sleep breakthrough

We have had a breakthrough with sleep this past week. Charlotte normally nurses to sleep or the odd time just falls asleep eating dinner or driving around in the car when she is really tired. We implemented a 20 minute "rest" time in the afternoons when she would go into her room and basically play and keep coming out until the 20 minutes was up. Then one day... all was quiet in her bedroom and I was somewhat shocked to discover that she was curled up in her bed sound asleep. Then she put herself to sleep the next afternoon, and then the next. I'm not sure what prompted this change, but I can think of a few things that might be contributing factors. One is independence. Charlotte is becoming much more independent as she often dresses herself (now she can handle socks, shirts and pants that are legging-like). She also dresses for outdoors, only getting help with her boot zippers, coat zipper and both mittens. She is helping to set the table, and I'm trying to be consistent with asking her to feed Ava and keep her water dish full. She discovered that she can put herself to sleep independently and so I think that is just another step in the process. Another factor is security. We have never let Charlotte "cry it out" and she is always comforted if she wakes up. She knows that sleep and bed are not negative things and I guess she decided that she felt secure enough to snuggle down in her bed all by herself.

I am not counting on this lasting forever, but I am thankful that for the time being, she is taking a step in the process for independently putting herself to sleep.

when she sleeps...

When she sleeps.... all I want to do is relax and breathe! Go to the bathroom in silence. Close my eyes and forget about the mountain of dishes. Read a magazine or book and ignore the toys scattered all over the floor. (Or write out my thoughts on here!)

I enjoy spending time with Charlotte but lately the biting and hitting has gotten to me. She is testing and has a very strong will. I love that about her... but I need to be able to listen to what she is trying to tell me. That an extra measure of attention and love and PATIENCE is key right now. She has a mouthful of teeth coming in, including molars after being a four-tooth girl for quite some time. It probably hurts like crazy. She is realizing things that she is capable of doing (climbing the toilet for example) but that I won't let her because it isn't safe. She just got the sound /k/ this week at the end of words and says "milk" and "book" clear as anything. Amazing!

She loves noodles and bread and grapes. She "jumped" like a maniac on the trampolines at open gym this week and I was so proud!! She is fearless and adventurous and loves to dance to "Fruit Salad" by the Wiggles.

I love her to bits and for now, I'm thanking God that she still has a nap during the day!! :)

sleepy time

I read the chapter on sleep in "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg yesterday. As I was reading, I felt this overwhelming sense that Charlotte will never sleep through the night because of the habits I have instilled in her. Because she gets milk when she wakes up, she will continue to wake up, even though she might not be hungry. Also, I have only allowed Charlotte to soothe herself to sleep a few times. Mostly, she nurses to sleep because that's what makes her sleep longer, and that's why I kept on doing it! According to Hogg, that is a huge mistake. She needs to be able to get herself to sleep, and should be sleeping approximately 12 hours at night..... STRAIGHT!

So last night I tried putting her down, I tried the soother (because I notice that she is sucking to soothe now, when before she didn't)... I tried rubbing her back, sitting in her room while she stood holding the crib bars and making spitting noises.... and guess what??? She didn't go to sleep!

My dear husband tried to convince me that it was ok. That I believed strongly about nursing on demand and that co-sleeping is not the end of the world. She tucks in bed with me for periods of time throughout the night to nurse (while I sleep). He tried to convince me that I had not done everything wrong!!

I guess part of me agrees with Hogg, in that fostering independance is important (especially now that she is nearing 8 months). And maybe I was supposed to foster it from day 1 instead of starting now. I am torn in this matter, and I know that it will be a huge struggle to change any habits that have developed. I guess you have to live and learn with the first one!

I am going to keep trying to get her down without nursing, maybe starting with nap time. And I think she would benefit from having something else to suck, so I am going to keep trying the soother. (She bites it and plays with it, but doesn't suck it!)

I will try to be discouraged either. It's so easy to lose perspective. She will only be little once, so I will try not to panic about her sleep habits!!

day of no naps

Yesterday was one of those days.

