Sleep Anyone?

As a parent, there is little that affects you more than lack of sleep. We are going through a rough patch with N, with sleep, discipline, and potty training. So guess which books I bought? Yep, sleep, discipline, and potty training books! I'm only on the sleep book right now, since it is what most affects us and we're fearful how she will react on vacation. I thumbed through several books before getting this one. Just like the 3 little bears, Ferber was "too harsh," Pantley was "too soft," but this book seems just right. They take a least-cry approach, being realistic that there might be some crying involved during the process of getting kids and babies to sleep properly and on their own, but it doesn't have to be screaming for hours and hours. (See book here!!)

If you breastfeed, bottle-feed, have a kid from birth to 5 years, they have solutions. In my case, I was doing lots of things right. But there are 2 or 3 things we do that perpetuate the nighttime battle. We have a bedtime routine, we put her down early enough (7:30ish) even when everyone else tells us its too early (it's not!!!), we give her baths at night, she has a gate so she stays in her room but she can still see out. But we rock her. Not until she's asleep, but until she's kind of quiet. And when she cries in the middle of the night, we go to her and rock her again. And she doesn't always take her naps and at the same time. The premise of the book is that everyone, even children, wake up 5-6 times a night. As adults, we learn to fall asleep by ourselves and so never fully wake during the night. Children that have learned to go to sleep by themselves also do not fully waken to consciousness. But children that need sleep aids that they do not control (mommy rocking, daddy holding hand or rubbing, etc) need you to recreate the same conditions each and every time they wake. The trick is to provide them with sleep aids that they control, such as sippy cup in a consistent place, pacifier, or blanky or stuffed animal. We used the pacifier until she was two, and then quit cold turkey. That was N's big sleep aid. Then she substituted the paci for the sippy cup. We would get up and fill it again if she cried out that she needed more water. But with potty training, she simply could not drink water all night and learn the potty. So we took it away. But she has not found a replacement sleep aid. She needed to learn that most people do not drink water all night long. They drink before going to sleep and when waking up. Besides, even with a special night diaper, the pee pee was seeping through all the way to her plasticized mattress. I got tired of changing sheets every day.

I am optimistic with this book. They are common-sense, structured, organized, detailed solutions to creating your own sleep plan that works for you. The best part? They have online resources!!! You can download sleep planners, sleep charts, and other valuable resources. PLease, if you or a friend or family is having trouble with sleep and kids, recommend this book. I think they will thank you as soon as they wake up!

Has it really been a month??

I can't believe I've procrastinated to a month after my last post.

Good news on the thesis: it has been turned in, approved, signed, sealed, and delivered. I got word not too long ago it might be nominated for an award. It sounds flattering, no? Except I distinctly remember my advisor saying 3 weeks before that every thesis gets nominated for some award. So I'm flattered, but not floored.

I finished also the last class I had to take to graduate now in July. It was pure torture answering the questions and writing the final essay when I had already turned in the thesis. I had nothing left, but I squeezed out the minimum I think to get an A.

And then my mom's sister and family from Michigan came to visit. For just a few short days. It was way too short and left everyone wanting a little more.

N is going through a rough terrible two's patch. She's not quite potty-trained, not quite well-behaved, not quite sleeping thru the night, etc. But every day she does or says something new and funny. 2 days ago her tummy rumbled as we rocked together, and she looked right at me smiling and said "I have a DRAGON in my belly!" Aww, how cuuuuute! But then she had to mess it up with the Papitis. She only craves for Papi now. This morning she said, "I want Papa, I don't WANT Mama!" And she follows him around like a faithful dog. Sickening, really ;p

So what am I doing now that everything is done finito? Well, I had a list of things to do, but no energy. I'm enjoying nothing for now. I've been checking out of school and the base, which believe me, takes a while. There's some loose ends I have to tie up, but nothing major. Basically, I'm planning for my vacay in PR. So far, I have two confirmed beach stays, and I'm working on a third. For once, my immediate family is coming first, before in-laws and parents and other relatives.

This post is getting boring even for me, so until next time...