[Roo] Good Sleep, Bad Sleep

[woodwardiocom]

Up to last week, Roo's sleep habits had gotten so good, we were scared to talk about 'em, in case people hated us. The rhythm was: Give her a bottle at 8:30, put her in the crib, she'd go, "Wah?" then drop off nearly immediately.

Yeah, well, we were warned about backsliding. No matter how deeply she's out, putting her in the crib now causes howls and howls about how we're KILLING HER! WAH!

This morning, I had to take buxom_bey to the airport at 4am, while cathijosephine had baby-duty. I get home around 5am, and poke my head in to check on Roo.

Did I mention our nursery is booby-trapped? We have the diaper hamper near the door, and it has a motion-activated lid. As I snuck back out of the room, it flipped open, then clapped shut, followed by VERY CRANKY NOW-AWAKE BABY. I was hoping to get in a couple hours of sleep before sending her to day care at 7:30. Hah, and I say again, hah. Encouraging her bad habits, I let her sleep on my chest until the time came to whisk her off to the professionals, then climbed back into bed and slumber'd until about half an hour ago.

I'm really looking forward to a return of easy-to-sleep baby.

Comments

[mizarchivist]

Yeah, Crime Fighter is normally a really good sleeper. Except really not last night. Putting him down, definitely a crime against humanity. :/
I guess it's just one of those weeks.

And really, who can blame you for some baby snuggle time? You're going to turn around and she'll be asking for the keys to the hover-car.

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"Encouraging her bad habits, I let her sleep on my chest"

and

"who can blame you for some baby snuggle time? You're going to turn around and she'll be asking for the keys to the hover-car"

This is what folks keem reminding me. There will be the day where you can't do this with your kid because A) they will be too big and B) they won't want any part of it. :)

[dancer.livejournal.com]

keep reminding me!

[drwex]

It's true. Mine are semi-reluctant even for hugs now, except when THEY're in the mood.

I'm pretty sure that letting her sleep on your chest is NOT a bad habit, no matter what.

Sorry she's taking a step back in the sleeping-on-her-own track though.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

snuggles are good, motion activated anything in the baby room sounds like a bad idea, but that's just me

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest a bit of room re-arranging. Motion activated booby traps near the door is a bad, bad idea.

[ceo]

Bad habits, nothin'. Snuggled baby is happy and well-attached baby.

[archangelbeth]

Don't think of it as Bad Habits -- think of it as reassuring her that in a scary, sometimes lonely world, her parents will be there for her!

Besides, they're hugely adorable when they're sleeping, and demanding no more of your brain than that you not drop them. >_>

[dilettantemom.livejournal.com]

Mine are all too big now for falling asleep on me, and I do miss it. Eldest bought her own car and I never see her.

But I remember clearly the frustration of trying to get a good night's sleep. I got a book when I had my third daughter, that I wish I had had with my first: The Happiest Baby on the Block. What was remarkable about this book is that everything in it was either an "Aha! I knew it!" from my 10 years of parenting experiences, or an "Aha! So that's what I was doing wrong." Ignore the dumbed-down cover design and his occasionally weak attempts at humor, it's all good solid science inside.

BTW, she is beautiful.

[dancer.livejournal.com]

Happiest Baby was a great book! I'm wondering if Roo may be too old to respond to all of the S's now (I know our daughter has to a degree, and she's 5 mos old). Like, once she started rolling around, swaddling wasn't fun for her (or safe for that matter . . . she wouldn't be able to use herself to flip back around again). The shushing doesn't seem to do much anymore, but we do try. Rocking/dancing still is a big help. :)

Our daughter was similar to Roo, we got her sleeping well but then all of a sudden it's like months ago. Our pedi blames big developmental motor changes (rolling over, and waking herself up). The OT at the play group we go to suggested that kids try and 'practice' new skills at night when they first learn them, and will get used to it and settle again eventually. We're also dealing with some teething and have had to fight some colds too. On those nights, the only thing that seems to work is taking her to bed with us (she sleeps on me, or nurses back to sleep next to me). We're just taking it a night at a time. :)

[eiblyn.livejournal.com]

We actually co-slept until Sly was two. It worked out beautifully for us. It doesn't always for others, but for us, it was perfect.