finally after what seems like hours and hours of cuddling, singing and rocking the baby is asleep. He looks so peaceful, all silent and sleeping in your arms.

Is it time? Has he been sleeping long enough? Can the transfer from arms to crib take place?

This is the most terrifying part of the whole ordeal. Getting sleeping baby from your arms to the crib, all well keeping the peacefully sleeping baby asleep. It can go so well or it can go so terribly wrong if not done at the exact right time.

It would be a crime to wake him up. He was to tired, well actually over tired hence the need for rocking in the first place. He as not going to succumb to sleep on his own come hell or high water. But after some time all cuddly and warm with mommy, rocking until she felt nauseous, sleep came. Sweet beautiful sleep.

Now its time to get him in the crib so mommy can have some much needed mommy time. There was no blogging this morning and mommy has not checked her email in at least an hour. Time to sleep soundly in your crib, little man.

Slowly, every so slowly, one butt check at a time, slide to the edge of the chair. Wait he moved. Stop! Sit... very... still. Silence.

False alarm, it was just a sigh. Continue. From the edge of the chair, we must stand. It is going to have to be quick. One fluid movement that won't cause the chair to squeak too much. Damn, squeaky chair. Where is the WD40 when you need it. No time for that now, ready... one, two, three..... stand!

Perfect, still fast asleep. He did not even move a muscle. Ever so steadily walk across the room to the crib, not too fast, not to slow, just the perfect pace.

So close, almost home free. Lean over.... Wait! Good God he is moving, stirring, eyes opening. Sway! Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Shhhhh, little one back to sleep. That's a good boy.

Whew, that was close. His breathing has settled. He seems to be wrapped in the peacefulness of deep sleep once again. All that is left, is to lean over, lay him down and run.

Pull him away from your body and quickly and gently, place him down as you pull your arms out from underneath him. Then go, RUN, out of the room. He will stir but if you are not seen, sleep will return.

There it is done! He is a sleep in his crib. Yippee!!!! Now it time..... what the..... sh*t, CRYING.

Back to the rocking chair.


Assignment's complete.
I wonder who else completed the assignment?
Go see Mama Kat.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why does that happen? Every. Single. Time.

Ash said...

So perfectly captured!!

I experienced this just yesterday, the tricky transfer from the car to the crib for naptime. Oh yes, he sleeps!! Home free to the computer I skip.

The joke's on me - he's up 10 minutes later, ready to roll.

Curses.

rosecreekcottage-carol.blogspot.com said...

Beautifully written. I remember those days. I miss them. Greatly.

cat said...

Know that feeling! Sigh!

Krissi said...

Wow I SOOOO remember those days, the back and forth, back and forth thing totally cracked me up! This post takes me back to a day and time where I never thought I would make it as a mother! I thought for sure we had made a HUGE mistake having a child and that I was not cracked up for all of this! I was also very sleep deprived and hormonal :) Thanks for the great post!

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

LOL. So perfectly captured! heh. I found that putting a heating pad down on the crib mattress helps with the transfer, so the baby stays warm. :)

(the trick is getting a hand free to move the heating pad out of the way before you put the baby down!)

Suzi said...

I feel your pain. So glad those days are over for us. It will get better.

thamesarino said...

I think that you just put to words something that we all do almost everyday! and I have a squeaky chair too... which I never remember is squeaky until it.is.too.late! : )

Cupcake Dessert said...

yeah i let my nephew sleep for way to long in a position that looked neck breaking (he was on the couch)cuz i didn't want him to wake back up and have to beg him back to sleep lol

Ashley said...

Aww! I think all moms can relate. Around Babe's 7 month of life I realized I'd have to take a new approach so that I could get to sleep.

jori-o said...

That's the Trufus, Rufus!

tiarastantrums said...

Oh, do I know that baby dance well! I was giggling the entire time! How many YEARS do we do this??

•´.¸¸.•¨¯`♥.Erin.♥´¯¨•.¸¸.´• said...

I learned a trick. My daughter will always wake up from the transfer from my bed to her basinet. Always. So I started turning on a heating pad to warm up where she'll sleep. Just on the lowest setting. Let it go while I nurse her to sleep, then when I feel the "timing" is okay {because it still does have to be at the right moment} I slip her into her warm snuggly "bed" for the night.

*cue angelic harps*

I giggled quite a bit reading this one. =)

Michelle said...

Jen you perfectly captured a moment that all moms have experienced.

With my first I gave up and just held her while she slept! The second one I got smart and put her down while she was still awake. :)

Rachael Schirano \\ Rachael Schirano Photography said...

wow jen, great job with this one. so perfectly captured!

Rhea said...

Ack! You're giving me flashbacks!

Aunt Julie said...

I don't think I can ever count the days I rocked my babies to sleep only to have them wake up! And, you know, it doesn't get much easier. My almost-22-year old was sick over Christmas Break, and while I didn't have to literally rock her to sleep, there was a lot of metaphorical rocking going on!

Mrs B said...

Just when I get one out of that phase, another comes along!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Girl, may I offer yet another "I FEEL YA" on that!

*le sigh*

Cathy said...

I think every mother has been there at least once! Nicely written!

Givinya De Elba said...

This post was so real, I am nearly in tears.

Jennifer said...

I have been there so many times! I hate an unsuccessful crib transfer!

Momma@Live. Laugh. Pull your hair out said...

Love it! The rocking chair and I became best buddies during three baby-crib-sleep transitions.....

Diana said...

I always thought it would be incredibly helpful to bring a monitor home from work, hook em up, and just watch their heart rate to assure a true deep sleep had ensued. It would be so easy, no wondering if the right time had come yet - just a low heart rate on the monitor assuring a deeply sleeping child :-)

Julie said...

All too familiar...

momma said...

i think that is something every mom can identify with!

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

I have been there. It is such a hard decision to make, put them down or keep snuggling?

hippos toes said...

I remember those times well with my little guy :)

KatBouska said...

BRAVO!!!! I LOVE this. It is word for word, detail for detail, EXACTLY what we all go through and feel. Stinking hilarious...and I'm SO glad it wasn't me this time. :)

Jess said...

Very Awesome!!
(Not going through that! Of course!)
You writing it! Perfection!!

Unknown said...

I have to say it seems to happen all the time. And the more you need to do something else, the worse it gets. I'm just glad it wasn't me this time!

Brightfish said...

I don't think that I've read any other blog post by anyone that I could relate to so perfectly! Beautifully written! And honestly, I didn't know others were sharing that exact experience with me!

Yesterday I read a cartoon that showed a tired Dad holding a baby beside a crib. He tells the baby "Someday you'll be a teenager and you'll want to sleep all the time...then I will get my revenge."

Oh, I'm sure we can all relate!

Susie said...

You have captured the suspense story that happens in all homes with young children. Sometimes it has a happy ending and sometimes...

April said...

ahg, that's the worst!!!

JHS said...

That was very well written! It's a phenomenon with which every parent can relate. I remember those days well . . . and fondly. Funny what things you miss when the kids get big!

JHS
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