Yet Another Sleep Update

Eating and sleeping, that's all we're talking about 'round here this month.  All my robot readers must be SO bored.  Robots don't eat or sleep, did you know?

A week ago tonight, after two nights of nursing the poor sick probably-ear-achey baby, we decided to return to night-weaning.  We'd been at it for more than two weeks before the regression, so we figured Camilla would ease back into not-nursing-at-night pretty easily.

Shyeah.

Milla'd been fussier and clingier than usual while we'd been night-weaning, and at the time I'd attributed it to aftereffects of her MMR, but while she was sick and nursing every night I came up with the theory that the reason she'd been grumpier during the day was that she was being traumatized at night.  Because she missed me.  So I got this bright idea (what in heaven's name was I thinking?) that rather than having Bryan sleep next to the baby and pat her back to sleep, I would do it.  Even though I wouldn't be nursing her, I'd be right there, and she'd be happy.

I am so dumb.  When Bryan was patting her back to sleep in the night, she'd generally cry for five minutes or less.  When I tried it, she got hysterical.  I decided to let her curl up next to me and cuddle back to sleep.  She didn't go back to sleep.  She stayed awake.  Not crying, but also refusing to let me put her in any position where it would be possible for her to go back to sleep.  For THREE AND A HALF hours.

Guess who was traumatized now?

Upon reflection I decided that perhaps I was incorrect about her grumpiness being caused by missing me, and that maybe we could try Bryan-led night-weaning again and just watch her carefully during the day for signs that it was affecting her adversely.

The one big problem with the night-weaning we'd been doing had been that if I moved or made a noise while Milla was awake, she'd realize I was there, get hysterical, and try to climb over Bryan to get to me.  Since listening to her cry was also painful for me, we decided it might be best for me to sleep in the guest room for a while.  I'd really not wanted to do this, because I knew I'd miss sleeping with my family.  And I do miss them, but after a year of constantly-interrupted sleep, I just can't tell you how lovely it is to be able to count on six solid hours of sleep a night.  I am kind of antsy to start sleeping in my own bed again, but I think it's a good idea to get Milla sleeping a little better before I go back.

It's been six nights so far, and the Muffin is not the least bit traumatized, that's for certain.  If anything, she's been happier than usual during the days, and she's definitely more excited to see Daddy in the evenings.  Plus, she after four nights of waking up three times per night, she woke up only twice two nights ago, and only once last night.  Extrapolate that, and we're home free from here on out!

The statistically-minded - as Bryan and I both are - should probably not have kids, because the one thing that you can count on with parenting is that you can never count on anything.  But that's a post for another day.

Comments

[Lindsay]

Some of us robots DON'T sleep, but it is not by choice! Oh, oh, how I miss it. I have been one cranky robot this past week, let me tell you. Nothing is working. I just. can't. sleep. Gah! Glad that things are working out again. Hopefully you'll be back in your own bed soon.

[Jen]

Seems like it is working!

And there is nothing wrong with talking about eating and sleeping. Everyone does both those things. You are hitting a wide audience!

[George]

Jen, I neither sleep nor eat. Your wipe sweeping generalization failed. Hasn't Arwen taught you anything about those?

[Margaret]

As a college student, sometimes I sure feel like I'm not sleeping or eating! Hopefully things keep working with Camilla!

[Diane]

That's great news! These parenting conundrums can be so hard to crack, so well done to you (and Bryan, of course.)

[Shelby]

Parents have to be crafty! I'm storing up all these little tips for when we have kids of our own =)

[parodie]

I love love love the last line of this post. :)

[Ellen]

Yay, yay, yay for getting sleep! So glad this new system is working for you.

[Sarah]

My college nickname
Was "Droid". Little did you know
I'm cybernetic!

[blog nerd]

Yay! Bryan ROCKS.

[Keri]

I don't mind all the eating and sleeping posts! I enjoy reading you daily.

[cjmr]

Uninterrupted sleep for Mommy is excellent! Wish I could get some.

[Kate]

Out of necessity, we share a room with our two year old (we have a one-bedroom rental). I suspect we would all get to sleep in longer in the morning if he had his own room. But there is something so sweet about waking up in the morning snuggled in bed with my two best beloved people in the world (three, if you count the baby in utero!). Hope you have a lot of those sweet moments when the night weaning is complete!

[Christiana]

Ugh - I'm so not looking forward to this aspect of parenting. I am a troll without sleep, so i can only imagine what i will be like when dealing with nursing my baby at night, etc. But you seem to be surviving, so I have hope! Keep up the good work!

[Caroline]

Yes, this robot doesn't sleep either (but not by choice). Now, eating is another story. ;)

[maggie]

Tuesday night my kid slept through the night. Last night he was awake between 2 and 4, not crying, but refusing to go back to sleep. And then at 4:30 Phillip got an Emergency Work Phone Call. I feel like death on toast.

[Kim]

May I ask - gently, with the utmost respect that I am not a parent, and that I don't have a clue how hard this is!!! - how does this affect your marriage, the "You and Bryan" part of it? Does it seem to put a strain on you guys, having Camilla with you or sleeping apart? Or does it seem to work okay? It just seems that if someone is having to sleep in another room to get some sleep, shouldn't it be the baby? Having you sleep in another room so that Camilla can sleep with her dad seems counterintuitive to me. BUT, like I said, I am not a parent and I haven't suffered through this. I am just curious about the effects on you and Bryan as a unit, if there are any! :)

Blessings to you!

[Maggie]

Yeah, I don't sleep either...at least, not as much as I'd like to. And I went through a stage when I was about 6 or 7 when I didn't sleep AT ALL, in between the time when mom took away my book and turned out the light, and when I had to be up for school in the morning--remember?

[Meredith]

My hubby sleeps with our 2yo and I with our 4 month old...only for now. It works, we get sleep, and we're trying to get toddler weaned off sleeping with dad, now. Sometimes you do what you gotta do. And since we're Sleeping during those apart times, our marriage is not negatively affected. We just have to find other times and places to hang out as adults when we're awake.

[Salome Ellen]

I hate to break it to you, but once you are a mom, you may NEVER sleep through to night again. You may get to stay in bed all night, but you will wake up at least once thinking there's SOMETHING you need to do. You get used to it.

[Ariella]

I don't know if you're still soliciting topics for blogging -- or, indeed, if you ever were -- but I have always wanted to hear Brian's story of conversion to Catholicism. If I remember correctly, he was brought up in the Protestant Church.

I have been reading, but I guess I fail at NaMoPoBloMo because I have to WORK rather than BLOG. The indignity!

[Hoo]

Gosh I'd love to tell you how I've had loads of uninterrupted sleep for the last 5 years, but I'd be lying! And with two, it just seems like someone is always having a bad dream or waking up and barfing and my husband or I often will sleep in whatever room is not child-occupied in sheer desperation to catch some sleep. The upside to chronic sleep-dep - none of the above seems abnormal anymore!

[Lisa]

Wow. I never really "got" the sleep posts because, well, I wasn't a Mom.

No. More.

After six days of life, our sweet new one is giving us challenges that I never dreamed of. So sweet she was in the hospital. When the nurses were taking care of her at night. Now she is possessed by some alien force that turns her into franken-baby every night.

Sigh. The joys of finally becoming a mom.