There is an episode of "Friends" where Ross gives Chandler advice on how to snuggle with his girlfriend, then get her away from him after she falls asleep. He called it the "tuck and roll". It didn't work for Chandler (he flipped his girlfriend off the other side of the bed, too much roll I guess), and it doesn't work for new parents either.
It should be obvious to any new parent why you would want to tuck and roll your baby. If you can get him to sleep by himself for even half an hour, you can catch up on all those things you've wanted to do since he was born. Dishes, laundry (too..much..laundry...), perhaps catch up on your own personal hygeine. But that baby can't understand why you don't want to pack him around 24/7.
The consequences of a failed tuck and roll are dire. Do you remember that scene in the first "Indiana Jones" movie where he tries to quickly switch the golden idol for a bag of carefully measured sand? That is a pretty good illustration of the tension inherent in attempting the tuck and roll. That's not to say that darts will shoot out of the bedroom walls, or that a giant stone ball will chase you down the stairs and out the front door. But failure to execute a perfect tuck and roll will result in something worse. A very real look of betrayal from an infant can cut like a knife. We are still perfecting our technique, and welcome advice on how to best execute this magical art.
-J
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