DD2 might be winning the battle…but mark my words kittens…..yours truly will win this war. We are currently on day 10. I earned my first point last night….but I will stand victorious at the end.
What, pray tell, is going on, you wonder. Let me tell you. This is a tale as old as time. A scenario familiar to all of you. And if its not and you actually have a child at home, then don’t tell me. No one here likes you for it.
You got it. The war against sleep that babies wage upon their innocent and beloved parents.
See, DD2 abruptly just decided to start waking up around 4am a week ago Saturday. Just out of the blue. So that first early morning – let’s be honest, it’s still the middle of the night – I considered it a fluke. I tried to get her back down, she wouldn’t settle back down, so I weighed my options. I could:
a. Leave her there and see what happens
b. Take her downstairs to our room.
Back when I was a parent of just one child, I stood firm with option A. There was no way in hell DD1 was ever going to think coming to our bed was an option..and as a result…she has hilarious space issues and never wants anyone near her in her bed, let alone would she consider cuddling in ours.
But see, the game is different now because to leave DD2 in her room gabbing as loud as she was creates new option C – which is the risk of waking DD1 at 4am. And see, I can deal with DD2 at 4am because she can eventually be coaxed back to sleep. Waking DD1, however, is a whole different can of worms…..as she would be cranky, pissed off, refuse to go back to sleep, then demand cartoons, company, and play time. Playing at 4am is torture.
SO, I opted for option B, brought DD2 downstairs, holding my breath on our creeky old loud stairs (who thought hardwood floors was a good idea? was it me?) praying that I wouldn’t wake DD1, and eventually coaxed DD2 back to sleep in our bed – right around the time DD1 arose for the day, as luck wouldn’t have it.
But little did I know that the very next night the same thing would happen. Hmm…..up again before 5am? Happy F’ing Mothers Day.
I began to think it wasn’t a fluke.
And so begins the wracking of the brain for reasons for the next week. Familiar with the below list?
Could it be teething? Does she need tylenol?
What did I feed her for dinner? I think she is gassy. She is definitely gassy – check out how she is arching her back. Where is that mylicon?
Nope, it’s the nipple, chimed in my mom by Friday. Her medium flow nipple is too slow – she’s now about 6 months – she wants it faster, she’s swallowing too much air, she needs a faster nipple.
Even though I wasn’t sure how or why swallowing too much air during a 7pm feed would impact her around 4-5am, I bought a ticket on that bus and ransacked every store for new nipples and brought those into play.
Birds suggested another friend. Birds wake her daughter and lord knows I hate those f’ing birds (and on a sidenote – also the sun. Why can’t I control the sun? Why should it still be up at 8pm and up again before 6am? This is not convenient when trying to argue the case to a savvy preschooler that they need to go to sleep or not wake up yet. The sun is anti-parenthood at bed time and in the morning. Note to self – do not travel to Alaska in the summer with opinionated small children.)
So I shut all her windows, turned on fans, plugged in a loud humidifier.
Guess what?
Not the birds.
Are you with me here kittens? Are you familiar with said scenario? Wracking your tired and sleep hungry brain for more ideas as to what could be causing this sudden change in sleep patterns.
By last night, I had drawn up my battle plans and was ready for action. I was going to counter her every move. I have my armour on, I am ready to beat her at this game. By week’s end, I will get her past her new found wake up time. Don’t doubt me. Never doubt me.
See, DD2 had me on my toes all last week and also had me really quite tired and cranky. I’ve since eliminated all reasonable possibilities and have reached the same conclusion…DD2 just wants to gab at 4am. She has a lot to say. I understand that because well, so do I. And she feels compelled to say it at 4am. Deliberate torture to inflict upon her parents?
Possibly.
A plot she cooked up with her older sister because they think it’s fun to tag team us already?
Perhaps.
A cruel desire to leave mommy with puffy eyes and circles from incomplete nights of sleep?
Me thinks so.
But that’s fine. Two can tango chez moi.
So this morning, I even woke up on my own minutes before DD2 began to gab at 4:16am. Naturally DH was snoring away. She gabbed. And she chatted. And she giggled. And she talked. But I didn’t cave. I was prepared for her to wake her sister (and that would have been DH’s problem because how dare he sleep while I wasn’t?). I could beat her at this game. And by 5am her gabs turned to whines, wimpers and cries.
Ah ha! I thought.
The little one is getting tired. She’s worn herself out and I didn’t go chat with her and bring her downstairs.
I snuck up, gave her the passie, noted that not only was she gabbing but she was also apparently going on a trip…taking a full tour of her crib and chose the opposite corner from where I placed her, to lay. Love that. And then I left.
And she fell blissfully back to sleep until 6:15am.
Meanwhile DH was sleeping the whole time and I basically never fell back asleep and then DD1 woke up (f’ing sun and birds)….but whatever…..DD2 has won several battles but oh…..I will win this war. Her new wake up time will be revised and improved by Thursday.
I promise.
