Since I was the first one in the pregnant herd to have my kid, I sometimes get asked advice, mainly on breast feeding and sleeping. Breast feeding I can sometimes help with. But when people ask me about sleep....I just say "umm...." and look at my child, who is wide awake and playing at 11pm despite my desperate attempts to get him down.
At first, I was afraid to sleep when he did, because he had some respiratory problems at birth, and I was freaked out that he'd stop breathing. Often, the only way both of us could sleep is if he was on my chest. And yes, lots of people told me I was spoiling him. But honestly, I don't think it's that bad. I'm pretty sure by the time he reaches puberty, he won't want to crash with his dad and me. And he may be the only baby I ever have-I kind of want to enjoy the time I have with him til he wakes up one day and I'm the lamest person he knows and hugging me will be a personal sacrifice on his part. I'm away from him enough with work and school, and I really treasure any time we have together. Again, one day he's going to not want anything to do with me.
Part of me is ready for that, and really, you want that for your kid-you don't want to have your kid turn forty, still live in your basement, and call you Mommy. (Well, at least until he snaps, kills you, and stores you in the freezer. It happens. Watch Law & Order sometime). So I've not been really assertive about the whole sleeping-in-the-crib thing, and he hasn't liked the crib from the get go. But he's getting bigger now, and is extremely fond of kicking us in the genital/stomach area when WE'RE trying to sleep, so the move needs to be made.
I still have no advice, by the way. He's in his crib right now, with his brand new mobile that plays classical music at a soft level. From what I can hear, he's having quite an animated conversation with it and sounds like he recently drank a Red Bull.
Oh well. Baby steps.
We've just made the move to the crib, but we are still letting D fall asleep in my arms (or even - horrors - letting him nurse to sleep) and then putting him down on our bed. When we go to bed I do a dream feed and then put him in the crib. It takes longer to settle him than in the Moses basket but we are only two nights in.
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