Because I've been laughing at those of you with your schedules for a very long time. Since before I was pregnant, while I was pregnant and for the time up until recently. Ha ha ha. I thought "why did you have children if you wanted to sleep? Didn't you know that you don't sleep after children are born?"
But I know what no sleep is like. Spread out for months! I have almost 11 month olds that don't sleep through the night. In fact, they haven't made it more than 2 hours in their own beds since we have been home. I almost forgot what it was like to sleep so I didn't sweat it until I spent a week sleeping nine hours a night.
Awhile back I briefly tried some of the "crying it out" business. I don't have the balls for that. I can't look at my babies crying, no scratch that, SCREAMING with red puffy faces for me to pick them up and just pat them and leave the room. Of course I could just not go in the room to begin with but if they are crying I'm not sleeping so it's just easier to put them in my bed. I have to wake up repeatedly but at least I get some consecutive sleep. Five hours straight is really nice. Sitting outside their room listening to them cry when it is my motherly duty to pick them up and give them loving makes me feel like a failure and I just can't do it. But I'm tired. Real tired. I forgot after my week of relaxation (really, can you believe it only takes a week to forget?) that it is harder than I thought while contemplating mommyhood and then doing it to stay up all night, go to work for 8+ hours, and then still have everything left to do, snuggles, kisses, cleaning, and trying to get a smaller booty. I'm also a sucker of the suckeriest kind. When my babies cry, I just want to love them to smiles. I know it's in their best interest to teach them things, but when having a sweet snuggly monkey next to me is the alternative to screaming and guilt, I choose snuggling. I know. I'm a wimp.
So . . . . . I have been thinking of buying a book to learn what to do. I know it won't be as interesting as one of the "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" books but I will suffer through it if it will allow me to sleep all night. I'm tired and my house is a mess and I think the babies would love to sleep all night if they knew how.
If you'd like to gloat in the comment section, you may, I can take it. If you'd like to recommend something I would be thankful. If you would like to give me the Cliff's Notes version of a book that would be super.
My monks are walking a little bit. They look really funny when they do it.
Here is Peanut, overcome with joy that she can push her stroller across the room.
Oshy can climb the stairs faster than lightning. We have a gate up, but sometimes let him crawl up with us right behind him so he doesn't get a bonk.
Oh my - I think it is his hair, or maybe it's because he is standing up in that last shot - but wow, Oshy is looking like a toddler!!! Love the joy on Ever's face!!! I remember the Frankenstein walking days. Awww!!! Toddlerhood is such a fun age!!! You are in for so much fun in the next year!!!
ReplyDeleteCan't offer much help at this point for your sleeping struggle. I never brought the babies in our bed. Mostly because Lew & I are big people and heavy sleepers. I was actually afraid to have them in the bed with us. So, they never learned that was an option. They were sleeping through the night by 4 months old. I never read any books. I'm not a big reader. LOL
(*another thing I did not let them know was an option at a young age was walking in stores. Be very careful about letting them out of the stroller in stores too often or they will not be happy stroller riders. Usualy, if you are shopping with a stroller, you are in somewhat of a hurry and you want the ease of pushing and shopping and getting home. Not chasing 2 kids who run in 2 directions while dragging an empty double stroller behind you. It's easier to let them walk if there are 2 adults - but then they come to expect that and fuss if you keep them in the stroller. So, we kept them as happy riders for years.*)
As much as you hate to let them cry in their cribs, you really do want to teach them how to fall alseep on their own. Long before they make the switch to toddler beds. We lasted 2.5 years in cribs (until Gretchen broke hers by jumping.) We have always left them in their room awake at bedtime and allowed them to drift off to sleep on their own. Sometimes, they talk for a while, but they stay in bed, so I don't mind a little visiting before sleep.
Whew... guess I'll stop rambling now. Keep those cute pictures coming!!
Aw Ashley! We used Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, but it uses some cry it out. But it did have other good info, so it may be worth the read. Ask on the bulliten boards, I know there are many moms who have used other books with success. You are right, you ALL deserve a good night's sleep!
ReplyDeleteThose are fantastic, happy-baby pictures! So cute!
Healthy sleep habits, happy twins
ReplyDeleteBabywise
The no cry sleep solution
The baby whisperer
The baby sleep solution
I read them all.....
And guess what! I still have two babies that wake up twice each in the night. And I really, really tried to follow the books to the T. I did babywise with my last baby and it worked like a charm......so? I wish I could help! Iwill be checking back to see if you have found the solution! I really would like just a good solid 4 hours, is that to much to ask for!?
Best of luck to you! They are so adorable....that helps a little, right?
Hi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteCute pictures - love them! Just adorable!
My friend actually hired a "sleep consultant" that she found through her local mommy store. She's a big fan of consultants though. :)
I love the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins book because it's super-condensed and short!
Hope you and the babies get a good night's sleep soon!!
I read a ton of sleep books. I think I can boil down all the advice like this:
ReplyDeleteSome kids sleep really well. Others don't. Sometimes your baby really needs you in the night -- he is scared, or wet, or hungry. Sometimes he doesn't really need you and will fall asleep on his own. The only way to figure this out is to use your super mommy intuition. SOmetimes it is necessary to let them cry it out in their cribs, and even though it will kill you to hear them cry, it will probably be worth it. OTOH, you might be one of those unlucky suckers who's kid will cry so hard they will puke (the kid, not the parent. Ok, maybe also the parent.) Good luck. The End. $12.99 please.
(I didn't serve the heap of guilt and blame that a lot of the books do. I just don't feel right charging for it.)
I was totally in your boat. I could not NOT go to my baby. My husband NEVER gets up, and even when he does, the baby screams until I go in and hold him. The baby has slept through the night on and off, but never for more than a couple nights in a row, then we'd be back to a week or more of waking once or twice or three times. There was always a tooth or a cold or a change in schedule or something to blame it on.
Here's what worked for me: I got a wicked bad cold and cough and was banished to sleep in the basement on the pull-out couch because my husband (a) didn't want my germs and (b) had thrown out his back, and therefore couldn't take the pull-out couch. Since we live in a townhouse, and since I was so friggin tired and germy and didn't want my baby to get my cough, I handed over nighttime duty to hubby. I KNEW he wouldn't get up like I did, but I was too tired to fight and had no other options.
The first night, I woke up and heard the baby crying. I put in ear plugs and told myself my hubby would take care of it. I must have fallen back asleep. I woke up 40 minutes later and the baby was STILL crying. As I was getting more and more pissed and getting ready to charge upstairs, he suddenly stopped. And that was it. The next night, he cried, but only for a few minutes. It has seriously been awesome since then and I almost afraid to talk about it, because he sleeps from 7:30 pm to 7:00 am and I am a different person now. (SHHHHHHHHHH!!!!)
P.S. I hate the taste of crow and hubby keeps serving it up. >: P
ReplyDelete