Well, Luke's sleep patterns finally seem to be getting better. For the past several days, he has been falling asleep promptly at 8:30, sleeping until 1:00 when he wakes up to eat, and then sleeping until 6:00. Then he'll either eat and go back to sleep for another couple of hours or stay up for a couple of hours and then take a two hour nap. It is lovely. We tried a potpourri of methods, but I think really he just needed some time to adjust to his crib. Now we do our bedtime routine, put him down while he's awake but drowsy, and sit beside his crib while he falls asleep. He hardly cries, and it's a relief not to have to bounce, walk, or swaddle him anymore.
Also, my mom came and visited for a few days, which helped me get caught up on sleep. Now that I'm better rested and Luke is sleeping well, I'm able to see all the other wonderful developments that I'd missed before. For instance:
--Naptime has long ceased to be a problem. During the past couple of weeks, even when he wasn't sleeping well, Luke would easily take naps in his swing during the day. Greg decided that that wasn't a good habit, though, so now he generally naps in his crib. It's working surprisingly well. In the past, naptimes were harder than nighttime, and we basically had to hold him all during his nap. Now he sleeps fine on his own, though he still doesn't mind if you nap with him:).
--Luke has always liked bathtime...until he had to get out. Then he would cry and scream all through the drying, powdering, lotioning, and dressing. I'm not sure when it happened, but for awhile now, he no longer fusses at all. Instead, he actually seems to enjoy the process. That makes it a lot more fun for mama, as well!
--The carseat. Luke used to get apopletic at the very thought of getting in the carseat. I think our big road trip helped in that department. Now, he rarely fusses, and when he does, all you have to do is put is pacifier in, and he'll go right to sleep. It's even easy for me to take him places alone. If he fusses, I wait for a red light, and then reach back and stick in his pacifier. It calms him right down.
--The newest development is nursing. The past couple of days I was worried that my milk supply was low b/c Luke kept coming off screaming. I'm not sure what happened--maybe all my rest and concentration on proper nutrition helped--but now Luke only comes off to smile at me.
So it seems that my fatigue has blinded me to the fact that Luke is becoming a much happier baby overall. We always loved him, but we are definitely enjoying this little golden age. Here's hoping it lasts for quite awhile!
