"The Car Seat Crib"

Okay, I promised some stories from when Austin was younger, so I decided to start at the earliest when I felt something was a little different.  Austin, for the first few months of his life, slept, if not in my arms, in his car seat, or what I like to call it, "The Car Seat Crib".  We had a beautiful "useless" crib because the only place Austin seemed to be happy and sleep all night, was in that infant car seat.  Funny how people said "if that where he sleeps, let him".  Even as a new Mother, I thought that it was odd.  Other people had approached me and told me they knew parents who had kids who only slept in their car seat for 5 months!  WOW!  I figured, well, I am overreacting, what do I know? ... groan ... isn't hindsight wonderful?

The first few weeks after being born, my mother in-law would come over during the night (she lives very close by ... hehe) and hold Austin the whole night while he slept.  My Mother was FURIOUS!  She would be the only one who could get Austin to sleep in his basinet.  I still have no idea how she did it ... she laid him down like she was placing a feather ... anyway, she was totally against holding a baby at sleepy time.  Nice to have a Mother and a Mother in-law on opposites sides of how to deal with a newborn baby, all the while, recovering from surgery and trying to breastfeed a constantly hungry 11 pound baby!  Wait, where was I?  Oh yes, the "crib" ... sorry, those weeks were very traumatic.  It was a CRAZY house for sure!

We let Austin sleep in that car seat for almost 5 months ... I would strap him in just in case so he wouldn't roll out or possibly fall out during the night, I was nervous about it.  I would have it tilted slightly up just in case of spitting up.  I would place the car seat right next to me on the floor (I was on the couch) so I could have my hand on it all the time.  (Sounds crazy now, I know but I was a little overbearing ... be quiet Maven! lol)  Needless to say, once we transferred him to his crib, he slept in it just fine.  (I also put him in my bed with me to sleep.  What did I know?)  He transitioned well ... I still haven't been able to figure that part out.  It is strange.  I think about it now, and wonder, why did I just let him sleep in the seat?  Well, because some people told me it was okay.  I didn't know enough to fight back or stand up for myself being a first time Mom, very out of character for me I can assure you (again Maven, try to resist ...  LOL!).

Why did Austin like that car seat so much?  I get it now.  It is because he felt secure.  Snuggled, cuddly, enclosed, safe and happy!  He is still the same.  He loves to be all curled up or snuggled.  He was flagged at preschool for sleeping at nap time folded in half.  (Sitting position, with his upper body folded on top of his legs.)  I have no idea how he could be comfortable but he does this less and less since I bought him a duvet and fleece sheets.  He sleeps in a regular bunk bed, and so well, that he can be in the same position waking up as when he feel asleep.

People ask or post about "What symptoms did you see first?".  To me, this should have been something that really stood out but since other people told me they had heard about it before, I didn't worry too much about it.  Just goes to show, what you really see when you look back in time.   *HUGS*