Anyone Who Tells You Differently

Devin's laying on his back on the bed watching the ceiling fan intently.  Or he was, until I thought, "Hey, he's pretty happy, maybe I can start a blog post."  Now he's starting to cry.  Today he has been awake.  A lot.  He barely managed to sleep through his afternoon nap.  Yesterday he slept through the blender.  Actually, to be more precise, he fell asleep while I was using the blender.  This is not "white noise."  It's stopping and starting - a high pitched, growling sound that used to always make Liam cry.  Granted, he was in the living room in his swing with the music playing but really, our house is not that big.

Indeed, yesterday he slept.  Just woke up to eat and fall asleep again.  It didn't even bother him when he needed to pass gas or poop.  Where did this child come from?  And more importantly, where was he when it was my turn to sleep?  Of course he woke up about nine in the evening and was awake until midnight.  And mostly not just "Hey lets hang out" awake, but "Carry me around so I don't cry" awake.  I even put him in the stroller and took him for a walk and he didn't fall asleep.  'Course it might have had to do with that poop he deposited in his diaper some time when I wasn't aware of it.

Too much information.  I know.  Not even that interesting.  Normal everyday stuff.  My Chinese friend called this morning to see if Liam could come over and play.  Allen took him and I went later with Devin.  She held Devin and I poured out my woes.  She was very philosophical about it.  None of it surprised her (she has three kids, the oldest is a senior in high school).  She even had a scientific explanation - nervous system still developing.  Maybe it's the fatalism of the east that allows her to be so calm.  Or maybe the fact that she actually got to sleep last night.

But really.  I want to take a very zen view of this situation and say that it's just a short time and he'll outgrow it.  But some combination of the American "can do" attitude and my desperation drives me to FIX it.  If you hang around other moms (especially online) for very long you hear about all these books about how to handle baby's sleep.  (I'd list them, but I'm too tired right now.)  So I know I'm not the only one who wishes there was a magic formula.  I suspect that there isn't - at least not one that works for everyone.  Anyone who tells you differently is selling something.  Probably a book on how to take care of babies.  Actually, I think I wrote this whole post just to use that line.