Well, wouldn't you know, the night after I post a big long piece about sleep issues- Lily keeps everyone up for 3 hours. At 1AM she woke and ran screaming around the apartment until I caught her, and then tossed and turned and cried until 4AM. The fact that this was also the night before the first day of school made for a very grumpy mommy, and a backslide into all the pitfalls of our previous sleep battles. Namely:
1. We didn't have a game plan before nighttime.
2. The fact that we didn't have a pre-determined strategy meant that we got into a fight over what to do, while also dealing with a screaming toddler at 1AM.
3. The stress of Mom and Dad being at odds with one another only added to Lily's stress at being awake and being unable to fall sleep.
Having Lily transition into a toddler bed has been difficult, but not more difficult than our previous sleep issues. It doesn't help, however, that while I try to get her back in her bed over and over again, old episodes of Super Nanny replay in my head. The horrors!
Wow, I miss the crib, so, so much.
We still don't have a strategy worked out. We are naively hoping that Wednesday's sleepless night was a fluke. We are also hoping against hope that she will go peacefully to sleep in her bed without us present, despite much evidence to the contrary. Somehow I imagine that I can have a rational conversation with my toddler that will go something like this:
"Lily, I know that sleeping in a big girl bed is a big deal. It may take you a little longer to fall asleep at night while you adjust to this new freedom you have. But, you'll feel sooo much better in the morning if you've had a good night's sleep. So let's lie down and have a good night, okay?
"Okay mommy."
"Great. Goodnight darling!"
End Scene.
Instead, last night went something like this:
"Night night Lily."
She opens the door. "Mommy boo-boo" Points to her perfectly healthy elbow.
I put her back in bed. "Go to sleep. Good night"
She opens the door. "Mommmmyyyyyy".
I put her back in bed. The Super Nanny nightmares begin.
She opens the door. Says nothing, just stands there waiting for me to see her.
Back in bed, slightly more forcefully.
I hear thumping and rattling. Go in to find she's up and has taken everything out of her drawers.
Close drawers loudly. Put her back in bed. Cursing under my breath now.
Lock her room from the outside.
"Good night Lily."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Moooooommmmmmmyyyyyyyyy....."
This lasts about 20 minutes.
Go in to find every single item in her room tossed on the floor, the lights on and her sitting in the middle of the mess screaming. Now know what inspired The Exorcist.
Calm her, rock her, sit with her on her bed til she falls asleep. 2 false starts towards the door. Baby girl is now sleeping with one eye open and is trigger ready to tantrum. Finally get out at 9PM, two hours after bedtime. Fall asleep on the couch 20 minutes into Project Runway.
End Scene.
I couldn't bear to take a photo of the unholy mess that we found in her room this morning. (She woke up at 5:30AM) So this post will remain bereft of redeeming adorable photo. Sigh.
She's taking a nap now. Fingers crossed?
1. We didn't have a game plan before nighttime.
2. The fact that we didn't have a pre-determined strategy meant that we got into a fight over what to do, while also dealing with a screaming toddler at 1AM.
3. The stress of Mom and Dad being at odds with one another only added to Lily's stress at being awake and being unable to fall sleep.
Having Lily transition into a toddler bed has been difficult, but not more difficult than our previous sleep issues. It doesn't help, however, that while I try to get her back in her bed over and over again, old episodes of Super Nanny replay in my head. The horrors!
Wow, I miss the crib, so, so much.
We still don't have a strategy worked out. We are naively hoping that Wednesday's sleepless night was a fluke. We are also hoping against hope that she will go peacefully to sleep in her bed without us present, despite much evidence to the contrary. Somehow I imagine that I can have a rational conversation with my toddler that will go something like this:
"Lily, I know that sleeping in a big girl bed is a big deal. It may take you a little longer to fall asleep at night while you adjust to this new freedom you have. But, you'll feel sooo much better in the morning if you've had a good night's sleep. So let's lie down and have a good night, okay?
"Okay mommy."
"Great. Goodnight darling!"
End Scene.
Instead, last night went something like this:
"Night night Lily."
She opens the door. "Mommy boo-boo" Points to her perfectly healthy elbow.
I put her back in bed. "Go to sleep. Good night"
She opens the door. "Mommmmyyyyyy".
I put her back in bed. The Super Nanny nightmares begin.
She opens the door. Says nothing, just stands there waiting for me to see her.
Back in bed, slightly more forcefully.
I hear thumping and rattling. Go in to find she's up and has taken everything out of her drawers.
Close drawers loudly. Put her back in bed. Cursing under my breath now.
Lock her room from the outside.
"Good night Lily."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Moooooommmmmmmyyyyyyyyy....."
This lasts about 20 minutes.
Go in to find every single item in her room tossed on the floor, the lights on and her sitting in the middle of the mess screaming. Now know what inspired The Exorcist.
Calm her, rock her, sit with her on her bed til she falls asleep. 2 false starts towards the door. Baby girl is now sleeping with one eye open and is trigger ready to tantrum. Finally get out at 9PM, two hours after bedtime. Fall asleep on the couch 20 minutes into Project Runway.
End Scene.
I couldn't bear to take a photo of the unholy mess that we found in her room this morning. (She woke up at 5:30AM) So this post will remain bereft of redeeming adorable photo. Sigh.
She's taking a nap now. Fingers crossed?
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