alone! Rob took baby Robby on a walk to give me some much needed after yesterday, it was hellacious. Robby napped for 1.5 hours the whole day and was fussy, whiny, and cranky for 90 percent of the day, plus trying to get work done, sigh... I normally don't do this, but yesterday I was so overwhelmed, I let him cry in his bouncy chair for 5 minutes because I was so worn out. I'm guessing it's his top teeth coming in, it seems to be extra rough for him this go-round. This past month, I haven't been letting Robby nap in my lap, and it WAS working well, but this past week, he wakes up after 15-30 minutes and doesn't go back to sleep, so I'm torn between letting him stay in my lap so he can get some good naptime in, or just pressing through and continue to lay him in his crib when he's asleep. He hasn't been sleeping well at night, he's getting up 3-4 times a night, and I've read that if babies don't nap well during the day, they don't sleep well at night. Any ideas?
So, here I am, doing one of my favorite things, blogging, and after this uploading some projects into Ravelry :) I've made some progress on Robby's Tomten.
I'm 1-2 rows away from splitting up into the arm holes. I think I'll do the armholes as specified in EZ's pattern, but do some mods when I start the sleeves. I'm also making pretty good progress on my MIL's Swallowtail.
I'm on the third row of nupps, and it's moving along!
I'm 1-2 rows away from splitting up into the arm holes. I think I'll do the armholes as specified in EZ's pattern, but do some mods when I start the sleeves. I'm also making pretty good progress on my MIL's Swallowtail.
I'm on the third row of nupps, and it's moving along!
12 comments:
It's tough when they're cranky like that, and they all go through it at some point(s). I'm kind of a tough love mom. I think you need to lay him down in his crib at naptime and walk out. If he cries, leave him be. (Unless he gets hysterical. I can't take that.) He'll get past it. That's how I got both my kids to sleep through the night (I had to do it while my husband was out of town, because he's a soft touch.) The first time, they each cried for at least 45 minutes; the second time, maybe 15 minutes; the third time, about 5 minutes, and then we were done and they both slept.
Your Swallowtail is looking gorgeous! I've been looking forward to starting mine for a while, but I have two other shawls to do first.
Yay nupps! They're like a greuling work out- it feels so much better when you're actually done. Good luck with the Robby. I think my parents used to do the booze on the gum treatment, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal these days.
Sorry to hear Robby's in such a state. If you think it's the teeth, I'd definatley let him sleep in your lap, so at least he gets some sleep. He doesn't do it to spite you, and I think you'll be able to continute training to let him sleep by himself, when he's not in such a discomfort. That's what I do with my daughter (but no teeth yet), I try to feel her mood and adjust myself accordingly. Right now, she wakes up several times a night, but I'm sure that's just a phase, it will get better again. (I'm not a beliver in cry it out, as you might guess...)
I just cast on for Swallowtail this afternoon and messed up something on the third repeat of the second chart (buddying lace 2). Since I couldn't figure it out, I frogged the whole thing. Sigh.
I am using Misti Alpaca on Addi Lace needles and I'm finding it very frustrating. The stitches want to slip off the needles, no matter what. I think the length of the cable may be too long (32"); it just doesn't feel right.
I see that you are using Addi Lace, too. What length are you using: 24"?
no real advice here, bea, just a big hug cause i know those days. one thing with our guys that works is tummy naps with some back patting when they startle in their sleep. i just blog next to them on a floor mattress sometimes. (yep, i ignore all the housework and dinner prep) but who knows with these little ones. the tomten looks great, cannot wait to see him sport it around. hugs to you, lady, remember every day is different.
Aw, poor Robby. It's tough when they're teething. Hang in there!
Your Swallowtail is coming along beautifully!
Oooh, Kaya's so sad for Robby! Teeth are tough. I'm not a fan in drugs for babies, but have you given him any Tylenol? It may help.
As for sleeping at night, I'm afraid tough love is usually the only way to get them to do it. Give him 10 mins at least. He may surprise you and go back to sleep.
Aren't days like today the ones that you are SO GLAD you aren't a single mom?
Poor you! Robby will be fine. I'm a tough love mommy too so my hubby and I have found that it takes 3 hard days to train them to do anything - sleep, give up bottle, potty train, etc. You really have to stick to it. I'd put them down, they'd cry, I'd check on them after 5 mins, then 10, then 15 mins and then every 15 mins - never picking them up - just soothing their backs or laying them back down if they're up. The 2nd night was 10 mins, 15 mins, 20 mins. By the 3rd night, my kids would cry less than a min and then be asleep. They really only cried about 45 mins the 1st night, 20 mins, the 2nd and 3rd for only a min. If they cry in the night, it was the same thing, check after increasing longer intervals but do not pick them up. I've read that if you do give in and pick them up, they've only learned to cry longer until you give in. The same goes for naptimes. They will learn! This was so painful for us but so worth it since they'd learn to sleep so well. We've also learned that you can't let them get overtired. I think lots of people think that if you keep a child up, they will sleep longer - no! The earlier we put our kids down, the longer they sleep. If we put them down at 9pm then they'd get up at 5am. If we put them down at 6-7 pm, they'd sleep to 7-8am. I think this might be too early for some people since they don't get home until 6pm but it really worked for all of my kids and my sisters' kids too. BUT! - Do what feels right for you. This is just what we did.
Oh, Bea, I have to go against the group here, as I am not a tough-love mom at all, as much as I would like to be!
It's true that "the less babies sleep, the less they sleep," and vice versa. Overtired is not a good thing. That said, maybe you do need to hold Robby for a while until he catches up on his sleep and then you can back off again when he's back on an even keel.
I'm sure that backing off works, too, but it doesn't seem worth it to me to put the baby (and myself) through the trauma. I would rather give up some of my own freedom (knowing I will get it back eventually!) for the sake of making my child know that I won't turn my back on her.
This is how I did it with my daughter (perhaps because she was adopted) and although there were days when I was climbing the walls, I feel like I never let her down. She is now 8 and happy and very independent. I like to think that's in part because she has never felt like she didn't have a safe place to go if she needed it. (Probably she's just that way, but it makes me feel like all those hours with her on my lap or on my back were worth it!)
Do whatever you think you and Robby can handle. It's just a phase!!!
Aw, Bea. I'm a softy when it comes to babies. I get tough when they are older and can understand more. It's a hard phase. My oldest was a lot like Robby is. You know your baby the best, let you're mommy instincts guide you. Sometimes we all need a little extra TLC. I think giving the kid a break while he's teething won't ruin his sleep habits forever. But, I do know how rough it can be on mom. Not much help, am I?
Oh man. Teething is a b*tch. :(
Poor little guy looks so miserable! Hopefully, the teeth will pop through soon and he'll be back to his cheery little self!
Glad to hear you got some alone time; after a day like that, you definitely deserve it.
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