Teeny Houdini

We are still working out the kinks of this "crying it out" thing, and Alex has recently presented a new challenge that I was not expecting. He still has a wicked startle reflex that tends to launch him from a sound sleep into a state of wide awakeness. Therefore, before I put him in his crib each time, I swaddle him in his Miracle Blanket - basically a straightjacket for babies - and wrap him as tight as I can without cutting off his circulation. Yet somehow, during the course of his tantrums, my little escape artist inevitably gets his hands - and often his feet - out of that thing and ends up flailing them around in frustration, propelling his fit into epic proportions.

I had gotten used to having to rewrap him when that happens, but I was not prepared for what I found this morning.

I heard him crying around six and I went in to get him so we could start our day. He always sleeps in a foam "sleep positioner" that is designed to keep the baby in place and to make him feel like he is being snuggled. The positioner has a slight incline to elevate his head, and on occasion, he will work himself down the incline until his head is where his belly is supposed to be. However, this morning, he hadn't worked himself down the length of the positioner. Nope. He had wiggled his way clear off of it and I found him in the back left corner of his crib, on his side, with his back facing me. I could hear him fussing, but instead of reaching for him instantly, I stood open-mouthed in awe of this feat. When my shock subsided, I finally reached in and flipped him over to find that his Miracle Blanket was still completely intact, with his arms and legs securely bound to his body. That means he somehow wriggled his way, without the benefit of limbs, about a foot and a half from where he started. Needless to say, I was impressed...