Everything is awesome today.

You know the part in "The Music Man" where Marian sings 'till there was you? (no? come on, bone up on your musical theatre!) anyway, I'll provide the lyrics for you:

There were bells on the hill
But I never heard them ringing,
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you.

There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you.

And there was music,
And there were wonderful roses,
They tell me,
In sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew.

There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you!

Anyway, I've always liked that song, A) because it's a pretty tune but B) because I think, for a short cheezy song it does a pretty good job of describing a feeling that everyone has once in awhile - when something good happens and all of a sudden you realize that everything else is good, too.

I've been absentmindely humming "'till there was you" to myself all day, because Owen is finally, FINALLY, sleeping through the night. And everything is better. Everything! Work is easier, it's more fun to play with him, I feel healthier and exercising is less of a chore. I am actually really enjoying my life right now and most especially my funny, charming, mischevous son. I can't even think of anything to be gloomy about, which is rare, because as you might know, I'm kiiiiind of a pessimist.

Don't worry. I haven't gone TOO far off the deep end. There's always global warming and the recession. I'll be back to my old self tomorrow.

In retrospect, am I sorry that I didn't take a harder approach and bring this day sooner? I know most people thought I should just put him in the crib and close the door, and leave him there till morning letting him cry all night if I had to. Eventually (or at least I assume) he would have gotten the picture and slept through, and maybe I could have been all roses and sweet silver meadows six months ago. But I guess sleep training is just not for me. I honestly feel that Owen couldn't sleep through the night until he was ready to, and that pushing him to do it sooner when he clearly was resisting it so strongly wasn't the right thing. I know there are lots of babies who are ready earlier, and for whom sleep training works quickly and without heartache on either end. But Owen wasn't one of those kids. The day I walked in after letting him scream and bang for 10 minutes only to find his mouth dripping with blood because he banged his face on the crib rail sealed the deal for me. Unfortunately I had a kid who was just not going to go gently into that good night. (man, I am FULL of these cultural allusions today.)

And so we seem to have made it. Owen's slept through the last 4 nights in a row and is waking up cheerful and babbling in the morning. And it's wonderful.

there were bells, all around, but I never heard them ringing...