I have not been posting much this week because it has not been a very good week in general. I also know that all I seem to write about these days is Colin's trouble with sleeping, but that is my life right now. I try to remind myself that this is my journal as well as something other people read so that I won't feel so bad about writing the most boring stuff in the world. :-)
Colin's cold this week has caused a bad sleeping situation to go to worse. Now instead of waking up two or three times a night to pat his back and gently whisper him back to sleep, I have to comfort a child that is literally screaming bloody murder. He won't go back to sleep and it takes an hour to get him back down. An hour of me rocking him, walking with him, singing to him...all while he is screaming. He is not running a fever, but he is stuffy and I think the rough breathing is the culprit this time. I have the humidifier going, the vapo steam going, but to no avail. His cold is getting better and I really thought he might get better sleep last night, but no. On top of his middle of the night issues, he has woken up for the day at 4am all week long. I spent a solid hour each morning trying to get him back down and finally ended up watching TV and making coffee. I am actually starting to feel sick at this point and I know it is exhaustion. Jer got up with him yesterday morning so that I could get a couple of hours of sleep before he had to go to work, which was very helpful. I decided last night that with Colin's cold being better, I was going to attempt to let Colin cry it out if he tried to wake up at 4am again. So, sure enough, at 3:45 Colin woke up and started to cry. I had given him a full bottle at midnight, so I know he did not need food. I went in, made sure his diaper had not leaked, put his pacifier back in, and kissed him goodnight. I closed the door, turned off the monitor, and put ear plugs in. And Colin cried for 45 minutes straight. Full on screaming. I could hear him through the ear plugs, but at least it slightly muted the sound. I laid awake listening the whole time and after 45 minutes he passed out. I do not consider this a victory at all because he then woke up at 5:22. Yep, all that screaming for 45 minutes of sleep. I thought that I might be helping him by letting him cry...I thought maybe he needed to just get it out if meant he could get much needed sleep. But it did not work at all. I just can't let Colin scream like that every time he wakes up. I don't know what to do....I am honestly not worried about me, I am worried about Colin. I want him to get enough good sleep and I just don't know how to help him do that. Hopefully this, too, shall pass.
Other than the sleeping issues, things are going very well. My new short hair is a snap to get ready, which is a god send!! I am so glad that I cut it!! Colin is as happy as ever...he is always smiling at people when we are out and about. Everyone that meets him always comments on how happy he is. I think that is the best compliment I could ever get about Colin. If he is happy, then I am doing my job! I hesitate to write about the hard times on occasion because I don't ever want Colin to read this blog and think that he was a burden to me. I would stay up all night for the rest of my life for that little boy. He is literally the air that I breathe.
3 comments:
Have you read the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Mark Weissbluth? Mine is worn down I have read it and referred to it so much. Gabby had tons of sleep problems when she was little, and is now a champion sleeper, both at night and for naps. I like this book because it is written by a pediatrician and sleep researcher, and the book is based primarily on objective research about sleep rather than parenting philosophies. It does somewhat endorse the CIO method, but at least it gives you some good background info into what and why you are doing when you do it so it isn't quite so painful. With every different stage Gabby has been through and the different sleep problem/habits she has developed, the book was always right on. Before I read it, I was always so paranoid that I didn't know what I was doing and had no idea whether or not I was helping or making the situation worse.
I sent you an e-mail. Read it!! I figured it was more info than everyone cared to see.
Thank you, girls...I am heading to Barnes and Noble after Colin's nap and I am going to start reading and following the directions!!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!!!!!!!!
Post a Comment