When you have three children under the age of five you are used to not getting much sleep. I am forever getting up in the middle of the night because someone is sick, scared, thirsty, or wet. It also doesn't help that all three of our children have now decided they would rather sleep in our bed than in their own. Oh, they all start out in their own beds, they just don't stay there. They begin to trickle into our room around 3 a.m. starting with Reagan first. I have a hard time turning her away and I fully admit that it is my fault she wants to sleep in our bed. I started co-sleeping with her as an infant and never had the heart to make her give it up. Plus, she shares her room with her sister and if I make her go back there crying , it will just wake Dee Dee up and then I am dealing with two kids awake instead of just one.
The problem is that sometimes Dee Dee wakes up alone and gets scared. Not every night, but it seems to be happening more and more. So, then she ends up in our bed and we are up to four people in our bed. Now Jack... he used to be my great sleeper. From the time he was 3 months old he started sleeping through the night. When I say through the night I mean 12 hour stretches! I was in heaven. But, ever since we put him in his big boy bed (a regular twin, moved up from the toddler) he wants to come sleep with us. We moved him at the beginning of December and he has just never quite adjusted. I keep thinking it is going to happen and it doesn't. That brings the count up to five. Five people in one King size bed, which means mommy doesn't get much sleep.
So yesterday when I took the girls to school (they had a make-up day b/c of the snow) I was surprised to find that Jack was asleep when I got home. I had left him with Chris and he had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the computer. He never naps at this time of day, it was noon, and he usually naps after school around 3 or 4. So, I now found myself with two whole hours to myself. What did I do you might ask? Laundry? Clean the bathrooms? No, I laid down on my bed by myself and fell asleep. Man, was it wonderful!
*And now gratuitous pictures of sleeping children....
The problem is that sometimes Dee Dee wakes up alone and gets scared. Not every night, but it seems to be happening more and more. So, then she ends up in our bed and we are up to four people in our bed. Now Jack... he used to be my great sleeper. From the time he was 3 months old he started sleeping through the night. When I say through the night I mean 12 hour stretches! I was in heaven. But, ever since we put him in his big boy bed (a regular twin, moved up from the toddler) he wants to come sleep with us. We moved him at the beginning of December and he has just never quite adjusted. I keep thinking it is going to happen and it doesn't. That brings the count up to five. Five people in one King size bed, which means mommy doesn't get much sleep.
So yesterday when I took the girls to school (they had a make-up day b/c of the snow) I was surprised to find that Jack was asleep when I got home. I had left him with Chris and he had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the computer. He never naps at this time of day, it was noon, and he usually naps after school around 3 or 4. So, I now found myself with two whole hours to myself. What did I do you might ask? Laundry? Clean the bathrooms? No, I laid down on my bed by myself and fell asleep. Man, was it wonderful!
*And now gratuitous pictures of sleeping children....
Dee Dee napping on her bed after school yesterday
Jack, who fell asleep last night in his cowboy boots and nothing else. Adorable.
Reagan and Dee, peacefully sleeping. If only this lasted all night.
So glad you got a nap, they don't happen often around here, but when they do, oh my. Loved, loved, loved the sleeping pictures. They were all adorable. Especially loved the boots.
ReplyDeleteYou know I still have one that wanders into my room in the middle of the night and he is 10! Its few and far between now, but I had a very hard time breaking him because the divorce added to it. But what worked with Kelsay and Kyal was to offer a gold star for each night they stayed in their own bed. We worked with small milestones to begin with, 3 gold stars = prize; then we went to 5 gold stars = prize and 10 gold stars = a bigger prize. It worked and once it worked the bribes quit by simply making them understand this was something they were supposed to do and did not need to be rewarded for. (Yeah I know, life sucks, might as well learn it young)
ReplyDeleteAww, NAPS ALL AROUND!! What cute babies, sweet times, huh! ♥ LA
ReplyDeleteWhat adorable pictures!! I love Jack's picture in the boots.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness my 3 under 4 yrs old all sleep that 12 hour stretch! I'm one grouchy Mama without my sleep.
Hugs,
Ohilda
I remember my sister saying that my niece would pop up in her room from time to time as well. Only she would sneak in with a blanket and pillow and crash on the floor. On one such occasion, my sister had, uh, how you say...some quiet time with her husband that kids aren't invited to. She got up to get water or go to the restroom or something and tripped over my sleeping niece, having never heard her come in!! Needless to say, she soon found a way to nip that in the bud!!! Good luck and happy sleeping!!!
ReplyDeleteI am so afraid of switching Natey to a toddler bed. I think I wil keep him in his crib until he can climb out or we have another baby that needs it!!
ReplyDeleteSure hope you get some sleep soon! Super cute pics...but a mama needs her bed! lol!
ReplyDeleteNaps are a wonderful thing! Especially when Mommy get's one too! :o) Love the pics.
ReplyDelete