Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Stepping Away

As I write this, our twin boy is in the other room, on my bed, crying. He has been crying since 9am this morning. He took a 15 minute break to cat nap during his perpetual crying jag so I could make lunch for Mr. Cubby. He took another 15 minute break while he drank 6 ounces of formula. His sister has been sleeping for three hours and for that I am thankful. My jam level is such that I finally had to put him down and walk away. Holding him doesn't help. Nursing him doesn't help. Talking to him and playing helped briefly but within 5 minutes, he was screaming again. He alternates between sad whimpers and full on battle cries but there is no pleasing him.

He has days like this from time to time where he won't nap until the late afternoon. He's so tired - so overtired - and yet he won't sleep. He just won't sleep.

We're trying not to make the same mistakes we made with Mr. Cubby, whose nighttime bedtime ritual is excruciating - compounded by the fact that he has been known to cry so hard he vomits. The cry it out option is more or less off the table for the Cubby.

And suddenly, the storm has passed. There is silence from my bed. Checking on him reveals a sleeping child, finally, soundly asleep. I'm hoping it's not just another cat nap.

He took his first solid food this morning - rice cereal. We're waiting a little bit longer to start his twin sister on solids. She's not quite ready yet.

Argh, and now, 15 minutes into his nap, the boy is awake and fussing again.

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