Laugh So You Don’t Cry, “Mama Tried” by Emily Flake

Lately my nine-month-old, who is usually a champion sleeper, has taken to engaging in a nightly ritual where he wakes up at 3am on the dot and really just wants to hang. At first I tried to soothe him back to sleep in his crib, but he’s not actually hungry or scared or wet — he’s just pumped. I’ll bring him into our bed, hoping that he’ll fall back asleep and he’ll crawl around, pulling our hair and digging his sharp little toes into our backs and bellies. Af