I blame all this house activity, the stress it has caused John and I, the impending arrival of another baby that I think Rudy is more aware of than we realize, my lack of energy and ability due to being 9 months pregnant, and the stubborn genes he got from his dad…but Rudy has seriously regressed in his sleeping habits. And it is so difficult on all of us!
It seems we are always back and forth with Rudy. He does really well, then slowly we start to drop our strict habits, and before we know it he is at a bad place again. This is probably the worst place its ever been. He had gotten to the point where he would not fall asleep or stay asleep unless someone were to sleep with him. As soon as I would flinch or make a move for the door, he was instantly screaming and crying. We tried the "cry-it-out" method again, but he put up such a good fight… banging and kicking on the door, shrill screams, and then the heart breaking pleas, "I'm sad, Mom. Way wif me!! Wipe me face!" <-- from all the tears. It was pitiful. And he was relentless. And so stubborn. With a newborn on the way, this just couldn't keep up!
Naps were the same way and it became not even worth it to fight. He would hardly sleep and ended up so grumpy from the fight… not to mention it was starting to wake up Avery and she would be a crab in the evenings. I started letting him just skip his nap, as long as he "rested" with me in the living room. In those evening he would be so tired that he would fall asleep easily and actually stay asleep when put in bed. That was fine until about Day 3 when he was a total crab because he wasn't getting enough sleep…that and the fact that he would wake up around 1 or 2 and freak out because he was in his room alone. So obviously that couldn't hold up long term, either. Since then it has been pretty hit and miss… but never really "good."
Amongst everything else, it has really been wearing on me. It seems like I never had a chance to get some down-time to myself and I really need that, even just an hour or two a day (especially considering I do a lot of work from home, both for the firm and the shop). I'm happy to stay up late, but I was stuck spending my evenings in Rudy's room - or I would just be so exhausted from the day that I couldn't keep my eyes open. I am normally a morning person and actually would prefer to wake up before the rest of the house to work, have a cup of coffee, or pick-up, get ready for the day, etc. But with his light sleeping and waking at 2 am, I wouldn't be able to get up in the mornings, either - I'd either be stuck in his room, or my movement would wake the sleeping beast. He was/is so sensitive to resisting sleep!
One morning I found him like this:
He basically set up his bed on his floor… there was no way he was laying IN his bed, can't make him!
Then one night I heard him wake up at 2 am. He cried for just a short time. I was working my way out of bed (it takes a few minutes these days!), and he stopped. I stood by our door and listened. I heard him open his door, close it, and heard another door open. But he was quiet. Did he go back in his room? What to do? What to do? Then I heard the floor piano we have in the playroom go off. I laid in bed awake for almost an hour, waiting for him to cry or come and get us…. but he didn't. So I let him be. John woke up about 5:30 to check on him and this is where he found him:
So. Damn. Stubborn.
On Mother's Day Papa was over during nap time and fell asleep on our couch. John and I had to leave (decisions to be made on landscaping rock!), so LeeAnn stayed back to put the kids in bed. Avery went to sleep fine, of course. But Rudy would not go back to his room, especially seeing Papa sleeping on the couch. Somehow, for only the 2nd time ever in his life, he fell asleep on the couch watching his show (he normally would just stay up and never fall asleep). And since then, he has taken a nap on the couch every day. And I'm ok with it! Each day has gotten easier and he needs less assistance. Today I sit here typing away, and he is sleeping peacefully (except for when he rolled off the couch and I had to do all I could to keep from laughing as I lifted him back onto the couch). Sure, I can't do as much with him sleeping right there, but once Ben is here, hopefully we will all be resting at this time anyway!
And since he sleeps during the day, he is actually easier at night. He still puts up a fight, but it barely lasts a few minutes. Our nighttime routine is pretty ridiculous, though, with all his requests. He has to have his bat, blanket, a drink, socks, his boots, a toy, 2 books, all the lights on.. he just makes stuff up as he goes along to postpone actual sleeping!
This challenge of sleep encouraged us to get out the new monitors… a fancy video monitor with three cameras all on one screen for us to keep an eye out on our babies!
One night John and I were cracking up. I had left Rudy's room and he of course was crying. We watched him get up, get a toy, get back in bed and sit there whimpering. Then we lost it. He fell asleep sitting up and fell over onto his bed… which made him wake up and instantly start crying…only to do the same thing again almost immediately. The kid was trying soooo hard to protest and not sleep, but he just couldn't do it. He's incredible.
But we are going on several days now of naps on the couch and sleeping through the night…woo-hoo!!
And Avery… she doesn't even want rocked at night anymore. She just wants put in her bed and falls asleep peacefully for the night.
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