Going? What kind of word is that?
Going.
Going. Boing.
My mind is Going.
And that about sums it up.
Benjamin is starting to get better during the night. He is waking up at 5 or 6 pretty regularly, and then wanting to nurse. Sometimes I tell him no, there’s no sun yet. Sometimes I pretend that yes, oh, there’s the sun, right there, you’re right.
Naptimes are getting very difficult with him. He hasn’t had a morning nap since dinosaurs roamed the earth, I’m pretty sure. And I KNOW he needs an afternoon nap. But he keeps himself from falling completely asleep and wakes as soon as I put him down. He wants to sleep for three hours in the afternoon, but only if I hold and nurse him.
I fear this is backlash from the night weaning.
Pick mommy, you can have your sleep at night, or your productive time during the day. But not both.
Yesterday, I put aside the work that needed to be done and catered to him. Today, I simply couldn’t. I had calls to make before the business day was done. Otherwise, we would have been sitting in a hot, dark duplex without internet next week, and I wouldn’t even be able to blog to tell you about it.
(In case you’re not up-to-speed with The Natural Mommy News, I was setting up utilities for our duplex we’re moving into on Saturday…)
And those calls took FOREVER. They didn’t know my children were on nap-strike and screaming in their bedrooms. They continued to transfer me, literally, all around the world.
One lady typed, I promise, one over-long acrylic fingernail at a time to enter my name, address, phone number (which she asked for TWICE.)
And don’t get me started on the Indian gentlemen who transfered me to a recording that told me to hang up and call back when the lines were less busy.
Those calls took from 3:15 to 5:00. And although Olivia eventually fell asleep, Benjamin would not. He stood in there, screaming the entire time.
I ask you, people, what do you do?! with a boy like that.
Around 5:30, when supper needed to be at least thought about, I remembered I had a moby wrap and faintly recalled that it could carry a baby backpack-style. I thought, hey! I could bend over, unload dishes, cook dinner, cut up vegetables, take clothes off the line… no little hands getting in the way, burnt, or cut…
So I looked it up, and was even successfully able to imitate it on the third or forth try.
I guess I could always just do that when he refuses to sleep at naptimes.
But I’d rather he learn to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
And to top it all off, maintenance replaced our bathroom faucet the other day. AND NOW BOTH KNOBS TURN THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE WAY. So I can’t even turn on water without going a little bit crazy.
And that’s what’s on my mind.
My mind which is going.
Going.
Boing.
Oooh – I feel your eternal hold (on the phone) pain! The lady at children’s hospital today just didn’t understand why I was so upset that this was the 5th time I had called to help them correct a billing mistake (that was their fault!) as my 2 yo begged for me to read to him and my little one rustled from his nursing-induced slumber because I had already used all my quiet time on hold with the insurance (again, for the 5th time!). Surely these people had kids once, right?? Why don’t they get it?????
Oooh – and don’t get me started on those stupid voice recognition computers — try using one of THOSE with a toddler in the background! 🙂
Hey — maybe our brains are somewhere hanging out together, having a good time without us! 🙂
Hope your little man gets his sleep thing settled soon! 🙂
Yikes, what an afternoon you put in. Those are the times when having a job would be sooooo much easier. Untill they smile at you and melt your heart and you realize you have the best (and hardest) job ever.
Good luck with the no nap thing. I hope for your sake he gives in and sleeps soon. Sounds like he needs to.
The only way I’ve been able to keep my little guy sleeping during the day (he went to one nap at about 15 months) is keeping a schedule for him. Sometimes it drives me bananas to do the same thing every day the same way, but it works for us! Naptime, and bedtime are at the same time each day and we do the same things as we head there.
*close curtains
*rearrange crib blankets and animals
*read a book in the rocker
*turn off the light
*turn on noise machine
*lay down and cover up!
*Out the door and I don’t look back! 🙂 o.k., most of the time I don’t go back in.
The whole moving thing may have him all a tither though too. Kids seem to read into stress and the way we feel and react by wanting us more. AT least mine does! Moving can be really unsettling. My guy was 13 months old when we moved and it was rough for him. Trying to keep any sort of schedule for a couple of weeks was insane! Once things settled down though, he got the hang of it and started sleeping better again.
Good luck!
I know how you feel! Hang in there!
Ughhh my daughter went through one of those nap strikes at one point. It was terrible. Somehow she worked it out herself. Hope your little guy figures it out soon enough.
And atleast your mind is just going… mine has been gone for quite some time now!
I remember my son doing the nursing to sleep and in the process of laying him down he’d wake. I tried a variety of things, but what worked best for me was I put a mattress on the floor and laid down to nurse him. When he was good and asleep I would careful lose the latch and roll out of bed.
Oh, I’m so sorry, that is so hard. I also do what Laura said, about nursing on a mattress or on the bed, and then rolling away once the baby is asleep. I hope that Benjamin can get some rest, and give you a moment of peace.
To not have lights or a/c in your new place is one thing. But to not have internet – GASP!
I hope the nap thing works out. My dd isn’t as old as Benjamin, so I don’t have any practical first hand advice to offer. But I liked what Donielle had to say. And it may just be the stress of moving.
I hope your mind comes back soon! Maybe it took pics while on vacation!
ah the sleep issues, do they ever end? ((hugs))
The No Cry Sleep Solution helped us a lot. (I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Elizabeth Pantley is the author.) Some kids do need a bit more of a routine and a different approach. We do little rituals that help him gear down for sleep. I think it helps to rely less on the nursing for those sleepy time cues as they get older. (Also helps when daddy can put DS to sleep.)
And I’m sure he could be off due to moving and sensing what you are going through with your loss too.