Nearly two months ago, I came across LJ evidence that Raeli had slept through the night for the first time… seven months and ten days after she was born.  At the time, I was grappling with broken night after broken night with Jemima and the thought of having to wait another six months was just a touch heart-breaking.  (mind you, at the time I would have settled quite happily for just one wake up between 11 & 6 which is pretty much my current routine, barring disasters)

Last night, Jem slept through.  Which is to say, she wouldn’t settle in the evening so I just put her in her bouncy chair and rocked her off with my foot every time she made a peep.  Round about the time I wanted to go to bed at 11, I woke her up (barely) for a feed and put her in the bassinet.

She slept.  She did not wake up at three, or four.  She kept going until six-thirty.  Not quite the eight hours that Raeli managed at seven months old but… I’ll take it.

I woke up feeling invigorated rather than confused (which is usually the effect more than five hours at a time does to me).  I woke Raeli up at 7.  The bribe to spend time with her baby sister actually worked.  She was washed, breakfasted and dressed 45 minutes before it was time to leave the house.  No tears, no tantrums.  For a while there we didn’t go a day without a meltdown from her…

Jem is snoozing in her chair.  Raeli is off at daycare.  Peace reigns.  As a parent, days like this are few and far between.  Usually you take the good with the hard.  The illusion of competence rarely lasts.  When it all works out perfectly, though… happy glow.  Happy happy glow.

Tags: family, mothering, sleep