Sleepless, a danger to myself

It seems that at the 5 month mark, my poor sleeping habits finally consumed my poor mother. Most of the entries on my calender from April through June (when this little journey ends) remark on how little I sleep, during the day and at night. I also managed to injure myself a few times, as I am sure most babies do, which probably terrifies parents and makes them question whether they are even fit to raise a child.

This will be the last journal post, I'll be adding pictures soon. I completely forgot that I have at least a few pictures of me as a baby already scanned, so once I figure out how to post them...I will.


April 1980: Took a trip down to Lewisburg to start this month out. I wasn't sleeping well, and one night while we were there, mom found me asleep with Grandma and Grandpa at 3:45 am. Nice of them to try and give my mom a night off. I continued to improve my sitting-up-alone skills, my walking-in-a-walker skills, and I started teething. Mom and Dad took me for my first bike ride, I wore a "sporty red cap," and was so thrilled that I fell asleep. Dad started taking advantage of my distaste for sleep by staying up at night and playing with me until 11.

From the "Little Book of Memories"

"Baby's Schedule: Poor sleeper. Two cat naps during the day. Awake by 6:30-7:30 am. To bed usually by nine and awake by 11. Will not sleep in a strange environment.

First and Favorites: Refusing juices [hardly qualifies as a "favorite"!]. Eating rice cereal, peas, fruits. Continues to nurse. Enjoys sucking on anything. Likes peek-a-boo. Sits up for several minutes - usually falls to side. Seems to favor rubber ruck. Still enjoys a pacifier ("binky") especially at bedtime.

Notes: Does not like to be left alone. Smiles at everyone. Happy when held. Babbles. Can move self around on floor but not crawling."


May 1980: Had a visit from Great Grandma Zook, one of my dad's grandmothers. I always liked Grandma Zook, though I never knew her very well growing up.

I was increasingly mobile, sitting up well, and getting on my knees or all fours...which probably led to my falling out of bed on May 6th. Mom was scared, but I wasn't hurt badly. Eight days later a fell down the back stairs while in my walker, prompting my parents to move the baby gate. Ha, something pretty funny about picturing that, though I am sure that had to have been terrifying. I got an incisor on the 21st and another on the 24th. Mom was trying to ween me, to no avail at that point. That had to have mad nursing a great time for her.

"Creeps fairly well." Hahahaha.

I also had started to make m, d and k noises which lead to...


June: I said "mama" for the first time on June 6th! The next day I started crawling, and a few days later started to respond to the question "how big?" by putting my arms up. By mid-June I was walking when given hands for support.

On the last day of the baby calender that my mom filled out she wrote that an upper tooth was breaking through and that I "Slept all night!"


Cheers.