So I'm almost getting Keric down to a semi livable routine! I have gotten him to the point where he goes right to bed at about 8:30 or 9:00 depending upon how cranky he is. He doesn't even cry when I put his jammies on and put him in his bed. He goes right to sleep. He only wakes up one time at night now usually 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. depending on when he went to bed, and then he sleeps until about 7:30 sometimes 8:00 in the morning. It's gotten to be quite nice, and I'm feeling much less sleep deprived!
The only thing I have not gotten him to submit to, are naps in his crib! I don't know WHY he is so opposed to taking a nap in his crib. He will sleep in his swing, in his bouncer, in his car seat, pretty much anywhere except his crib! He sleeps just fine in it at night, but nap time is a different story.
I put him down for his nap around 10:30 a.m. This is generally my most hated time of the day because he lies in his crib and SCREAMS bloody murder for an hour if I'm mean enough to let him. I'm usually not though. I can only handle as much as 15 mins before I'm up there. The first few times he did this screaming episode, he scared me half to death! I thought he was hurt or something. I had these images of his legs and/or arms being caught in the crib bars and he was screaming from pain! Of course when I ran in there to check on him, he was right where I had laid him, his face so red it was almost purple from screaming, tears running down his face, and his body was stiff as a board he was so mad. As soon as I picked him up he was fine, he just simply did not want to be in his bed. I don't understand this for the life of me! I can lay him down anywhere after these episodes and he falls right to sleep, but if I DARE take him back to his bed...well it's just a repeat of the above scenario. Mind you he isn't even 4 months old yet! SILLY BOY!
So the other day we were having our daily nap fight, and I was upstairs doing laundry which meant not only could I hear the screaming through the monitor, I could hear it down the hall. Stereo screaming is not my idea of a fun time! Out of total frustration I went and got him, brought him into my room and laid him in my bed next to the laundry I was folding. My bed was still unmade because I was washing bedding that day, so I laid him on Chris' side of the bed, so he was close to me, and put him up on the pillow so he could see me, and covered him up. I think it took a whole 30 seconds for him to fall asleep. I just left him there since I had tons of things to do upstairs. He probably slept for close to 2 hours like that. He didn't even try to kick off his covers.
Well....this has proven to be a very costly mistake on my part, because now he thinks this is the only place he can nap! You think I'm kidding, but I've taken video of it. He screams in his swing, he screams in his bed, but the minute I put him in my bed, and it has to be on Chris' side mind you, he is out! All I can do is shake my head and at least be grateful for the fact that he takes a nap. The funny thing is he even sleeps like Chris. If I ever come to bed late, or Chris takes a nap without me, he sleeps with his arms behind his head, and so does Keric! It's so funny! He is so stinkin little in that bed. If you didn't know he was there, you wouldn't even see him! But that's where he insists on being!
I really have no one to blame but myself. I am rather positive he gets his temper from me, and he gets his (as my mom calls him) "high maintenance" side also from me. However I think he got a double dose of stubborn because Chris and I are both pretty stubborn. We want what we want, and it's hard to talk either of us out of it. I guess what did I expect from our children?
So my prediction was right. One of us would win this schedule fight, and it WAS him! I don't think I ever had a chance!
Just like his Daddy!
Seriously...would you even know he was there if I hadn't told you before hand??
4 comments:
My 4 year old still prefers to nap in our bed instead of his own. He will also take a LONGER nap if we let him, so we do. No words of wisdom here!!!
how can you turn that sweet face down though!?? first borns, in my opinion are always the trickiest. with kenna we did everything under the sun, and what worked one week, didnt work the next. i call it oldest child syndrome. just be grateful you found a sweet spot for him to nap though, nothing else matters after that, you need your time to get stuff done!
That is SOOOO cute!His little face is just perfect!
Natalee, I just wanted to stop by and tell you thank you for your sweet comment to my blog a little while back. I was having a particularly bad day that day and I wanted you to know that your words were just the lift I needed. I also appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Sharing our journey through love, loss, grief and learning to live again has been hard... but it has also been very healing for me. It's so helpful to know that others are touched by our experiences and can gain something from them as well. Thank you.
With hope,
Misti M.
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