Sleeping has been quite rough the past few weeks. I was trying to get Sean in his own bed at night more and more, but basically I wound up with no sleep myself. When in his own room at night, he wakes every two hours. When he wakes, I go grab him and nurse for 5-20 minutes, depending on how hungry he is. Then I rock him back to sleep, which takes another 20 minutes. If I'm impatient (which, apparently, happens frequently when I am tired and it's past my bedtime) and try to set him down before he is TOTALLY asleep, he wakes and I have to pick him up and rock him all over again. What happened five nights in a row this past week is that I never even had enough time to fall asleep myself before he woke again, and at some point between 12 - 3 AM, having still not gotten the chance to sleep at all myself (also known as the time of the night when all willpower left me), I pulled him into bed with me, giving up for the night. So, starting last night, I just bring him to bed after he initially wakes, as long as it's after 8 or 9 PM and I'm ready to turn in. I got soooo much more sleep last night and all day felt like a new woman: more patient and rational, enjoying him more, etc. I guess this is what works for now, and maybe in another week or two he'll be better able to settle himself back to sleep. I'm incredibly fearful of never getting him out of our bed, but he's too little for serious sleep training, so this is the best I can do for now, I suppose. Cheers to you if you read that whole paragraph!
Otherwise, Sean is great and super easy! He is enjoying playing (aka looking at and batting with closed fists) with his toys more. He has become aware of the pets, smiles at his own face in the mirror (see blurry pic below), and started drooling when he is concentrating hard. Most days I get a tear-free shower by putting him in his bouncy chair with Pandora tuned to Raffi, and today he was content on his floor gym mat long enough for me to take the dog out and make (no-bake) cookies. Wahoo, that's freedom, folks!
Some favorite pictures from the past week:
So sorry sleep isn't happening for you two. I have to admit, L slept in our bed until he was about 9 months old. He started off in his bed and then he ended up in our bed. It was just easier. I am currently reading a book, Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers The Wisdom of French Parenting. One of the chapters is how French parents get their babies to sleep through the night before 3 months. It's unheard of for babies to not be sleeping through the night after 3 months. Maybe they are on to something??? :) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteDo tell, how do they achieve such a miraculous feat?? I must know!
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