Skip to main content

Now I lay him down to sleep

Writer's note: This post will talk about Mommy-specific issues and body parts. Read at your own risk.


Tonight I tried, in earnest, to put Ethan to bed without any nursing and I prepared myself (as best as I could) for noisy protest...

At first he just assumed the 'bed time' position and even closed his eyes to settle down with a snuggle. When I was not forthcoming, he let out a scream - and didn't stop for a long while! We tried a sippy cup of warm milk: He'd stop for a few seconds at a time to take a drink, ponder the situation, put his cup down and then burst into tears again. Repeat cycle... A good few times before the cup ran out of milk.

Then - to make sure that I regretted giving him the cup instead of my breast - he drained the last few droplets of milk in his cup on the carpet! For a short while he was so busy banging the plastic that he forgot all about the situation at hand.

When the crying seemed to be getting louder for longer, I got an idea - as if a sign from God himself: Get on your knees. Not only does it promote a much needed prayer-inducing stance in this seemingly desperate situation, but it would also mean that Ethan wouldn't be able to get access to his prized possession(s)!

And all the while I wondered -

He honestly thinks that these belong to him. That he is owed this form of comfort and that I am a terrible person for keeping it from him! In the middle of this all, as I swaddled my big baby in my arms and tried to lull him to sleep, I really felt that way - that I was responsible for all of this distress because I had allowed him to get used to calling the shots with regards to comfort feeding for so long.

When he called out for "Mommy" tonight and my breaking voice replied with "I am here, my boy", I was so tempted to cave.

It seemed as though he knew all too well that the louder he got, the more I would second guess my intentions and be tempted to give in to his demands. On the flip side, why were we enduring such distress (on both our parts) when it could be resolved in a minute?

By the time he eventually fell asleep in my arms, I was exhausted from over-thinking this whole issue and I didn't feel as triumphant as I thought I would be.

Maybe tomorrow night...


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The week that has been...

"Life as we see it", right? My time so far at the cycle tour office is reminding me of just how demanding life in this age can be - a time seeking instant solution and gratification: We want it now! We won't wait! This is what makes a relaxing, easy going activity seem so rewarding! We've always been fortunate enough to cook with pleasure - obviously more for mine! And since returning from BA, we've also found great enjoyment from leisurely strolls in the neighbourhood or at Sea Point promenade. Take time for this! Here's what we've been a part of this past week: We were encouraged to see a group of students from Bishops come out (even in the rain) and join with the FBC team in painting a mural on the school's new diningroom and kitchen wall. For news and updates visit: http://www.fbcschool.org.za/ We joined over 15 000 walkers in a quest to feed the hungry children in the Western Cape, by participaing in the Blisters for Bread walk on Sunday. We tackl...

That's so amazing about Grace

Scrolling through some photos this afternoon, I came across one of our friend Tarrin-Rae and her new baby girl, Isla, born last Thursday 31 October 2013. Isla Grace Graham I struggled to contain my own emotions as I observed this special moment in Tarrin's life (and new Isla's too) and thought back to my own experiences. I immediately asked Tarrin if I may use this to share a bit more of what I some times feel as a Mom... At first glance, I see relief . She's finally here! We can see her face in real life and we can say out loud "I am a Mommy!" Like my own kids, Isla was in no hurry to be born and labour was induced. What's worse than having to wait 40 weeks to meet your newest family member?? Having to wait longer still! I must confess, that this feeling was mixed with a fair dose of disbelief  on my part too - when I sat quietly resting between visitors and feeds, I had to pinch my literal self and realise - the baby was here. Then I see comfort ....

A trip and a journey

It's a little after 4am and I'm watching my family form letterland characters with their bodies, across my bed. Unless I'm the 'underline' in the word, I have no place to lay my head here... That's a pretty normal situation these days - The only difference today is that instead of a sleepy tussle for my rightful place in the alphabet bed, I'm wide awake, mentally preparing for my drive out to Swellendam at 6am. And it's just dawned on me: this is the first event of the peak season for me, I'm almost on my way out the door and a daunting goal (Ethan's self-soothing) is 3 and a half weeks in motion. Yippee!! I remember thinking about this a lot before heading back to work in August, wondering how (and if!) it could be done and whether I would miss this event altogether because of it - or drive through daily (which aged me considerably during our events in March)... And here I am, almost 4 weeks clear of a 4 year practise - and ev...