I have stated here a few times that Emily is a great baby. She’s more than great. She’s fantastic. She’s a really happy baby and rarely a fussy time does she have. She eats well, smiles tonnes, and sleeps great. I really have no complaints about this baby girl of mine.
I mean really. How cute is she?
About the sleeping thing. She sleeps on her tummy. I know, I know. You’re supposed to put your baby on their back to sleep. That worked with Graham. When Nathan came along, as soon as I would lay him on his back, he would wake up and cry. Every time. After a few nights of this, I tried him on his tummy. And he slept. For long periods of time.
I felt so ashamed. I would hang my head as I admitted this to other moms, only to hear them confess that their baby slept on their tummies too. No kidding. Apparently it’s quite common, despite what the “experts” tell you.
Emily is like Nathan in that she doesn’t like to sleep on her back. Play, yes. Sleep, no. So, she’s a tummy sleeper. When she’s tired I lay her in her crib. She slides her fingers into her mouth and suckles away to dreamland. Remember my debate about using a pacifier? She decided for me. No plastic for this girl; she wanted to use her fingers instead. Which is fine. It would be awhile yet until she could pop a soother back in. Her fingers are always at her disposal. I keep the soother attached to her carseat for use when we’re out and about.
Which leads me to the reason for this post.
I have a happy baby. She smiles, she coos, she’s almost laughing (so close!). There is one thing that causes this happy baby to wail with complete discontent. Well, two if you count immunizations. Bleh. The reason for her unhappiness? Cue the scary music.
DUN DUN DUN!!!
Her car seat.
Normally, if we go anywhere, I feed her and then load her into her car seat. By the time we get to town, she’s usually squawking out a few choice words in baby talk to tell me she’d like to GET OUT PLEASE MOMMY! Part of the problem is that if you put her in any kind of reclined seat, she starts doing crunches and trying to sit up. All part of her being so advanced, you know.
So, she’s strapped in a 5-point harness and keeps doing crunches trying to escape. The 10 minute drive to town usually goes OK and I try to pop the soother in and it distracts her for a little bit. Usually.
Yesterday we had a birthday party to go to. The timing of it all meant that when it was time to leave she was ready for a nap. I thought that she could fall asleep in the car and I might take a scenic drive to give her a bit of a longer catnap. Good theory, except she yelled/cried/screamed all the way into town. She was overtired and not a happy camper. She finally fell asleep…once we were in town.
Most babies at this age will stay sleeping in their carseat and you can take them inside while they continue their slumber. Most babies. Not mine.
As SOON as I stop the truck, her eyes pop open. Sigh.
She managed to nap in my arms (finally) during the party. She sleeps amazing in her crib, but (obviously) not well anywhere else. She woke up at the end of the party, and I thought it best to get her home and feed her there. Except she wailed the entire. way. home. The soother ticked her off even more. I tried talking to her, singing to her, letting her suck on my finger. All attempts failed to calm her. So I turned up the stereo a bit to help mask the sound and help me focus on GETTING HOME ALREADY.
We made it home. Lesson learned. Emily can only travel in her carseat right after she has eaten, and only for 10 minutes max. Awesome.
If you want to see her, just come on over. She won’t be going anywhere while she’s still in a carseat. That’s only about five years. The time will fly by.
I TOTALLY hear you on the tummy thing. Riley will scream his face off until you put him on his tummy. Awake or to sleep. I felt guilty as well and it took me awhile to figure it out. Gavin on the other hand only when he has gas!
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Harrison slept better on his tummy, too. I feel like a rebel mom!
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Anders hates his car seat, too. Which was really fun for all of us when we drove from Oklahoma to California (1,500 miles!) over the holidays.
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Oh no! I loved that both my boys would sleep in their carseats.
It won’t be 5 years, she’ll come around – she’s darn near perfect, she HAS to.
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Wow, that must be hard! Both my boys slept great in their carseats – and still do on long drives
I’m sure she’ll grow out of her distaste for her carseat, and will sleep like an angel for you!
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Isn’t the crunch thing soooo cute. Today Brooklyn actually got red straining to pull herself up to an unsupported 90 degree angle! I think both our girls despised their car seats too, but we just let them wail and after a bit they seemed to clue in that car seats aren’t evil. Hopefully she’ll stop the screaming, it sure makes visiting easier to have that portable bed!
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My girls never slept well in the car, and still don’t. As for the tummy sleeping, most sleep better on their tummy’s, why do you think our moms put us like that. Even so, I hate to be the one to burst your good sleeper bubble but SIDS is higher in tummy sleeping babies because they do sleep sounder. Sorry, and I don’t want to scare you. Just the nurse in me.
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And you’re the best nurse EVER. I used to worry about it, so I talked to the doctor I had when I had Nathan. She said since we don’t have any of the SIDS risk factors, and if the baby’s on a firm surface with good airflow…that I shouldn’t worry. So I let her sleep on her tummy. Better than her not sleeping at all
Now to just get her happy in her carseat…
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Marin hated her car seat when she was younger too, she is okay now that she can see out and look around. I think it will get even better once we can trun her around.
Oh and the answer to your question. VERY Cute!
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She can’t be a TOTAllY perfect baby…right?
And those are SUCH cute pics of the Fantastic Four! What sweet hearts!!
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I totally hear you on the tummy sleeping thing. I think it helps with the gas or something too, and is just more comfy! I get the same feeling when I tell other moms that I have tummy sleepers, so it’s nice to hear when your not the only one!
As for the carseat thing…hopefully she’ll grow to like it sooner than later! I don’t know what I’d do if our boys didn’t like the car…sometimes J and I take extended drives just so we can get in an uninterupted conversation!
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My guy slept on his tummy too! There was no sleeping when he was on his back, as soon as I made the switch our nights were just so much easier.
Carseats, we had no problems, but for crying times U2′s “Grace Too” soothed any baby crying in our car. Something about the beat at the beginning of the song, lulls them.
And very cool that you had the same motorcylce as I did. I still miss it
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Here’s another mother telling you her baby was also a ‘tummy sleeper’! After 5 days in the hospital a great nurse told me there was no way my baby was going to sleep if I laid him on his back! Even she recognized he was a tummy baby. Patricia
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I’ll gladly come and crash the party at your place if you don’t feel like driving into town. Maybe someday this week?
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Katelyn wasn’t a tummy sleeper only because she hated tummy time of any sort but if it works to help them sleep, do whatever it takes! Mom knows best! And as for the carseat…gotta love car rides! (sarcasm). We are doing a bit better since we are now finally facing forward! Yah!
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My kids, all back sleepers. I am finding that LAuren is now getting a FLAT head (even though I turn her head sideways, she always turns it back). I have considered trying her on her tummy. Good to know other moms do it. She HATES being on her tummy, though. That’s another down side to back sleeping. I guess we all do what works:)
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I’ve heard of lots of kids that hate their car seat.. My cousin’s kids used to scream at the top of their lungs, and still cryed and were not happy about at when they were 2 and 3 years old. I truely hope this isn’t the case for Emily though.
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My boys both slept better on their sides and now both of them just roll to their tummies on their own.
Your posts make me laugh!
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