Break Throughs and Small Successes...

So, lets talk about cribs, nap time, and bed time...

Crib
It's been 2 full weeks since we put Xia in her crib for bedtime. We haven't regressed back to the pack 'n' play, so I am saying it's been a successful break through! It's been nice to have her in her own room as it's much quieter in her part of the house vs our room. Also, last week I stopped swaddling her and she's been able to go to sleep without it!!! Yay! With summer time, I was hoping to get her out of the swaddle, as it can get warm in there.

Naps
Up until last week she has been napping in her swing in the living room. And, until a few weeks ago, her naps were only about 20-45 mins each. When we went to the Dr. last week, she encouraged us to put her in her crib for nap time. Of course I knew that I needed to, but I didn't want to "rock the boat" when it came to nap time. Well, I put her in her crib for nap time last week (both morning and afternoon naps) and she went right to sleep with a little pat on the back! Her morning naps are about 45 mins and happen a couple hours after she wakes up and her afternoon naps are usually 2+ hours. Huge break through! I try and keep a flexible frame of mind as I know this is a sketchy schedule and could still change a bit.

Bedtime

Well, back in the day when I use to babysit the neighbor kids for extra money, bedtime ALWAYS traumatized me. I experience screaming, crying kids that would yell, "I hate you" from the top of their lungs, etc... So now having a child of my own, bedtime is frightening. I just want to do everything in my power to not hear a peep from my baby. Here are the past two nights, both very different and both very hard (one physically and one emotionally).

Saturday night:

• Finally in bed around 1130pm, woke up about 15 mins later, and I had to go in there about 3 more times in a 30 min window to pat her back to sleep and give her the pacifier.
• Woke up about every 15 mins between 2am-345am, went in there and patted her back to sleep
• slept from 345am-530am, patted her back to sleep
• up again @630am, nursed her back to sleep
• woke up @ 9am and put her in bed with me and nursed (it was the wkend and I wanted more sleep!!)
• she slept 3 more hours... Let the day begin with a very groggy mom!!
  

Knowing that I cannot go on with the above scenario, that has been going on for the past week, we decided it was time to let a little crying happen. The Dr. suggested to let a little crying happen. As much I do not want her to cry and as much as I want bedtime to be a peaceful experience, I realized that I may need to experience a couple not so peaceful bedtimes to change how wakeful she becomes during the night. Not to mention, I will be a better caretaker with restful night time sleeping... last week I had gotten several daytime migraines that just make my days a little more difficult to tackle.

Sunday night

• Asleep and in the crib at 845pm, awake by 9pm, patted her back to...nope, not sleep, she decided to cry and scream.
  
• 9:05pm - cried angrily for 35-45 mins, then started to go to sleep (meanwhile, I cried as well!)
• After 10pm, no sleep, but a calm baby that occupied herself in her crib
• 11pm still no sleep, so I nursed her (last feeding was around/after 8pm)
• 11:20 pm ASLEEP!!!
• Woke up 3 times between 11:20 and 12am, but just a little cry and she went back to sleep (I didn't even get up)
• Slept from 12am to 6am without waking up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nursed her and she went back to bed for 3 more hours!

I don't know if we have a break through on sleeping through the night yet, but I am really hoping this is a start. I also really hope that crying herself to sleep is not the answer and that it is only a step in the process to a good nights sleep and won't continue past a night or two. Teething may have something to do with wakeful nights and I have my baby tylenol handy for those times.

We are so proud of Xia. She has gone a long way from those days of having her days and nights mixed up! She'll get there one of these days:) This topic will be revisited over the next week to chart any progress. It's now nap time...