December 06, 2006: I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death
First things first: before he was six months old, Ivan fell asleep with me several times for his afternoon nap and at least twice in the evening. I'm sure you all remember that with Veronika the bedtime routine wasn't possible until she was seven months old. That was encouraging. Then things got worse. Then they got better again when Mama and I started splitting up the night—she would soothe him from 11:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m. and I would take 3:00 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. This was nice for Mama, who got to nap with Digby on the couch for half the night and get some uninterrupted sleep, and nice for me, since I got to snuggle up and sleep with Ivan for a few hours. We abandoned that system for a couple of weeks (I don't remember why) but now we're back to it and hope that it will lead us to the holy grail of a whole night's sleep.
Things have been changing quickly lately. When I first planned to write an update (at least six weeks ago, pretty standard), we had just found the first thing that would make him laugh heartily for a long time (peekaboo) and he had just started to sit up on his own and show some independence. Now he's calling Mama and trying to walk (he only requires one hand to hold now and he even took a few steps on his own last week when walking between us).
Spending a couple of days away from a child is the best way to fully appreciate the changes that have been slowly taking shape around you. When you're home, you're like the frog in slowly heated water but returning after a two-day business trip lets you feel the difference. Ivan is giving hugs and kisses now.
He's eating pieces of cinnamon roll for breakfast! (If you've ever had them, you would understand his dedication.) How's that for hot water?
Posted by papa at 10:34 PM