Ah!!

Our child no longer sleeps.

Not entirely true.

Our child fights sleep like she's a character in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie, often taking multiple hours to get down to sleep.

Tonight we started at 9:30. Between the two of us trading off, three nursing sessions, and one instance of Daddy putting her in her crib and saying "I'm done for a while" (he does most of the evening putting to sleep), we FINALLY got her out. A little past midnight. Yes. That's crazy.

And I don't mean trying to get her to sleep in her crib. I mean trying to get her to sleep AT ALL.

At her check up yesterday (27 inches and 16.1 lbs--still hasn't doubled her birth weight, but close) our doctor said that crying it out would be fine. She said she wasn't strong willed enough to do it with her children, although she wishes she had been with one of them. She assured me the rumors I'd read of brain damage were false. She said go for it if we can stand it.

After this week, I'm getting awfully close. She's finally asleep in the guest room (I took her down here to sleep so Ryan could go to bed without being woken up. Only for him to be called out by work half an hour later). I keep saying to myself "Self, everything is just a phase..."

And she's hooked on her mommy. She fights me less, snuggles in more, quiets more quickly when I pick her up. It's nice, and I'll take it while I can. It won't be long till she's a full blown daddy's girl, I'm sure.

We have tried the quieting down time--relaxing baths, reading, laying down and talking quietly (lots of explanations on the benefits of sleep and why parents need it). Baths are her favorite thing in the world, especially if she can splash water on her own face. Reading time is spent trying to turn all pages herself and eat them if possible (there is no complacent snuggling and picture examining). Talk time=trying to pull mommy's hair. Or pick her nose.

Do I feel responsible? But, of course. I have had sleep issues my whole life, although usually they are stressed induced and directly linked with neuroticism. I believe that link has been there since I was two. Did Ryan have sleep issues as a kid? Nope. He was a lucid dreamer (could control his dreams), so he was always EXCITED to go to bed every night. Such a freak. Why couldn't Rory have gotten the freak gene?

The annoying thing is she gets SO CLOSE to sleep. She'll actually be asleep in your arms, and you think maybe you can go a head and drift off, too, and then WHAMO she's awake. And fussing. And hates you and your confining snuggles. But don't you dare let go.

I think the biggest culprit right now is solids and her changing diet. I took her off cereal because it made her too gassy at night. This week we started carrots (amazing diapers!) and she a) does not love them and b) has been gassy in the evening. I think those are two excellent reasons she should never eat carrots again. Screw eye sight. She'll probably need glasses, anyway.