{Note: I'm not complaining or venting. I would just like some feedback or thoughts on this "issue"}
Georgia has been having trouble going to bed but only at night. During the day, for her nap, she is out like a light within seconds (thank the Lord) but not bed time. I've mentioned before that she has begun to talk herself to sleep well lately it's become scream herself to sleep. On wednesday night it hit the 30 minute mark (usually 10 minutes or so) and so I figured I needed to go check on her. I noticed she had spit up a large amount so I picked her up so I could change her clothes and sheets because it had solid food in it too...not just formula. As soon as I picked her up she gagged on a piece of her dinner from spitting up (she has a SUPER sensitive gag reflex) and projectile vomited the entire contents of her stomach (dinner, drinkable yogurt, 8 oz bottle) all over me, herself, and the carpet. After I got her cleaned up, the room cleaned up, another bottle into her tummy, and her back in bed it was 8:45 before she was asleep when she is normally out by 7:30 or 7:45.
BUT, she slept her full 12 hours so I couldn't really complain when Thursday morning rolled around. I just figured it was a fluke and we should go on with her day.
Well, my sweet friend Cecilly came over at 10 to play with Georgia and I and eat lunch with us. We had a great time playing at talking and Georgia ate perfectly with no signs of tummy trouble so I knew the incident the night before was just an isolated occasion.
She went down for her nap great BUT it was only 2 hours due to a MASSIVE diaper explosion. I predicted that it was coming. She usually goes every.single.morning. but she hadn't. I even gave her juice to try and get her to go and when she hadn't gone by nap time I knew she would be waking up to go...and she did.
"I'm a piranha!" Name that movie! Anyone?!
So, when bedtime rolled around I just knew she would fall fast asleep because she woke up an hour early from her nap and would just be so tired. At first, I thought I was right. I gave her a bottle while rocking her like I normally do and she was out by 7:45 but as soon and I put her in the crib. Mass hysteria! I gave her a bit thinking she may calm down but she didn't. Jonathan and I talked it over and didn't want her puking again from gagging since she was so upset. So I went and got her. I tried everything I could think of and nothing would calm her down. Even when I held her she was crying and I tried for 30 minutes. Eventually, I just laid her back down and let her cry it out which is what we normally do we just really didn't want throw up part II. She fell asleep within 10 minutes and all her food stayed in her tummy.
I guess my point is...what's the deal? Is it teeth? Do I need to start giving her Mortin again before bedtime to ease the pain so she can fall asleep better? It's been off and on for a few weeks whether or not she cries and I'm totally fine with cry it out...as long as it doesn't involve puke...which, she has thrown up before after spitting up from gagging (her reflux is still in full force here!) since her gag reflex is so sensitive so I'm pretty sure it won't happen again at bedtime. I did try Oragel tonight and that didn't really seem to work but she may have already too worked up to even know what she was upset about.
She is fine during the day. A little clingy but nothing too bad. Her naps are perfection. She isn't waking up in the night. She is sleeping a full 12 hours. It's just that 10-30 minutes at night before she falls asleep and we haven't changed anything in her routine...she knows exactly what to expect and what comes next. I just cannot figure out what made her go from either being totally wiped out at bedtime or sweetly talking herself to sleep to crying and she is clearly tired so it isn't that bedtime is too early.
Also, I don't want to just rock her forever and create a habit of needing me to fall asleep when she hasn't needed that in the past and isn't like that at nap time.
I'm trying to stay positive because it's only bedtime, not nap time. She's eating well and pretty content and happy most of the day. She is happy whenever she wakes up. She's been sleeping a full 12 hours. She isn't sick or running a fever. She isn't getting up at night or having trouble transitioning through any of her sleep cycles. I guess I'm just confused by the situation more than anything and a little worn out after her not wanting to eat, then falling out of her high chair, then all 3 of us having a stomach bug, and now her not being happy at bedtime. I think I'm mentally exhausted but I guess that's parenting, right?
What's going on??? Is it a phase? Is teething just that bad? Is this what I need to expect until her wisdom teeth arrive? (Unless she is like Cecilly and doesn't ever get wisdom teeth)
And, just to make this post a bit longer I really want to post the parenting devotional that was mailed to me on Wednesday. It is very fitting for this post.
