Making the Move to the Crib

I know there are so many parents who struggle with babies sleeping, where they sleep, how, etc..  I know we are not alone in the quest to find the best fit for our family.  Every family has to do things their way, and on their time.  If you have advice, I'd love to hear it!

Since Simone was home we have always slept in the same room.  At the very beginning we would sleep out in the living room so that Todd could get a full nights sleep.  She has the BEST pack & play (a gift from Todd's Aunt, Uncle, & cousins in Michigan) which we will forever be grateful for.  It has an "infant sleeper" and she slept like a dream in that.  I seriously give this thing 10 out of 5 stars!!  It's been our home base for taking care of Simone from day one.  We are lucky to have a tiny baby, who at six months, still fits in the newborn napper! 

Graco Pack n Play with Newborn Napper

After her sleeping got into longer stretches, Simone & I moved back in with Todd into our room.  Around four and a half months she started waking a few more times during the night.  Our doc attributed this to teething, so it's been a little harder on Todd having the whole family in one room.  Luckily my job allows me to stumble around half-awake in jammies all day if need be.  His, does not.

Things are looking up on sleeping these days, so we have been talking more about moving Simone into her room at night.  Does this freak out every parent?  Or am I some kind of type A control freak weirdo (doesn't sound like me at all, right!?)?

We've been working hard to get her "used" to her room.  I LOVE her room (check it out here), and I think eventually she will, too.  She takes naps in there both in her crib and in her bassinet.  The only issue is when she wakes up in there she screams loud enough to shake the walls.  I'm not sure if she just isn't familiar with the room yet, or what.

Nap Time

I will admit I love having her in our room.  It's so nice for her to be close, so if I want to check her she's right there.  Or, more practically when she wakes during the night I'm able to just pick her up, change her, and nurse her right away.

I think the transition will take place soon enough, and she's only this young once.  I'm going to enjoy the time she's close and keep working on getting her in her own room.  

Rough Nights

Simone is generally a happy baby.  Like any baby she has moments where she gets grumpy, but it's usually all about being hungry or tired.  At nine weeks Simone started sleeping through the night, and it was AMAZING.  Can I just say, after nine weeks of being up basically all night every night, a nine hour stretch made me felt like I could take on anything.  She was on a perfect schedule, up at 7am, consistent naps throughout the day, and asleep by 9:30pm-10pm for the night.

About three weeks ago, everything changed in our house.  We started noticing Simone drooling a ton, and gnawing on everything she could get her chubby little hands on.  I've heard the horror stories of teething and it's needless to say we're in the thick of it.

During the day, everything is good... she plays, is happy, takes naps (inconsistent & short ones, but still, naps), and is overall the sweetest girl.  But, come night time something happens.  She usually goes down OK... around the same 9:30pm time.  However, she wakes up probably (and I'm not making this up) ten times during the night.  We have good nights where she is only up twice, but those are few and far between.

It's wearing on me.  We have done the routine, teething tablets, frozen fruit, patting her, dancing her, cold teething toys, basically everything short of ramming my head into the wall, we've gladly tried.  I'm slipping in being the Mom I try so hard to be.  

During the week I wake up for her, but it's hard for Todd because he can't help but wake up, too.  He feels like a zombie when he heads off to work, and I drag my ass through my day.  I miss my scheduled peaceful sleeping baby girl.  During the weekend, Todd will usually get up and change her while I set up to nurse.

Friday night was particularly hard.  It was one of those nights where nothing was working.  I ended up (after chewing Todd out for basically just trying to help) on the couch in our front room alternating between nursing her and patting her back.  Finally around 5:30am she feel asleep on my chest.  I held her close and apologized to her for not having the answers.  Tears ran down my face as I sat there watching the glow of the sun starting to rise.  At this point, I didn't even want to sleep.

After waiting a while and making sure she was sound asleep.  I grabbed her car seat and put her in it.  I put her on the ground next to our bed in the car seat and laid my hand on her chest while I was half-way in bed.  Todd was sleeping, she was sleeping, and I was wide awake looking at her.

As I laid there trying to relax my mind I started to realize that this was not going to be the last night of tears (for her, OR myself) and that I need to toughen up if I'm going to get through this.  I thought to myself, "I'll do better tomorrow".  It's not all roses with babies.  Yet, I know I'm so lucky to have a baby who is otherwise happy and healthy.

Hopefully, one day... when she's about 30 and she has a new baby of her own she will know that it's not easy, but it's worth it.  And, that I always tried her best for her, even when I got it totally wrong.