Sleep Strike?

Those pictures they show on the baby carrier box.  The happy, smiling mom pushing her older child in a swing with her baby strapped to her chest.  While that is all roses and sunshine, does anyone really have such an experience with their baby carrier?  Not me.  

My experience goes something like this.  All of the sudden my 4 ½ month old baby who was a sleep angel decides he’s on strike.  Yep, he decides sleeping is no longer for him.  He just doesn’t want to do it unless he is wrapped in his mommy’s arms.  My heart is breaking as I listen to his screams of anger each time I lay him in his crib for a nap.  I’m at my wit’s end, mostly due to the lack of sleep the night before (scratch that, the entire week before) because this sleep strike doesn’t just pertain to naps.  It’s an all the time kind of strike, a go big or go home kind of strike, all or nothing.  As much as I’d love to sit and rock my baby all day I unfortunately have things to do.  

In a last ditch effort to get my overtired baby to take a nap and still get some things done I pull out our baby carrier, wrap it around my body, and place him inside.  After vacuuming a couple of rooms he is lulled to sleep.  I look down at his adorable sleeping face and thank the lovely invention that is a baby carrier.

That night as Carter is screaming bloody murder for the fourth time I can’t help but think it has to be more than a sleep strike.  Baby boy seems miserable.  It takes me what seems like an eternity, but I know must be more like 30 minutes, to calm him and quiet him down.  Each time his body gets near his crib, it’s like the mattress is hot lava and is bubbling up to burn him because the screaming commences once again.

In the back of my mind I kept thinking something wasn’t right.  The next day I had Ty message the doctor although I feared I had already become that annoying mom.  The doctor said we could bring Carter in for a 5:00 appointment if we wanted.  I instantly jumped at the chance.

On my way to the doctor’s office I was half praying there was something going on.  Otherwise what in the world was wrong with my angel baby?  I just hoped it wasn't anything too serious.  Turned out Carter’s ear was still infected.  For some reason the antibiotic didn’t clear it up.  So my sweet little precious had to get a shot in each leg.  Of course since I’ve been giving him Tylenol during the night, it was in his room and not in my diaper bag.  When I realized that, I instantly felt horrible that he’d have to wait until we got home to have some pain relief.  Good thing he’s so patient!

He sure doesn't let anything, not even shots, get him down!