First let me just say that the pictures don't really go with the title or the stories but I really got some great shots of them today so I had to share.
I think this blog may be a few days short (because it seems they may be slowly getting better) but I thought I would share anyway in hopes that a few laughs would make all of this lack of sleeping worth while and maybe I will get some great tips in your comments that I never would have thought of. I'm really hoping to hear from Meghan, Holly, Kimmi, Whitney, Laura, and Andrea! (My blogging friends with 2+)
Ellis had always been an incredible sleeper before Alaire was born. He would go down like clockwork for naps and bedtime no matter what. One time in Topeka we had the whole youth group over making tons of noise downstairs and I just walked him up put him in bed and didn't hear from him until morning, and morning for him was usually around 9am! Nice huh, well not anymore. It all started about two or three weeks ago, soon after returning from my parent's house but it had just gradually been getting worse. He was waking up at 5:30 and laying at his door screaming "Mommy I need you." I could tell by the tone of voice the only thing he needed was at least another hour if not two hours of sleep! After two days of the craziness Trevor and I went and bought some really dark fabric so that I could make a drape for his window to block the sun that rises right into his window. I think he has adjusted now but those few days were incredibly grumpy ones! To make matters worse somewhere he picked up that he should also do everything in his power to keep me in his room longer when I'm putting him down for his nap. Crying "Mommy I'm sick" and door banging are his favorite ploys and I usually find that he falls asleep laying in the floor at his door. At bed time he is falling asleep at his door as well but Trevor goes in and puts him back into his bed when we go to bed because if not he wakes in the middle of the night crying for a pillow. Its hard not to laugh at that at 3am. I think the curtain has worked because the last two days have been 6:30 wake times which I'm fine with but I'm not sure how to solve the sleeping in the floor issue.....so anyone out there have any ideas. Currently I just let him scream and at nap time he just sleeps in the floor and then at bed time as I said, Trevor pushes his body with the door and then puts him back to bed. Oh, and I'm almost always one to just let them cry and never go back in.
As for Alaire (aka. the happiest kid ever) you would never know that she is teething during the day. She is always so happy and no lack of a morning nap for a day or swollen gums seem to phase her...that is until about 3 or 4 in the morning. Things are so different with her. She naps great and goes to bed great but I'm not sure if it is the teeth right now or just her. I have done all of the usual sleep training things I did with Ellis. Try to let her cry to sleep which works about %50 of the time and the other half she just screams and could for 2 hrs. Every night seems to be different. Three nights ago she would not be consoled from 2:30 until 3:45 when I finally just nursed her (which I hate doing) but knowing that I had had only about 2 hrs of sleep and Ellis would be up screaming in less than 2 hrs. I was desperate. Saturday and Sunday nights she slept 12 hrs. and then last night she woke at midnight cried herself to sleep and then woke again at 5am hungry an hour early. Anyway, I'm just confused with this one. Sometimes I wish she would just look up at me and say "don't worry mom it's just that my teeth are bothering me and as soon as they come in I'll go back to sleeping really well for you," or "oh I'm just really growing tonight and I thought I could use the extra calories a little earlier than usual," or better yet "just ignore me I had to get this out and I'll be back to sleep in no time." I know I need to remember that she is only 6 months and it may just be teeth but lack of a good nights sleep for a few days in a row can really get to me! Just ask my dad about the Wendy's in Cville story!
11 comments:
ol.comThey sure look happy to mee. I think we need to see waht Mom's face looks like!
This too shall pass.
Ok I blogg stock you... I have read your posts for like a year now. I don't know if you remember me, Ivy's mom, from TCCC. Anyway Ezra was my baby who loved to nurse he never took a bottle, and feeding was a chalange. I went to school and worked so I had to pump, and we mixed our cereal with breastmilk. Also if she dosen't have any teeth yet she may not be ready for food...
I'm probably the worst person to answer cause I always seem to desire my sleep more than anything so I do whatever it takes! I've told you Ellie's struggles with naptime now that there is no paci... I can't imagine when we move her out of her crib which after reading your story. I think I want to keep her in it till she is 3! The only thing with Ellis that we do sometimes to assure sleep is play a cd like veggie tales or something. She loves it and a book sometimes in bed helps her. Also, I run her little legs off outside in the a.m. and then she is super tired by naptime. I would think with Alaire that it is teeth... I always gave the girls tylenol or benadryl if I really wanted to knock them out. It is strange though that it is only at night so maybe she is hungry so I know she doesn't like a bottle, but maybe offer her a last bottle before bed. If she wakes up at the same time for a couple of nights in a row then I would probably make her cry it out, but not if it is at sporadic times. I would think she is hungry or teeth. I feel for you it is so tough and annoying when you can't all just get a good nights sleep! Good luck.. give us an update.
