no more magic boobs

Ah, baby bedtime. Oh how I look forward to you, each and every day. 

Don't get me wrong, babies- I love spending time with you, playing with you, laughing at your funny little faces, carrying you around and soothing your tears. But there comes a time in every mama's day when she is ready for some "me-time". Time when I can sit at the computer without a baby tugging at my leg, time when she can watch some Netflix without worrying about the TV rays damaging precious little baby heads. Maybe get in some quality time with the daddy. Or maybe just sit and stare off into space.

Baby S, when you were a newborn and even up until six months, you were so easy. Take you to bed, pop a boob in your mouth, let you nurse for a bit and watch you fall asleep. Maybe you would wake up in an hour or so- no problem. I'd just come and lay down next to you, pop a boob in your mouth again, and voila! Sleeping baby once again.

Well, at ten months these boobs aren't as magical as they once were. Or maybe you have grown immune to my boobie magic? Somehow my magic milk now seems to have the opposite effect- I feed you, and it seems to give you super baby energy power. You pop up faster than I can lay you back down, smiling and laughing as if it were 11:00 in the morning. And it's not- it's 8:00 pm. Or 10:00 pm. Or 11:30 pm. Or whatever sensible or way past sensible hour in the evening that it is when I am trying (yet again) to put you to sleep.

I've tried everything- bedtime routines, chamomile roman in your bath, carrying you in the ergo, bouncing until every muscle in my body hurts, singing, tiring you out before bedtime, feeding you extra helpings of food, scenting your room with lavender, etc. And of course, the (not so) magic boobs. But you resist. You fight. You trick me- I think, Wow! 7:30 and she's asleep! A whole night to myself! And then, it seems, my thoughts rouse you from your slumber and you laugh in my face as if saying, Get real mama. That was just a nap.


It is currently 8:42 pm. After much crying, and a full 20 minutes of bouncing and dancing you in the Ergo followed by 10 minutes of laying at your side, you are asleep. Please let this be for good- at least until 6:00 am or so. Mama needs her Desperate Housewives...

Sigh.