Wife is looking to go back to work and we need to improve a few things.
“I’m not a pacifier” has been the recent theme of night time. Baby wakes throughout the night and Wife, understandably, has had enough of being needed to fall back asleep. This is just one of several things that need to be figured out soon. What’s a sustainable night plan? Who’s going to take care of Baby during the week?
Grandma will have Baby for two days. Do we go with a nanny? Daycare? Nanny share? We’ve got a great person who happens not to have much experience with a toddler. Still a possibility. Wife is checking out a few daycare centers to wrap her mind around that option. Pros and cons to both.
Back to the sleeping plan. We are having a difficult time accepting the cry-it-out method even though most stories are about its effectiveness. I’m too much of a softy I guess – even a couple nights of screaming makes me want to try anything else. The poor little guy would be so scared and upset and just wouldn’t understand. We’ve started getting him to sleep next to me in order to remove the temptation of milk. Last night we took it one step further and had Mama sleep in the room next door. It actually wasn’t terrible, and the biggest source of pain was my need to pee. Once Baby wakes up the first time, usually around midnight, the trick is to keep him feeling safe. This requires my presence and some kind of constant snuggle. Success depends on my ability to sort of freeze in whatever position Baby finds enough comfort to fall back asleep. He was on to me in my one attempt to go to the bathroom so I had to climb back in. He’s super mobile now and is quick to climb off the bed if there’s someone to chase after. I need to get up at least once to pee, however. Last night was supremely painful on my bladder.
The solution? I have to nip this ridiculous dependence in the bud. Either he goes in the crib or he learns not to rely on constant physical contact at night. If he cries, so be it. He’ll learn soon enough, and we simply can’t let him get away with getting treated like a prince 24/7. Most stories of crying it out involves forty five minutes of screaming the first night but only taking five minutes two or three nights in. It’s an important step of training to become a fully independent sleeper as soon as possible. I’ll have a mason jar next to me to use as my urinal.
seattlepapa 