Cautiously peers out...

Nothing much new to report. Max is now one year old, and cute as a button (see pic). Emily is doing well in school -- behaviors have really settled down. I think it was a maturity issue as much as anything. She and Julia still sometimes egg each other on in being silly, but things seem to be a little calmer. My relationship with her is great -- for some reason we seem to be closer than ever, and I am enjoying her company a lot more. Again, maybe a maturity thing, who knows?

Max is still a horrid, horrid "sleeper" (ha!). I was steered towards Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth, and so far I'm not that enthusiastic -- he pretty much does recommend the cry-it-out thing, only not gradual/incremental like Ferber.

On the other hand, I don't know what other options I have. I do think Max has trouble letting go and falling asleep, he's used to sleeping either in my arms, my bed or the car, and it's just getting impossible -- it's like I've had a newborn for an entire year. I am trying to figure out how to work it so I can get a much earlier bedtime for him, and get him to take REAL naps. In his crib, even. As I said before, I no longer view CIO on a par with human-rights abuses and the SS, but I am very, very uncomfortable with letting my kids cry, at least as infants. I do know, though, that at some point we're going to have a come-to-Jesus about sleep and staying in bed, and it's only a question of when. I am at the point where I want it to change but I am NOT ready to actually DO anything yet, because I'm the world's biggest wuss, and I am also very, very bad about process -- if it doesn't work IMMEDIATELY I will melt down and be all despairing and martyred and pissed off, and nobody likes that either.

Helllllllllllllllp.