Thursday, June 09, 2005
Slumber
What a funny word is "slumber" -- it's one of those words that if you say it over and over again, it begins to sound totally ridiculous. Try it -- you'll see.
It's funny -- I just looked up slumber online and the first definition is exactly the opposite of what I thought. To sleep lightly? Here I was about to write this thought-provoking post about how slumber implies a much deeper, more sound rest than the word "sleep" -- like, sleep is ordinary, but slumber...man, you're on the verge of hibernation. But Merriam-Webster says no. Oh well.
Anyway, Lindsay has SLUMBERED (my definition) the last two nights to the tune of nine+ hours. Last night I think it was almost 10. In the swing, but so what? Hooray for the sleep, er, slumber. Whatever.
At the same time, she's napping in her crib for short stints -- long stints would be better, but we (mostly Nicola) are making progress. Good job to my girls at home; they've turned around what started out as kind of a rough week.
For you non-parents out there: this is a glimpse into the all-consuming obsession that many new parents have over the sleep habits of their progeny. A not-so-small cottage industry with books, DVDs and more different theories than you can count fuels this fixation...not to mention confuses the hell out of many of us. Cry it out or attachment parenting? Put down drowsy or dead asleep? Sleep anywhere or only in the crib? Pacifier or no pacifier? Early bed time or late? Swaddle or don't?
Ultimately, we buy the books and read theories and do research online and debate with our friends...and then we end up doing whatever works best for us and our baby to be peaceful and happy and get some goddamn rest. And that's probably what we should have done in the first place, and what our ancestors were doing in thatch huts or caves, long before Dr. Sears came on the scene.
It's funny -- I just looked up slumber online and the first definition is exactly the opposite of what I thought. To sleep lightly? Here I was about to write this thought-provoking post about how slumber implies a much deeper, more sound rest than the word "sleep" -- like, sleep is ordinary, but slumber...man, you're on the verge of hibernation. But Merriam-Webster says no. Oh well.
Anyway, Lindsay has SLUMBERED (my definition) the last two nights to the tune of nine+ hours. Last night I think it was almost 10. In the swing, but so what? Hooray for the sleep, er, slumber. Whatever.
At the same time, she's napping in her crib for short stints -- long stints would be better, but we (mostly Nicola) are making progress. Good job to my girls at home; they've turned around what started out as kind of a rough week.
For you non-parents out there: this is a glimpse into the all-consuming obsession that many new parents have over the sleep habits of their progeny. A not-so-small cottage industry with books, DVDs and more different theories than you can count fuels this fixation...not to mention confuses the hell out of many of us. Cry it out or attachment parenting? Put down drowsy or dead asleep? Sleep anywhere or only in the crib? Pacifier or no pacifier? Early bed time or late? Swaddle or don't?
Ultimately, we buy the books and read theories and do research online and debate with our friends...and then we end up doing whatever works best for us and our baby to be peaceful and happy and get some goddamn rest. And that's probably what we should have done in the first place, and what our ancestors were doing in thatch huts or caves, long before Dr. Sears came on the scene.
// posted by Bill @ 8:52 AM 
