Sleeping

Josh and I are believers in the "Happiest Baby on the Block" theory of the 4th Trimester. This is the idea that the first 3 months of a baby's life is really just an extension of their time in the womb. While most other members of the animal kingdom are born able to walk/run/etc., humans are completely dependent on mom and dad. As a result, babies are very responsive to their calming reflex. Dr. Harvey Karp says the way to stimulate a baby's calming reflex is through the "5 S's" Swaddling, Shushing, Swinging, Sucking and Side/Stomach Lying. Let me just tell you...this man is a damn genius. JP responds almost immediately to these steps. Dr Karp says some babies only need a few of the 5, some need them all. JP can go from clenched and screaming to wide-eyed and silent in seconds just by placing him on his side and jiggling (swinging) him a little bit. Dr. Karp's theory is that only about 10% of colicky babies are actually colicky. The rest just need to have their calming reflex stimulated. Honestly, when you watch his video, it's like magic. This guy is the Baby Whisperer. I would think it was all smoke and mirrors if it didn't work so well on JP.
I mention all of this because last weekend I bought a used baby swing on Craigslist to see if JP would sleep in it (Swinging). It comes with a white noise maker (Shushing) which we usually set to what sounds like static on a radio. The others are waaaay too annoying to listen to on 4 second repeat all night. yowza. We Swaddled him up, gave him his pacifier (Sucking...and Dr. Karp says this is an important part of the 5 S's but that we should, and will, take away the pacifier at 3-4 months...when the baby begins to "self sooth") and put him to bed with a full stomach.
Folks, this kid slept for 4 hours. 4 HOURS!!! In a row! That's twice as long as he had ever slept in his 4.5 weeks of life. This whole week he has clocked record times. Last night, in fact, he was asleep for 5 hours when I finally (and stupidly, I now realize) woke him up to feed him. Let's just say I was eh-HEM! really ready to feed him. Ouch.

Tomorrow morning Josh and I are heading to Houston. Josh has business in H-town on Monday and Tuesday and JP and I are going to visit family. My Grandmother Hoffman has yet to meet this little man and I am really looking forward to introducing them. We were hoping to meet up with Uncle John as well but alas, he has been summoned to Mexico for work. Dammit.
Anyway, this will be out first trip out of town since JP was born and we are taking this baby swing with us. Oh yes, it will be awkwardly carried up to our hotel room but boy will it be worth it. Even if he has a bad night and the swing makes no difference, at least there is a slight chance that he'll sleep for a long stretch and that chance is good enough reason for me to haul this monster machine to Houston.

I have also decided that my standard gift for any expecting mother will be the "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD. I am a believer in the 5 S's. :)