A Letter to You

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

10 in the bed...

If you're here for the UBP09 Go HERE to Party!

I am so not getting enough sleep at night. And I dont think it's because we are still sleeping on a blow-up mattress, because... we're totally not.  I think it's because Monkey comes into my bed just about every morning at 5am... but my little Turtle is already sleeping between DH and I. This morning I felt so closto and my legs were cramping a little from NOT kicking Monkey who ended up sleeping by my feet. I was this close to sleeping in Monkey's bed. But go figure I was too exhausted to move. 

Monkey has pretty much always slept in our bed with us... So I IMG00225can understand that finally having his own room and own bed is a little different for him. I mean, the kid wants his momma. But Momma wants Sleep. Turtle is better- 50% of the nights he'll stay in his crib. 

Now, I reflect on my own childhood when most nights 5 of the 6 kids ended up in Mom and Dad's bed. It was like on the movie IMG_8599 cheaper by the dozen... only... half a dozen.  Some nights my dad would wake up at 2am and put each child back in his and her beds. Only to wake up at 6 am with them all back on the bed. And they had a water bed. Man, those were the coolest. But I definitely prefer a nice pillow-top, personally.

Not the point.

I guess I'm hoping some of you mothers out there can give me some advice, or just words of comfort would be great. I am really not so good with the cry-it-out method. Well, I guess I'm okay... but 45 minutes is my limit. And Turtle is such a good baby that when he does cry like that, it breaks my heart.

So, I'm a sucker.

But if its at all possible, I would love to get a little more rest at night, because I've been sacrificing my nap time to paint the picture frames I just got for FREE from Freecycle. Oh yah, and to blog too.

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6 comments:

Missy Mauch said...

I'm so sorry! Maddie does the same. She started doing it a couple days before we had Alyssa, so we gave in since we wanted to spend time with her before the new baby. Well, now, every night at around 4 or 5, she comes in. Sometimes, I will go put her back in bed, but sometimes, I just let her stay there. My back is severely screwed up now because of it!

Elise said...

No advice. . .just commiserating. Everett is my good sleeper (except when he was a baby) and will go all night in his bed, but Ashley is with us every night. Mostly this is because we've gotten noise complaints and I know if I let her cry it out we won't be the only ones listening to it at 3 am. Plus her crib is still in our room, until she can sleep through the night. Go figure. It's an endless cycle.

So. . .yah. Sorry! I hope you find something that works for you. If you do decide to try the cry it out method, which we did with my boy, it is really tough, but it is completely over in 3 or so nights. So I guess you'll just have to decide if it is worth it to you. Worked like a dream for us. I think the idea is that the kids have to learn to go to sleep without you somehow. . .and helping them get to sleep just exacerbates the problem because you're still with them. . .so when they wake up in the night they need you again instead of being able to fall back asleep.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just spouting steam. Good luck, and I'm sure you can figure it out. At least you know your boys love you and feel safe with you, right?

P.S. Best purchase ever: a baby gate to put up in front of my toddler's door (his closet juts out and the wall on the other side of his door is close enough that we can fit it. He actually asks for it to be put up, even for naps. So he knows when the gate is up, no exits, but he can call for us.

Elise said...

P.P.S. (longest comment, ever!) With the crying it out, it worked for me to let my husband be in charge. I was in too much agony listening to the baby cry, so I always told him to be the one to do it. Made me feel (a little) better. But this might not work for you if your husband is a bigger softie than you!

Alicia said...

The gate idea is genius! And maybe I will have to find the guts to just let him cry it out... 3 days you say? Maybe 4 or 5? MAYBE I can do that...! Thanks Elise!

KatBouska said...

I would love to advise you but I'm going through the SAME thing with Laina. And I have SO thought about crawling into her toddler sized bed. But my bed is WAY more comfortable.

I am a fan of the cry it out method. I can't believe your guy will cry for LONGER than 45 minutes!!! I don't think I could last much longer than that.

The madness has to stop though...good luck with that. ;)

Alicia said...

To be completely honest, I really don't know how long he cries for... but it FEELS like HOURS!!!