Uncertainty
(Part 2) Prov. 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (NIV).
If you constantly worry about your children, surrender your fears to God. Instead of being determined to figure out what God wants you to do, focus instead on who He is. As human beings with finite minds, we do not always understand the eternal purposes behind events. Faith is trusting that our story will fit perfectly into His story.
Trust God's character in the midst of uncertainty and embrace the wisdom and goodness of God.
Such a good reminder to all parents. Ahh, I feel encouraged now :)
(I told her "bye bye". This was her response.)
6 comments:
My daughter had a sleep regression around 13 months, right before she had a speech explosion. She also had one around 11 months, right before she started walking. For what I've read, as they work on developmental milestones, it can be hard for them to fall asleep because their brains are going crazy trying to figure things out. I googled "sleep regression" and found several articles on what to expect and how to expect it to last. I think the 13 month regression lasted about a week. She usually goes to bed around 7/730 and she wasn't going to bed until as late as 9 some nights (which was driving me bonkers!) After getting really worked up about it, we decided to just go with the flow and let her play till she acted tired. It won't last long and I'd guess you can probably expect something new and exciting soon!
That's exactly what you've said about G when she started pulling up. She'd wake up and "practice"--Mrs. B is spot on. It might be teeth, like you said, she's been clingy and she gets like that when she's teething. Give it a day or two and if the rest of her routine stays the same then I'd do the Motrin thing before bed. Babies are so fickle. You know Georgia best :)
I don't by any means want to say I'm an expert or know what I'm talking about with my own children since I don't have them yet, but I have seen the following work in my work as a nanny and even just as a babysitter (when I see my children far less frequently) and thought this might help you. :) One of the most important things is for Mom to stay calm. That's not a criticism, just a reminder. I dealt with this when I was a nanny with a mom who wouldn't listen to me. If G doesn't have one already, sometimes a night-light helps. You talked about day to night. Children have wonderful imaginations that are sometimes not always a plus when it comes to the dark. If you are already praying for your kids (I can see that you do from this post and quote from Proverbs), praying with them/out loud is very calming and will help her calm down at night. You have a leg-up on something I didn't when I dealt with this, and that's that you're her mom. Your presence is already calming to her so if you're calm and do things like talk, pray, or sing to her to calm her down, I think she'll listen. It has taken me longer with these things because when I've dealt with it, I'm not Mom. I also have learned all of this because some of these things my mom used with me, as well. Anyway, I hope that helps. :)
Love all these photo shoots you are doing with the cute, solid backdrop. Also, Finding Nemo, I'm a piranha!
I am so sorry that Georgia is having problems sleeping, hopefully it is just a phase and everything will get better soon. I will need to come by soon and have a play-date with Georgia and girl gossip time with you soon!
Do you think she has a tummy ache? Just thinking that with her throwing up so much that one night, maybe she's too full? Or just has a stomach ache for whatever reason? If this is how she has acted with other teeth, then maybe teething-Callyn doesn't have any yet, so I know nothing about teething. Also, no idea if this could be it, but one time Callyn kept waking up crying a little bit after bedtime, or would just cry when we laid her down, and we'd go back in after a bit and she would burp or whatever. Well I think she got used to it because then she started doing it every night for no reason so we finally decided to check on her, and if she didn't burp or no legs were stuck or anything let her cio and she cried for like 5 or 10 and went to sleep and hasn't done it since. My point is just that I think sometimes if for whatever reason we have to go back in then they want us to the next night, and the next night. So maybe after the barf night, she just decided she wants mommy to come back in every night!
I never correlated a developmental milestone with my kids' sleeping patterns/behaviors...who knows maybe that was it and I was just to oblivious to notice. But my daughter was so back and forth with the sleep thing. There were months that she had to scream and cry herself to sleep. Then there were months where she literally grabbed her blankie, sucked her thumb and fell immediately to sleep. Then we went back to months of screaming ourselves to sleep. My son is sort of the same way. Months and months of screaming and crying and now I lay him down with his blankie and water bottle and off to sleep he goes. So who knows I may be due with him for some more cio soon. HA! This isn't helpful other than I get it and it will pass. Just keep doing what you are doing, it just may be a phase...a long one perhaps?! but nonetheless a phase.
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