Lessons in Parenting: Sleep

This post will most likely come off as rambling... Because I am tired. Our wonderful sleeper had been not so wonderful over the last three weeks and it is starting to take its toll.

In Lydia's first year it seemed as though transitions were always happening - we would get a schedule and then 2 weeks later everything would change. But ever since she has turned a year, things in the sleeping department have become so much more predictable. For almost 4 months Lydia slept for 10-11 hours straight at night and took two naps each day, totaling around 3 hours. It wasn't always perfect, but 90% of the time David and I could count on long stretches of glorious sleep each night. I am aware we were spoiled and am so grateful that she slept so well.

BUT lately we have had a much different experience around here. About 3 weeks ago David started working long hours, so he wasn't always home in time for Lydia's bedtime routine. Usually I nurse her before dinner and then after dinner daddy gives her a bath, reads her books and puts her to bed. Before this point she hadn't been nursing to sleep (at nights) since about 10 months. When David wasn't available for bedtime and it was up to me, Lydia made it clear that not nursing to sleep wasn't an option. If I was the one rocking her nursing better be a part of it! The first night I had to do this she woke up at 12, then 2, then 3, then 4:30. And every night after that when I nursed her to sleep things weren't much better. Some nights she would wake up multiple times but fall back asleep quickly - other nights she would stay awake for long periods of time (12-3 am). It was really difficult - especially as we were in the midst of tax season and David and I were both already exhausted!

In the midst of the bad night sleeping, a transition to one nap started. Some days Lydia would take her morning nap for babysitters, other days she would not. If she did take a nap everyone would always say how quickly and easily she fell asleep, whereas when I would try to put her down for her afternoon nap it would take 25-45 minutes. Then yesterday - she didn't nap. The WHOLE day!

She looks so cute, but so sleepy!

In general sleep is kind of a mess right now. And most likely Lydia is probably just transitioning, and we messed up her routine, and she is getting another tooth! (Do all parents hate teeth as much as I do?)

I am also wondering about the whole nursing thing... I feel lately as though she is much more antsy when she breastfeeds and is much less comforted. I don't think either of us are ready to wean, but I have come to the conclusion that at least for a while I am going to try hard to never nurse her to sleep. This afternoon I came home and nursed her in the living room with the lights on, then brought her into her nursery and put her to sleep without nursing. She protested (loudly and violently) for about 2 minutes then was out. She has been sleeping for 2.5 hours at this point.

As usual, Lydia's timing kind of couldn't be more perfect (assuming there was any perfect time to get bad sleep). We will be moving in 1-2 weeks, so if we are going to go through a transition phase it might as well be now! Within 2 weeks we will be living somewhere new, I won't be working for the summer, and our days will look much different. Hopefully as we all settle into a new home and a new rhythm everything will fall into place.

Over the past few days I have just generally felt like I have a little baby again - and then I remember she still is a baby, in a lot of ways. The thing that I love most about parenting is that the moment you think you have it down, it hits you upside the head and reminds you that being a mommy is in no way about accomplishments: about sleeping through the night, or having a clean house, or being able to DO anything with your day. It is about having patience, kindness, gentleness, self control and humility. It is about loving your child - not mastering their habits. And this is always, always a good lesson to learn.