May 25, 2013
Memorial Day weekend kicked off James sleeping in his crib for the first time! And, we are proud to report that although it was a difficult transition the first two nights, he has been sleeping well in it ever since.
I know, he's 5 months old, you're thinking, isn't it about time?! Well, although he had just turned 5 months old, and we knew we needed to get him into the crib soon, we weren't really committed to actually doing it. Napping in the crib never went well, so I was dreading trying to get him to last the night in there. I have to admit, I liked being able to roll over and see him sleeping in the Rock 'N Play next to our bed at night. It was not only comforting knowing he was safe and close by, but also convenient for his 4 am feeding. Not to mention if he woke up and needed a gentle rocking back to sleep. I know, spoiled little man! Well, he's worth it, right?
Until, at least, it became glaringly clear that he has outgrown the Rock 'N Play, when he started practicing rolling over in his sleep. That comforting feeling suddenly came to a hault when I watched him almost tip the thing over in his sleep. Right then and there (at 1 am), into the crib you go, James!
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| Remember when he was just this big?? His legs didn't even touch the bottom! |
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| Doesn't he look huge now? If he wasn't strapped in, he'd be rolled over, tipped over or attempting to stand in it by now.
That first night, he slept in the crib, and I slept in the chair in his nusery. I think I saw every hour on the clock, constantly flipping him from his side to his back every time he moved in his sleep and couldn't turn himself back over. I was terrified he was going to roll onto his stomach and not be able to breathe. Everything you learn and read about says that "back is best" for babies to sleep, so I was a nervous wreck watching him "practice" rolling over in his sleep. He wouldn't stay put!
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| Laying him down on his back, only lasts a few minutes before... |
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| ...his legs go up and he turns to his side.
At this point he couldn't completely roll over yet, so after watching him turn back to his side every time I would put him on his back, I was OK with letting him sleep on his side. It was obviously comfortable, and I knew he had strong enough head control that he could lift and turn his head from side to side. We just kept checking on him periodically to make sure he could breathe freely.
However, after the first few days, it seemed the newfound spacious freedom the crib provided gave way for lots more room to practice his rolling over skills in his sleep. Sure enough, after only 3 days of sleeping in the crib (on his side), James figured out how to roll from his back to his stomach, on purpose. For the first week, he wasn't able to flip back over to his back (he would just end up on his side again). So of course, the nervousness came back to haunt me. But after that week, he finally figured out how to roll back from his stomach to his back! Now, he rolls and rolls like a little log and chooses to sleep on his stomach or side almost instantly when you lay him down. Sleeping on his back doesn't stand a chance now (which I guess is fine, since he is now rolling, there isn't much we can do to stop him!).
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| Favorite position noted: James loves sleeping on his tummy. |
