How *do* we cope with newborn babies?

We’ve been spoiled lately. Ella and Rowan have both been sleeping reasonably well. Rowan always sleeps well to be honest, unless she’s ill ….. and Ella has certainly settled down considerably.

The last remaining, annoying hobby she has left is loud moaning early in the morning around 5.30am. She tends to be quite vocal as she enters her lighter sleep and that usually disturbs me.

We have made the decision that next month when Rowan turns three, Ella will move into her room and that will be it for good. It’s been really nice having her in with us and she *has* been a really good baby. She has taken a lot longer to settle than Rowan ever did though and wakes a lot earlier than Rowan ever did at this age.

Obviously having three people sleeping in a room - there will be times when we disturb each other’s sleep. I have started to wonder whether it is *us* that is disturbing her rather than the other way around.

There’s been substantial benefits to having her sleep with us. She’s been more wakeful than Rowan in general and much more prone to night-waking and issues with teething… so not having to get up and trudge along the landing in the middle of the night has been welcome….. I was pretty grateful last night that she was still in with us as I tended to her every 15 minutes between 2.30 and 4am.

I.am.exhausted. 2.30 and 4am!!!! And… AND it’s Saturday. I didn’t even have to get up and be anywhere this morning. I am knackered!

How did I ever do this? Newborn babies ?? How do we survive?

I cannot understand how I was ever able to be conscious the next day.. let alone the days when I was already back at work and she was waking all through the night with teething. Do you remember that? Was I particularly cranky? Or did I just nod and smile at everyone blankly whilst they talked to me…..? I can’t quite recollect?

The only down side to moving Ella out of the parental room is that BN has made it known how much he is looking forward to having Ella leave us finally.

He is a … well … he is an emphatic sleeper. Vocally and physically. He can’t just *turn* over.. he bounces over and takes a while to settle each time he moves……. I wake up… normally right at the end of the marathon ’settle down’ when my unconscious brain decides that the disturbance has been going on slightly too long and really my ‘actual self’ ought to take a look.. just in time to watch BN stop moving and start…… nasally appreciating sleep… …..

I have cursed him in the night for the entire 7 and a half years we have been together

Well.. make that for 6 of the 7 and a half years we have been together.

For the 6 months that Rowan was with us and the 13 months that Ella has… BN is so conscious of the baby in the room.. that he barely moves the whole night….. and it.has.been.bliss….

So …. am I looking forward to Ella finally moving out of the parental room?

I don’t know what’s worse.. early morning moaning… or midnight bouncing and vocal rustlings. And not in a good way