I am doing it!

Hey everybody, Lulu here. I just have to take a mo to let you know about something bizarre that the ’rents are trying. They seem to think that I can fall asleep without the help of the “Blue Ball”:/news/2006/bouncing-baby-boyd/. At first I thought they were nuts, but now I think they’re onto something.

I guess the theory is that, now that I’m going on four months old, I might be able to “put myself to sleep.” (Scuzzi for the tangent here: but who did they think was putting me to sleep before? I beg your pardon, but unless you slip me some kind of Wicked Witch of the West poppy potion or something, I think I can take credit for my own sleep, thank you. IMHO, it’s just a matter of how much help you give me.)

Anywho, two nights ago, they take me into my crib (in both senses of the word) and start talking to me in these oh-so-soothing tones that immediately tip me off to be un-soothed. I steel myself for resistance. After singing a song or two (which I do have to admit was relaxing, darn it), they start picking me up and putting me down again in my crib, telling me the whole time how it’s to help me to sleep. Thirty-nine times, they do this! Aren’t there Geneva Conventions against this kind of thing?

I guess they read about this in some “baby whisperer” book. Personally, I think they should call her the “baby hollerer,” since that it what I was doing! They didn’t seem put off by the racket, though, what with the earplugs they were wearing. (I must say I am proud of my ability to produce decibel levels hazardous to the human ear.) I finally fell asleep after almost an hour. It was really nice they stayed right by me the whole time, even kept a hand on me throughout it all. Not that I didn’t still scream or anything.

They tell me lots of babies take even longer to get used to this, and that I was doing great. (Doing great damage to their eardrums is more like it.) So, dang it, I have to admit I felt pretty satisfied with myself. I made sure to crack a big grin at Papa during the 3 a.m. diaper change, which he always gets a bang out of.

So again last night, they try all the same tricks, and this time I could hardly resist. It really was pretty pathetic, I’m kinda embarrassed. Once they started singing, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (sincerely), I knew I was a goner. Papa only had to pick me up six times, and in fifteen mins I was out like a Cubs baserunner at first. Go figure.

Mamacita and Papa-Jon keep telling me how proud they are of me. I guess it _is_ pretty cool that I was able to just fall asleep in the crib, even if it took some hollering. And, frankly, the Ball hasn’t really been doing it for me lately anyway. But this is a big new skill, and not one I was looking to take a night-school class in!

Who knows if I’ll keep digging this new m.o. of theirs, but for now we’re golden. And well rested.

peaceout,
Lulu