"War Time" - Weeks 1-6

Nothing about our little guy would ever invoke images of violence and conflict. But for the first few weeks of Levi's life we prepared for each night as if going into battle.

Nighttime checklist:

• Full cup of water in each designated nursing station (nursery, front room, bedside).
• Baby swing moved back to bedroom.
• Co-Sleeper pushed up against side of big bed.
• Car seat situated in the corner.
• Nightlights turned on.
• Kitchen, Hall and Nursery lights on with dimmer very low.
• Nipple shield washed, nipple cream distributed throughout nursing station locations.
• Burp cloths set up throughout the house.
• Soft soothing music set up on CD player in front room and laptop in nursery.
• A show queued up and ready for Mama J so that she could stay awake for each nursing (Downton Abbey was her favorite!).

 Levi would wake up every 1.5 hours generally and it generally went like this. Levi snoozing.....WHAAAAAAA!!!  We liked to say that he was a kid who would go 0-60. There was no warning; no slight whimpering. He went straight to it and wouldn't be calmed until the boob was in his mouth or he was rocked and shushed. Some nights were particularly harrowing because he would cry and cry and it seemed nothing would ease him. We would put him down in one location and slowly tiptoe away, he was asleep right? WRONG! Five minutes later the 0-60 kid was back in action.




Some strategies that seemed to work, sometimes:

1. Levi in the car seat which was then swung back and forth (very heavy!).
2. Levi held up by shoulders with cheek squished against Mommy's while she shushed him.
3. Levi snuggled up right into Mama's armpit - this gave the longest chunks of sleep but scared Mommy.
4. Levi in co-sleeper while Mama patted his but.
5. Levi in the arms of one of his mommies who walked up and down the dark hallway bouncing.
6. Levi in Mommy's arms walking circles in the parking lot outside.
7. Levi in the car seat, mounted in the stroller, and walking up and down the hallways and throughout the condo.

NOTE: This blog entry was written when Levi was 9 weeks old. Strategies 1-5 are still used while 6 and 7 are rare.  Generally he is only waking up 1-2 times per night and doesn't scream. Instead he wakes up, whimpers a little until the boob is put in the mouth at which point he relaxes, eats and falls back asleep promptly.  The "bewitching hour" from 9-12 has now become the time where strategies 6 and 7 and more desperate measures are put into place.  Usually when he cries loudly during these times it is because he is tired and has a hard time getting to sleep.