Sleep Update

Just a quick update… Night 1 was good, better than expected. After a 45 minute session of complaining initially, Nathaniel woke up a couple of times, and got back to sleep. He had a nursing partway through, which he’s used to at night, and he went back to sleep in his crib okay after that, then woke up at about 7am. Of course, that day, we had two hour-plus screaming sessions at nap times, so he was pretty tired.

Day 2 was not so good. We have all been sleep-deprived and on edge, so we didn’t feel like dealing with the screaming during the day, so he got walks, not a big deal. At night, I got Nathaniel to sleep by reading to him til he got bored and slept, about 45 minutes again. But then when he woke up partway through, he wouldn’t sleep again as nicely as Night 1. Andrzej and Sophie had to get up very early for an appointment, so we tried to put up with the screaming a little, but caved and brought him into bed with us. He was restless, we didn’t sleep well thereafter, and we got up at 6am.

We’re all exhausted and cranky today, including Nathaniel. I am the one who puts him in there and checks him (occasionally Sophie), but “the Book” says the nursing mother shouldn’t be involved because that would make things harder. I spent over an hour at his first nap-time in the morning, and the only result was screaming. He won’t even lie down. He spends the whole time standing at the edge of the crib, gripping the rails, crying, staring at the partially open door, with saliva and snot all over his face.

He now DETESTS that room and the crib and starts looking pitiful and scared if we even go down that end of the hallway. After that session, we brought him to the kitchen. Normally he tends to crawl all over the place. This time he was still edgy, and he kept bumping into me, a signal he wants me to pick him up. I would, then he would hold on tightly to me and relax a little. Then I’d put him down with his toys, but he would go right back straight to me… This is unusual because usually he will pick Maggie first, Sophie second, Andrzej third, and me last for holding. We think he’s feeling that I’m mad at him, and that’s why I abandon him in the crib. Or that I don’t like him anymore, or something. It’s pretty pitiful.

Tonight should be tough.