Sarah/Anyone PLEASE HELP!!!!

[coopers_mommy]

Just wanted to update since life has been pretty crazy.  We are getting back into our routine of things around here!  YIPPEE!!  I have decided that if Cooper wakes before 6 then I will probably try for 2 naps, maybe even less A time depending on his mood!  Although because we were out yesterday, he went 5 hours of A time before his first nap.  He slept for about 1:15!  Which is pretty great considering that I thought he might only take about a 45 minute nap.  So today we again tried for about 4.75-5 hours of A time.  He seems to be getting it down.  We've also decided to go with your suggestion about only moving the bedtime up 30 minutes at the most if naps weren't great or if he is really tired.  I think all of this is really helping. 

He's napping right now, so hopefully it will be a great 2 hour nap  

[deckchariot]

I hope it's a fabulous 2 hr nap for you!!!  It sounds like you have a really good plan to navigate the switch. Flexibility is key, and you've got that!  How's the medical problems?  I'm hoping for good test results!!!

[coopers_mommy]

Thanks for asking!  All of the "worst case scenarios" have been ruled out!  Praise God!  The Dr is thinking that his bone marrow needs a boost to make these white blood cells.  So, we did a test on Monday and Tuesday (Nupigen?) that is meant to kick the bone marrow into shape and produce the cells.  Well it worked.  So now we're waiting to see if his body will continue doing this without the shot or if we might need to go to doing shots on a regular basis. 

We meet with the urologist next week about the bi-latteral bladder reflux, we're hoping to hear that Cooper won't need to be on antibiotics for a long period of time! 

Today's nap was about 1.20 long    I tried for a second cat nap but got nothing.  The good part is that through the last few days this is what we've been going through and he's still sleeping well at night.  So, I can't be too upset.  I think tomorrow morning I might extend out A time a little longer and see where we get! 

[deckchariot]

glad they've ruled out all the really scary stuff!!!  And here's to hoping that shot is a one time thing that kicks his marrow into shape!  Like you need nap issues on top of all that!!!  Keep on pushing that A time, I'm guessing he's in that weird place of being ready for 1 nap a day but not all the way ready for the A time needed to make that 1 nap enough for the day  - the good news is that means you're almost there with the switch!!!  Keep me posted!

[coopers_mommy]

WOW It's been a while!  Sorry to not be on here lately.  Well, life is def settling down now and Cooper's doing so well!  We're obviously still working on getting to 1 nap all the time, but hey I'm really learning it's a process.

I do have a question though.  Recently (like the last 2 days) he has needed and taken 2 GREAT naps each day.  I don't really understand it though because he's sleeping from 7ish to 6:30ish with no NW's.  But by 10 it's as if he wants to fall to pieces!  I have been out the last two days with some training for MDO and so DH has been here putting him down for naps (he no longer needs me to nurse him anymore    AND  )  ANYWAY....I told DH that he could try for an am nap yesterday but not to push it and Cooper took an hour nap and would have kept sleeping, but DH wanted him to take a pm nap also!  And then it happened again today!  So, could it be a growth spurt?  I know that when he was itty bitty he would sleep and eat more when he was growing.  Or could it be teething?  I'm PRETTY sure he's teething right now.  It's just so odd. 

Tomorrow we'll see how he does on one nap because I will be out and about all morning preparing for the 1st day of MDO AND again, he'll only be given 1 nap at the MDO (2 days a week, so the other days he can catch up on sleep). 

Anyway, not too much to be upset about truthfully, I'm just more surprised at his willingness to sleep so much for each nap.   

Hope you're doing well Michelle!  Thanks for your help.

[deckchariot]

My first thought was indeed growth spurt!  Teething could be it as well - I know Abby (and 2 other bubs in my BC) have a string of days where they need what seems like excessive amounts of sleep just before the cut another tooth.  I'd say just go with what he seems to need.  We had several months where it was mostly 1 nap days, but every so often, a 2 nap day was needed.  You have made AMAZING progress!!!!

[coopers_mommy]

Hey, just wanted to give a quick update.  DS had a horrible NW on Friday night.  He was up for 4 hours.  I think it had a lot to do with only being willing to take 1 nap (and that was the am one, so he was tired) and he was slowly getting a slight fever (from either teething or a little infection he has).  SO he didn't eat dinner and woke up hungry (understandable!).  BUT that meant he was up for 4 hours.  We tried WIWO at first, then tried some AP, and finally realized he was hungry.  So we fed him a snack and I finally was so tired that I nursed him down.  I know, I know....horrible, BUT I was so tired.  We were hoping he would sleep forever in the am, but woke at 7! 

On the flip side of all of this though, we stayed with 2 naps this weekend bc of his OTness but they were pushed back.  He was up till 8:15pm on Sat bc we had somewhere to be that evening and then slept till 7:30!  So we again began with pushing everything back yesterday and it worked!  He went to sleep at about 7:45 last night and slept till 7:30!  We're trying for one long nap today, we'll see how he does!  If not, then we'll do a catnap around 4ish and then do another later bedtime.  I'm jsut happy that he's not still waking at 6 even with a later bedtime! 

The 1 nap will come, tomorrow is his first day of MDO, so we'll see how 1 nap does him.  He might get a catnap when he gets home around 3 to hold him till 7:30! 

