Jackson

Last night was the worst night with Jackson since he started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old.

For the last 3.5 weeks now he's been waking up between 1 and 3 am. At first I was sure it was because he was stuffed up and uncomfortable from his cold. The congestion cleared up about a week and a half ago but he has continued to wake up at the same time every night. People have suggested maybe teething or ear infection but he is never cranky during the day. He's such a happy, playful boy. I would think teething or ear infection would make him miserable at times other than when he's in his crib.

Since Madison sleeps 3 feet away from him I can't just let him cry...even for a few minutes. I can't risk having TWO crying babies up with me at night. It's physically impossible to handle not to mention emotionally. (Chris attempted to take the night shift one night and told me the next day that he couldn't do it...he was a zombie at work the next day.)

So as soon as he starts to cry I have to run in to get him which I KNOW is teaching him the worst lesson ever but I just don't have any other choice. I'll usually attempt to bring him to bed with us but if he doesn't settle I have to go in the play room and sleep on the futon with him. Until last night he would fall asleep right away in my arms...until last night.

I was so excited. It was 12:30 am and I was in bed! I remember thinking how great the extra hour of sleep was going to be. Chris had given Jackson motrin before bed to see if that would get him through the night in case it was pain that was waking him up. I didn't even get a chance to fall asleep when Jackson woke up. I brought him to bed. He wouldn't settle. He kept rolling over on to his belly and trying to get up and crawl. Then he would totally collapse asleep. Then 10 seconds later he would pop awake again and cry and attempt to crawl then collapse asleep. This went on for quite a while before Chris not so nicely told me to take him to the other room.

Now in the play room I knew I could let him cry because it's far enough away from the bedrooms that it wasn't going to disturb anyone...oh right, besides me. I put him in the pack-n-play and he just immediately stood up and screamed. I tried to sleep on the futon for about 20 minutes and I couldn't take the screaming anymore. I just felt too bad for him. So I brought him to the futon with me where he continued to do the same thing he did in bed...up crying...collapse asleep. I tried holding him but that made him scream even louder.

Now it's 3 am and I decide to make him a bottle and see if that helps. I made a huge mommy no no and let him have his bottle in the pnp hoping he would fall asleep before he even finished it. No such luck. 10 minutes later I heard the air sucking through the bottle. He immediately stood up and started screaming.

I believe around 4:30 he finally fell asleep on the futon with me. 7:30 Chris and Madison were up which means Mommy and Jackson were awake too.

It was not a fun night.

Chris is giving him a late night bottle tonight to see if that avoids the initial wake up at 1 am.

Nap time has not been a picnic either. Last week Jackson re-learned how to roll over. With his new skill he refuses to stay on his back when I put him down for a nap (we went through the same thing with Madison when she learned to roll over, now she's a peach to get to sleep). I try to let him cry for about 15 minutes. When I go in to check on him and try to lay him back down, Madison is sound asleep! When I put the binky back in him mouth and lay him back down he screams even louder and immediately stands up. So I either have to lay down with him or he will sleep if I put him in the big chair we have in the living room.

Today however he was put in his crib three times and each time he did not make a peep and fell asleep immediately! I hope that wasn't a fluke and that it's the start of better sleeping for poor Jackson (and mommy).