Me and my big mouth. I know as soon as I told the world she had slept for 8 hours at night that she would get me. My mom will affirm that I am not making this stuff up. Anytime I say anything out loud that I'm glad she did...bam. Done. She does the opposite. Isn't this supposed to be teenage behavior?
At 2:10 am when the crying started, I came out of a deep sleep thinking, "Oh man, 5am came quickly today. Glad James is getting up with her." And then I tried to look all bleary-eyed at my watch and it said..not today sucker.
I can't believe how mad I was to get up and feed her. I felt like she tricked and betrayed us. She led us along the garden path (and yes, to mix metaphors here) just to pull the carpet right out from under us.
I went back to bed and had the most sad and depressing dreams. I woke up so sad and couldn't remember why. Then I did.
It's amazing how quickly you can go from joy to the abyss in this motherhood game. Luckily I have my super positive, love-y post from yesterday to read and remind myself how happy I am to have a baby. I had no idea I would have to use it so soon.
Cora - 1,203 Parents - 3 (nights of bliss)
She's winning by a mile.
A few questions for parents:
1. Did your 3 month old ever do this? Start randomly sleeping double their normal night sleep, and then go back after a few days? Were the 3 days a fluke, like a 70 degree day in January, or was it more like 70 degrees in April and consistent warmth is right around the corner?
2. Do any of you have kids who only take 30 minute naps on the button. She wants a 30 minute nap every hour of wake time. Is this OK? And if 3 month old babies are only supposed to sleep for 15 hours a day, and they sleep with short eating breaks from 8-8, is it OK if they spend 5 or 6 hours a day on naps or does that cut into night hours they will sleep.
Help.
At 2:10 am when the crying started, I came out of a deep sleep thinking, "Oh man, 5am came quickly today. Glad James is getting up with her." And then I tried to look all bleary-eyed at my watch and it said..not today sucker.
I can't believe how mad I was to get up and feed her. I felt like she tricked and betrayed us. She led us along the garden path (and yes, to mix metaphors here) just to pull the carpet right out from under us.
I went back to bed and had the most sad and depressing dreams. I woke up so sad and couldn't remember why. Then I did.
It's amazing how quickly you can go from joy to the abyss in this motherhood game. Luckily I have my super positive, love-y post from yesterday to read and remind myself how happy I am to have a baby. I had no idea I would have to use it so soon.
Cora - 1,203 Parents - 3 (nights of bliss)
She's winning by a mile.
A few questions for parents:
1. Did your 3 month old ever do this? Start randomly sleeping double their normal night sleep, and then go back after a few days? Were the 3 days a fluke, like a 70 degree day in January, or was it more like 70 degrees in April and consistent warmth is right around the corner?
2. Do any of you have kids who only take 30 minute naps on the button. She wants a 30 minute nap every hour of wake time. Is this OK? And if 3 month old babies are only supposed to sleep for 15 hours a day, and they sleep with short eating breaks from 8-8, is it OK if they spend 5 or 6 hours a day on naps or does that cut into night hours they will sleep.
Help.
Congratulations!! You have come up with questions that probably no one can answer for sure. Possibly a few guesses, but good luck getting concrete answers.
ReplyDeleteThat's where you're wrong. Every parent has a concrete answer. It's just that it only worked for them. :)
Delete1. Yes. Every time my kids progress in anything (especially sleep) it involves regression. Spring is around the corner. And now you know she can do it. Maybe you could let her fuss for a while when she wakes up and see if she'll go back to sleep on her own.
ReplyDelete2. My kids have all done that for a period of time (for some it was 45 minute naps). If by OK you mean they aren't going to die, yes. Cora is sleeping for 5 or 6 hours a day? How is that possible if she only takes 30 minute naps?
She would sleep for 5-6 hours a day when I would manage to keep lulling her back to sleep to get a good 3 hour nap in the morning or afternoon. Also she does 30 min naps every hour. She literally falls asleep on every bottle she takes even if she just woke up. it seems like she's always tired, but i think it's because she never gets to the deep sleep that comes after a 30 min cycle.
DeleteI think Cora will gradually start sleeping longer through the night. I remember with my babies that I tried to keep them awake more in the day with the hope that they would sleep through the night better. I honestly don't remember if it worked; it seemed to, but maybe they were just getting older and could hold more food, so they slept longer. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAll the answers i find contradict each other. one book says you should definitely try to keep them up so they will sleep better, and another will say you have to let them sleep as much as they want or they get overtired and pass the point of going to sleep easily and well. Cora certainly doesn't do well when I let her get over tired, but I don't really see the going down all the time as a huge success either.... :(
DeleteYes, the 30 minute napper thing sucks! Mateo did that for 2 years. Later, I realized I would pick him up as soon as he woke up, not giving him a chance to go back to sleep on his own, so I was kind of training him that it was o..k. to nap for 30 minutes. Maybe she's hungry, who knows. Just go with it. It is life consuming, isn't it?? Seriously, try not to analyze it and just go with it. As soon as you "figure it out", then she will change her cycle and go down to only 2 naps a day. Then as soon as you figure THAT out, she will go down to only ONE nap a day! I know it's exhausting. Remember that it's o.k. not to have full control. "You'll figure it out". :) Maybe :) hee hee
ReplyDeleteCora is identical to my little Olivia. :) I'm not sure if I should say congrats or sorry. ;) Olivia was the worst sleeper. 30 minutes was her max during the day. Your friend Monica is right, I was getting Olivia up too soon as well. From what I remember reading, back in the day, waking up 30 minutes into their nap is typical b/c of their REM cycles. She should be able to go back to sleep, as long as she is nice and full going into the nap and there's no do-dos in the nappy. Which is awesome because in order to figure that out you have to check on her and then that wakes her up even more! Ahhhh the life of a parent. There are no rules, just exceptions. I would suggest not getting her up when she wakes up at 30 minutes. Let her fuss, even cry for up to 10 minutes and see what she does. Life gets better once she can start self soothing. Figure out what she likes. Both my kiddos loved to suck their pointer and middle fingers. It saved my life. And just accept you have a daughter that wants to be a part of the action. Sleep is an annoyance for her.
ReplyDeleteAnd YES 1 step forward 10 steps back is the only rule of parenting.