Sleepless in Chester Springs

So a few things have happened since I last wrote like, oh, an entire pregnancy, and a baby. I worked through my pregnancy and spent all free time voraciously reading books about my pending life changes, hence no blogging. I know…no excuses. So after an age of not writing I have decided to hack away the briars and thorns surrounding my sleeping beauty computer and sit down and write something. I am currently writing to inspire myself to new heights of accountability with making a plan to get my precious baby and I to sleep. As many of you know, we had an adorable baby boy, William Rhys, in December and life has been a whirlwind ever since. In a good way.

I have torn through a bunch of different technique books to no avail (crying is not an option for me) so next up is the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. http://www.nocrysolution.com I came across this via the work of Dr. William Sears who, as it turns out, is my new go-to source for parenting philosophies. I decided this after realizing that when I read something he’s written I feel good about myself as a parent as opposed to inadequate. So I figure if he recommends Pantley’s book it’s worth a read.

So here’s the scenario that has lead me to desperation (and blogging!) For six months Wills or Prince William, as we call him with royal irony (we are descended from the Kentucky Tudors and Will has no claims to anything resembling a throne), slept like, well, a baby in his crib. As I have since discovered, this was because he was unaware of where he was to some degree. Also, the swaddling helped. Now that he uses Incredible Hulk tactics on the swaddling blankets, this is out, and between the teething and separation anxiety that has set in, Will has decided that there’s no place like Mommy and Daddy’s bed. Nursing to sleep is not longer working either because he immediately wakes up freaking out. Pantley describes this as the equivalent of an adult going to sleep in a cozy bed and waking up on the kitchen floor.

Yesterday was the last straw. I have recently started working out (yes my metabolism has been traded in on an older model against my will–think mini cooper to pinto– and I can no longer eat cheese steaks), and my trainer (I have a trainer-long story) told me that I looked truly bad, ragged as he put it. Then I was out in public and a teacher that I had for 15 years in school did not even recognize me. Then Stephen kept asking me if I was “ok.” I’m seeing a pattern. So okay. The sleeplessness is taking it’s toll to say the least.

So the plan is to do all these sleep logs, and through time+patience+love to create new happy sleep associations for Will so he learns to fall asleep and once he awakens during the night (and is not in need of something) to blissfully drift back to sleep. Wish me luck!