We are all creatures of habit. We establish routines to manage our hectic lives. And sometimes these routines simply mask the chaos so we can get through the day.
As parents, we quickly take these established routines for granted knowing they allow us to feel a little more normal. So when it comes time to transition out of any successful routine, anxiety sets in.
Welcome to our fifth month.
In Month 4, Mrs. FWL went back to work, I went on a business trip at the same time, we put Isabel on a nap schedule, and the famous “sleep regression” reared its ugly head. A few days later we removed Isabel’s swaddle after she figured out how to flip onto her stomach. We started sleep training. And we ditched the swing for naps completely.
One could argue that any one of these transitions by itself is a big deal – we did them all within a three-week period.
The first few naps were a little rough, the first few nights of sleep training felt longer that usual, and the first few days back at work (for Mrs. FWL) were emotional – but we’ve survived.
Isabel quickly learned what this whole sleep thing was really about. No more rocking for hours on end; she has learned to put herself to sleep, a concept that most adults don’t even think about. And with her unrestrained freedom, she has proven to be a rolley polley, crib (and out-of-crib) gymnast.
She is now a screaming, giggling, slobbery, infant. She lets us know when she’s tired/frustrated/bored/hungry (it’s all the same sound), but a distinct sound nonetheless. And she has a stare that is equally captivating and frightening since we have no idea what is going on in that active brain of hers.
Mrs. FWL and I now share the golden hour and we are learning how to maximize our time with Isabel and each other, with the increased stresses of school and work. We’ve established new routines, knowing that more transitions are on the horizon, but also knowing we are more prepared to tackle them together.
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