Wyatt Month 3

Dear Wyatt, 

To be honest, this has been a very hard month. 

I made my first major Mutherblunder by trying to change some of your sleep habits. I tried to change too much too soon, and you understandably had a difficult time adjusting. Some days it would take two hours for you to fall asleep for a nap, crying in my arms the whole time. Many days you would nap only in my arms, which meant hours a day in a dark room with limited bathroom breaks, meals, and sleep for me. This was even harder than when you were a brand new baby because there was no family here to help. You cried a lot. I cried a lot. A lot of the time, we all just tried to get to the end of the day. 

I hesitate to tell you all this, because it’s not a picture perfect story. But I want to practice honesty and vulnerability with you so that you can develop those strengths. And I want you to learn that even during difficult times, there are moments of light. 

Moments like you laughing for the first time. 

Moments like watching you discover the wind blowing leaves.

Moments like you and your dad smiling at each other.

My boy, when you weren’t having trouble sleeping, you were smiling up a storm. 

Sometimes I’ll leave you on your playmat for a minute to go do something, and when I come back, you’re looking around the room and smiling. Just because. 

When I go to get you out of bed in the morning, I turn off your white noise machine, open the blinds to let in some natural light, peek into your bed, and then sing your wake up song. As soon as you see me, your whole face lights up. It is the best way I could imagine to start my day. 

Remember how you used to hate baths? Now you smile through the whole bath. You love to take little slurps from the washcloth before we add the soap. 

You are everything to us, and your smile delights us every single time. We are eager to hear more of your laughs. 

Some things I want to remember about you now: 

Your big, open-mouthed smile. 

Your little chuckle. 

How you kitty paw when you’re tired. 

The way your head rests on my shoulder when I hold you. 

The soundtrack of your day: wake up song, all done eating song, diaper change song, and bedtime song. 

How you and your dad smile and play in the morning. 

We love you, Wyatt, and always will--no matter how hard the month is. 

Love, 

Mama