Sunday, June 3, 2007

Baby Monitors


I guess I just don't understand what is so great about these things. When Easton was born I was blessed (or cursed) with a new sense of supersonic hearing, and was able to hear his every move. This prevented me from getting any sleep for his first few weeks of life. In our small apartment in Eugene, we didn't really see the need for a baby monitor since he was in the room right next to us and I could hear him so well.

Finally over the past couple of months Easton has begun to sleep better...pretty much all night long, which has been amazing. When he would wake up in the night, we'd let him cry himself back to sleep, and this provided me with hours more sleep each week. Fast forward to now...we moved in with family and are no longer the only ones trying to sleep in this house. E slept better here than he ever has in his short life...he sleeps down the hall and if he wakes up he goes back to sleep because I never heard him. But his room is right next to Steve's parent's room, and they informed us that on occasion they could hear him crying once in awhile at night. So then we (Steve) decided that maybe we should get a baby monitor, so that we can hear him and get to him if we need to before he wakes other people up.

We've had this thing for a few nights and I totally hate it. Steve puts it next to him and turns it down really low, and thinks that only he will hear him. It became obvious to me last night that that won't work, seeing as how at 3:15 am I was wide awake listening to Easton whine, while Steve was sound asleep. Slowly he wakes up and taps me on the leg. How nice of him to inform me that our child is awake. So now I'm torn...he wasn't screaming...just whining, only it seemed like screaming because it was amplified by this monitor. Do I get up and try to calm him down and get him back to sleep? Or let him cry it out? I voted for letting him cry, but I lost. So I go in there and try to calm him down, and he does, but I can't leave while he's still awake because of those 2 great little words: separation anxiety. I have to wait until he's totally out until I can leave. That's why I'm all about letting him cry for awhile...it will be good for him to learn to get himself back to sleep.

So, my nights are now going to be ruled by a dumb baby monitor. It wouldn't be that bad if I, like Steve, could return to my previous state of sleep in 5 seconds...but it takes me more like an hour to get back to my peaceful slumber. I'm wondering if he really has been sleeping as well as I thought, or if we just didn't hear him when he would wake up in the middle of the night. Either way, I was thoroughly enjoying my eight hours of sleep and happy morning baby.

Now I shouldn't blame this all on the baby monitor (although i really do hate it)...he is teething, which I'm sure is part of the reason for the waking up. I know I blame everything on the teeth...but I swear they're coming...I can actually see them this time. I have tried for 8 and a half months to be able to sleep through all his little noises and tune out his crying, so it kills me that we actually went out and bought a device that amplifies those noises to an annoying degree. Ironic.

8 comments:

Alifinale said...

Oh Emily...I am so sorry you are not sleeping. I turn our monitor so low that you can only see the screams by the lights flashing. But how crappy that you have to worry about your baby waking up other people. Oh, I feel so sad for you.

Funny thing about the monitor, my brother and his wife bring their monitor everywhere so they can hear their baby. They are concerned because she wakes so quietly that they wouldn't know she was awake without the monitor. I say, if Emery isn't loud enough to tell me she's awake, then she's not really awake yet.

destiny said...

I too dislike monitors, I didn't use them for my children. I had one, but only tried it a few times...I am all for the kid crying it out for as long as they need. I know when on vacations and at people's houses that is not something you can do though! Just hope that you will be moving soon (to Vegas!) and won't have to worry about it for very long. Good luck with that!

Brynne, Aaron and Cade said...

So I'm pretty upset. I wrote you an awesome well-thought-out comment to this post but somehow it got erased and I couldn't get it back. So I've decided I don't have the time or energy to rewrite my genious work. We'll have to chat by phone about what I've decided to do when it come to Cade and those monitors. They can be both a blessing and a curse!

cool new template, by the way. I redid mine too. I need variety on a daily basis I guess. :)

Chelsea said...

Thought #1: glad I don't have to wake up to a crying baby in the night

Thought #2: I heard a little rumor that a potential job may be opening up for you in Vegas. It seems we're all doomed to live in Vegas (not that I would hate living in Vegas, but is that the only place where jobs are?) Anyways, if so called rumor becomes a true fact, you can go back to Easton crying himself back to sleep without you having to know!

Ilene said...

What, you have to get up? Isn't that what Grandma's are for?

I love when Thomas starts crying in the morning or for whatever reason Dan acts like he can't hear it. The guy can't even sleep with the DVR plugged in because of its tiny little noises it makes during the night. I know his little game.

Good luck, my friend.

rose said...

h likes to wake up once a night around 3:30 and have 6 ounces. i do it every night, but aaron and i have a deal that at least once a month he has to do it. usually it's on a weekend because he works, but it gives me a break and helps him appreciate what i do. so that's my 2 cents. oh and maybe give the gift of earplugs to the inlaws, but remind them how grateful they must feel to have their wonderful, cute, smart, silly, did i say cute grandson in the house! oh and their awesome daughter-in-law too! ;)

Lizzie said...

Feel your pain Em. Sleeping through the night..the never ending dilema. I have a two year old and a 4 month baby and the dilema continues on. And I totally agree with the monitor curse. It's the worst though if you can't let your kid cry it out because it disturbs other people. It's so good to see you and your family. You are all so dang cute. You look gorgeous in every picture by the way. I can see how this blogging thing becomes addictive.

Sharon/Mom/ Grandma said...

loved the comments on the monitor. I have to admit it makes me smile. Being a grandma is great! But seriously, those years are so hard because it seems like they never quit teething. Then when that one quits the next one starts. ugh!!! But then there are the in between years that you finally get some sleep. Then come the teenage years, you don't get to bed until late, but still wake up early. Then comes menopause and you wake up all night long with hot flashes. This is one of those things I am going to talk to Heavenly Father about in the next life!! ;-)