Ok I know I've already posted today, but I wrote this on friday and was planning to post it, but never did. In reference to the pictures, there's Ethan with Grammy Felt, and then Ethan is in a recycle bag from Walgreens that we put him in for fun. Here's friday's post:The first month of Ethan’s life, he was held ALL the time. He was held by Grammy’s, Grandpa’s, auntie’s, cousin’s, mom, dad, etc. So he got very used to sleeping on someone. I couldn’t get a wink of sleep at night unless I had him on my chest. And even then, I couldn’t sleep well because I’m not a back sleeper. Well as time went on, he eventually learned to sleep in his crib on his own at night, which was wonderful for us. But he would not sleep in his crib for nap times during the day. For the last month or so, I’ve figured out the only way I could get him to sleep during the day and for me to get a nap was to lay him on my chest while I lay on the couch… I know, I know, bad habit! Well the problem with this was that he would sleep 2-3 hours on me and he’d do this twice a day… ad that up and it’s a LONG time to be lying on the couch and not being able to nap much myself (like I said, I’m not a back sleeper).
Then when he’s awake, he wants all of mommy’s attention to play, which of course I’d like to do, but I’m so darn tired, still in my PJ’s, stinky and un-showered, the house looks like a tornado blew through it, the dishes are stacked to the ceiling with mold growing and a very unique aroma wafting throughout the house, the trash is overflowing, laundry is piling out of bedrooms, etc… ok so that’s a little dramatic, but you get the point. I can’t stand even a remotely dirty house, so a really dirty house is like nails on a chalk board for me. And here I am stuck on the couch, can’t move, and all I can do is try to close my eyes and pretend I have a magical Fairy God Mother flying around the apartment waving her wand to clean and make the place sparkly clean. Ok, so I’m more imagining those fat little plump fairies from Sleeping Beauty flying around. Oh how I wish that dream were real! Don’t get me wrong though, I truly enjoy having my sweet baby boy sleeping on me… but I have this image of him being this big kid (or even a toddler) still having to sleep on mommy during naptime and I’m getting squashed to death by this big kid and saying “honey, you are getting way to old for this!”. So for the past week I have been trying to teach Ethan to sleep in his crib for naptime. It takes me about a half hour to get him to go to sleep, and then like clock work, he’ll only sleep exactly 30 minutes in his crib before waking up still tired, cranky and crying. Since I’ve been doing this all week, he’s now completely screwed up on his sleeping schedule, and night times are also a bear right now! So that makes mommy even more exhausted and lacking the patience needed to handle a cranky, tired, screaming baby all day long. So today after a week of lovingly trying to help him sleep in his crib, it’s tough love baby!
Call me mean if you want, that’s not what I’m trying to do, but at the moment I’m lacking the patience to hold a fighting baby (because trust me, he really is a fighter!) So here I am typing away, venting, while he’s crying away in his crib. If he had Superman powers, he’d be blowing fire out of his eyes at me! Oh how I can’t wait for daddy to come home and rescue me! If only he wasn’t so busy with school all day and all night long. Oh well, I’ll survive… he’ll learn to sleep on his own eventually, at least that’s what I keep telling myself so I don’t go completely crazy. I’ll be able to find time to be super woman and shower, clean house, make dinner, and be a good wife and mommy, right?! Well there’s silence… I’m too afraid to go look and see if he’s asleep, so I’m going to make a mad dash for the shower and hope for the best! Until next time…
3 comments:
Ohh..hang in there! I'm not even going to offer any advice. Mimi will only sleep in her carseat or on my chest. So we do carseat at night, and the chair during the day! It's the same thing- if i put her down in her crib, she wakes up within five minutes. I think it's the acid reflux she has, because she always spits up when she's on her back. Good luck :o(
I commend you for your strength! Tough love is tough but the end result is best. I know a first time mom who 'just couldn't' let her baby cry. He is 18 months and still waking up every 4 hours at night! Isaac has been sleeping through the night since he was 9 months. Hes a happy sleeper and a happy baby during the day, because he can sleep and comfort himself. That is a skill every child needs. Kudos to you!!!!
The part about hurricanes, dishes, and laundry piling high. That's my life as well. I feel like I can never get control of my house. I think part of it is I really don't have a place for everything cause it's an apartment. I had a dream the other night and the fairies from sleeping beauty were in it. Anyway, all babies are different and you just have to find what works for Ethan and you. Something that I felt helped James learn to cry himself asleep was driving in the car. He would cry and I couldn't do anything about it and he would just eventually fall asleep. That might not help if he always falls asleep in his car seat though. But just remember when you are feeling bad that he sounds so sad it really is for his own good. He will be a much happier baby when he gets good sleep. People always made comments about what a happy baby James was and I know for a fact it was cause he started sleeping through the night by 3 months and taking really good sized naps. He still has off nights even though he's 15 months. But for the most part things are peachy. Some how a babies giggles and smiles makes up for lack of sleep.
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