DON'T TELL THE CONSERVATIONISTS, I'M TRYING TO GET MY BABY TO SLEEP

We will go to great lengths to get our babies to sleep. Sometimes it is costly and if there were actual "Conservation Police," I for one would be arrested. 

With Luke, my most colicky baby, I drove miles on the freeway to get him to calm down and sleep. I also left the car on in the driveway to keep him asleep. THE HORROR! Granted, this was almost 10 years ago and gas was cheaper, but it was still an SUV. We also took turns holding him and dancing to a particular Shania Twain song for hours each night at an extremely loud volume because it seemed to calm him down. Don't ask how we figured this out!

Jack was my easiest to calm because he took the pacifier. I think this is true, but poor Jack, I don't remember much of his babyhood. I think it is because he and Luke were only 16 months apart so it is a big sleep deprived, diaper changing, trying to figure out how to be a mom- BLUR!

Ty cost us a lot in both types of gas. Driving calmed him down and then we figured out that if we put him in his car seat, on top of the dryer, with it running- he would actually stay asleep. The cardinal sin at that time was if someone let the dryer timer run out or if -GASP- you set the buzzer to go off. I'm sure it cost us a pretty penny.

Friends have told me stories of leaving blow dryers and vacuum cleaners running for hours near the crib just to keep the baby asleep. We have let fans run for hours in our house to block out sound during naps. One friend figured out that their baby was soothed by the sound of water dripping. So, these ingenious people tape-recorded the drip sound and played it for the baby. They must have been Conservationists. 

Our Little Bear is actually really easy. I am convinced he knows he is the fourth child and that his mother really needs to remain a sane human being. But, he does have his fussy moments.

We tried this to help soothe him. We call it the ALIEN BOOB! First, because it is giant and green- ingenious I tell you! Second, because when we put it in his mouth, he gags and looks at us like, "What in the heck is that?" Of course, my baby would never say "heck," but that is what it looks like he is thinking. This was actually a good moment with the ALIEN BOOB.

I have found some other things that soothe him. I got in the shower the other day after putting him in the bassinet. As soon as the shower went on, he closed his eyes. I turned it off and he opened them. They stayed closed the whole time I showered. 

Guess what? That shower stayed on until my makeup was on and my hair was blow-dried. 

Most of the time, he falls asleep in my arms, but sometimes he gets over tired and we have to resort to the car ride.  But, I have made a great discovery. Yesterday, when he was having trouble going to sleep, I put him in his car seat and placed a blanket over the top while I got some stuff together. He went to sleep before we even got into the car and slept for three hours.

I didn't even have to put him on the dryer or run a vacuum or let water drip or have the shower going or turn on a fan. 

He must be a Conservationist!