Finicky baby freeze

Is this worth it? Will she sleep? All of us in 1 room for 7 days? When you have a finicky baby it can feel scary to go anywhere. Even when they are going through an "easier phase" you feel like you'd be nuts to jinx it or to mess with the routine that has worked (even just for one night). Superstition and baby sleep is for real, but I say.... jinx away. In fact, you may be surprised and find that the finicky baby is a bored baby sometimes and the freedom from schedule that even a mini vacation provides does you and your baby good.


I have been working on having fewer expectations from myself, family, friends, (strangers even- especially when driving in LA traffic) and my baby. When tied to a schedule you have the expectation they are going to say go to sleep at noon and for at least an hour (seriously - until recently my now 6 month old was a 20 minute napper on most days).  When you expect that nap time you naturally start mentally or even physically creating your to-do list. So, when, inevitably, finicky baby takes a 20 minute- I- can't-even-call-this-a-nap, you feel disappointed, frustrated and upset.  I have found that on a trip I have fewer expectations and, since we are on the go, I am less concerned when the baby will fall asleep and many times she sleeps better and longer from all the stimulation and noise (and this is a baby who is a super light sleeper at home).  Also I find there is less before naptime crankiness.  It really is easy to be stuck in the finicky baby freeze, but I encourage you to let go of your schedule, at least a few times a year, and go to dinner (what's the worst that happens - you ask for the food to go) and even better- take a trip with your baby!  It is really nice to get away from the ever reproducing laundry pile and bottles to be washed!