Bubba has never been a good sleeper. I don't know where it comes from as his pappa is a wonderful sleeper (so wonderful in fact he has no idea how taxing 11 months without a solid nights rest is). To ring in the New Year I am back to sleep training my wonderful baby boy.
We were doing well with naps, until just before Christmas Eve when Bubba spiked a temperature of 102.6 (he's fine). Not only did we battle a fever, but he has been working on a few more teeth (which I would love to pull through myself it it meant he'd be a little less clingy). Needless to say, we back tracked over the holiday with our naps. It didn't help that Daddy was home and wanted to catch up on a few cuddles, so I feel like I am back to square 1.5.
I say square 1.5 because while Bubba resists the naps with everything he has (and boy does he get desperate), at night he goes down quite easily (knock on wood). After he's is laid down though we are almost guaranteed 4-6 hours before another waking and then every 2-4 hours until morning (usually 3). As you can imagine, I am just worn out. Additionally, I was hoping that by 1 year there would begin to be some normalcy coming back into my life.
Thus begins a series on my (and Bubba's) trials with entering back into the world of sleep training.
I wholly accept responsibility for his poor napping habits. But who can resist a sleeping baby? If I knew then what I know now, I would have fought a little harder on resisting his warm cuddles and his cute lips moving like he's still nursing. And Baby Sleep Syndrome, as my husband so fondly calls it (Baby Sleep Syndrome is the overwhelming urge/need to nap because you are holding a sleeping child).
My goal, however long it takes, is for Bubba to sleep all the way through the night, without Boob. For him to nap, consistently, without being held.
My plan to make that happen:
1. Research. Parents have been struggling with this for years. I know I am not alone in this struggle, and I know that I am not the first person to deal with it. Therefore, I plan to learn from other's experiences.
2. Be consistent. I posted on Facebook just this week a desperate plea for help with Bubba's naps. Some recommended different methods, but the one thing they all had in common was to be consistent! This principal is applied to all aspects of parenting, so why is it so hard for me to apply it to sleep as well?
3. Be flexible. I am a stubborn person. My way is the right way. I will continue doing things my way sometime to a fault. So, if one way doesn't work after a few days I need to be willing to try a new method. No child fits into a cookie cutter that is outlined in a book, that includes Bubba (and would I really want him to?).
4. Forgive myself. Like any diet, I need to enter this knowing there are going to be mistakes. It is a learning process and at least I am now committed to taking steps to fix the problem (I mean, I posted this blog, so now I am held accountable).
I plan on blogging once a week about this, but if you have young children you know how the best plans can be changed at a moments notice. Wish me luck!
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