Emmy is totally kicking my butt for bragging about how well my older two kids slept. God is truly trying my patience and last night he was REALLY trying me! I am not sure why I tried to mess with her little schedule because prior to this week she was doing...well, at least ok. Waking sometimes around 4ish but going back to sleep in my arms until around 6. Not too bad. Well I decided (don't ask me why) that she needed to learn to put herself back to sleep. After not one but TWO nights of crying for 90 minutes, I caved. Put her in the bed with me on the third night and she slept until 7. So yesterday I figured that I would try to feed her more and give her a "dreamfeed" around 11pm. Well she was a joy to be around yesterday but after about 4pm yesterday she was not awake much at all. So, of course last night around 2 she wakes up ready to look at us and wants to play. I guess this is what they mean when they talk about baby's getting their days and nights mixed up :( So from about 2 until about 4ish, we tried (not so successfully to put her back to sleep). Tried in my arms, in the bouncy, in her little basket and the list goes on and on. She would fall asleep in my arms but when I went to put her back in her basket, she would wake up. Finally around 4:30 she fell asleep in my arms and slept until 7. What's a mommy to do? A sleepy mommy with absolutely no sense at all right now!!! Have you ever had a total meltdown at 4am? Liked cried until you had a headache kind of meltdown? Ugghhh! That was me last night!
So I have to remind myself each and every day (or night for that matter) that THIS TOO SHALL PASS! I know that this "no sleep phase" won't last forever and it is so hard not to get mad. But she is so tiny and I do love her so very much and I know it will pass. Since we are not going to have any more children, I keep telling myself to slow down and enjoy each moment of Emmy as a baby. This is a little more challenging at 2am than at 2pm! But just as I think I can't take it anymore in the middle of the night, she falls asleep in my arms and there is just no better feeling than holding my sleeping girls tightly in my arms. So tonight at 3am when the rest of you are dead asleep, know that I will be telling myself "This too shall pass" and loving every minute with my baby girl - even at 3am :) I think it is one of the most important concepts to grasp as parents - the stresses that sleep create for us, or feeding, or potty training, or learning to share, or hitting/biting/kicking, or driving, or college and the list goes on, all of this "issues" that our children challenge (or stress us out) us with, they are all temporary. So just remember (especially when you are stressed) that this too shall pass!
Love to all!
sorry the dream feed didn't work- I don't know, it did with all of mine. Just remember if this is the least of your concerns, be thankful for that.
ReplyDeleteAt least you aren't up every 30 min to pee :) I will flash my bathroom light to you at around 3 am! Hope to catch up soon!
ReplyDeleteChris
I totally understand your pain Liz! Lily slept through the night at 8 weeks old and took two very long naps (still takes one long one). Landon didn't sleep through the night until he was 5 months old and we thought we were going to die from lack of sleep! I am one who has to have my sleep or I can't function and I was just tired/cranky without my sleep!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, though. Each stage that we want to hurry through is another stage that we will one day miss. Won't be long and you'll be wishing she would get in the bed with you and she'll want nothing to do with you (you know, the teenage years!).
Take care!