Comments on: Zen. (Not so much, then.)

By: Christiana

Christiana — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:28:32 +0000

It’s days later and you’ve received plenty of advice, but can I offer my own experience? We had similar problems w/ The Fuss and eventually had to do what you are doing. Turn off the monitor. Stop w/ the drinking. Our rooms share a wall – if she cries that loud and hard, I can hear her, but I don’t have to hear the small sounds that don’t require my attention. I sleep better. I go in once to check on her when she does cry. She gets her monkey and her paci given and rarely does she get picked up out of the crib. It only took a week of learning time to be completely up on the new system (we gave it a week – didn’t need 7 days – it was more like 3 or 4)

By: Kir

Kir — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:21:14 +0000

Oh sweetie, I don’t think you’re selfish at all. Incidentally for someone who’s getting up so much i’m so impressed with how well you’re doing with staying awake during the day. Seriously.

we do the “extra nuks”(pacifers) thing and I only go in if they are screaming, I have gotten to the place where you can soothe yourself buddy and mommy is tired.

GOOD LUCK!!! Hope things start to settle down soon.

By: thalia

thalia — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:06:35 +0000

Sounds like a plan. LIke others, I would ditch the water as well and only go in if things are really bad. There is a pacifier-holder you can get here which holds a pacifier so he can find it and put it back in himself. It’s a cuddly toy with paws made thin and with velcro on so they can close round the handle of a pacifier. Think it’s called cuddle-me or something similar. Also, try putting him down with multiple pacifiers, that helped us.

Hope it works!

By: christina (apronstrings)

christina (apronstrings) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:57:41 +0000

I think the game plan sounds great. If your mornings stay the same–you are going to end up in a padded room. And all this crazy sleeping isn’t good for him either.

By: gorillabuns

gorillabuns — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:33:06 +0000

i’d like to say all my kids even at 6 and 4 sleep through the night. At least 3-4 times a week, someone will wake us up for something.

Last night, Moira fell out of her bed. I ended up staying up all night staring at her to make sure she stayed alive and well.

Parenting is hard.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:07:07 +0000

Those sound like great steps, and he’s certainly old enough to learn now. That said my 2.5 year old has decided the last 3 weeks that he will wake up and stay awake between 10-1am, babbling to himseef off and on. And…like you, I made the mistake of giving him some milk in a sippy(which I left with him and took out after he was asleep), and now he’s come to expect it. So then I switched to water. But its lost its cuteness(its been a while since he needed me in the middle of the night so I was okay with it at first), and now we make sure he’s plenty hydrated before bed, and no water unless it feels really hot/humid in his room or something. Its a bad habit we let him get into and now its time for him to relearn, just like Baby O. He slept through the night(10pm-10am) from 2.5 weeks old so I was very spoiled by him, so I gave him some leeway on this the few times he relapsed(also around milestone ages)…and it always stopped after a couple weeks, but I think giving him the milk in a sippy as opposed to nursing him like I did before wakes him up more ans set him into daytime mode. So good for you for recognizing the daytime milk aspect

Your WD 40 comment made me LOL

By: Caro

Caro — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:04:32 +0000

I’m so with you here, we haven’t completely weaned T yet so S is having to be in charge while I lie in the other room and listen to the screams. I really hope we can turn the corner soon especially since my other half is so grumpy when he is sleep deprived.

By: anne

anne — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:15:49 +0000

great plan! stay strong, it will be hard at first, but it will work and will be SO worth it in the end. i speak from experience

By: eden

eden — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:30:19 +0000

Serenity, I so so get where you are at. I don’t NEED a freaking monitor, the screams are so loud. I’ve had a hellacious few weeks crying it out (him and me) but now I think we are turning a corner. Woot.

And, he is such a happier baby! He was sleep-deprived too, who knew!

By: Ms. C

Ms. C — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:45:52 +0000

Yay you! Yes, you need your sleep too! I’m rather impressed that you have lasted this long. I think you are totally on the right track. Especially with the tuening off of the monitor- you know he’s safe in there, nothing is going to happen- it’s best YOU get what you need.
At 11 months I called it quits with the night feedings and shenanigans. I felt like an all-night buffet. It took six nights to get where we are today. While Sacha doesn’t always sleep right through the night (he may wake up here and there for 5 minutes or so), I never ever go into him. Stay strong, you can do it!
While things are amazingly improved, I think that I am the only one in the house who still essentially doesn’t sleep through the night. I can’t seem to break the habit for myself! I don’t know what is with the men being able to turn over and go back to sleep!!