Sunday, March 22, 2009

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(from our walk in the park on St. Patty's day)



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Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day with tons of parties to go to. I'm still exhausted.

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One of those parties was Miss Ava's 2nd birthday...

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And of course, Poppy was more than happy to help her dive into that giant cupcake!

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For any of you veteran readers out there, I'm sure you know by now that Poppy hasn't had the easiest time when it comes to sleep. We've encountered just about every issue possible, mostly relating to her severe separation anxiety. Just to recap - the first 2 months she was home, the only way she would sleep was if I laid on my back and she laid on my stomach. And even that way, it would sometimes take her an hour to fall asleep. And then I would have to wait until she fell into a deep sleep and very carefully roll her off into her co-sleeper. And then she would wake up all night long, sometimes every hour on the hour. I can remember many nights where the only way I would get her to fall asleep, or even stop crying, was if I held her and paced back and forth in our bedroom to the point where I was sure I was wearing out the carpet. Keep in mind that she weighed 21lbs when she came home and would not let Marc hold her at all. I also remember a handful of those nights where I would just lean against our bedroom door and begin sobbing while I held her, because I was positive my back would break and I had no idea how to comfort my poor grieving daughter. That literally lasted for months.

We tried putting her in a crib, in her own room, but it was too soon. She co-slept in our bed for a while, and now for the past couple of months she has been in her own bed in her own bedroom, but one of is in there with her off and on each night. She still needs us to stay with her until she falls asleep and she still wakes up all night long. And we've gone through spurts where she was just about sleeping through the night, but suddenly over the past couple of weeks she is back to waking up all throughout the night. And now that I'm a working mama, I need my sleep! A full night of un-interrupted sleep, which I haven't had in over 8 months! After much consultation with a few pediatricians and after reading just about every sleep book on the market, we have decided to give the "Sleep Sense Program" a try again. We kind of gave it a try when we put her in her crib the first time many months ago, but I had a gut feeling that she just wasn't ready, so we didn't pursue it. Now that she has made huge strides in the separation anxiety department, I think it might actually work! Last night was night #1 and everything went as planned. There were many tears involved (no, we did not just let her "cry it out") and it was one of the most difficult nights of my life, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. They say to give it about 10 nights and your child should be falling asleep on their own and sleeping through the night. Wish us luck tonight!

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And I'll leave you with a few pics of daddy's girl. Someone poured a bottle of water into the beloved rocketship, so Marc had to perform surgery. Of course, Poppy was more than anxious to be daddy's little helper. Sometimes I get the feeling she's going to be a little tomboy...img_5597

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10 comments:

Christa said...

Andy and I give you so much credit. You are both so strong for all you've been through with sleep issues. Seriously, you can pat yourselves on the back. I will pray that this new program will work for you. I know you need your sleep. But just think, you will be well broken in for child #2 (if/when).

sarah said...

I hope this works for Poppy! She has accomplished many milestones (being away from you during the day), so mabye she is ready for this!!

saintlouisfricks said...

Hang in there! I'm sorry (but glad b/c it means we're not alone!) to hear that Poppy continues to wake up during the night. I've felt like we've been doing something wrong to make her not sleep soundly. But every time I step back from situations like this one, I realize that these sweet girls have been through *so* much in their short little lives... Little hiccups like this help me remember that our babies need extra understanding and love. And your Poppy is so lucky to have such a loving mommy and daddy :)

Marylou Slade said...

I have similar issues with Scotty. Have you tried Melatonin?

lookingforlulu said...

i hope this method works for you. even one night of off sleep is hard for me. so you are wonder woman in my eyes!
crossing fingers things change soon for yall.

dana said...

oh, i hope this works!! i can't believe she's been home for 8 months!! wow! you guys all deserve this!

and where is miss poppy's little sweater/cape from? i LOVE it!! have been looking for something sweet like that. oh it's beautiful!!

jenna said...

crossing our fingers for you! I agree with Emily...one night is hard...8 months=you're a a super hero! good luck!

Christy said...

What great pictures. I hope the sleeping gets better. It is really hard when nobody gets any sleep.

Courtney said...

I love her little St. Paddy's outfit! And how cute are her and Marc?

Michelle said...

First, super-cute cape that Miss Poppy is wearing!

Second, I don't think I realized that the sleep issue was this bad. I hope this new methodology works for you and please keep us readers in the now since I may be needing similar help here shortly. Best of luck, fingers crossed!

PS The Einstein Rocket is on our list of toys to get still. My friend has one for her little guy and it is a HIT!

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