Brothers as Babysitters

It's a well known fact around our house that Sophia is hard to get to sleep, and hard to keep asleep. Living in 1100 sq feet with 3 active boys and a cat (whose favorite spot is right under the crib) makes it even more interesting!!

I've left the boys with Sophia a handful of times, but either very briefly or while she's sleeping. However, a couple of weeks ago, I had an important meeting at the Baby Home and the babies were sick with a number of ailments. I fed Sophia and left her in the care of her brothers, thinking that Jake would be home from work within an hour. On my way to the office, Jake called to say that he would be a couple of hours late. Oops!

The important "meeting" stretched to a series of "meetings", and I was starting to watch the clock for when 3 hours would be up and Sophia would need to nurse again!

The boys and I talked many times throughout the afternoon. They would call me, and if I didn't hear from them for a while, I would call them. (This is why my last day of fulltime work in the office, October 11, was the last where I could be 100% focused on what I was doing! I don't know how full time working mothers do it, I'd go crazy!!) I never heard Sophia crying, and one time Joel passed the phone to her so that I could listen to her "talk".

At one point, Michael called and said they thought it was naptime. I agreed that that could be the case, but didn't give any instructions (and thought to myself "Good luck!!").

Rushing up to our door a few minutes after feeding time, I was surprised by a note.

Translation: "Daddy, Sophia is finally sleeping. Oof! Finally we have finished suffering." (Notice the two signatures.)

 

A few days prior, Jake had posted a similar sign (minus the drama) on the door while the boys were playing outside. I was hanging up laundry when Samuel quietly crept in, panting, "I saw the sign mommy, I read the sign!!" Unaware of the sign, I wondered what in the world he was talking about and WHY he was whispering!



 

Stepping inside, this is what I saw outside our bedroom door: "silencio", signaled by some lego construction.

 

I thought it was all about the cutest thing ever, but was worried if Sophia had been really difficult! I quickly questioned the boys, and they tripped over themselves to explain how they swaddled her special swaddle blanket, laid her in her crib with her favorite pacifier, then left the room. Moments later they went back to check on her, and she was peacefully sleeping, to their great shock.

 

And she was still sleeping now, nearly two hours later and past a meal! WOW, you guys are HIRED!!

 

I've also discovered that letting her brothers entertain her is the best way to get a peaceful shower for the first time since Sophia was born (just ask my mother-in-law, who was with us the first three weeks, if she is ever happily alone for more than a few minutes at a time!), continue cooking, or just get a little break. I'm so blessed with my built-in babysitters!!