Mama had been having a very difficult week with Austen. Her sleepy and cranky little girl has refused to nap, and screamed and bucked wildly when Mama tried to get her to sleep in her swing. Mama was ready to resign her position as Mommy, or at least take a sabbatical. Luckily, there seemed to be a breakthrough today.
After an unsuccessful attempt at napping in the swing, Mama waited an hour and then cajoled a sleepy Austen into her bedroom. After a diapey change, Mama asked Austen if she wanted to do sleepies in the swing or the crib. Austen pointed and said “crib.” Amazingly, as soon as Mama put Austen into her crib (with her bottle of water) she settled down and drifted off to sleep. Unbelievable! Austen never naps in her crib. For her entire life, she’s napped in her Fisher Price swing. In the past when Mama or Dada have tried to put her in the crib, she’s only jumped around and yelled a lot. Maybe all the fussies this week were a result of Austen being ready to nap in the crib — after all, the little swing has been getting pretty confining for 32″ Austen. Mama and Dada always said that Austen would make the decision to start napping in her crib. When it comes to fundamentals, she just can’t be forced to do something. It’s like forcing a scared cat to retract her claws and lie still. You have to wait for her to make the change of her own volition. Hopefully, this will turn into a permanent change. When traveling, it’s difficult to cart the swing around and it’s weight limit has been surpassed. Mama had decided she will not force Austen to give up her bottle. Why fight a losing battle? Austen is too strong willed to force her to do something she’s dead set against. Mama will just wait until Austen decides to give it up. Of course, Mama herself has still not given up her security blanket from infancy. Don’t ask — it’s embarrassing.