Aimee's Whining Hours

What is it with kids and sleep. They tear around all day so you’d think they would be tired enough to comfortably fall asleep the moment they hit the pillow. But not Aimee. No matter what time or routine we try, she still plays up big time at bedtime. Sometimes, she’ll only fuss for about 10 mins, but it's recently become real bad - she’ll cry and cry and moan and beg and scream for ages. We’ve learnt there’s no point running in and acceding to her demands (want teddy, want light on, want come out, want this, want that) because it only prolongs the affair and encourages her behaviour. Thank goodness she is still in the cot and contained within it, but I shudder at the thought that soon, she will be old enough for a bed and can then get out and get up to mischief all by herself.

Cat seems to be doing fairly ok during the day. It doesn't help that weather is cold and wet so Aimee can't play in garden or park, but there's enough entertainment at home for now. But it sure is exhausting. I come home from work and Cat is almost trance-like with tiredness. So I take over, but on a couple of nights, she wanted me to use the baby carrier (the brilliant Baby Bjorn) on Dylan. So after Aimee goes to bed (wailing as just described) I carry Dylan around.

Now this might seem easy, and for a short period it is. But Dylan is fretful at the moment. He can't sleep very long before his wind kicks on and fidgets and winces and then begins to cry. The Bjorn is the only thing that settles him. Probably because he is carried around in an upright position that keeps his stomach acid and excess milk where it should be, ie in his stomach. And of course he has my warm body to keep comfy in. The other night, he sat in the Bjorn eyes wide open refusing to sleep until 1am with me swaying and humming trying to lull him to sleep. All in aid of poor Cat who had not had any sleep the night before. You know, for a recent newborn (now weighing an impressive 9lb 3oz) he sure gets heavy after 3 hours in a baby carrier.

The health visitor came again and mentioned that Dylan still had a bit of jaundice in his eyes. It’s only mild but she reported it to our hospital paediatrician who may want to see him. Usually J goes away after a week, which is why she was curious, although not worried, by the lingering yellowness on a four week old. But the drinking machine that is Dylan is not letting a bit of pigment build-up get in the way of his milk. He now weighs 9lb 3 oz and looks a chubbier beast to when he was first born.