1. Going to bed
2. American Idol
3. Nap time
4. Running tomorrow
Kolby was up at 4:30 this morning. Which means I was up at 4:30. He did go back to sleep after I rocked him but 10 minutes later, he was up again. I rocked him again and he went back to sleep and this time I decided to just hold him. It is sweet holding your baby when all is dark and quiet in the house and listening to the gurgle of his breathing. He woke up again not much later and he seemed to be awake for good. Talking and pushing away from me. So I did what any mom who had weaned her baby 4 days ago would do, I nursed him. And laid him down and I got 45 more minutes of glorious sleep. But, it wasn't enough and our coffee maker is in the repair shop. His sleep has been off lately and I can't figure it out. His morning naps are bad, like 20 - 30 minutes and his afternoon naps are from 12:30 - 3ish, so good. But at dinner at 6 he is yawning and looks so tired. Bedtime is between 7:30 and 8 and he has ben waking up at 5 for a week. Help! How can I get him to sleep longer in the morning? I remember with Sage, I just left him in the crib, but he had his own room. I can move Kolby to the living room, but Drew usually gets up at 6:15 and then Kolby hears him. Anyway, advice will be read regarding sleep issues. Everything is a phase, I know but I want this one to be over!
I told Drew this morning that I decided we can't have more babies because he doesn't help with them in the middle of the night and I can't handle all this non sleep I get! He said, okay! And I took it back. But, it got me thinking. With Sage, I had no problem getting up in the middle of the night or really early in the mornig because I knew I would take a nap when he did. Now that is harder to do with 2 kids and I baby sit some days, making a nap impossible. Then I started wondering why we protect his sleep so much. I know he is in school and has to think and learn all day so he can get a job and I totally support him. But, I get up in the morning too and have to take care of our kids, fix our food, clean up messes, build train tracks, wipe noses and butts, read books and discipline our 2 year old and have patience to do all these things. I don't get a day off or even a night off, bedtime means I go on call, not off duty. So, don't I deserve a good nights sleep as much as he does? And, this isn't to diss Drew. I love him. He is wonderful and an incredible dad. And he is a hard sleeper and I am a light sleeper (ever since Sage was born). If I ask him to get up and help, he will but it never seems cheerful but maybe I am imagining that.
But there are a lot of things Drew does great. He takes the garbage out to the curb every week. And he puts shoes on Sage to take him out too. He never complains about going to school or how much work he has to do even when he adds on a book to edit, some pamphlets to design and a million other things. He is a great time manager. He is always home to eat dinner with our family and put the boys to bed. He takes 30 minutes to put Sage to bed because he reads books, talks about Sage's day and then teaches Sage to pray. He teaches Sage how to be a good big brother and watch out for Kolby and help him and cheer him on. I love him so much. I just need to remember all these things and more when I am rocking the baby at 4am or have a 2 year old laying on top of me from 2 - 3am because of a scary dream. How come those are the hard times to remember how great he is?
And now, I am off to read some books!
I COULD HAVE WRITTEN THAT ABOUT THE SLEEP THING! I have JUST been wondering the same thing myself - why his sleep is protected and mine is not. You know what? If I were SURE we were done having kids, I wouldn't be so averse to waking him up to help me in the middle of the night. I think honestly, I don't want him to say, "I don't want any more kids" because he has to get up with them at night. How weird is that? I don't know why I value his sleep more than I value my own. I don't know that that's necessarily really healthy. I bend over backwards trying to keep the kids quiet Saturday mornings, etc., but even then he doesn't seem to notice that I've done it. Same as Drew, Scott is wonderful - sometimes I do wonder how HE would handle it if he had as much sleep as I get. I think women are way tougher. Probably why generally they live longer? :)
ReplyDeleteI know it's counterintuitive but how about putting him to bed earlier. That always worked with H. He would go to bed by 7 and sleep until 6:30ish and still take a good afternoon nap ( he was always a catnapper in the AM ). Just a thought cause you asked. Praying for more sleep for you, Kers
ReplyDeleteOh I have to brag about my sweetie - he does do the nighttime awakes unless it is a binky and he has been up several times, but I have a problem falling back to sleep if I get up with the kids (that's not just an excuse). Jason has said that my sanity during the day is needed and so is willing to get a few less winks for the sake of the team.
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