I feel as if I have a newborn again because Creighton has forgotten how to sleep altogether. I just don't get it. She is acting like something is wrong/hurting, but I JUST took her to the doctor on Friday morning. She said her ears looked terrific and she couldn't see anything wrong. She won't nap longer than 15 minutes unless she is in the car (this weekend on the way to Kansas and back she slept both ways) and she won't sleep in her bed at night roughly more than an hour at a time. She wails in pain and I can do nothing for her but put her on the boob and then she'll fall back asleep (usually) and within minutes of me putting her down she is up again, unless by the grace of God she falls asleep for about an hour and then is up again. We raised her mattress finally last night so she is sleeping on an incline and that seemed to help a little I guess. She still woke up, but after 3am I was so tired, I just let her cry herself back to sleep about 2-4 times and I didn't feed her again until 8 this morning...but I canNOT handle that. I hate letting her cry when I think there is something wrong. If I thought that nothing was wrong it'd be different and I would force myself to let her cry knowing that it was in the best interest of EVERYONE in the household. I am so thankful that Jackson didn't wake up last night and I really don't knwo how he slept through it. She was just going ballistic and we (yes, even Jeff was up...it was that bad) had her in the living room trying to get her to calm down. She wanted to be held by me or her daddy
when I wasn't in view .
I just don't handle life really well when I am exhausted and this is like the 3rd or more night like this and the 5 or so prior to those 3 weren't great, but they weren't this bad...
Sunday after church we went to lunch with Kylie because it was her birthday and 2 interns and Brittany came along too, and of course we had the kids, and were the only ones with kids there. Creighton
thank God (seriously I prayed HARD for this) slept through the first 20 minutes or so of lunch. Jackson was acting horribly, throwing chips and spitting water and eating ice, then throwing ice, then just screaming, then finally the food came...his of course was last to be served, (WHY DO THEY DO THAT?!), and then mine was wrong so it went back and then when it finally came back out, that very second, Creighton woke up. Needless to say, as everyone was leaving lunch talking about how they were going to go play nintendo or take a nap in peace and quiet, I was jealous....VERY jealous VERY VERY jealous! For that brief
not really brief at all moment I was wishing I was back sans kids. As I was daydreaming of what that would be like I was quickly knocked back into reality as Jackson was
way overdue for a nap screaming and running through the parking lot. Then I felt guilty that I had wished I wasn't a mommy...I am just so tired. I could use some prayer...
6 comments:
I highly recommend the No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. It offers tips throughout the first year. She even has a toddler book.
I can certainly feel your pain though. The Boy hasn't slept in days.
Oh-- and maybe Creighton is getting teeth!??!!!
First of all...love your new pics!! Also, I have spent many hours at hastings (I am too cheap to actually buy anything), reading any book I can find on sleep solutions. Go without your kids and just read, read, read. Usually, it makes me realize I am doing things right (or at least right for my child), and also that my child is pretty normal and not a spawn of the devil (I've NEVER thought that at 3 AM, after being up 20 times already!) I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you will get past this...when she's 13 I bet your are going to have to be dragging her out of bed in the morning. I'm sorry, I know it sucks now....I am fixing to be there again (am I crazy?)...and by then I bet Creighton will be sleeping like an angel and you can take your turn feeling sorry for me!!
My first thought is....what are her eating habits? When/how much is she being fed? Hunger could be the issue. I remember when Betty mentioned that to me about Jonah...when NOTHING else was working. I followed hers and Beth's advice, and I soon (within a week) found out it had very little to do with sleeping habits/bedtime routines/his sleep schedule/what we were doing and pretty much everything to do with him wanting to eat more. I wouldn't have guessed it then, because he was gaining weight, and of course the La Leche people were saying that he couldn't be hungry if he was gaining weight. But they were WRONG. Anyway, it may not be Creighton's thing at all, but I thought I'd share. From my nannying experience too, I saw that it was generally the case that full tummies slept well. There are always exceptions, of course. But if nothing else seems to be working and you can't tell anything that's wrong, I'd start addressing food/feeding needs. Hope you all start sleeping soon! Oh yeah....and what about teething? That can STILL affect Jonah's nighttimes and make him wake up in the night if it's really bad.
One more thing that I usually remind myself of (thought it is not The Boy's fault he isn't sleeping...stupid ears!)-- Most "babies" don't sleep consistently through the night all night until they are around three! Freaky, isn't it???
Oh-- and I did just read that until the baby is around a year, s/he really could need one or two feedings a night.
OK-- one more thing-- Rose told me to try Oatmeal at night. I don't know if it works or not (she says it did for her) because The Boy got the ear infection almost right away.
I feel for you, Courtney. A week of no sleep and crying babies will make anyone crazy. I agree with Hannah on the food thing. Around 9 months is when a lot of babies get a food surge. Camden is drinking 7 ounces of milk 4 times a day plus eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has been a lot easier now that I have just weaned him to know how much he is eating. I'd recommend the cereal before she goes to bed. The only cereal Camden will touch is the jar of Gerber baby food oatmeal that has cinnamon in it, and he loves it! Too bad it took me two months to find cereal that he liked! Don't you wish they could just tell you what is wrong? As far as the sleep methods, they aren't always cookie cutter. Camden could never be 'ferberized' because he would never cry it out. He would just cry and cry. I'd say that if you can't stand to let her cry for a long time, pick her up. You already are not getting sleep and are stressed; you don't need to feel guilty on top of everything else. :-)
thank you all for your sweet thoughts and advice! i appreciate it. i am hoping for a better night tonight. she did do a little better last night...and today she even took a nap...yeah!
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