I guess some NW's aren't horrible in the end!   

[deckchariot]

despite a bad night, it looks like you're doing great!!!!  How 's today?  Are you on one nap or 2?  You have made such amazing progress!!!  You should be really proud of yourself and your little man!!!  (and your dh who I know has helped a ton!!)

[coopers_mommy]

Hey Michelle,  I have a few questions for you. 

DS has been doing great these days.  I think we are primarily at 1 nap a day, although some days I think he needs 2, but wont take 2!  He's done great with taking naps at MDO also.  His naps are right around 1:15-1:30 long....not where I would like it, but I'm just happy he's napping! 

Here's our problem right now.  Since he's not taking long enough naps some days, I have been puting him to bed early (6:30-7 instead of 7:30) to make up for the lost sleep time.  BUT he wakes up around 6 again!  We were doing great with him waking between 7-7:30 in the am, and now with him waking at 6, I really feel that he needs 2 naps.  Again though, he fights the second nap.  I tried for 2 naps yesterday with no success.  Should I make his bedtime even earlier right now to overcome this OTness that is probably setting in?  Do they naturally lengthen their sleep time also for the 1 nap?  I really hope to get it to 2+hours! 

Thanks for your help and I hope you're dong well.

[deckchariot]

sorry to hear those nasty EWs are back.....my dd did naturally lengthen her 1 nap, I didn't really have to do anything else.  If her first nap was shorter than 2.5 hrs, I tried for a catnap.  If she didn't take it, I put her to bed 30 min early. 

When he takes only 1 nap - how is he when he wakes up?  When does he start to fall apart before bedtime?  I'm wondering if he just needs less sleep than the average bub.  With the 1 nap, what's his morning A time and his afternoon A time?  I'm afraid to suggest you put him down any earlier, for fear that he'll wake earlier.  But if you suspect he's waking early because of the OT of the day before, then give it a try.  But if he's waking happy and he makes it ok til bedtime, I'd say he's a bub who needs less sleep, and you could push bedtime back to 7:30 and get that later wake up time.  I know that's not all that helpful......

have you done a 1 nap day with a regular bedtime?  How did that go?

[coopers_mommy]

He is generally happy when he wakes from his nap.  He doesn't cry or anything.  He doesn't really fall apart either before bedtime when there is one nap.  We haven't tried a 7:30 bedtime with one nap.  I'm thinking we might try that tonight since we will be home tomorrow and can catch up on rest if needed! 

He seems happy with only about 1.5 nap.  I have noticed from yesterday when I tried for a earlier am nap to try for 2 naps that he only slept for an hour b/c his A time was shorter!  He seems to be okay with about 5-5.5 hours of A time.  Today at MDO he had about 6.5 hours of A time and took an 1.5 nap!  I can't complain too much I guess!  And we're not having any NW's right now (tonight we might now that I put that   )  I'll let you know how tonight goes with a 7.30 bedtime.

Thanks!

[deckchariot]

If he's happy with that 1.5 hr nap, I'm guessing he's just a bub who needs less sleep.  I'd try the regular bedtime with 1 nap and see....let me know how it goes!

[coopers_mommy]

Well we went till 7:30 last night and he went right to sleep.  HE did though have 2 resettling wakeups and one real NW when DH went in to do WIWO.  He went back to sleep with all of them though and actually slept till 8:15 (I woke him because we had a dr's appt!).  I tried for a naptime at 1...maybe too early, but I felt like it was getting to late in the day.  I put him down, he went to sleep but woke at 1:45!  ERRRRR.  I'm thinking he's OT right now.  BUT I don't want an early wakeup tomorrow morning.....I can't decide if I should still go with the 7:30 bedtime or move it up to 7 since his nap was not good. 

What do you think?

[deckchariot]

it's tomorrow already, so I don't know what you ended up doing, I would have gone with a 7:00 bedtime.  Based on how the previous day went, I'm guessing he's ok with the 1.5 hr nap and regular bedtime - might not want to let him sleep til 8 though - or if you do, plan on a later nap and probably a later bedtime then too.  How happy were you with the sleep in??!! 

[coopers_mommy]

Well we ended up watching him around 6:30 to see how he was doing.  I think he went to bed around 7:15ish.  He did great last night though.  No NW's and slept till 7 this morning!  We were pleased. 

So today we had an active day and kept him going till 12.  He slept from 12-1:40....so a good nap!  He seemed to get tired early this afternoon, but we then found out he was wanting a snack to get some energy!  After that he was great.  He went to sleep around 7:30 tonight easily.  I'm really liking this schedule.  I have a feeling that he'll get used to maybe doing a 2 hour nap one day.  I'm okay with him not doing a 2 hour nap if he's still STTN and isn't cranky! 

Oh and in answer to your question....I was AMAZED at him sleeping in.  I almost didn't know what to do!  I think if he wouldn't have had a dr's appt I would have let him sleep forever!    I do understand what you're saying though about later wake up time means everything gets pushed back and I dont' think I want that!  So we'll try to stick to a 7-7:30 wake up time!   

Oh yeah and I think I'm getting used to the 1 nap thing.  It's somewhat nice to have more "freedom" to go out and do things!  I thought I'd miss the 2 naps drastically, and I do some days, but I think I'm liking the 1 nap better.