to enjoy when DS wakes up in the night?

[StrawHat]

Background:
PFB DS 13 months, sleeps very well generally unless he's poorly or teething. He also resists all daytime attempts I make at cuddling him.
What I hate about night-waking is this:

Hearing that first ear piercing scream
Realising it's not going to stop
Realising it's my turn to deal with it
Knowing I have to get up for work in the morning
Lifting him up with sleepy, uncooperative muscles

But what I love about it, and what I'm left with when I'm at work the next day is:

The moment the writhing, tearful mass that is my son relaxes as I lift him up and take him over to the cosy chair.
The way he babbles quietly with his eyes closed as he drifts back to sleep
The way he lifts his hand up to my mouth for a palm-kiss
The way he snuggles into my ample bosom and takes a big, contented sigh

It's feels like a really intimate moment that's exaggerated by us being alone in the dark, and I will miss it when it doesn't happen anymore.

Anyone else?

NB: I am not talking about the newborn nightmare of every half an hour here - I wouldn't want that again :)

Oh I loved it. Night feeds were brilliant (post the half hourly feeds which went on for months and months). We'd sit in my chair, cuddle up and the rest of the world would sleep on.

No, YANBU.

I used to love this too. It's beautiful.

These are the times when you realise what you have with him is different to what everyone else has with him. This is your relationship. Other people will have their own relationships with him, but this is yours.

Enjoy!

After 15 months of night waking with my number 4, the novelty of the nighttime snuggles have definitely worn off . YANBU if you enjoy it though, no, as they are little for such a short time!

My DD1 just crawls into our bed when she wakes now, doesn't even say anything just snuggles up and goes back to sleep. It would annoy me if it happened often, but it's quite rare, so DH and I just enjoy the cuddles.

It does depend how rested I feel though- night waking after two weeks of rest and good sleep can be quite nice. After three weeks of broken sleep and tiring days it's a very different matter!

YANBU, it's a wonderful thing holding their warm baby-smelling little bodies and feeling their love and trust. Gorgeous.

No, YANBU. DS had started going through but then his teething hit, one night/early morning I was not feeling the love as I crawled out of bed for the fourth time to settle him. Picked him up, sat down to cuddle him and he turned his head to look at me, gave a little sleepy smile put his tiny hand up and stroked my cheek. My heart melted and I fell even more in love with him right at that second. If that's even possible.

I'm another one who is not allowed daytime cuddles so I really relish these little special moments.

YANBU. DD (3) rarely wakes at night but until she was around 2.5yo she resisted all cuddles and snuggling even as a tiny baby. She was a writher. But during night feeds she was much more subdued/sleepy and accepted all my cuddles which I loved. I used to love night feeds and was a tiny bit sad when they stopped.

DS is nearly 11wk and I love the night-time breastfeeding and snuggles. The house is so peaceful and quiet and it is our little moment, plus he rewards me with enormous smiles, gurgles and giggles. DS and I are co-sleeping (because of a knee injury I have) and DH is in DD's bedroom. Well, on Friday night, DD (3.11) must have got sick of DH's snoring wanted some mummy cuddles and she got into bed with me and DS, so for a couple of hours I was cuddling both my babies!

No. Not any more. I'm goddamn tired of being tired all the time.

Glad I'm not mad alone :)

It's lovely, isn't it. I also skipped the first part by co-sleeping Moved DS to his own bed when he decided he had ownership of the covers and kept pushing them down with his feet in the middle of the night!

The novelty will wear off one day

I've had 7.5 years of being woken most nights and I'm bloody exhausted. I love cuddling my girls but I'd rather not be woken between 2300 and 0630!

I sometimes stay in there much longer than I need to because I'm having such a nice time.
It's rare to have him in such close proximity without getting dribbled on!

Sweet! As I breastfed on demand at night, and my son co-slept, I never had this "wake up screaming, get out of bed" scenario. I would have found it very difficult. My baby/toddler would wake and start fumbling and snuffling around, he'd have some breast milk and we'd soon both fall asleep again. I was never tired either.

Before some angry mums scream at me, please note I am not being smug, I was a single parent struggling on my own. But I found this way of being made it such a relaxing time mostly and I wish more people experienced this if they could. Glad you are finding it so too Bunnyjo.

And glad that OP enjoys the nighttime too.

x

Having said all that, I've just put him down and have my fingers crossed that he sleeps through