Aimee speaks the truth. At least that's what they said when they gave me the Celexa.

That said, a kid not sleeping through the night until he's five is extreme cubed. Matilda came early and she's wee, so she's going to want to eat in the middle of the night for longer (calendar-wise) than most babies her age, but she'll get past it, too.

And Hec and JZ, you'll muddle through this, and things are pretty likely to look and feel better a couple of months from now. Be excellent to each other.

And, yup, Hec and I are both saying nothing here we don't already say to each other. No parenting fouls.

This weekend, Tahoe. With three other grown-ups. I anticipate much sleeping and passing the baby off to them.

My supervisor is trying to groom me for an admin position supporting the cardiac PICU director once my boss retires, a job with all kinds of fancy perks and great money and varied and interesting duties, and I'm gonna have to tell her NO.

Hon, like Steph said, what's the timeframe?

Hec's experiences with Emmett aside (which I realize he's still carrying the psychic battle scars from), it really does get better. Not always sleep-through-the-night better, but usually sleep-most-of-the-night better.

David, just let us comfort JZ, okay? You can do the comforting or whatever at home; we can only do this, so let us!

David, just let us comfort JZ, okay? You can do the comforting or whatever at home; we can only do this, so let us!

Have at.

PS, JZ?

When Lillian was about 6 weeks old, I massively miscalculated something and wound up overdrawn to the tune of $750. I'd also miscalculated how much working from home I could do with a newborn. I was a complete and utter wreck. We raided the 401k and did a lot of juggling just to make it through that several mnoths.

Oh, and a few weeks after that, while I didn't lock Lillian in the car, I DID lock my keys in there somehow, which trapped me inside the house until Paul could get a flexcar and rescue them.

This weekend, Tahoe. With three other grown-ups. I anticipate much sleeping and passing the baby off to them.

JZ, we made a day trip to Indiana to visit my in-laws two weeks ago. We went to lunch, returned to the in-laws house where they promptly sent me upstairs to have a nap while they played with the kids for three hours.

I love the kind of weekends that involve napping. I hope you enjoy it.

My supervisor is trying to groom me for an admin position supporting the cardiac PICU director once my boss retires, a job with all kinds of fancy perks and great money and varied and interesting duties, and I'm gonna have to tell her NO. Just NO. I can't be a remotely competent parent and spouse and do that. Which makes me feel like ass; I have this vague idea that the world is full of high-powered lawyers who are back arguing cases before the Supreme Court at 6 weeks post-partum, and I can't get my shit together enough to order an extra key for my boss's office.

Honey, your sup wouldn't be trying to groom you if he/she didn't think that you could do it. Like everyone else says, right now you're overwhelmed, but it will get better. I know that I have not an ounce of cred, being childless, but I've seen it happen. Please don't cut yourself off from an opportunity right now.

My friend locked herself out of the house when home with her daughter on mat leave. While her husband was on the other side of the country. She did some pretty amazing damage to her hand breaking back in (required stitches. And she totally destroyed the door.) It happens.

lisah, replied. Unless I broke my email too!

Eve slept like Matilda at 4 months, worse than Matilda from 6-8 months (I used to see every single hour in the clock all night), then better for a while, then bad again after a year. From 18 months onward, she was decent - up once in the night if at all. For me, getting ONE 4-hour stretch at night is very important. Peter is terrible right now, since he has a cold, but his basic pattern is up twice between 8 and 5:30, which is manageable for me.

Honestly, even flea's sleep deprivation went on longer than my own, and longer than most people I know (I have 18 nieces and nephews, my cousins' kids, and my friends' kids -- I truly know a lot of people with a lot of kids). I'm not saying we were all free of stray sleepless nights, but sleep interruptions usually become the exception, not the rule.

It should pass, and the worst of it, for most people I know, has largely ended by the time the baby is between 6 and 9 months. It was significantly earlier for me, but all three of my children were born full term, and were bigger than Matilda.