World War 3

Otter has spent the holidays declaring war on sleep (again). At first, it was just some extra crankiness at nap and bed-time. The willful "losing" of the pacifier over and over again, with all the tragedy that implies.

Then, one day last week, she announced that being put down in her bassinet at all was decidedly unacceptable. One moment, she would be blissfully drifting off to the Land Of Nod in our arms, eyes closed, sucking contentedly. But as soon as she felt even the slightest movement in the general direction of the bed, the eyes would pop open and blood-curdling screams would begin. We would have to retreat from the bed, rocking vigorously and shushing. I had mad thoughts of Otter at 2, 3, 10 years old refusing to sleep unless she was perched on my shoulder. Two days of trying to trick her into sleeping, and we'd had enough. Lines had been drawn, gauntlets had been thrown. We were ready to Ferberize.

Now before we get labeled heartless sadists, we weren't quite ready to go hard-core. The plan, which calls for increased increments of letting your baby settle herself (i.e., scream like she's being impaled in her bed) was just too much for us to handle. So we tried a modified approach, returning to reinsert the pacifier, then starting our 5 minute countdown.

Otter initially met the challenge with determination. As Bree and I steeled our nerves and clung to each other for support, she cried rivers. At the 5 minute mark I raced in, reassuring her that we had not departed for China, reset and left again. The 10 minute cry began. Bree and I passed the time reassuring each other that we weren't horrible parents. The crying went on. In the end, after yet another visit, Otter not so much settled as tired herself out, falling asleep.

The initial verdict: results are mixed. She no longer wails at being put down. Point for Team Sleep. She still mostly gives up, rather than settles. Point for Team Otter. But she has yet to go beyond the 10 minute cry, and all in all she's a good sleeper. We may not have won the war, but I'd say we won this skirmish.