Life with my beautiful Angel has been a bit tricky, to put it mildly:
Crying that I don't understand but know is all my fault;
Nap and sleep times that have gone to Mars and back with nary a hint at routine;
Night-time wakings that I'm sure are not due to hunger seeing as most websites seem to agree that a 15 month old should not need to nurse overnight anymore;
Days like roller coasters that swing from heart-melting love and fun to heart-breaking screeching and despair.
Then I find this website that says most toddlers do not actually outgrow their need for 2 naps until 15 - 18 months. And that taking them down to one nap too soon will result in a cute but energy-draining mini-grouch.
DING goes the light bulb in my head. So that's why she fell asleep in the grocery shopping cart yesterday at 11; and today in the stroller too. I thought she was over her 2 naps MONTHS ago, and had her fighting it out (literally) until after lunch. (Can you tell here that I don't get out much, seeing as it took sooo long for me to realise this??)
Over-tiredness comes in many shapes and forms, from almost permanent attachment to my boob to long sessions of tears, tears, tears.
And I have been living a confused life with a cranky child unnecessarily for several months now. Poor little thing. Lawd how she must have wanted to throttle me.
BUT! Thanks to the Internets, I have found salvation. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is a new and better day.
It made me realize though, that my initial refusal to ''schedule'' her as a little baby did more harm than good. I was so determined to 'follow her cues', that I became completely reactionary. That might work okay-ish for a newborn who simply sleeps when she is sleepy, but isn't such a good idea for a busy little thing who no doubt prefers lego to letsgoliedown.
Live and learn.
That's what I should really call this blog. Live and learn.
And I found a cool website with great, easy toddler recipes. Enjoy!
Sidenote about the sleep website: They have lots of advice for babies of all ages, so go check it out if you have any little ones. Unless you know all that already, in which case... Why didn't you tell me?? I might not have listened anyway. I'm an idiot like that sometimes. I guess I found when I needed to find it. Ironically I did ask for help today. I sat, close to tears myself, with her crying in my lap, looked up at the ceiling and pleaded ''Help me please. Help me to do this for her. Help me to do it right. Help me. I just want her to be happy.'' And TA DAH! Within 2 minutes of being online I found that website. Thank You Ceiling. I really really appreciate it. So you really should check it out. It was divine intervention.
4 comments:
Routine, routine, routine! You know I loves some routine! See why I was a policewoman for so many years?? Boring, yes. But happy babies. Or okay, make that "slightly less frantic babies"! They like to know what's going to happen next. But there is no way Chas would ever have napped after 12 months. Not in the car, not on a bed. Not with a box, and not with a fox....
Thank you ceiling - hee hee. Love it. Mine wasn't much of a napper after 12 months either and try as I might to keep to the routine it didn't always work - but they do like routine. They need it. Even now, at 10, I find that my boy is more settled when he's in a routine. The past few months I've been working more and he's been going to my dad's office after work and then to extra curricular and I worry the pinballing is having an effect.
This morning was horrible, for no reason. He was grumpy and obstructionist when we were doing revision in the car and we had a melt down. both of us. I think I'm going to sit in my office for a bit and ask the ceiling for help.
xoxo
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Oh man, those naps--and the transition from 2 to 1 and then 1 to none--tough times indeed. But good luck getting into a groove with your Angel!
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