Yes, we got our daughter another bed. And yes, this is the 4th bed she's had in her whopping 18 month lifetime. Bed 1 was her crib....bed 2 was the toddler bed that we stumbled into owning for $10...bed 3 was our guest full-size bed that we used when she hated the toddler bed....and bed 4 is a twin bed that we got for $25 from a friend (bedding and all) so that we can reclaim our guest bed.
The good news with all of this moving and bed-changing is that we have finally had 3 successful nights of sleep, something we hadn't had for a couple of months now. Caroline has slept the past 3 nights from 8:30/9pm until anywhere from 7am-8:30am. Now, I must also say that the past 3 nights she has been pooped out and crashed pretty hard from playing at parties and get-togethers. Hopefully it's not only a sign of being super stinkin tired, but rather the next step in growing up.
It's amazing how time flies. I know everyone always says that (especially after you have a kid). And I know how totally consuming some of those moments are with a newborn/infant where you feel so overwhelmed and can only focus on that thing--whether it's lack of sleep, the baby's crying, the dwindling energy or motivation. It's so strange that once those moments pass, time has flown by, and your little one is changing right before your eyes.
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Sleeping Success!!
As some of you know from Facebook, we have been struggling to get our 18 month old daughter to sleep. We moved about 3 months ago and finally got her into the groove when all of a sudden something switched. She was a bear to get down...literally growling, smacking, and screaming. Our once 10 minute routine was taking 2 hours and was unsuccessful. Along with other personal craziness, this was tipping me off of the not-so-deep end.
Our attempt to resolve the situation was to move her to her big-girl room even if it was earlier than we had planned. Through luck we had obtained a toddler bed for $10, so I reconfigured the guest room--moving the toddler bed to the corner, pushing the guest double bed off to the side, leaving the recliner in there (because I had no idea what it was going to take at this point---if she told me she wanted to sleep in the leather recliner, so help me, we would have let her), and moved the nightstand next to the toddler bed. We made sure we closed all of the upstairs doors except for hers (which we left cracked) and ours (which we left a little more open), and of course we put up a child gate at the top of the stairs--geesh, there was a lot to do! We even bought a $9 Dora LED nightlight that projects on the ceiling...we were at THAT point. The first night when asked if she was ready for bed, Caroline jumped off of my lap and said, "Dora?". She ran to the steps and was ready to go. My heart skipped a beat.
Well, it wasn't that easy. We still had ups and downs. Some nights she went down without a struggle after 15 minutes, others it was more like an hour and a half and 5 books to the face. I think I only cried once, and from what I remember, Caroline didn't cry at all (we can clearly see who is stronger here). We bought bed rails for the guest double bed which was beginning to look like Caroline's new bed since she didn't sleep but a couple of hours in the toddler bed, and I even bought a $60 white noise machine....oh, and also a $7 hippy lavender spray for her room (once again, desperate). Our cheap switcheroo had now cost us over $100. But I know that I can't put a price tag on it....and by "it" I am meaning my sleep and sanity.
So long story not-so-short, last night Caroline slept from 9:15pm until 7am this morning!! Of course my husband and I still complained about getting up early (I don't think that will ever change), but we were elated! I think that we may be crossing into knew territory. Here's hoping that we continue to see more long nights in our own bed and less nights sleeping in the recliner downstairs.
Now, if I could just get over being freaked out when I wake up to seeing an 18 month old standing in the dark hallway outside of my bedroom in the middle of the night!
Our attempt to resolve the situation was to move her to her big-girl room even if it was earlier than we had planned. Through luck we had obtained a toddler bed for $10, so I reconfigured the guest room--moving the toddler bed to the corner, pushing the guest double bed off to the side, leaving the recliner in there (because I had no idea what it was going to take at this point---if she told me she wanted to sleep in the leather recliner, so help me, we would have let her), and moved the nightstand next to the toddler bed. We made sure we closed all of the upstairs doors except for hers (which we left cracked) and ours (which we left a little more open), and of course we put up a child gate at the top of the stairs--geesh, there was a lot to do! We even bought a $9 Dora LED nightlight that projects on the ceiling...we were at THAT point. The first night when asked if she was ready for bed, Caroline jumped off of my lap and said, "Dora?". She ran to the steps and was ready to go. My heart skipped a beat.
