Sleep

So how is Laurel sleeping? And how are the rest of us sleeping as a result?

As I once remarked about Isaac's sleep patterns, every day is different. As we've only had 14 nights with Laurel (and the first night was abbreviated since she was born at 3:40 a.m.), it's way too soon to make any generalizations.

Actually, Laurel sleeps a lot, whether it is day or night. I think she is just beginning to figure out the difference between the two, although in the first week especially we had a few nights where she was awake, on and off, for several hours. Most of these wakeful nights she was happy and quiet, but not always. There were some theories proposed to explain the night-time crying, including gas and reflux, but it seemed to me that she just wanted to nurse. At any rate, nursing seems to calm all her fussiness. It's a pretty handy magic trick, and although it can get tiring, I'm mostly just glad that she's willing to be soothed. Inconsolable crying is the worst.

During the first week Laurel generally ended the nights with three straight hours of sleep, a small mercy for which we were grateful. And speaking of gratitude, for three nights in a row Craig took her into the living room around 3:00 a.m. in order to let me sleep while she fussed (after I had fed her thoroughly). Each of these nights she eventually fell asleep in the swing, where she slept until 7:00 a.m. while Craig dozed on the couch.

The second week she began to demand more frequent evening nursings, and perhaps in exchange slept for a few longer stretches. Last night was an example worth remarking on. Starting at about 7:30 p.m. Laurel spent the evening alternating quiet wakefulness with "cluster feeding" (nursing about 15 minutes of every hour) until 11:30 p.m., when she finally fell asleep. I set her down in the co-sleeper bassinet, and she stayed asleep until I woke her up at 4:30 a.m. -- an astounding five hours later! She nursed, I changed her diaper, and then she went back to sleep for another three hours, until I woke her up at 8:00 a.m. Even if this never happens again, it was a wonderful, restful night of nearly eight hours sleep.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for my afternoon nap.