For the Record

Lest anyone think I am the perfect mother with the perfect child, I'm here to set the record straight.

Yesterday, I let my child "cry it out" for the first time. And yes, I DO think he's still too young for that. But sometimes, a Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do.

It all began with a nursing session around 7:30 AM. Munchkin was unusually impatient and fussy, and ended his session by puking up half his breakfast on his playmat about 30 minutes later. Not a problem...it was laundry day, anyway. So, I cleaned up the spit-up, covered the wet spot (temporarily), and sorted the laundry. I even got the whites in the washer before hell--in the form of an adorable, yet cranky, child--broke loose. Literally, THE REST OF THE DAY was spent alternating between carrying him, rocking him, giving the paci, taking it away, putting him down, picking him back up, bouncy chair...all while enduring bloody murder screams.

At 2:45 PM, I was wracking my brains, trying to remember all the mommy advice I had read in my books about what to do to keep my sanity. This graced my memory: "When all else fails, sometimes you need to just put your baby in the crib and walk away." So I did. I closed the nursery door, went into the bathroom two floors down, ran the fan to block out the noise...and had an "Ugly Cry." Now, I know I don't have to explain what that means; we've all had them. During my UC, I weeped out "I can't do this I can't do this I can't do this" for a few minutes, before I remembered an anecdote from a friend, in which her child was left to "cry it out," and puked all over himself and his crib because he got so upset.

Faced with another puking episode, I rescued the babe, plopped him in the stroller and took him out for a walk--another suggestion from my Books. 45 minutes later, we returned home to nurse again, still while fussing and squirming.

At 5:00, I finally discovered the problem, because it manifested in the form of poop. Yes, my darling son pooped himself so badly it required an immediate soaking of clothing and a bath. Poor kid.

After a very stressful day (for both of us), Munchkin responded by sleeping through the night.

Darn it--I just lost your sympathy, didn't I. ;o)