Today Ava Kept Us Up

Sometimes I have a hard time determining when to start a new "day" with these posts. Do I go by the clock and start at midnight or do I go by your sleep schedule and when you wake up? 

Your sleep schedule has been subject the last few nights so I've decided the clock is a great way to go.

You provided me material for this post at 4:30 a.m. this morning. 

You had woken up - for the third time tonight I might add - and would not go back to sleep. Our usual tricks of a bottle and sleeping on my chest did not suffice. You cried, loudly and inconsolably. 

Someone got a nice long nap in
this afternoon. And it wasn't
your mom or I...

With a full house - grandparents, Aunt Casey, Aunt Holly and Uncle Shawn - all asleep we thought a drive might be the best way to get you back to sleep. 

We drove. We drove for nearly 45 minutes. There must have been many other babies that couldn't sleep tonight as I was surprised at the amount of cars we saw.  I mean, I can't think of another reason to be on the road that early other than to try and put your infant back to sleep. 

We nearly got the Lexington before turning around, passed your grandparents house and kept right on going as you smiled at your mom who was in the back seat with you. 

As we got through Shelby you began to take long slow blinks - we were so happy, finally back to sleep. Then, we came up on some train tracks and all of a sudden the gates began to go down. From the back seat your mom tried to get my attention to take a side road so the train wouldn't wake you up. 

Too late. 

You heard it and popped back up. Shoot. 

Luckily it didn't last long and you were finally out.

That was the first time we've ever voluntarily taken you for a drive to put you to sleep. Let's not make this a habit young lady.