oh boy

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Today I got to sleep in until 6:45am! Partially because after his 5am feeding, I took Squirt to bed with me.

I'm having a problem with him, though. At night (or today), I'm having SUCH a hard time getting him to sleep in his crib. I change, swaddle, feed, and rock him. He's good and asleep on my chest or in my arms...as soon as his head hits that mattress, he's awake. And not the cute, cuddly awake. No, the screaming awake that won't really stop (except for slight pauses) until I hold him. Then almost instantly, he's asleep again.

Any ideas? I can't hold him ALL days; I need/want to spend time with Moose, too.

I don't know if he'd rather sleep on his stomach. Maybe he needs a white noise machine (it's not like our house is exactly quiet with a 2-year-old running around and all his noisy toys).

I'm just frustrated. It doesn't help that Moose threw a HUGE tantrum earlier where he screamed for probably 5 minutes straight (which felt like 15 minutes) in time out. And these were little girls screams - ugh.

6:17pm: After naps, things seem to improve. At least until around supper. I got Squirt to take a nap with me and Moose was down from 1-3:30 (he totally needed a good nap). And Squirt is still wanting to be held. It's just a lot and today I feel overwhelmed. And I need a shower.

Comments

Jen said…
I would try the tummy sleeping or a swing or a vibrating bouncy seat.
July 22, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Alicia said…
hmmm is he colicky? presley was that way and she slept on my chest for 6 months. no joke. why don't you put him in a carrier during the day so you can still have your hands free and play with moose? or you can get one of those wedges to put in the crib where it makes them feel like their being held. i even slightly elevated presleys mattress on one side because she like to be up at an angle. good luck!! let me know if you have any questions!!
July 22, 2009 at 1:21 PM
It's a Wonderful Life said…
Never, ever, ever PUT a baby on his tummy! Unless of course, he's sleeping on your chest. It's okay if babies sleep on their tummies if you first lay them down on their backs and then they roll over to their tummies. You should probably roll them back over if they do but if they keep rolling onto their tummies, it shouldn't be a problem, but Squirt is no where near old enough to be rolling over on his own. Putting babies on their tummies increases the risk of SIDS immensely. I don't think that's a risk you want to take for a few minutes of sanity.

I would suggest the carrier or the swing or a bouncy seat. He just likes to feel cuddled and warm. So, although he's swaddled in the crib, it's still a big open area where he may not feel as secure as he might in the carrier or a smaller place where he will be comfortable.

I know you are an experienced Mom so, I'm sure you know all this stuff too but, there's my two-cents.

Good luck and be patient! This is all knew to your boys as well as you! :)
July 22, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Stacey said…
I wouldn't worry too too much if you put him on his tummy. It's the only way Rowan would sleep. At first I was terrified, but once I saw how much better he slept, I was thankful that Keith had tried it in the first place! Of course, I didn't swaddle him when he was on his tummy. He had his arms free, just how he liked it :)

Another trick to avoid the instant awake is to put him down when he's just getting sleepy. Trust me, if you keep rocking him to sleep now, he's going to expect it FOREVER! And it only gets harder to put them down without waking. Let him learn to fall asleep on his own. If you want to keep rocking him to sleep, then I suggest a fleece blanket. It holds the heat better, and it won't be such a shock to him when you put him down on a cool mattress.
July 23, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Aubrey said…
Oh how I wish I had the magic formula for this! I feel your pain! Have you tried just letting him cry it out?
July 24, 2009 at 9:18 AM
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