Working On Sleep
There is a lot of this:
Happening in my house this week.
Baby M is dealing with a bit of separation anxiety.
AND we are “working on sleep”
I say that, because I am still afraid of the term “sleep training” and find the term “sleep learning” a little inaccurate for my family.
So, “working on sleep” makes me feel a little better. It implies that it is a work in progress, and that hopefully at some point in the hopefully near future. There will be less crying.
So if you know me, you know that I am incapable of a full CIO (cry it out) regimen. I’m too weak. Truly. But I’ve had to buck up a bit, because baby M is having an increasingly more difficult time getting to and staying asleep. She’s almost 10 months old (my god where has the time gone?) and so, sadly, it’s time for a change so all of us can get more sleep.
The routine: I read her a story, I nurse her, I turn off the lights, I rock her in my arms next her crib and sing a lullaby, I put her down, rub her back, tell her I love her, then I leave.
And she cries.
But it’s not as bad as I had feared. The first night she cried for less than 2 minutes. But last night, wasn’t so much fun. She cried for 12, I went in and soothed, she fell asleep, I left, she cried for 9 minutes then she fell asleep.
Aaaag. I hate this.
Then she woke up at 1. And couldn’t for the life of her get back to sleep. I let her fuss a little after feeding her, then she fell asleep, then her SISTER gets up and makes a bunch of noise, which wakes M up. O comes into our room, hugs me and says, “M is crying.” I say, “yes honey, she’s having a hard time sleeping.” O says, “she needs you. go get her.” In the sweetest I’m having a hard time with this too Mommy kind of voice.
And eventually I cave because I need to get SOME sleep in order to make it through the next day. The bed is now filled with children. An older sister who knows her baby sister is having a hard time figuring this whole thing out. Every time I move M to the other side, O follows so she can throw an arm around her sister. And give her a kiss. Sweet really.
Oh well.
This will get better right? I just have to be consistent right? Please tell me it gets better. 3 nights right? One more to go?
