Well tonight was a big milestone. And I'll have to say I'm a bit sad. For months I have been intending to ween Cooper from being held at all at bedtime. No more rocking and putting him directly into the crib. We've taking baby steps and slowing starting to holding him less for naps and bedtime. Putting him into the crib when he was sleepy but not totally asleep. For months I knew I needed to 'cut the string' and just lay him in the crib at bedtime, in order to prepare to soon move him into a toddler bed.. or to at least remove one side rail from him crib. I was kinda stalling knowing that we would be moving soon, figuring I didn't want to introduce too many changes into his routine. I guess maybe part of that was just an excuse. I'll have to admit, I guess a little selfishly I wasn't ready to totally let it go yet. Getting just that 10 or 15 minutes at bedtime to hold him.. still let me keep him as my baby. Instead of the big boy he is becoming. You never understand what its like to be a mother until you hold that baby in your arms. In the beginning when they are so tiny and so your awestruck with the miracle that is so precious and perfect that it just blows your mind. Then being able to nurse.. and to do it for a pretty good amount of time (10 months), it was our special little bonding time. Then he slowly weened from that. And lastly getting rocked at bedtime. Even here at the end it wasn't very long, maybe 5 or 10 minutes. But enough time to just sit in dark and quietness still in awe of that little miracle that is now so big he hardly fits into your arms. I'm sad but of course excited as Cooper continues to grow and to become his own little person. He is such a great little guy.
For the last few weeks we haven't been holding him before his nap, we just put him in there and he goes right to sleep. Last night we said our good nights and I walked towards the rocker, in the corner of his new room. And as I went to sit down, holding him he grunted and pointed to his crib. I said do you want to go into your bed.. and he nodded yes. Fyi... he still isn't talking much. But he points, grunts and does some signing. Most of the time, Joe and I know what he is trying to tell us. So I layed him in the crib, gave him one last good night kiss, and told him to lay down and 'go nigh night'.. and he did. He didn't say 'one peep'.
So there you go, he weened himself. So I guess its like other people say, the child will let you know when they are ready for something. That has proved to be true in many instances so far. Cooper has weened himself from various things. When the time was right for him. Its really worked out well. I'm glad we are learning to be flexible and that Cooper is helping to guide us along the way.
One more little milestone.
