Dear Crissy » Motherhood and Everything After

I always knew that having a baby would mean plenty of sleepless nights. Knowing something in your head, and experiencing it, however, are two totally different things. Any of you who have had a baby know that those first few weeks are enough to completely drain you, and really put your will to live in question. Of course, I’m only kidding about that last bit, but it is DEFINITELY an incredible challenge to go day after day, and night after night, with little to no quality sleep.

I waited until I was 29 to have my first baby, but I’ve got to say, I can see one big benefit to having a baby closer to age 20 than 30. Stamina. When I was in college I used to stay up all night, and then work and go to class the next day with little problem. I guess I must be creeping dangerously close to old-ladyness now, because if I don’t get at least six or seven hours of sleep my body literally begins to shut down. Needless to say, my little non-sleeping baby had me going nuts for the first few months.

As the weeks progressed, and I noticed more and more moms on the August 2009 Babies forum that I frequent were bragging about their baby STTN (sleeping through the night), I wondered if Evan would EVER reach that point. My kid rarely went to sleep before midnight, and woke up two or three times a night for the first four months of his life. Finally, when he turned 5-months-old, something changed. We were able to get into a better routine in the evenings, and as long as he had a full belly, he would usually sleep seven or eight hours through the night.

Now that he’s six months, things are even better, and he typically goes to bed at 9:00 p.m. and wakes up between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Now, there are still occasions (like last night) when he is wide awake at 4:00 a.m., but those times are fewer, and I couldn’t be happier.

You really don’t realize how vital your sleep is until it is ripped from you completely, and replaced with a screaming baby. I sort of feel like throwing a party at this point; I am so grateful to be a member of club STTN–finally!