Laowai

Bea still gets up once in the night. I think she should be sleeping through the night but I’m finding it easier to just get up and make her happy. And tonight I realized I’ve sort of come to like this middle-of-the-night routine. We’ve tried the let her cry for five minute intervals technique and it’s worked for naps and getting her to go to sleep for the night. But, when I’ve tried to be unwavering and let her cry it out for five minutes during the night it’s just too hard. Plus, I know her crib sits against a wall that is the bedroom wall for our neighbor. So it’s anguish, listening to her sad sleepy cry and thinking of our poor neighbor trying to get some sleep. I get up and pick her up and let her nurse. She really doesn’t completely wake up. When she’s done, I put her over my shoulder and burp her for a couple minuets. She nestles into my shoulder and she is all floppy because she is asleep. I love her soft head against my cheek. And then I put her back into her crib and she always does a big stretch as I put her down. She arches her back, puts her fists up by her ears and sticks her little lips out. Then she relaxes and goes to sleep on her side and I look at her sweet little shape with her straight back and her chunky thighs. There is something about looking at my sleeping baby that makes me feel calm and warm all over. I doubt I will be able to do this when she is eighteen so I think I will just keep enjoying this time as long as I can.