Project Sleep Day 1

Today was the first day of Project Sleep. It was a disaster. First off, Adilynn didn't wake up until 7:45, which is unlike her. I thought maybe she was tired from our busy weekend, so I let her sleep in a little bit. So the day kind of started a bit off our usual routine. She nursed once around 9 am, and then started getting sleepy around 10:30. I nursed her for just a few minutes when she started to fall asleep. It was at that time I decided to lay her down in her crib.


This unleashed a fit of crying and screaming like I'd never heard before from this child!! To make an incredibly loooong story short, she cried for TWO HOURS! And there's no need to call Child Protective Services on me....I did NOT leave her in her crib to cry it out alone for two hours. That would just be cruel, nor would I ever do that. I did however, go in there in 5 and 10 minute increments. And finally, when the two hour mark rolled around at 12:30 pm, I decided to just get her up. I figured at that point she was probably hungry for lunch anyways.

So after lunch, she seemed to catch a second wind and was all over the house playing. Long about 2:15 she wanted to nurse. I GAVE IN AND NURSED HER TO SLEEP. I know that's exactly what I'm trying NOT to do, but I felt that she had gone thru enough earlier in the day.

I am so hoping tomorrow is better. It's getting easier to distract her from nursing at times, so maybe that's the beginning of weaning her completely. If I can just get her to fall asleep on her own during naptime- that will be awesome!

As for now, our sweet little angel is tucked away in her warm crib, probably wedged up in the top left corner of her crib. Is there anything worse than letting your baby cry it out?

I don't think so.

Project Sleep 2

Okay, so tomorrow is my first day of Project Sleep. This is my plan: I'm thinking that she will wake up as usual between 6:30 am and 7 am. We'll have breakfast, which for her is usually oatmeal and toast. I will most likely nurse her since I don't want to cut her off cold turkey. (I read that if that happens it can actually be traumatic for the child). So if she wants to nurse beyond one time in the morning, I have some snack distractions including granola bars, blueberry muffins, apples, bananas, etc. (that's assuming Orrin and I don't eat the blueberry muffins tonight). She'll probably go down for a nap between 10 and 10:30. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS TRICKY PEOPLE. I will be starting the "cry it out" method. UGH. My heart is already breaking. However, I can't keep letting her fall asleep while she's nursing. If she cries, I'll go into her room every 5, 10 and 15 minutes until she falls asleep. (let's hope it's less than 5 minutes). I'll also do that with her late afternoon nap as well.

Oh man. I have a knot in my stomach already. I think I'm more sad thinking about weaning her from nursing.....because that means she won't need me as much. :(

I know....I need to get a grip.

So anyways, that will be my day tomorrow. SIDENOTE: Orrin and I and my parents have been praying that she will gradually start weaning herself from nursing. On friday, she only nursed TWICE, except for once at bedtime!!! She didn't seem interested at all! Even over the weekend I didn't nurse her as much. I think God knows how hard this will be for me, so He's helping me out!

Where's Jesus?

A trashy tale.

Adilynn has developed an interest in the trash can. In the beginning, she would just go over and lift the lid while looking in it. Then it went to trying to take things out of it. I figured since she was interested in it, I would teach her that we only put things IN it. So the last few days I've been working with her on throwing stuff away. This seems to be her new favorite thing.

Well, this morning I couldn't find the TV remote. I looked EVERYWHERE. In her room, in her toybox, in the bathroom drawer (where I've found it once before)....everywhere. (I knew we should have stuck with keeping the remote out of her reach). I just went in a few minutes ago to throw something away and guess what was laying there right on top, in a little puddle of ketchup.......

The remote.

Along with a pair of her black gloves, one pink glove and three magnet letters from the fridge.

Stephanie.

For those of you that have been following the story of Stephanie Vest, please click on her name to read the entry stating that she passed away last night. I prayed so hard for her yesterday, as did thousands of others. I don't understand why God decided to take her home when she had three little ones here on earth. What a reminder that His ways are not our ways. Please take the time out to pray for her husband Eric, and her children- Cole, Zach and Gracie. My heart especially breaks for Gracie who is only seven months old and will now grow up without a mother who no doubt loved her until her last breath. It's never easy to lose someone, but I am glad that she is no longer suffering. And as someone commented on her blog "our loss is heaven's gain."

Project Sleep.

Adilynn has always been a great sleeper. I can count on one hand the number of times Orrin and I have been up with her at night trying to get her back to sleep. Even when we brought her home from the hospital, she would wake up every 4 hours or so to eat, then go back down with no problems. However....that has changed!!! She has recently started waking up anywhere between 2-4 times a night and can only fall back asleep if I nurse her. Last night she woke up at 10 pm (but she put herself back to sleep at that time), 1:30 am, 2:30 am and 6 am. And again, the only way she goes back to sleep is if she nurses. I can lay her down at night when she's awake, and she'll go right to sleep with no problems. But it seems she is unable to get herself back to sleep if she wakes up in the middle of the night.

I do have a theory on this though. She is still nursing, so when she is ready for her naps during the day, she'll nurse and fall asleep during the middle of it. So I think that I have started a BAD habit with her by letting her fall asleep while nursing. But it's strange because at night I lay her down awake and she'll go to sleep on her own.

So starting Monday, I'm going to have to start doing things differently. First off, I'm going to try to start weaning her from nursing. Now, let me just say that I had planned on nursing her only for her first year. (just a sidenote that she does get regular food in addition to nursing) However, this girl loves to nurse!!! She will nurse even when I know she's not hungry. I think it is just a comfort and security thing for her. I have started distracting her when she wants to nurse with apples, cucumbers, wheat thins, etc. That has seemed to help a little. I'm hoping that once she is completely weaned, then she'll start sleeping better at night.

The second thing I'm going to start Monday is laying her down for her naptime when she's awake, but sleepy. I went thru a period of time when she was around 6 months old that I would let her cry it out. She did great for awhile, but somehow over the course of time everything got all messed up. So, I think she's going to have to relearn how to fall asleep on her own.

I am not looking forward to starting all this but I can't keep getting up with her 2-4 times a night. And in all honesty, I will miss her nursing! Like Adilynn, I have immensely enjoyed the bond it has created, and I have never even minded getting up with her in the night to nurse (until recently!).

I have named this whole weaning / naptime thing "Project Sleep" so we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!!!

PLEASE PRAY!!

Please stop right now and say a prayer for Stephanie Vest. Click here to read the latest blog entry. I have followed her blog to a tee and read every entry at least twice!! She is fighting for her life and needs a touch from God! Please say a prayer for her, her husband and her three young children.