Have you tried whiskey, Susan? For Annabel, if not for you.

Kidding, mostly. Sorry her sleep habits are getting weird, and sorry there's so much un-good going on in your life right now. Things will get better.

The pediatrician told me to put soft toys in Aidan's bed and wait him out, that he could learn to comfort himself and go back to sleep on his own. It helped. Every pediatrician is different, but you might want to mention this next visit, if it hasn't stopped by then. {{Susan}} I hope you get some more rest soon.

{{sj}} sorry for the aches. I hope you got some sleep.

Poor sj! Poor Susan! Poor Annabel. I hope you all got some more sleep.

Raq, backflung of your insent.

Gron...zzzzz

Every pediatrician is different

And every parent is different. Friends and relatives told me I was killing myself and damaging my kids by letting them sleep with us, holding them every time they fussed, etc. Spoiled rotten they would be. My feeling was that the kid screaming at 3AM is miserable and I am miserable. I lie down with the kid and he sleeps, and I sleep.

The boys were rarely outside of physical contact until they were 2 or so. They're not spoiled. They're independant, healthy, and happily sleep alone.

My doctor said she was as weak as I was and practiced with her kids in a carrier on her chest. So no guilt there. The grandma's around me swore I wouldn't get them to go to daycare.

There is no right or wrong way to go with non-sleeping babies, short of a shot of overproof rum in the bottle that is. It is what works for the parents and the baby. It's a good plan to have the baby in a safe place and cram ear plugs in your ears; it's a good plan to put the baby between the parents in bed and sing and rub her back until she sleeps. Fie to those who say there is one right way.

The important thing is finding something that works for you.

WindSparrow and I are watching The Big Gay Pirate Movie.

I drove up to Canberra and back this weekend. At one toilet break, my brother went in for a coffee and came out with Pirates of the Caribbean. Life is a neverending adventure for that boy.

Hey guys, some well wishes for Actuarial Student would be appreciated. She has a job interview on Wednesday morning (we're meeting up for the first time on Wednesday evening). She's not in the field she wants to be in, and if she doesn't find a position by the end of the year, then she may move to Sydney. I'm forming a strong impression I'd rather she didn't. And she mentioned me as being a reason she'd rather not move too.

Laura is so very wise.

Ooh, bt, that's awesome. ~Ma for the AS.

The important thing is finding something that works for you.

Yes.

Aaaand, just for a hat trick, I've filled out some thoughts on various subjects on one of the dating sites. Certain ones would be familiar round these parts:

Children: "Babies, chum: tiny, dimpled, fleshy mirrors of our us-ness, that we parents hurl into the future, like leathery footballs of hope. And you've got to get a good spin on that baby, or evil will make an interception!"

Commitment: "The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don't just be a guy."

Racism: Does anyone ever say anything other than "I'm against it"? This is an intelligence test no one should fail.

Romance: It means the difference between a relationship and a love story.

Sexism: I'm against it in principle, but I still don't feel comfortable kissing boys.