Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Reflections on previous sleep posts
Since last Friday, we've instituted a very simple schedule, based on suggestions, where Parker goes to have quiet time, and Kira has a rest after eating. She has been napping, though only 30 minutes (her only nap of the day). Rather than even trying to nurse her (which is the other reason I do it right after lunch -- she doesn't need to nurse), I simply walk her about, singing "Jingle Bells" ad nauseum (sadly, this song works better than anything else -- too bad it only has a few verses), and she gets super heavy, and I can lay her down. I have started trying to get her laid down before she's completely asleep, but it looks like we're going to have to work much longer on that. It seems pretty clear that she is now down to a single nap for the day, between 30 minutes and 1 hour in length. These kids DEFINITELY take after their Daddy on this front!! (I was a SUPER napper!!)
We've also been home sick for much of the past bit of time, but once we are back involved in our activities, I know it is going to mess her schedule up -- so, I'm not sure how I resolve that -- is it fair to not attend activities and events because that is her normal nap time? Everything for us is a 30-minute drive to and the same back, so going and leaving early to get home isn't really feasible, you know? Even if we end up enrolling Parker into a preschool next year, it'll be 30 minutes to get there, drop him off, 30 minutes home, if she goes back to a morning nap, 30 minutes back to pick him up, 30 minutes back home -- that's crazy!! Which is yet another reason I'm still not 100% on preschool next year (though, I'm much closer to doing it than not).
Bedtime hasn't gotten much better, but I think that is because of Daddy's presence, honestly. She's been VERY mom-centric lately. The other major change is that Jeff and I are working hard to get more sleep. We're both extremely sleep-deprived, which I know makes a huge difference in how we handle things.
I did also want to say that as much as Parker was a struggle as a baby/toddler, he's realy actually good now. I know that my complaining is because we're in the moment, and I'm so damn tired all the time. I just wish they felt similarly, you know?? And, I am consistent when I say something is going to be a certain way -- in fact, I've recently become much more authoritarian, which I really don't like about myself -- and I know it is sleep-related.
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