A Bedtime Story at 11:38 PM

Once upon a time, and not so very far away, lived a perfectly beautiful little baby. Her name was Mary Leona. She was very wonderful and her mother and father loved her very much. Her father traveled far and wide so that he could provide for his little Mary and her sister. Her mother spent sleepless night hours comforting the mewling baby. She would hold Mary and sit in her magical sleepy chair, and she would rock....

back and forth

back and forth

back and forth

And little precious baby Mary would hold on tight to her Momma and snuggle into her warmth and familiar smell. Mary's Momma would say, "My darling baby, you must sleep now, for all of the world is sleeping and you should be, too. Listen to how the magical sleepy chair creaks....

squeak and creak

squeak and creak

squeak and creak

And then her Momma would quietly sing a soft and comforting song. Little Mary Leona would burrow in to her Momma's arms and listen to the whispering melody. And the magic sleepy chair would rock in time to the music....

back and forth

back and forth

back and forth

All of this time Mary's Momma was losing herself in the sweet infant smell, the grasp of tiny hands, and the roly poly legs nestled in her arms. She would think that there is nothing better than a sleeping baby in her arms, if that baby could only sleep. And she counted with the creaks and squeaks...

one and two

one and two

one and two

and she silently asked her baby to sleep. Very soon, the perfectly beautiful baby relaxed her tenseness and sighed into slumber. Her Momma rocked a little longer and desperately tried to memorize everything about that moment. She kissed her baby on her head, right where her hairline met her skin which is the softest and sweetest spot on a baby's head, and took her into her crib to lay her down. And the perfectly beautiful Mary Leona slept, and they all lived happily ever after.

Barring that, there is always letting the baby cry it out.