Well, it wasn't that easy. We still had ups and downs. Some nights she went down without a struggle after 15 minutes, others it was more like an hour and a half and 5 books to the face. I think I only cried once, and from what I remember, Caroline didn't cry at all (we can clearly see who is stronger here). We bought bed rails for the guest double bed which was beginning to look like Caroline's new bed since she didn't sleep but a couple of hours in the toddler bed, and I even bought a $60 white noise machine....oh, and also a $7 hippy lavender spray for her room (once again, desperate). Our cheap switcheroo had now cost us over $100. But I know that I can't put a price tag on it....and by "it" I am meaning my sleep and sanity.
So long story not-so-short, last night Caroline slept from 9:15pm until 7am this morning!! Of course my husband and I still complained about getting up early (I don't think that will ever change), but we were elated! I think that we may be crossing into knew territory. Here's hoping that we continue to see more long nights in our own bed and less nights sleeping in the recliner downstairs.
Now, if I could just get over being freaked out when I wake up to seeing an 18 month old standing in the dark hallway outside of my bedroom in the middle of the night!
Friday, July 13, 2012
"I look like this because of your daughter."
I know that many things go "down hill" after you have a child--sleep, weight, looks, complexion, sex drive, etc....I've heard it. I never knew that I'd lose my hair...
My daughter is amazing. She is creative, talented, funny, and a GREAT hair puller. It's a fact that Caroline finds comfort in my hair. Since birth, she's enjoyed twirling my hair when she sits on my lap, when she's tired, and when she's falling asleep. It's a constant form of comfort for her.
Tonight, while I was putting her to bed (aka: literally pinning her down to keep her from hopping off of the bed and playing with her toys), she relaxed as I sung to her and she twisted her fingers in the hair around my face. She twirled and pulled my hair out of my ponytail and I continued to sing and unintelligible lullaby to her until she fell asleep. Time and time again, my notes were made sharp by a tug and snap of my hair. I honestly heard 10+ hairs snap from my head.
In all of the parenting comments, notes, blogs, etc, that I've read, I've heard many comments about childhood behavior, but I've never been told about the hair pulling. I've asked friends, and yes, other mothers are suffering from the same balding behaviors that trouble me. So new or expecting mothers, be warned!! Your little bundle of joy may be after your locks.
I love my daughter dearly, but when she becomes a mother, I might just have to pull a few hairs out for good measure.
Nothing but love for my life and my little one,
Jessie
My daughter is amazing. She is creative, talented, funny, and a GREAT hair puller. It's a fact that Caroline finds comfort in my hair. Since birth, she's enjoyed twirling my hair when she sits on my lap, when she's tired, and when she's falling asleep. It's a constant form of comfort for her.
Tonight, while I was putting her to bed (aka: literally pinning her down to keep her from hopping off of the bed and playing with her toys), she relaxed as I sung to her and she twisted her fingers in the hair around my face. She twirled and pulled my hair out of my ponytail and I continued to sing and unintelligible lullaby to her until she fell asleep. Time and time again, my notes were made sharp by a tug and snap of my hair. I honestly heard 10+ hairs snap from my head.
In all of the parenting comments, notes, blogs, etc, that I've read, I've heard many comments about childhood behavior, but I've never been told about the hair pulling. I've asked friends, and yes, other mothers are suffering from the same balding behaviors that trouble me. So new or expecting mothers, be warned!! Your little bundle of joy may be after your locks.
I love my daughter dearly, but when she becomes a mother, I might just have to pull a few hairs out for good measure.
Nothing but love for my life and my little one,
Jessie
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