Did You Hear That?

Men and their hearing - or selective hearing, that is! I'm going to pick on my husband for just a minute here, so bear with me. I love Sam so much, as you all know, and he's a great father. He wants to spend time with Banner; he's loving towards him, calls him "Best Friend," and offers to help in any way he can with feeding, bathing, soothing, changing, and entertaining. However, I'm having an issue with this one area. You see, after Banner goes to sleep each night (typically around 7:00pm), Sam and I have dinner together, then we get to spend quality time just the two of us. (It's actually really nice!) But, every so often, Banner will make a noise. It can be the quietest, simplest noise, and Sam will turn to me and say, "Did you hear that?"

Of course I heard that! I hear everything! But, just because Banner made a noise (a sigh, a groan, a suck, a turn) doesn't mean we have to respond or react. Usually, I tell Sam to wait as he's already on his way to go check on the boy. And, usually, there's not another sound heard for a while. But, at the next peep, Sam says, "Did you hear THAT?"

YES! I heard it! But, I'm ignoring it until it becomes a noise worth responding to! I think it's so funny when he asks me this - as if I carry around the monitor not really listening to it. I keep telling him, too, that we need to let Banner try to self-soothe and not respond to every minor noise.

Well, the problem is this... either I've done a really good job at teaching Sam to ignore the noises Banner makes in his crib, or Sam has selective hearing.... because why am I the only one getting up at night to soothe Banner? I'll hear a small noise, then it escalates into a true whimper and then a complaining cry for his paci or to be reswaddled, and Sam sleeps right through it. It must wake Sam just a little, because that's when I hear the resurfacing of a snore we got rid of before we got married! It makes me want to hit him - for snoring and for ignoring a cry worth waking for! So, it has me wondering in the wee hours of the morning- at 1:20 and again at 1:35, at 3:40, and at 5:20 - DID YOU HEAR THAT?!