Friday, September 4, 2009
Another Week, Another Post
Another week has gone by, and I'd be lying if I said this was the best in my life. Don't get me wrong - I love this kid more than life itself, but I'd also be lying if I didn't tell you this is hard. We're still not napping well, probably a result of 6 months of habit (short naps after every bottle) and also from Mia's very strong will. No naps = one cranky baby. I've been doing as much research as I can on whether or not to let her cry it out (and please, if you have an opinion, I'd rather not hear it right now...no offense, I already feel inadequate as it is), and the jury is still out. Today, though, she only slept for 30 minutes for her morning nap and woke up happy as could be. So after a few minutes of trying to get her to go back down, I gave up and took a drive thinking maybe I could ride her to sleep. No dice. Ah well, who needs a shower or to pay bills anyway? We had our late-morning bottle and cereal, played for a good while, and then started to get crabby again. This time when I started our nap routine, she would have none of it. And the screaming began. When not even picking her up could console her, I just had to lay her down, shut the door, and set the timer on the microwave for 10 minutes (oh, and call my husband in tears). Miraculously, 4 minutes into her fit, she actually fell asleep. I still feel like crap and I'm sure my face mirrors it, but I'm guiltily relieved to have a few moments alone. And hopefully, she'll take a good, solid nap and wake up with that smile that just melts our hearts...
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9 comments:
Welcome to parenthood!! Now you know why I always wanted 12 kids yet have 2. Reese was colicky and would cry nonstop for the first 3 months. I remember several nights of getting no sleep, then getting no reprieve during the day. She also used to fall asleep after a feeding for a short nap in my arms. When I would try to lay her down, she would wake up screaming and I'd have to feed her all over again. I eventually had to break her of that cycle, which was hard. But she did fall into a schedule and everything just clicked.
I'm telling you this to let you know that you're not alone. If you ever need a break in the afternoon, I can come and relieve you. We're still praying for you guys--hang in there!
Hi Sarah! Hang in there! I keep reminding myself that we haven't even been home 2 weeks! Eli is unpredictable! One day he will eat and nap wonderfully and sleep through the night and the next day he won't hardly nap, eats lightly, and wakes up starving and wants a 1 1/2 hour party in the middle of the night! It's crazy! We'll get there! You are an AWESOME mom! I could tell in Ehiopia that you are a natural!
The only thing I will tell you is to follow your instincts. That is the right thing to do for your family! My baby boy is almost six months and is in a cat-napping stage too. You definitely are not alone! But you ARE doing a great job!
Like you have a bunch of spare time, but we were in the same stage as you with our first daughter. Someone gave me the book Baby Whisperer.(i forget who it is by....which is crazy cause it then became my manual for the next 2 years!! Kept referring back to it, and then bought the baby Whisperer for Toddlers!!)
Anyhow, it helped ALOT, and it got us into the routine of switching over to Wake, eat, play sleep as opposed to Wake, play, eat, sleep. Sounds crazy, but it made a big difference in her routine.
Regardless you sound like you are doing an AMAZING job of being a mom and hang in there, it will get better!
Parenting sure can be challenging! I struggle every day with one of my kiddos either not going to bed, not staying asleep, not wanting to sleep in their bed or whatever reason keeps me from getting my time. But seriously, it will get better and it is shortlived. The baby stage is the worst when it comes to sleep and schedules but she will get the hang of it soon enough.
You are doing a great job! We all understand and are thinking of you!!!!
Oh, Sarah! I'm so sorry that you are having these troubles, but know that whatever decisions you choose are the RIGHT ones for everyone. I don't think we realize how hard this parenting thing is until we are in the midst of it, right? Just know that in my experience, most "stages" have been relatively short-lived (a few weeks at the most). Although it can seem like forever, this too shall pass. You are not alone, and one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received is to not be afraid to ask for help. You are doing a fantastic job, but you need a break, too! I hope that you can get one every now and then. Make sure that you don't forget about yourself as you take care of that gorgeous new little girl. Hang in there, and in the meantime give that beautiful girl lots of cuddles and kisses!
Love you. Keep up the good work. You are doing fabulously. We ALL have those moments of not knowing what to do!
my unsolicited opinion is this: do not feel guilty! do the best you can, love that child, dump the guilt. mom #2(or is it 3, or 4, I don't care just stop the guilt now, or I'll cry!)
You are a wonderful mother. It is evident when we are around you. If you need a break, let us know...maybe a trip to Target or a coffee shop by yourself could be rejuvenating! Let us know :)
Love you guys.
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