Sleep Training

Disclaimer - Yes, I let my kids CIO. Not looking for criticism there.

We've come to a crossroads with Reese. Something has to change. 20-30 minute naps 5 times a day is NOT going to cut it. Even the pediatrician said it's time to work on her. She should be taking 2 long naps with possibly one 3rd short nap.

So, I re-read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child again last night. I followed it with Kate, but she took to it SO well, I'd hardly say I had to sleep train her. She was just automatic.

After 3 hours of uncontrollable screaming yesterday at the end of the day because she was overtired from a lack of good naps (with me actively trying to calm/soothe her) I know something has to be done.

She's been breaking out of her swaddle after 10 minutes and freaking out because her arms are loose, so I decided to go cold turkey on the swaddle and sleep train at the same time. Yes, she is getting plenty to eat. No, she is not hungry.

With my notes from the book and an action plan in place, her first nap today was somewhat successful - she only cried 20 minutes (swaddle free!) before she fell asleep. Though wouldn't you know, right at the 28 minute mark, she wakes up. So now the real CIO begins. The book says anything under 45 minutes is not an adequate nap (and even 45 is questionable at her age) and to let her figure things out an additional 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the length of the original nap. So we're at minute 40, and I don't see this ending anytime soon. She just has to figure out her self-soothing techniques on her own. I was making things worse before by continually giving her pacifier back, basically training her to wake up at these short intervals because I'll come back and soothe her.

Soooo! I wonder how long this will take to see results. We were so spoiled with Kate with immediate results. I'm keeping a sleep journal through this process, so at least I'll KNOW when I see results! Emotionally it doesn't really bother me, I don't feel bad for her, but it is just really draining to listen to her scream and scream and scream. I have the monitor turned down, but I sort of have to keep listening so I can take notes on if/when she's asleep and such.

So, that's where we are.

April

I can't believe it's April already! And that I haven't posted in nearly two months. Oops! I really don't know that anyone is reading though - even the blogs I follow have been slow. It seems no one is into blogging anymore. I feel bad though, Kate's infancy was so well recorded, and all Reese is getting is an update every two months. Such is the plight of a second child, I suppose!

She is doing really well. Still a tiny little peanut, she is so sweet, cuddly, and happy. We have started sleep training this week - she's been taking 20-30 minute naps, which just isn't going to cut it. The training is going well, she still wakes up after ~30 minutes, but for the most part I'm able to go give her pacifier back and she'll go back to sleep for another 30-45 minutes. One big difference between Kate & Reese's sleep habits is that Kate was finished with the swaddle at 12 weeks. Reese is still very much dependent on it! It's fine with me, I'm in no hurry to get rid of it, and I figure when she's ready it'll be a smooth transition.

She is SO close to rolling. Every day I think it's going to be the day, but she just quite hasn't made it yet.

Kate is almost 3! When did that happen? I've been working on planning her birthday party - we are going to do "The Little Mermaid." It is by far her favorite movie. It's a fun full circle moment for me, as one of my birthday parties as a child was "The Little Mermaid" as well. I think we'll do it down at our neighborhood pool.

The weather is gorgeous today, though the middle 80's is a bit warmer than I'd prefer for the first day of April. Such is life in Texas. I'm hoping the girls are in a cooperative mood this evening, I'm going to try to take some bluebonnet pictures!