-sliced my finger with a knife while cutting a bagel for breakfast
- tried to put Charlotte down for a nap in the morning so I could do a workout and shower
- she woke up 5 minutes later
- tried to keep her from crashing on her head as she is climbing over/crawling though everything she comes across
- tried to put her down at lunch time, woke up less than 5 minutes later
- tried to have a shower with her in her exersaucer (she has grown out of her bouncy seat as she pulls the toy bar off and then tries to escape even though she is belted in. result = unhappy girl that is leaned way over, and way too close to hitting her head on the toilet in our tiny bathroom)
- heard a huge crash and my heart stopped, I pulled back the shower curtain and jumped out to find this......




Sooooooooo thankful the plant did not fall on her... or she did not fall out of the exersaucer somehow. Maybe I am bad mommy for placing her seat too close to the plant that was sitting on the runner. But I guess exhaustion from chasing a baby who is into EVERYTHING has gotten to me. We tape down the cords and she pulls the tape off to get to them. She loves Ava's dish and I have to put it up every day. She opens the door with the DVDS and CDs inside and pulls them all out to chew on them. Who knew the transition from still baby to moving one was so difficult?

- then I tried to put her down in the afternoon..... and she woke up 5 minutes later.

- all three of us were waiting at the door when Tim arrived home from work. He took Charlotte and I tackled the mountain of dishes and laundry that had been waiting for me all day. Then Charlotte went down for a 1/2 hour nap!

P.S. We got that plant for a housewarming present (thanks Shanie!) and it was saved... now it is sitting in a cereal bowl, waiting for another pot to live in!

I am getting used to a world with a curious, active girl! And I thank God for her every day.

co-sleeping

a controversial topic...

but I don't know what I would have done last night if I were against co-sleeping. Or if Tim didn't sleep through pretty much anything. Charlotte cried and cried last night. I tried putting her in her crib, rubbing her back probably 10-15 times. I tried feeding her, and walking her, and singing to her. None of the usual worked. I'm not sure if her teeth are bothering her, or what. But it was crazy. She was up a lot and cried loudly every time she woke up. So into bed she went, snuggled beside me, and at least I got a few hours of sleep.....

those days

I'm having one of those days today... I thought I had a dentist appointment to fix the tooth I broke on a cheesie. That's right, 1/4 of my tooth gone, from a cheesy! It was the crunchy kind, and really, I shouldn't have been eating cheesies. My "word" to describe my New Year's resolutions this year was "health". (Check out the forum discussion on New Year's Resolutions for more info.) Anyway, the dentist was sick today, so no appointment. This was agonizing to me, because I hate the dentist, and had worked myself up to go. And now I have to do it all again! So everything was thrown off today, hubby had to take the car because his drive had already left hours ago, and he was going to help with Charlotte at the dentist. So no Babies in the Library... baby would NOT go down for a nap today despite the fact that she was exhausted. And I have yet to get "ready" for the day. Pathetic, I know! I'm thinking that I need to work on the putting yourself to sleep thing with Charlotte. I am not really a fan of the "cry it out" theory. This may be my downfall when it comes to naps and going to bed, but I don't really believe in letting her cry it out. I feed her (she won't eat if she's not hungry, today was an example of that) put her down with her seahorse that plays calming music and has a soft light emanating from it's belly, rub her back, walk her.... I just can't bring myself to leave her crying in her crib. I feel like if she's crying, there is something wrong, even if it's just that she's lonely. Some of you are rolling your eyes, knowing what I am getting myself in for when she gets older and cannot soothe herself to sleep.... but for now, we will work on getting to sleep. We "practice" and I will lay her down and walk away for a while. A few times she has managed to fall asleep.

Okay, so I am crazy. Despite the fact that I am a neurotic tooth brusher and sometimes flosser, I broke my tooth. And I won't let my baby cry herself to sleep! Honestly though, I am just trying to get a handle on things, much like most first time moms. I am figuring out how to love Charlotte the best way I know how. And what the balance is between loving her, and teaching her how to be independent. Hard lessons to learn.

For now, I will relish in the fact that she is asleep, and the dog is sleeping too. And so I will take some time to exercise, shower, and start the piles of laundry that have somehow accumulated into huge piles since last week. (And maybe I'll throw a cup of tea and chocolate from Germany in there too...)