It is 11:39 pm... and Brian and I got to watch about an hour of a movie all by ourselves! Gage went to sleep about 10:09 pm and I was able to sneak away from him about 20 minutes later. He's changed positions a couple times on the air mattress, without cuddles and without waking up. That is a very positive, albeit small, step. So now, I will keep vigil here with him (Chevy is with us too) until he wakes up. I thought about going to bed in my own bed, but there are too many potential hazards in Gage's room for us to be comfortable knowing he could wake up alone. I'm hesitant to get into bed with him, because I'm curious as to how long he'll stay asleep alone and un-cuddled. It could be a long night for me, but he is so worth it.
After a couple weeks worth of observing Gage and his sleep behavior, I've come to a couple conclusions. The first is that he is simply not an early-to-bed kind of kid. He will not consider sleep before 8:30 pm, at the very earliest. 9:00 pm is his mostly magic bedtime, meaning he'll fall asleep BFing within 5-10 min, tops. If he is not ready for sleep, he won't even settle in to BF, so it is blatantly obvious that he isn't ready. The second notable observation is that he is most definitely functioning better, sleep-wise, with one nap, midday. If he gets one good nap (2-3 hours) around noon, he will be mostly happy the remainder of the day, and settle in comfortably for bed between 8:30 and 9:30 pm. If he gets two naps, say one from 9:00-11:00 am and another from 3:00-5:00 pm, he will not settle in for bed until closer to 11:00 pm, making everyone quite cranky.
Today was our first day of one nap, with about 4 hours between wake up and nap. It has been an up and down day, with most of the ups being on his part. He has been largely happy, active, and engaging. I just had one of those days myself that seemed like nothing went right, but those happen from time to time no matter what. Gage napped from 12:00 pm to a little after 2:00. His bedtime is late tonight, but I think there was a little bit of disconnect for him. WE were staying up, and he wanted to as well, despite being tired. He was very clingy this evening from about 8:00 pm on, and wanted to BF, then play a minute, then come right back to BFing. He would fuss when he realized that I wasn't sitting there waiting for him to BF while he played! I believe that he's developing and feeling a little bit of independence, and he isn't 100% sure he is comfortable. So I think it will be imperative for his sleeping and his psyche for me to wear him a little more over the next few weeks, as we work toward beginning the weaning process. He needs to know he can still be physically close to me, whether he is BFing or not. I also need to focus on more interactive play with him during the day. I fear he sometimes acts out in a need for interaction as soon as I step away to do dishes or pick up. I currently do a lot of observing while he plays, but maybe would be better served to be more involved with his play, not just sitting on the floor and being available, but getting into it with him.
What a gift, this wee toddler that has been entrusted to our care. That we would be responsible for nurturing and growing and raising up this small new life, what an amazing responsibility. He is so awesome and I learn new things from Gage every day! I wish he could tell me how to help him sleep on his own.
I did some things today that were personally fulfilling, going into the weekend. I got Gage's toys seperated out into ones he likes currently and ones he just has out because he likes to see all of his stuff. I packed away the things that he rarely actively plays with, and picked up all the scattered toys that remained. I finally got Gage's bathroom unpacked; it was the last hold out of our move. It only had one small box, but every single shampoo, lotion, and wash that we have for him was on the counter. I felt really good about getting his bathroom picked up and organized as it has just been a project that's been bugging me. It was easy to overlook though, since none of us really use that bathroom except to bathe Gage. I also got dishes done and the dishwasher run; I got our catch-all kitchen countertop cleared off except for day-to-day stuff. So for at least a Friday evening, our apartment looked quite nice and put together! I always feel really good when Brian comes home from work and I have something to show for my day at home.
I'm so glad it's the weekend, and so glad it's Brian's full weekend off! And I'm sorry to report, my wait is officially over; Gage woke up and needed his momma at 12:06 am. He is settled back in, and I guess I'm off to sleep myself. Keep us in your prayers as we enter this next phase of our little fella's life... and continue on his sleep journey.
After a couple weeks worth of observing Gage and his sleep behavior, I've come to a couple conclusions. The first is that he is simply not an early-to-bed kind of kid. He will not consider sleep before 8:30 pm, at the very earliest. 9:00 pm is his mostly magic bedtime, meaning he'll fall asleep BFing within 5-10 min, tops. If he is not ready for sleep, he won't even settle in to BF, so it is blatantly obvious that he isn't ready. The second notable observation is that he is most definitely functioning better, sleep-wise, with one nap, midday. If he gets one good nap (2-3 hours) around noon, he will be mostly happy the remainder of the day, and settle in comfortably for bed between 8:30 and 9:30 pm. If he gets two naps, say one from 9:00-11:00 am and another from 3:00-5:00 pm, he will not settle in for bed until closer to 11:00 pm, making everyone quite cranky.
Today was our first day of one nap, with about 4 hours between wake up and nap. It has been an up and down day, with most of the ups being on his part. He has been largely happy, active, and engaging. I just had one of those days myself that seemed like nothing went right, but those happen from time to time no matter what. Gage napped from 12:00 pm to a little after 2:00. His bedtime is late tonight, but I think there was a little bit of disconnect for him. WE were staying up, and he wanted to as well, despite being tired. He was very clingy this evening from about 8:00 pm on, and wanted to BF, then play a minute, then come right back to BFing. He would fuss when he realized that I wasn't sitting there waiting for him to BF while he played! I believe that he's developing and feeling a little bit of independence, and he isn't 100% sure he is comfortable. So I think it will be imperative for his sleeping and his psyche for me to wear him a little more over the next few weeks, as we work toward beginning the weaning process. He needs to know he can still be physically close to me, whether he is BFing or not. I also need to focus on more interactive play with him during the day. I fear he sometimes acts out in a need for interaction as soon as I step away to do dishes or pick up. I currently do a lot of observing while he plays, but maybe would be better served to be more involved with his play, not just sitting on the floor and being available, but getting into it with him.
What a gift, this wee toddler that has been entrusted to our care. That we would be responsible for nurturing and growing and raising up this small new life, what an amazing responsibility. He is so awesome and I learn new things from Gage every day! I wish he could tell me how to help him sleep on his own.
I did some things today that were personally fulfilling, going into the weekend. I got Gage's toys seperated out into ones he likes currently and ones he just has out because he likes to see all of his stuff. I packed away the things that he rarely actively plays with, and picked up all the scattered toys that remained. I finally got Gage's bathroom unpacked; it was the last hold out of our move. It only had one small box, but every single shampoo, lotion, and wash that we have for him was on the counter. I felt really good about getting his bathroom picked up and organized as it has just been a project that's been bugging me. It was easy to overlook though, since none of us really use that bathroom except to bathe Gage. I also got dishes done and the dishwasher run; I got our catch-all kitchen countertop cleared off except for day-to-day stuff. So for at least a Friday evening, our apartment looked quite nice and put together! I always feel really good when Brian comes home from work and I have something to show for my day at home.
I'm so glad it's the weekend, and so glad it's Brian's full weekend off! And I'm sorry to report, my wait is officially over; Gage woke up and needed his momma at 12:06 am. He is settled back in, and I guess I'm off to sleep myself. Keep us in your prayers as we enter this next phase of our little fella's life... and continue on his sleep journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment