Rergression

About three weeks ago E got sick. While he was sick we would hold him and rock him to sleep. The first night I pretty much held him ALL night, because poor baby couldn't breath lying down. He didn't feel good, he was snotty, he couldn't breath. He was a pitiful sight. We were doing anything and everything to try to prevent more production of snot. Skip to three weeks later, we have a completely healthy, well baby and we're still having to do the same thing. He has completely forgotten how to put himself to sleep. He wakes up in the middle of the night (sometimes multiple times) crying and wanting to be picked up. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE rocking my sweet boy to sleep, but the middle of the night stuff is beginning to be too much. E is relying 100% on us to put him to sleep. Used to we could put him in his bed and he'd put himself to sleep. Not anymore. Tonight I met my breaking point. I rocked my angel to sleep and a couple of minutes after putting him in his bed he started screaming. He wasn't hurting. He just wanted me. I decided it was time to re-sleep train. Possibly the thing I have hated most with having a new baby. Pure torture for both parties, baby and parents. When I sleep trained E three months ago I used a combination of methods. I did to an extent let him cry it out, but after about five minutes of crying I would go back in and give him his paci. Tonight I used the same method.  After twenty minutes little boy was out. It was just so much harder this go round with him being older. I felt like I was neglecting him. I feel like now, being seven months old, he's so much more aware of things. Hopefully by in the morning he will have forgotten about all of it. I hated every minute of it. I had to busy myself with making grape salad just to not break and run in and pick him up. I realized, as a parent, there are going to be some things that I'm not going to enjoy doing, but that I know are the best for my child. Being a parent isn't always flowers and rainbows. I know it's not healthy for E to be up at all hours of the night. I know it's not healthy for him to not be able to put himself to sleep. I know it's not healthy for him to think he can only sleep when somebody is holding him. I just have to keep telling myself that over and over and over and over.....Hopefully each day will get better. We come so far, only to take a step back. The story of raising a child :)

On a more positive note, I am loving making E's baby food. He likes it as well. I've made broccoli (he doesn't like), green beans, peaches, cantaloupe, apples, bananas, avocados, and pears. For the most part it isn't time consuming. E hates the blender. It's a little loud. So E usually goes outside when it cranks up. Hopefully my inner granola crunching, tree hugging hippie stays.