The past two weeks have been a bit more challenging since Mudder and Fadder left, and not just because I’m down to two helping hands during the day versus six! While my parents were here, I must have been letting Iain stay up later and later because, by the time they left and over the course of subsequent nights, his hours had been getting later and later. So late, in fact, that last weekend and Monday night, he was up until 10:00 PM.
What happens when my baby is up until 10:00 PM? Well, besides the fact that he is overtired, cranky and impossible to put down to sleep at night, he was also having very difficult and cranky days. Additionally, call me selfish, but late nights for Iain means he is going to bed when I do and I do not get to A) have a break, B) read my favourite blogs or write a blog post or C) knit or do anything else I am unable to do during the day. In essence, Mommy’s sanity time was going by the wayside. By Monday evening, I had had enough.
What happens when my baby is up until 10:00 PM? Well, besides the fact that he is overtired, cranky and impossible to put down to sleep at night, he was also having very difficult and cranky days. Additionally, call me selfish, but late nights for Iain means he is going to bed when I do and I do not get to A) have a break, B) read my favourite blogs or write a blog post or C) knit or do anything else I am unable to do during the day. In essence, Mommy’s sanity time was going by the wayside. By Monday evening, I had had enough.
Anyone who knows us personally knows that it is not the feminine side of the equation who has the infinite patience in this household (stop laughing at the suggestion!). DH has always been much better than I am about holding Iain while he fights going to sleep. And fight he does. I’m not entirely sure how heavy he is now but my guess is about 27 pounds (we’re postponing his twelve month immunizations until after we get back from Newfoundland and I haven’t had him weighed since his nine month check up). That’s about 27 pounds of fighting sleep power that includes pinching, biting, pushing, squirming…you get the picture. Frankly, my arms get tired holding and fighting with him. But, I am not comfortable with the ‘let him cry himself to sleep’ concept. Frankly, I feel that that method is cruel. Besides, I have the luxury of a wonderful DH who is willing to hold Iain, as best he can, until Iain has fussed himself to sleep.
Tuesday night was different. I determined that Iain was going to bed between 7 and 7:30 PM (his usual, pre-grandparent time). That meant getting up earlier, as he’d been sleeping in later and later to make up for lost sleep time (nice though that was, I am a morning person and would rather be up at o’dark early than miss out on a couple of hours of me-time in the evenings), and seeing if he could do with one nap during the day versus two. He’s never been consistent at having an afternoon nap as it was and usually only had one three out of seven days anyway.
Well, after about 20 minutes of fussing, DH got him to sleep (it’s now down to ten minutes, with minimal fussing and an unfinished bottle at the end). I was confident my plan would work. So confident, in fact, that I decided to skip running that night and organise for us to eat like adults out on the deck where, for once, the humidity and bug visitations were low.
Here’s the prepped table.
Tuesday night was different. I determined that Iain was going to bed between 7 and 7:30 PM (his usual, pre-grandparent time). That meant getting up earlier, as he’d been sleeping in later and later to make up for lost sleep time (nice though that was, I am a morning person and would rather be up at o’dark early than miss out on a couple of hours of me-time in the evenings), and seeing if he could do with one nap during the day versus two. He’s never been consistent at having an afternoon nap as it was and usually only had one three out of seven days anyway.
Well, after about 20 minutes of fussing, DH got him to sleep (it’s now down to ten minutes, with minimal fussing and an unfinished bottle at the end). I was confident my plan would work. So confident, in fact, that I decided to skip running that night and organise for us to eat like adults out on the deck where, for once, the humidity and bug visitations were low.
Here’s the prepped table.
Iain was asleep before 7:30. We had an enjoyable and relaxing meal without interruptions.Quality sleep and more consistently happy days for Iain? Wonderful. A quiet meal without a cute almost one year old hanging off my leg (because he seems to prefer my leg for some reason) whining? Priceless.
1 comment:
looks like you had a lovely dinner. so glad the sleeping schedule is back on track. it's hard when they're up that late and you're tired too.
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