Overwhelmed, Sleep Deprived and Paralyzed

Books should  be helpful right? Others' experiences should shed light, agreed? I'm beginning to think that's just not true.

Right now, I have a stack of books I'd like to burn, theories colliding in my head that I'd like to demolish, and a baby upstairs who I love deeply, but who needs to sleep in longer chunks at night.

I apparently can't learn the secrets of the baby whisperer, I am not baby wise, this home does not house the happiest baby on the block, we're never going to have healthy sleep habits, sleeping easy is a fantasy and I'll never ever be able to say to my child "Good night sleep tight!" because it just won't be true.

I'm not discouraged or anything. Really, I'm not.

"Consistency is vital" "Don't respond to night wakings with food" "Dream feed" "Don't dream feed" "Soothe the baby" "Don't soothe the baby" "Soothe the baby, but don't touch the baby" "Still offer one-two night feedings" "6 months and older don't need food at night" "Let the baby cry" "Don't let the baby cry" "Stay in the baby's room" "Don't stay in the baby's room"

Dear Lord, PLEASE, what is the answer? My goodness. Everyone and their dog has an opinion about how to get the poor baby to sleep. I'm so mixed up inside, overwhelmed, and sleep deprived that I'm literally paralyzed. I can't make a decision, and when I do, I don't stick to it in the middle of the night because I'm so tired, I can't think straight.

I'd love to end this blog with some pithy answer, or snappy phrase that pulls it all together and adds a splash of humor and hope ...

But I'm just. too. tired.

Off to crank up to coffee pot, and attempt to avoid thinking about the night that is inevitably coming.

Really, I'm not discouraged. Not at all.