To spoil or not to spoil??

Tuesday was Manning's 2 month check-up, and we all know what happens at that appointment...yep, you guessed it... shots! Well, the day started off pretty badly. I woke up, fed Manning, and started patiently waiting on Cody to come home from work so that I could shower before the appointment. At the time he was supposed to come home, I received a text from him saying that his boss wouldn't let him leave work because he had to serve as a note taker for a very important meeting... I completely understand now, but at the time, I was HOT! Here I was trying to get Manning ready (who was WIDE awake), pack a diaper bag, and shower myself. Not to mention, I really wanted Cody to be with me on this tough day to support me while my baby got his shots. Well, luckily for Cody, my grandmother saved the day. She came over and let me shower and accompanied us to the pediatrician.

When we got there, we had to wait a while to see the doc, which we later found out that Dr. Mathis had been swamped with patients who had the swine flu. Every child he saw that morning had it... so make sure all of you get your swine flue vaccinations! My whole family has had theirs. The doc says it's making a big comeback, and it's gonna get pretty bad before it goes away. Anyway, back to my story. Dr. Mathis told me that Manning was perfectly healthy. He weighed a whopping 14 lbs and measured 24 inches long! Yes, I think we have a future NFL player on our hands! ;) My big strong boy did very well during his shots. He barely cried at all, so I held up pretty well! The doc then proceeded to ask me how Manning was sleeping, and I told him not very well and that we never get to sleep before 2 a.m. He looked at me like I was crazy, and informed me that I should stop that. Being the clueless new mom that I am, I asked a very stupid question... I asked how to get him to go to sleep earlier. He laughed and told me that I was the mama, that I made the rules, and that I was the boss of bedtime. I just looked at him and asked again how to do it. He told me to choose his bedtime and put him in his crib at that time and walk away. I know my eyes bugged out and were as big as half dollars... I just gasped and said "Oh, won't he cry?" Again, the doctor laughed and assured me that there would definitely be a lot of crying, but he said that he'd eventually go to sleep.

I don't know about you guys, but that sounds so mean to me. Who knew that you are supposed to set a bedtime routine and that it requires making your baby sad? The doctor hugged me and told me that I would get meaner when I went back to work. He also told me that it was perfectly ok if I wanted to keep spoiling my little man. I started thinking about what he said, and I'd never thought of it that way. Manning is absolutely spoiled. He almost never cries, and do you know why? I do whatever it takes to make him happy. I thought that's what I was supposed to do, and I enjoy seeing him happy! So, now comes the question... should I spoil or not spoil my child? Should I not sleep in order to keep him happy, or should I set his bedtime? I know that I can't hold up like this when I go back to work, so I guess I'm going to slowly start training my little guy. I'm dreading it so much, but I do think it's important for my son to have a routine, so wish me luck! Prayers are also appreciated! Manning and Mommy are not going to like this change very much! I'll let y'all know how it goes!

**The pics are of our trip to the pediatrician!