Coup d’etat

Well we all came through the stomach flu that we all came down with. It was interesting to have both parents down… Noah was a trooper, especially drugged up on the book of the devil Diego and Mr. Rogers and the Sound of Music. However if you are an adult and about to spend a night in a floaty nauseous half-asleep half waiting-for-the-next-bout state, don’t watch the Sound of Music. It makes a very unpleasant ear worm during the process.

I thought we might de facto wean, due to the night Noah couldn’t nurse combined with the night I couldn’t (and he did fine, the trooper), but no, the following night he nursed as much as possible and even asked during the day too. Probably partly for comfort and ’cause breast milk is actually easy to digest (no, it’s not dairy, she said pedantically, having had to explain this a zillion times to well-wishers), but also I think to assert his rights over The Nurse. It’s funny how what the whole experience really showed is how our nursing is winding down on its own overall – when he really wanted to nurse, I was not used to it, and there was a serious lack of supply (not helped by the flu). Maybe I will let go of the rudder for a bit and see what happens.

(I sound very calm about this but actually, when he was still nursing on an empty breast after 45 minutes of it, we had a squabble and I was not exactly the parent I want to be. I believe I said “OH MY GOD” and I know I stormed out of the bedroom for a few minutes to compose myself. But then we worked it out. After 15 minutes of crying on Noah’s part. Sigh.)

Still the renewed closeness and bonding and all made for a bit of a shock when the following night, last night, he demanded to sleep in his own bed. (Guilty note: maybe he hates me now due to the God remark! Oh wait, he’s a helpless child driven to bond with his parents… he doesn’t get the luxury of hatred for a few more years.) Not that it had to be much of a demand; he was ushered into it ever-so-quick and tucked in and kissed. And he slept there until 11 pm when he woke up cheery as a lark and asked for a nurse, which was granted unto him.

Then we had one of our big Oedipal conversations, which seem to be rising in prominence (isn’t this early???). “I’ll go back to the big bed when you’re asleep, but you can just call me again if you are scared.”
“No mummy sleep big bed. Stay in Noah’s bed. No sleep with daddy! Stay with Noah! No daddy! Noah!” (Note that I did not bring the daddy factor up here.)

Eventually we all ended up in the big bed, predictably, but he says he is keen to sleep in his own bed again tonight. I tell you the child has his own agenda, along with plans for a coup d’etat where Carl’s supremacy is involved.