I am trying a new thing on days like today. These days seem to come on a regular basis. I find myself frustrated with a tear streaked face and emotionally spent. What makes a day like today. (my question mark isn't working). One word could describe it. Lexi. I love the girl to pieces but there are days when I am completely lost as to what to do with her. From about 2 months she consistently wakes up after 30 - 40 minutes of napping.
I know from experience with Kale that this is a REM cycle and she needs to be taught how to go back to sleep. I have worked with her but at nearly 4 months old she still wakes up at this time. I have tried gently stirring her after 25 min of napping to help her get into that next sleep cycle. It worked sometimes. At 3 months I started the pick up put down theory of the baby whisperer but it does not work that well. I have left her to cry it out but it only gets us both upset.
She typically has a good morning nap because she is in the snuggly while I help with chores but I don't want her always sleeping in the snuggly. Around Christmas time I would go in when she woke up and put her soother back in and she would sleep the rest of the time. But then she got a cold and it seems to completely disrupt everything. I have just spent the last 45 minutes picking up and putting down a screaming child. I finally got her back to sleep when I put her in our bed and laid down with her. Something I don't want her getting used to but I did not know what else to do.
While I was laying there I remembered reading 1001 gifts and how she would list things she was grateful for. So I started thinking of things and it really helped calm me down so I could be patient with a red faced, screaming baby.
1) Fresh, undisturbed snow
2) Eating lunch and Kale climbing up behind me on my chair and giving me a super long hug just cuz
3) My wonderful husband taking the boys after lunch today to keep the house quiet
4) My morning walk this morning with no boys and a sleeping baby on my tummy
5) Morning cup of decaf coffee (canèt have caffeine while nursing Lexi)
6) A great friend watching the boys for me yesterday so I could get work done
7) A night out with the girls
8) Kale giving my sore finger a kiss better
9) Lexiès grin when she first wakes up
10) Head massages
11) Watching the boys share with each other and actually saying thank you to one another
12) Watching the boys play in the snow till it is too dark to see in front of themselves.
13) A childs anticipation of an upcoming family get away
These things have helped me manage my day better so far. I hope and pray that I can do this on a daily basis so I donèt let myself get to frustrated when things arenèt going smoothly.
1 comment:
(hugs) Sleep issues with babies can be absolutely draining and exhausting.
As a sidenote, I know that "they" all say that the 30-45 minute nap has to be worked through but I honestly tried everything with Kai. And nothing worked ... Finally I gave in, he was happy and did fine on three 30 minutes naps a day (despite my desire for more time) and at a year, he dropped to one and it lengthened to a normal naptime amount.
100% not saying this is the case with your Lexi, but just letting you know that I have been there, and that in our case, we were all happier once we gave up on achieving the illusion "normal" naptime.
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