I had some great thoughts and ideas that I couldn't wait to share here after I put Riggs to bed, but for like the 10th night in a row, he's not going to sleep without a fight. This is so hard! He's never, ever done this before. He's always been so good at going to sleep. Since he's slept in his own room (around 8 months) he takes a bath, reads a book, prayers, then he nurses and I put him down in his crib and he goes to sleep. So easy! I never minded when he woke up in the night as much because it was so easy for him to go back down to sleep.
For the last week, he's been having the hardest time going to sleep. And it doesn't seem to matter when we put him down either. Usually he goes to be between 7 and 8, but even when it's earlier or later he's just not falling asleep and ends up crying until Steve or I go in his room to a) give him back his lovey that he's thrown or b) nurse him and put him down again. It's just so incredibly frustrating to me - makes me crazy!
One or two nights of it here and there I wouldn't mind as much, but it's just so so so discouraging and maddening to me when it happens this often because I feel like he's making a habit of it! And the only alternative would be to let him just cry and cry until he cries himself to sleep, which I don't feel comfortable with. We've never let him cry it out, and I don't want to start now. The sound of him crying incessantly is something I can only handle for about 15 minutes tops before I lose my mind. So anyway long story short, I'm not into writing much else tonight. :(
We actually did have a really good day today too, so it's extra sad that the day is ending so poorly. I went for a run with my new shoes, and was pretty happy with the way the Nike+ worked. The mileage was accurate too - I purposefully ran a certain loop that I know the exact mileage of so that I could test how accurate the Nike+ system really was.
So weird question, does anybody else turn completely beet red when you run? I always have and it doesn't seem to matter how long or intense the run is either. It's so annoying, I look super flushed for like, 30 minutes or more. I guess it really happens anytime I get my heart rate up, like when we climb the Butte I noticed it happened too.
Speaking of climbing the Butte, it's becoming sort of a regular thing for us. It's great that it's so close, and it really is just so beautiful up there. We like giving Tutka lots of exercise too, and he just loves running up and down the steep slope. We went last night for a late evening hike/climb and it was just lovely.
Tutka gets pretty muddy/dusty (depending on the condition of the trail) when we go so we always take him to the river for a little bit of fetch before we go home. I really love where we live, being so close to so many fun outdoor things to do. I can only imagine that it will be even more fun as Riggs gets older and can enjoy everything too!
Sorry for the downer post, hope your evening has been a little more peaceful than mine. At least Monday is almost over, right?
*hug* parenting is tough stuff!!
ReplyDeleteWould it help you to think of it from the perspective that right now he really just needs comfort - and God gave him you for that very need? Since he's not satisfied until he has his lovey or his warm parents, it seems to me like he's unsettled in his spirit (not in an overly metaphysical way - I just mean that he's waking up sad or lonely) and he knows you will make it all better.
Try not to think of it as a habit - that makes it feel like he has no good reason for needing you. Sometimes taking a deep breath and forcing yourself to smile despite your sleepiness will strengthen that invisible emotional/hormonal/spiritual bond between the two of you that will help you both sleep more soundly when you try again.
Whitney, ask Jessica about the couple of books she used/read when she was going through transitioning sleep stages with Kian. I can not think of them off of the top of my head but I know they were really helpful-she didn't ever let him "cry it out" either.
ReplyDeleteMy face gets bright red like that too! Always has...I will be 5 minutes into a basic workout & look like a red bell pepper.
-Sadie
Whitney, I love what Anjenette said and I so agree. This time is fleeting...having 5 of my own that are growing way too fast, I know this well. While I don't want to say "enjoy this precious time" since it's also understandably frustrating, try not to sweat it.
ReplyDeleteA good book to read if you haven't already is "The No-Cry Sleep Solution". I have never let my kids cry it out and this book helped with my one kiddo that didn't sleep through the night until 3 1/2 years old. Also, sometimes when there are big changes going on (like learning to crawl, walk or talk) our little ones struggle to sleep well...I think their brains are just in overdrive.
Hang in there (and yes, I too get super red when I run or exercise hard).