Ian's Screech

Ian has developed a few annoying habits. Poor guy, he's on the verge of being only 6 weeks old and I'm already complaining. He has a screech that sounds like someone is stepping on a cat's tail, repeatedly. This screech usually means he desperately wants to fall asleep and just can't. It usually ends abruptly when he finally succumbs to a good slumber. During the day I can manage it by putting him in the sling and carrying on with our day. However, this is more difficult at night. The house is asleep and pacing our basement gets monotonous. And "carrying on with the day" means "going to bed" for me, which doesn't satisfy little Ian. He has also taken to a 9PM-midnight waking during which time he screeches almost constantly. The sling doesn't calm him and I haven't found the magic solution to either preventing or curtailing this screech time.*

For example, he woke at 9:15 tonight, ate, screeched for a while then sat awake in the sling until about 11:15 when he ate again. I then walked, bounced, and sang until he miraculously fell asleep at 11:45PM (a few minutes ago). Now I must decide if I can risk transferring him to the car seat (where he sleeps) or continue typing until he's in a really deep sleep. Regardless, there are usually about 30 minutes of fidgeting that happen once he's in the car seat during which time I rock and sing and shhhhh him for fear that he wakes. By then it's usually about 1AM and then he wakes at 2 to eat again. This isn't making mama happy.

Fortunately, Steve has been saint-like with entertaining Graeme in the morning while Ian and I sleep-in until 8'ish.

I've now wasted enough time that Ian seems sound asleep. If you see another post in an hour you'll know that the transfer was unsuccessful. Wish me luck!

* You may notice a fair number of late-night postings which occur while I'm attempting to quiet him, or keep myself occupied while he screeches in the background.