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As a new mother, I knew in my heart how very lucky I was. My first born was not only a healthy, happy baby boy, but he turned out to be an "easy" baby too. He had a calm, cheerful little disposition. He rarely cried. Oh sure, I wanted to believe it was all my doing; that Matthew was so very content due to my Exceptional Mothering Skills.

As a pediatric nurse who sometimes "floated" over to the nursery of our local hospital, I knew I was knowledgeable about babies and children. But being a first time mother is a whole other ball game! I was fraught with the same worries & fears that any new mother might have, in spite of my training with children. Added to the anxiety of being at home with a new baby, those early sleep deprived weeks could make any new mom feel as though she's functioning in a fog. It's too bad that those precious first weeks with a newborn can't be enjoyed and appreciated more fully, more wakefully!

So, when Baby finally sleeps through the night and Mom can get six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, it's a welcome relief; a cause for celebration! That is, if she still wasn't so darn tired! I do have a tip to share with all the other new mothers out there, something that I unconsciously encouraged. It is a concept I learned a long time ago, in Psych 101. But, to have seen it in action was still quite an education!

New babies need to feel secure to develop good sleeping habits. I won't even go into what we should already know; the need for a full tummy, to be kept warm, clean, dry & comfortable. But what really kept my new baby so very content, was the feeling of security that he got from his "mommy's helper," or my replacement, if you will; however temporary it may have been needed.

It was the soft, fuzzy, yellow blanket with satin trim, the blanket which came to be known as "Schleepie." Whenever I'd settle Matthew down for a nap or for the night, covered with this blanket, I'd sing him the same tune, "go sheepie-scheep, scheepie scheep..." Translated in new mother language, "Oh, please go to sleep! I need to take a nap myself!" But he would love to be cuddled in his fuzzy blanket while I rocked him, or when I lay him in his comfortable crib. No wonder he called that blanket Schleepie as soon as he could talk! Nap time and sleep time was such a cozy time for him!

That yellow blanket was Matthew's constant companion up to the ages of 4 or 5 and even beyond, though he eventually kept it hidden away under his bed or in the closet. Maybe out of everyone's

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