Thursday, September 29, 2011

Dear sweet baby Jack............
What is going on with you baby boy?? You used to be such a good sleeper, sleeping from 7p until about 4a, eating a bottle then back to sleep until 7am again. And now, bam! Up 4-6 times a night...leaving your Momma VERY sleepy...and this has been going on for over a month now!!!

Ever since you were born, we have followed the same routine...bath, cuddle time, bottle, then bed. You fall asleep most nights around 745p, as your lids become heavy and you finally succumb to sleep. We have always swaddled you tightly, as this is the way you prefer to sleep.  (Brody and Wade hated to be swaddled, and my theory behind this is that they were so squished in my belly the wanted to be free!).  Well, as you have become bigger and stronger, you have kicked and squirmed your way out of my best attempts to keep you tightly nestled in your little coccoon...First the hands, then the feet...we called you swaddle houdini.  OK, so then we realized that maybe you were waking yourself up every hour because you were breaking out, wanted to be re-swaddled...so every hour, as you began to protest your flailing arms and legs, I would re-swaddle you tightly, and would do so each and every time you woke up.  I know, call me crazy, but I thought that is what you wanted.  I then came to my senses and tried putting you to sleep un-swaddled, on your belly, in warmer clothing, lighter clothing, with socks on, without socks, with a paci, without a paci...nothing seems to work.  You are out like a light from about 8p-12ish, and then the fun begins.  You continue to wake up every 1-2 hours, either wanting to eat for a whopping 30 seconds before you drift right back to sleep or you want your paci re-inserted, again falling right back to sleep, leaving your Momma laying there for 15 minutes, trying to fall back asleep, only to be awoken again in an hour or so.  If I do not give in to your sweet needs, you wail like crazy, so I continue to give in.  Because I.  Need.  Sleep.  I know, I am not supposed to be running to your side every time you start to cry, but if I don't, you will really wake up and the process just takes longer.  I feel you are too little to cry it out and I have tried to let you self soothe for 5 minutes or so, but the crying level increases by the minute, and I do not want the whole house to wake up, so I give in and re-insert a paci or let you eat to settle your little belly...and the process just continues.  Some say you are waking up hungry because you are breast fed, and a mommas milk doesn't satisfy hunger as long as formula...so we have even tried giving you formula the past two nights and not a change.  I have come to realize, through my tired state , that we have created bad habits for you, but I do not know where to go from here. 

Any advice blog readers??


1 comments:

mommy mccurley said...

sorry carly, i can't offer much advice...thomas is almost 2 and STILL wakes up each and every night! I feel your pain! xo hang in there....