35 minutes may not sound like a very long time, but when it is loud screaming and crying being emitted from a 19-month old in the early morning hours it seems like a lifetime. Is it called ferberizing when its a toddler?
It all started a few weeks ago when Cole was waking up around 5. No harm done, he didn't want to go back in his crib so we brought him into our bed.. being lazy we didn't want to get up just yet. It wasn't every day so how bad could it be? Well.. 5 o'clock turned into 4 o'clock, into 3 o'clock into.... finally it was becoming more than an occasional wake-up, more of an everyday thing anytime between 1AM and 4AM... We came to our senses pretty early on and decided with the new baby coming we shouldn't do the bed thing.. we'd just bring him down to the couch, since even dead asleep on our shoulder in the rocking chair he would not transition back to his crib without waking up and wanting (screaming) to be held again. So downstairs we'd go.. I should say Rob would go.. I did contribute a few shifts, but it was difficult with the baby sitting on the bladder and needing frequent position changes. Needless to say we weren't helping the situation, as Cole was still sleeping with/on one of us for part of the night, transitioning him back into his crib at some point.. but sound asleep.
Last night after an hour and a half on the couch, then bringing Cole back upstairs to his crib and Cole waking up and crying to be held again.. Rob decided that it was time to cut the cord. He would check in on him every 10 minutes or so (at my request to tell him we loved him and weren't abandoning him, but it was time to sleep!... I would have done it myself but I would have picked him up.. I'm a sucker!) he at last stopped screaming bloody murder and slowed to a few whines then fell asleep. That was finally at 4:30. At 5:30 he woke up again, but I brought him downstairs, turned on all the lights and made sure we were not going to catnap!
So I am sure we'll have a few more nights of this, hopefully not more.. and I feel so bad for other parents who have done this, as I am sure 35 minutes is short comparatively to other experiences.
Thankfully Caden is a great sleeper and slept through the whole ordeal. Caden wasn't much of a good sleeper when he was a baby, and needed to be held to go to sleep, but once he finally slept through the night at 9 months he's rarely woken up since unless he was sick, had to go to the bathroom or his covers came off. Cole on the other hand was an excellent sleeper as a baby! In fact he probably slept 80% of his first 3 months of life! He also didn't sleep through the night until 9 months, but they were quick and easy wake-ups. Since then he hasn't been horrible, but we definitely go through occasions of a couple weeks at a time where he'll wake up at night, before he would always "grow out of it" this time though it was only getting worse!
So good luck to us! Let's hope he's sweet dreaming soon!
Oh.. and Happy New Year everyone! We don't do the resolution thing, since we can't keep them.. so I can't be very inspiring on that front!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
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5 comments:
Oh, poor Cole... Do you think he may be sensing a big change coming in his life and that's the reason for the sudden need to be in bed with you?
Good luck! I hope everyone gets a good night's sleep soon!
Oh you are stronger than I am! You know, once they figure out that Mom and Dad holding them is much more comfortable than their bed why would they want to go back to their bed, right? : )
I admit that for a long time I would lie with Sarah on the bed in her room, to get her to sleep and then transition. I'm finally up to putting her down. And, more embarrassingly, we use the nanny to readjust Sarah's nap schedule when she starts to get off cycle. (heh, heh, there has to be an advantage to living overseas!)
Oh Lisa, I feel your pain. I am going through the same thing with Sophia. She has always woken up once at night but lately it has been 2-3 times...screaming!
Maybe you can teach him to feed the new baby when he gets up in the middle of the night. Then you and Rob can sleep...(Just Kidding!)
Lisa - You two are wonderful parents! This reminds me of the nights when Leah would jump out of her crib......I would put my ear protectors onto Angela (that I would wear when in rifle competition) and Angela would be sound a sleep, not hearing a sound! She looked like mickey mouse! Then I would sit in the dark in Leah's room and knit her sweater beside the crib.....Those were long nights. I was afraid she would brake an arm or leg when jumping out! I was tempted to turn the crib upside down like a cage! But we all survived and she had a beautiful wool sweater to wear the next winter.
Tell Rob he is wonderful....he has always be a great helpful Dad...you two are a wonderful team. Hugs to all of you.
Dale
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