Fourth Installment of the Sleep Saga

Last night Wednesday did awesome. She woke even later for that first waking and then it was smooth sailing until six this morning. I on the other hand slept like poop. I couldn't sleep until she woke up that first time which was not until eleven thirty and then after that was a fitful restless sleep. I think I had psyched myself up for a night that would be horrible since the night previous went so well. I, apparently was wrong.

Maybe it IS a pattern. Wouldn't that be super duper?!

And, in the spirit of Wednesday photos since I do not have a new recent picture to share, here is a picture of Wednesday a year ago almost to the day.

Sleep Like a Camel

Well, last night was night number three of no more bottles for my no longer a baby. It started off pretty good with Wednesday waking late for her usual ten pm bottle. She woke at eleven and went back to sleep in less than five minutes. I thought great! Now if the rest of the night could go this smoothly we would be rockin'!

Well, it went...even better! Yes ladies and gentlemen, Wednesday slept for seven and a half hours straight! And I slept just as long, not waking halfway through the night wondering why she hasn't woke up yet. We both woke refreshed and rested. I even woke at six am and waited a full hour for her to wake at seven am.

I am so happy. I am not expecting to happen two nights in a row this soon but I tell you it is one heck of a welcome reprieve from the hourly wakings of the past year.

Now, Wednesday is asking me to go to the park every thirty seconds and since it is the coolest day in a week I am obliged to take her. We'll talk soon folks.



In celebration of a good nights sleep, instead of a picture of Wednesday sleeping, here is a pic of her from this morning, bare butted and bed headed just the way I love her!

Day Two of Water Withdrawl

It is only 8:04 and I am on my second mug of coffee with fervor. Last night was our first night of no water at all. It started off really well, almost too well.

Wednesday woke up at her usual two hour interval from bedtime and without water went back to sleep in less than five minutes. Score. She even stayed sleeping for two more hours. (Too bad my period showed up and kept me awake for that two hours.)

Midnight came and she woke and cried and slept and woke and cried and slept and woke and cried and slept until two thirtyish. That was a tough couple hours since I hadn't slept yet.

The next five hours brought a few wakes up, but I think we were all exhausted from the hours previous and so we got some rest as family off and on until seven this morning.

We are pretty tired, and I think nap time will come early for both Wednesday and myself but all in all this is going much better than I thought it would this soon.

Another picture of my babe sleeping...this one is from the end of January.

Oh That Elusive Slumber.

Hi there folks. I just wanted to write a little bit about last night. We started weaning Wednesday off of her umpteen middle of the night bottles of water. It went really well. Ron even stayed in the bed the entire night.

Back story:

Birth to ten months: Breastfed until my supply dried up

Ten months to 14 months: formula during the night started out as one bottle climbed up to three or four 8oz bottles

14 months to 17 months: milk during the night. But this was constipating her due to the ridiculous amount she was taking in over the course of the night.

So at 17 months, thanks in part to the flu she went from milk to water at night. I read (I believe in a parenting community here at Livejournal)that if babies are waking up a billion times at night for a bottle give them water, babies don't wake up for just water. It made a lot of sense. Well, they were wrong, at least where my baby was concerned. At two years she is waking up for water almost hourly. And when it is not for water it is because her diaper is soaked through from the water she is drinking or because her stupid bottle leaked, or her diaper wicked out and now she and the sheet underneath her is soaking wet. And of course she won't go back to sleep without...a bottle of freaking water.

Now before you say anything, or judge me for being a lazy parent this is not the lazy parent approach. This is the 'I have not had a full eight six hours sleep since I was six months pregnant approach' and yes, sometimes it is easier to give her that bottle. And sometimes I can't let her scream all night because other people in the house have to work or go to school in the morning. And did I mention I'm tired?

But, this week was the last straw. Wednesday has been waking more and more frequently due to teething, the heat, wet diapers etc and Ron and I are getting less and less sleep as time goes by.

So, I finally decided I don't care how tired I am at night, or how badly others need sleep for work in the morning, Wednesday is getting no more water during the night. Well, the first night went much better than expected. She only woke a few times and I only gave her one bottle. Not being soaking wet really helped keep her more comfortable and therefor sleeping longer.

It went so well though that we are keeping it going and by weeks end we should be at a resolution. I am really optimistic. (It doesn't hurt that I am so tired, her whines and cries fall on deaf sleeping ears.

I should mention, that her naps have been growing in length some as long as three and half hours so she is getting rest. Just not as much as she/we should be.

And just to remind myself of what a sleeping baby looks like here is Wednesday sleeping last May. :)