LBG and the Hour of Terror

There is one hour of each and every day that I dread more than a root canal!  That would be 5pm. Sharp!  I can anticipate it by taking every possible precaution at 4:45, but as the clock strikes 5 LBG because a screaming, flailing banshee.

Before you jump to any conclusions, let me give you his schedule.  He wakes up at 5am, has a bottle and goes back to sleep until somewhere between 7 and 8.  At roughly 10am, he’ll start to rub his eyes a bit so I lay him in his crib with he paci, white noise, and his music machine.  Within seconds he is out and will sleep 30 minutes.  Once he wakes up, he is all smiles and will a perfect gentleman until sometime between 1 and 2 when he repeats the morning nap process.  Again, 30 minutes.  I've read the No Cry Solutions books, but for the life of me I can not get him to extend his naps unless we are in the car and then we *might* be able to eeek out an hour.

Then 4:45 is upon us.  I know what is upon us so I collect my gear.  6oz bottle, Mylicon, Hylands gel AND Orajel, and pacifier make up my arsenal.  I always make certain he has a fresh diaper strapped on.  At exactly 5pm, all hell breaks loose.  No sleepy eye rub and whine, but full on wail and headbashing.  I can hold him cradle-style and get armpit bunched and kicked or I have hold him upright and get a bloody nose (true story) or broken collar bone from him head slinging and bashing. The case usually ends up with him in the crib, and me sitting in a chair next to him.

I never know what to draw from my tool belt first so I’ll give you today’s run down.  I started with the bottle.  He hadn’t had anything in an hour or so, so he might be hungry.  15 oz later the screaming is escalating.  I’m pretty sure he now has a bellyache so I try my best to burp him and give him the gas drops.  He still won’t sleep so I whip out the Orajel.  Now he should be gasless and have a numb mouth.  This isn’t helping with the whole pulling out the paci and throwing it situation. 

I don’t believe in letting my child “cry it out” so I stay with him the entire time, unless I need a two minute breather or a bottle refill.  I end up resorting to patting his tummy with one hand and holding the paci with the other.  5:30 is the magic time when he will start to drift off.  But, there is one catch.  His pesky left eye will NOT close all the way. 

For the next ½ hour, I will play the in/out game with him.  As soon as my head hits the pillow, butt touches the couch, or I take my first bite of the lunch I forgot about hours ago, the screaming will start up again.  Heaven forbid I’m not there immediately or the blood curling shrieks start up!

At exactly 5:59pm LBG’s eyes do this little roll back in his head type of deal and then he will look over at me with the biggest smile on his face and giggle!  AHHHHHHH!

He will be the happiest kid in town until 8pm when we start getting him ready for bed and as soon as his sweet little head touches the crib mattress at 8:30, he is out!  11pm bring the need for another bottle and then life is calm until 5am the next day!

Is that not the strangest thing you’ve ever heard?  I swear LBG turns into Mr. Hyde for exactly 1 hour every day!