I can just picture the Wendys sign now. That definately goes down as the worst fast food experience in history.
um... cutest pictures ever! Alires faces are priceless! and i love the Broncos cheerleading outfit from a few blogs earlier... too cute! Chloe wore it all the time in Okalahoma during football season! glad to see it put to good use!
Oh, Cassie, I feel for you, I really do. You've probably read about my struggles with Callie & how she now sleeps on the floor every single night, instead of her bed. I'm no expert, but with Callie, we've just really tightened up the bedtime routine (same time, same exact thing to do each night...pick up toys, pick out book, etc.). Then, we turn her light off, and one of us gets on her bed with her to read a book or two. After that, she usually begins the crying and desparately tries to get out of bed to sleep on the floor. We try not to encourage it, but if she gets down there, she'll sleep all night, so we don't worry about transferring her back. Maybe if you "accidentally" leave a pillow on the floor and don't tell Ellis it's there, he'll find it and not wake up for it later??? He'll eventually figure out that his bed is more comfy. As for Alaire? Gosh, I remember thinking, "I thought once a baby sleeps through the night, they always do!" haha, yeah right. It sounds like teething, and like a previous poster said, I lean towards Ibuprofen or Tylenol to help. And nursing her here and there won't hurt---I was the same way, though---last resort. I hope this long crazy comment helps.
Oh, and my mom always says, "This too shall pass" to me, too! I think I'd like your mom! =)
My dad always says, "this too shall pass" as well and as my kids get older I find that he's exactly right. :) I guess my advice for Ellis is to just let him sleep on the floor as long as he's sleeping. I usually tell Turner something crazy like, "you may sleep on the floor as long as you're not yelling or kicking the door but if you do that, I'll have to put you back in your bed." You have to be a normal, semi-stern mom but be leanient enough to get yourself through. :) As for Alaire, when Layni went through little spells like this when I figured she was teething or growing, I just fed her. I was always afraid she'd get in the habit of it, but she always just quit waking and nursing once she was through the little spell. And it was easier to get her back to sleep so it was a little bit of laziness on my part. :) But Layni and Alaire's temperments and sleeping habits sounds very similar so if you're willing to "give in" it might work. Hope this small novel helps!
Wish I could help you out! camdyn's been waking up super early too, which is no fun, but I am hoping it's just a phase. I NEVER thought you would have problems with Ellis sleeping, he's always slept like a teenager! :o)
Oh, boy, I feel for you. It's so hard to be tired! I generally let my boys cry it out and with Jack it worked instantly and he's a champ sleeper. Sam however is a bird of a different feather and sounds a little like Alaire (by the way, cutest pictures ever!)- he could cry for hours, literally, without giving up. He started sleeping through at 2 1/2 months but since then has had a few episodes where for a week or two he'll wake up and cry. If he won't settle and ends up waking Jack, Kurt goes in to rock him with a pacifier since mommy = milk...and now we keep tons of pacifiers in his crib so he can always find one. That seems to work for him, most of the time.
I think everybody's right -- it will pass, just repeat that over and over! Moms are awfully wise- mine always tells me that, too. When everything else fails, it always helps.
Love the pix of Alaire and Ellis. Thankfully, they are happy for you during the day. Not getting the sleep you ALL need is tough. It is hard to be a patient Mommy when you are exhausted and have no energy! Do you have anyone who could watch the kids for you while you just take a nap ...... for.... hours and hours? (Your Mom's right..."This too shall pass," is one of my favorite Bible verses! And so true!)
In the meantime, since I can't be there to help you physically, I'll be praying for all of you! O'ma
Cassi, sorry to hear they are hitting you at the same time with sleep issues. Maggie has always (and still is my super sleeper) She began sleeping 12 hours through the night at 6 weeks and I don't think she has ever stopped. Owen has always been a great sleeper/napper as well but around ellis' age began giving me a bit of trouble and still does to this day at times (if you saw my blog he's finally figured out how to get out of the crib which has been my fear) I am guessing from your blog that your kids have been "ezzo'd, or ferberized". (growing kids God's way, or babywise) Anyhow, my kids are "ezzo'd as well, Josie is just getting with the program...a little later than the other 2 but she has adjusted nicely. As for Alaire...I always let them cry unless I think they are scared or hurting. And the teething my method to figure it out is if your teeth hurt in your bed they will still hurt in my bed, arms, rocking chair, etc. I am beginning to think this is a long post so I will just email you what I did with Owen and hopefully that will help.
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