My brother often says "You can't blame the Frankenstein for what he does, it's the doctor's fault for creating him." Keeping that in mind I am fully aware that the sleep monster I have created is my own fault.
Jack was a colicky baby. How we made it through those first six weeks is a total blur. He also would not nurse. But I was determined to breast feed, so I would get up and give him a bottle and then pump so every feeding was about an hour awake or so. Luckily by three months he would nurse so that was no longer an issue. Although there were still plenty. He would wake up every time you would put him down and it would take forever to get him back to sleep. We tried the cry-it out. I am a wimp and couldn't do it. I even bought ear plugs, but after a hour and 45 minutes I decided he was just as stubborn as we were and it was just cruel. So I rocked him. I slept with him. I put him to sleep on the boppy.
By the time he was one and in the toddler room he was napping just fine at daycare. According to his teachers after lunch he would get down from his chair, go to his cot and lay right down and go to sleep. This was not the case at home, so I thought huh we'll try it. I put the baby mattress on the floor. I would lay next to him on it till he fell asleep and then sneak out. This worked for a little while. Then one time he walked into his closet, got confused and couldn't find his way out. He would roll out of bed and cry or wander the upstairs crying. So we quickly got a toddler bed. Have you ever seen a grown person trying to lay in a toddler bed? Have you ever tried to lay in a toddler bed? I don't recommend it. It was tough on us but it was even worse on Jack. It took a couple of weeks before I figured it out but he would wake up with bruises. He thrashed around the bed so much that he was bumping himself and that was what was waking him up. This just wasn't working. We had a queen size bed in the guest room so that was where Jack and I ended up most nights.
When we got pregnant with Ryan I decided that we might as well make the guest room Jack's room. We put the mattress on the bed and bought a toddler rail. He was probably one of the only two year old with a queen size bed. The hitch, we still have to lay with him until he falls asleep. At one point and time he would ONLY let me put him down. If Tom had to do it for what ever reason we had nothing but tears. Now, Daddy can also put him Na-night. He is two and a half and we are still laying with him till he falls asleep. We sneak out of bed and if he wakes up we lay back down. He says "Mommy I snuggle you," and wraps himself around me like a boa constrictor.
I know there are parents who lay their children down and walk out of the room and don't see them to morning. There are times I long for that. I figure he isn't going to do this forever-right? (I hope, it may be weird when he has friends over at 10 years old) Maybe I did create my little sleep monster. but he won't be little forever and I am sure there will come a time that he will pretend he doesn't know me instead of demanding to be snuggled.
Jack was a colicky baby. How we made it through those first six weeks is a total blur. He also would not nurse. But I was determined to breast feed, so I would get up and give him a bottle and then pump so every feeding was about an hour awake or so. Luckily by three months he would nurse so that was no longer an issue. Although there were still plenty. He would wake up every time you would put him down and it would take forever to get him back to sleep. We tried the cry-it out. I am a wimp and couldn't do it. I even bought ear plugs, but after a hour and 45 minutes I decided he was just as stubborn as we were and it was just cruel. So I rocked him. I slept with him. I put him to sleep on the boppy.
By the time he was one and in the toddler room he was napping just fine at daycare. According to his teachers after lunch he would get down from his chair, go to his cot and lay right down and go to sleep. This was not the case at home, so I thought huh we'll try it. I put the baby mattress on the floor. I would lay next to him on it till he fell asleep and then sneak out. This worked for a little while. Then one time he walked into his closet, got confused and couldn't find his way out. He would roll out of bed and cry or wander the upstairs crying. So we quickly got a toddler bed. Have you ever seen a grown person trying to lay in a toddler bed? Have you ever tried to lay in a toddler bed? I don't recommend it. It was tough on us but it was even worse on Jack. It took a couple of weeks before I figured it out but he would wake up with bruises. He thrashed around the bed so much that he was bumping himself and that was what was waking him up. This just wasn't working. We had a queen size bed in the guest room so that was where Jack and I ended up most nights.
When we got pregnant with Ryan I decided that we might as well make the guest room Jack's room. We put the mattress on the bed and bought a toddler rail. He was probably one of the only two year old with a queen size bed. The hitch, we still have to lay with him until he falls asleep. At one point and time he would ONLY let me put him down. If Tom had to do it for what ever reason we had nothing but tears. Now, Daddy can also put him Na-night. He is two and a half and we are still laying with him till he falls asleep. We sneak out of bed and if he wakes up we lay back down. He says "Mommy I snuggle you," and wraps himself around me like a boa constrictor.
I know there are parents who lay their children down and walk out of the room and don't see them to morning. There are times I long for that. I figure he isn't going to do this forever-right? (I hope, it may be weird when he has friends over at 10 years old) Maybe I did create my little sleep monster. but he won't be little forever and I am sure there will come a time that he will pretend he doesn't know me instead of demanding to be snuggled.
