Shhh. . .

Shrike and Peeper are asleep on the couch, and I know I should wake them up and take them to bed (well, wake Shrike up, and take Peeper to bed.) but I am revelling in the aloneness.

Remember the deal I offered Peeper yesterday? (day before, technically)

That I would be willing to handle an hour or so of inconsolableness all by myself if she'd get the yawping (a more accurate description than screeching, really) out of her system before Shrike got home, and then be happy for her?

Well, at least for today (um, yesterday), she seems to have taken me up on it.

Knock wood.

We had three episodes this evening - most of an hour around eight o'clock, shorter around eleven, and another shorter period hmm, I think after midnight, when Shrike was on her way home, maybe?

When Shrike got in, Peeper was nursing (surprise!) and more or less asleep. When she finished nursing, Shrike took her, and she stayed asleep.

I took a bath, and I didn't hear one single "yawp" from her.

When I got out, they were both sleeping on the couch, and at least an hour later, I've still heard nothing from either of them.

(Okay, I'm back. They're both breathing. I had to check.)

Of course, in addition to luxuriating in the freedom of being two whole rooms away from my child! the other reason I've not woken them up yet is that I'm afraid that will set her off, and then we'll be up another hour or two trying to calm her down.

I am tempted, I must admit, to just sneak off to bed, and let them stay on the couch until Peeper wakes up hungry (could be in ten minutes, could be a couple of hours from now, could be seven thirty) but I suppose that Shrike will be more comfortable in the bed - and will be happy to not have to get up and bring her to me later, when she is hungry and crying.

Or maybe just because I'd feel too guilty about it if were to do that.

At any rate, when she was crying earlier this evening, I hit upon a strategy that seemed to work well (for now, at least).

I held her so that I could rub her tummy, and walked around and told her stories.

Not Mother Goose stuff, but stories from real life.

The first time we covered "How Mommy and Mama Met (minus some parts she doesn't need to know about) and Made Peeper" (from our first email to Shrike cutting her umbilical cord).

Next up was "The People In Your Extended Family," and finally, "Mama's Schools and Teachers, from Preschool Through High School."

I figure she doesn't know what I'm saying, so it doesn't matter what I say. She's being held and walked and tummy-rubbed and is hearing my voice, and I'm distracting myself from the crying baby.

I'm not thinking about "What can I try now to shut this kid up!" but rather "What the hell was my high school physics teacher's name?!"

(I remembered later. I can't believe I blanked on that. I thought I was going to have to email Anonymama or BabyBro to ask!)

I don't know if I just calmed myself long enough to wait it out in relative peace, or if the story-telling (and walking and rubbing) was soothing or if I just bored the tears right out of her, but as long as it's working, I'll stick with it.

Uh oh, there they are.

Peep's still asleep, but Shrike just handed her off to me, so she can get ready for bed.

Good night!