11.16.2008

don't you wanna make him stay up late

I totally forgot to participate in Wordless Wednesday a few days ago. Drat.
Right now I'm trying to implement a bedtime for Finn. He usually just stays up as long as I do - we go to bed somewhere around 10.30pm, on average. But I've been thinking that since he's a baby, perhaps he should be going to sleep earlier - so tonight I fed him at 7.45pm, and put him in his bassinet, in our dark bedroom, with the fan running. I usually do that routine sometime around 10 or 10.30pm, so I thought maybe he would drift off.
Well, I laid on the bed next to the bassinet, watching him in the dark. He was wide awake! He moved his head around, very alert-like. I could barely make out that his eyes were open. I put my hand on his chest and he stilled. I brushed his face, rhythmically, with my fingertips, and he quieted. He kept relaxing, and his pacifier would drop out of his mouth, then he'd startle awake, and turn his head back and forth until I put his pacifier back in his mouth. This went on for 30 minutes, then I brought him into the bed with me and fed him again. That always puts him to sleep.
Not necessarily a deep sleep, though, because once I set him down and switched out the laundry, and then tiptoed back to the bedroom to listen at the door - he was cooing. Just talking to himself in there.
I'm currently staked out at the kitchen table, within earshot of the bedroom, and through the ajar door, I can hear him every now and then. If he starts crying or fussing I'll go comfort him, but so far it's just the occasional coo. It's really cute. I wish I could see his face, but I don't dare open that door and peer into his bassinet, because surely he'll jolt awake and start smiling, and cooing, and being fully alert.
Finn, fully alert.

Does anyone know that old Talking Heads song that goes something like - "baby, baby, please let me hold him/I wanna make him stay up all night"? I love that song. That's how I feel just a little bit - that he's so damn cute, I kind of want him to stay up so I can look at him and play with him. More than that, though, I am relishing this little bit of me time.

1 comment:

Danyell said...

D'awwww! In there talking to himself, that's the best.

I'm so glad you're taking time for yourself, also.