Having a HARD Time Implementing EASY

[Tweakster]

Thanks gals.

Yes he is 16 weeks today.

My big problem is that he is quite big, strong and long for his age and doesn't want to be AP'd most days.  He is really fighting me when I try to rock him or bounce him.  He is getting too big for the swing because he can *almost* sit up and he tips over.  I am worried that he is going to fall out.  Plus he must be like 16 or 17 lbs now so he is almost too heavy for it, it barely swings anymore lol.  Physics is against us.  He doesn't sleep in the pram or car seat, he is too busy looking around or getting annoyed.

In the crib when we do shush/pat, he is really rolling every which way - and he can roll himself right up to the top of the crib and his head starts banging into the headboard.  I keep pulling him back down so I can shush/pat and he just gets even more agitated.  I can only half swaddle him now and he is getting too long for that even.

I guess I am running into pu/pd which I really don't want to get into but it might be my only option 

[gavinsmum1]

PUPD is not really that bad.  It's a lot of crying in the beginning, but it doesn't last more than a couple of days.  Just make sure you've got ear plugs and wear a t-shirt.  It does get a little sweaty.  In all honesty, it is much easier than AP at this age.  I can't even think of a way that DS2 would go to sleep if I tried to AP.  I know that if he's waking from a nap early, that he's:
a) had a poop
2) not had enough awake time prior to the nap
If you do decide to do PUPD your LO might surprise you with his ability to self-soothe.  J certainly did!!  Once you go that route you'll find that if your LO does wake early from a nap for some reason, and he's still needing more sleep, it's likely that he'll be able to do it all by himself with maybe just a little encouragement from you. 

[Tweakster]

I am going to consider PU/PD.  I feel drained today.  I am really missing these sleep windows.  The nanny had better luck than me today and she doesn't even know about BW!  He slept 1 hr 10 mins for her - whatever that means.

Even if the other naps can be salvaged, it's like I can't get this kid to sleep after 4 p.m. (other than bedtime).  Yesterday he was up from 2:21 until bedtime (save for a 10 minute nap on me - I worked very hard at APOP but then made the mistake of having to go to the bathroom!).  I handed him off to DH when he walked in the door and said I give up.  He spent another half hour trying to get him to sleep too - a lot of trouble for this one catnap.  Luckily he was only up twice in the night to feed and then slept until 7:00 himself this morning!!!

Q's:
1.  His A times - he is nowhere near 2 hours at this point and he's almost 4 months - most days I am lucky if he can do 1 hr 15 mins.  I'm still tweaking and apparently doing it badly.  Is it likely that his morning A time will be quite short and then his late afternoon A time a lot longer? 

2.  Catnap - he just doesn't want to take it.  But it messes up everything because we have to put him to bed earlier.  Or is it better to work to get him to CN even up until 6:30 and then if he does sleep, wake him at 7 and put him to bed later? 

Right now I have him in the swing with the white noise blasting away - he didn't want any part of being rocked. 

[gavinsmum1]

Can you post another example or two of your EASY the last couple of days.  Let's see what the A times and naps are like.  He may want a longer A time toward the end of the day, but an hour and 15 minutes is too short for his age.  What kinds of sleep cues is he giving you that indicates he's ready for nap.  J will get absolutely cranky about 2 hours into his A time, but will only nap an hour if I put him down then.  If I give him a stretch of 3 hours 10 minutes, then he's down for a good nap, usually.  It's possible that he's showing signs of being tired at old nap times or just needing a change of scenery.  When I starte getting the 2 hour fussing, I load J into the stroller or the carrier and take him outside for a stroll.  It really helps his mood and he's able to go the longer A time. 

[Tweakster]

Thanks gm1.

Yesterday was my mum's b-day so he only had bad naps in the car and stroller (except for morning nap). 
But I can show you Saturday:

6:30 a.m. awake - babbling and low grade fussing
E 7:00 4.5 oz
A
S 8:12 - 10:18
A
E 10:45 5 oz
A
S 11:45 - 12:40 (we decided not to extend at that point)
A
E 2:20 5 oz
S 2:40 - 3:20 extended from 3:30 - 4:25 (he was OT because DH was on the webcam to Grandma and kept him up a bit longer)
A
E 6:30 8.5 oz (thinking GS because he never takes that much)
S by 7:00

His morning A time is 1 hr 15 minutes tops.  Am I counting his crib-babbling wake time as A time or just when I actually go in and brighten the room etc.? 

His signs are hard to read.  But now we have worked out that he starts sighing and arms getting jerky.  If we wait until he fusses more it is too late and we have a battle both going down and trying to extend.  He rarely yawns - in fact his yawns come after he wakes from his nap.  We have been trying to push out his A times with very little success.

[Tweakster]

Today so far:
Awake 6:40ish - start the day at 7
E 7:20 5.5 oz
A
S 8:00 - 9:26
A
E 10:20 4 oz
A
S 11:00 - 1:17
E 1:20 4.5 oz
A
S 2:42 - ??

He must be in a GS because he is back to being hungry at 3 hours again - plus he had a 2 hour+ nap - all on his own with no HTTJ and not much shush/pat needed  He never does that lol.