Sleepless Baby , Sleepless Mommy

My sweet baby girl has started sleeping in her crib this week. My dream was to cosleep with her but then I couldn't sleep. So we tried room-sharing with a bassinet, baby wouldn't sleep. So we slept together on the couch, baby's skin is sensitive to our couch so she can't sleep there. We were out of options. I gave up. Despite the slightly increased risk of SIDS baby sleeps in her crib in the nursery now. It's been a week and I'm still totally terrified every time I put her down. She slept great the first 4 days, absolutely loved the crib, but the last few nights she's been a stubborn sleeper. I took me 2 hours to finally put her to bed tonight. That was 40 minutes ago. I'm way too wired to sleep. Why is it that when my baby girl doesn't want to sleep I'm fighting to keep my eyes open and when she's sleeping contentedly I can't sleep?! Ugh. 

Oh well. I love her. As I set her in the crib tonight I stood there whispering, I told her, "I'll stay up all night and all day if you needed me to." I meant it. I would. Some days it sure feels like I have. But gosh is it nice to sleep!

I've complained plenty about baby's sleep, but here's a nice thing: I've shared a bed with my husband every night this week (something we hadn't done in the 5 weeks prior) and it's been so good for us. Who knew that it was this important to sleep with your husband? Yeah, I didn't, I just liked it. Touching each other really brings you closer together. The absence of sex, sleeping apart, sleep deprivation, and stress can really put a damper on a relationship. We were bickering more and talking less. I think this week has been better! Yay! Expressing feelings and touching each other (especially sleeping together... like actual sleeping) has been so healing for us. I recommend it to any couple that is struggling. 

My darling husband was looking up ways to help babies sleep better after an hour and 45 minutes of trying to put to sleep our over tired girl and he found: swaddling, rocking or other repetitive movement, back patting, whispering, rubbing their eyebrows, and staying with them for a minute or two after laying them down. So we tried that and she fell asleep in 5 minutes and has been asleep ever since. I'm grateful that he thinks to look things up or ask people, I just keep doing it my way and get frustrated when it doesn't work. I love that about him! 

Anyways, now baby and hubby are asleep and I'm in the bath writing this hoping my brain will slow down sometime soon. Here's hoping!