Cooper and I were playing on his mat when he started getting tired and grizzly. Since we had two good sessions of sleep in the pram yesterday, I thought I'd try walking him to sleep in that rather than the usual feed or cuddle and rock or pace to sleep.
By the time we'd walked past 2 houses he was crying. It kept getting louder. I didn't even make it around the block before I caved and picked him up. Within seconds, he had stopped crying and was asleep moments later. I put him in his bouncer and am bouncing him, but he is wiggling around, in and out of sleep.
He is so tired. How long before the crying starts? Do I persist to try to get him to sleep by himself or do I cave and let him sleep on me? It's almost 3pm and he hasn't had his big sleep yet today, as I've kept trying to put him down. Ah, here come the tears... I cave... maybe a feed, then I'll try putting him down again.
sigh...babies. Wish they'd do what you want them to sometimes. Perhaps he'll sleep well at night now. (fingers crossed) It sure gets frustrating at times trying to figure out what they want and trying to work in what you think might be best once you've decided on that...urg, it can do your brain in. And I don't deal with babies that much really. Not compared to a full time mum.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently listening to a rascal half sleepy whine half babble over the baby monitor. Just go to sleep boy. It's still night time. (10:45pm after dream feed)The other coughing but other wise quiet. Hm, do I stay up a little longer incase I need to go in again or do I actually try and go to sleep myself...? Hm, better go in ... he's banging somehting on his cot.
I wrote a uge long post that got lost thanks to dodgy internet connection lol! the sum of it being - he's still young, if he needs mum and mum is free then give him mum! we rocked susie to sleep all the time and at 6 months she started putting herself to sleep, and all it takes now most nights is prayers, cuddle and someone to sit with her for a couple of minutes till she starts getting drowsy and she'll go to sleep! Lizzie gets rocked or cuddled to sleep most of the time too!! That said, if mum is mentally wiped or needs the loo lol he can't hurt himself in his cot so its ok to put him down for a bit whilst you attend to your needs!!
ReplyDeleteThe days of motherhood that I find most stressful are the ones where something HAS to be done. So when he has a swimming class I feel like he HAS to nap and use all of my energy from about noon until 4 trying to get him to nap. To no avail, likely as not. By that time my head is about to explode. And, well, nothing is done. Not only that, I end up questioning what kind of mother I am when I can't even get him to sleep. When, really, in the grand scheme of things a skipped nap here or there and a swimming lesson where he's grumpy aren't the end of the world. What am I afraid of? That he won't learn anything? He's 3.
ReplyDeleteAnd he still naps on me some days. It's great. I get to watch TV or fiddle faddle around on the computer, guilt free. And he'll sleep anywhere, no matter what's going on.
There's no right or wrong, there's only what works. I'm pretty hopeful that he won't still be sleeping in our bed when he heads off to college. Right??