My morning Asher shift starts as early as 2a and ends when I head into work around 8a. Usually, he's starving when I first get him, so he's pretty chill once he's guzzled his first bottle of formula. He won't usually fall asleep, but neither will he whine or cry. So I can enjoy some really sweet cuddle time, or if I need to do work he can sit peacefully in his rocker and watch me. By later on in the morning, though, I'd like him to fall back asleep so I can sneak out for a run or a swim. That's when I'm hoping a diaper change and another bottle will put him on the path to z's. Alas, this is only successful about a third of the time.
Earlier this week, I was particularly desperate for him to fall back asleep. I had been out late at a business meeting so went to bed way late for me. And he woke up on the early side of my morning shift. So I was woozy from sleep deprivation, and pining to get him back down so I could crawl back into bed myself. I threw everything in the book at him but to no avail. I retired to the parlor and laid out on the couch, Asher face down on my chest, and closed my eyes as if to wish myself to a better place.
I woke up some time later and realized I had fallen asleep. I looked down and Asher was still asleep. Who knew that the best way to get Asher to fall asleep is to fall asleep? So I now have a new trick up my sleeve.
