You guys really got me thinking this morning. I had to go take a shower and then come back to ponder the questions.
I'll start with the easy one
H - we do do set A times. That's pretty much what we've always done because that is what Lyle responds best to. Every time I try to push him too hard it blows up in my face. But having said that..... with these super EW things seem to have changed a little bit and my little boy is growing up and being better able to handle the pushes.
The morning that he woke up at 4:20am He didn't go down until 11:30. I put him in bed but he was so OT it ended up in a very gentle Wi/Wo sort of thing. I didn't push too hard. And he eventually went to sleep. Now.... the old Lyle would have woken up at 1.5 hours on the dot screaming. But he didn't need me once that whole nap. That was very very encouraging.
The next morning he slept in until 8:15. So that got me thinking...... I wonder if he needs an increase in A time in the morning.
But I didn't go with it. He was a wreck by 1:00 that afternoon. I think because we were at a neighbors who has kids and because he's soooo used to go to bed around 11 now.
That next morning he was up at 5 something.
So the day before yesterday he was up at 4:56 again.... we did a long A time. He was very tired by 10:45 so put him in bed, but still that was almost 6 hours A time. He took a good nap and then slept until 7:30 yesterday morning.....
so today I wasn't 100% sure when he woke. I know he woke a little before 6, but I was pretty sure he went back to sleep. So I went with when I heard him next at 6:40. So I decided to try to stretch him today. And he seemed ok.
He was asleep at 12:00. However, it almost blew up in my face. He has woken up a few times, but has gone back to sleep. Phew......
So we'll see how my new theory goes. What throws me off is he goes RIGHT to sleep after 5 hours A time. So I didn't get that maybe he needed a push.
Ok, so about the medical issues.
I can't lie, that has crossed my mind. Unfortunately it didn't cross my mind when I think it might have really been an issue.
Lyle only showed a few of the signs that he might have had reflux. He did used to spit up, but I read in BW that they spit up if he eats too much, so I always thought it was that. I didn't know until I meet Jean on here that he might have been eating so much to comfort himself. Like H and Hunter he is a big boy and he always has been. He's always been a huge eater. And when he was little he would wake to feed every 2 hours and then feed for 40 min of that. So he was really waking me every 1h20m. Then when I started BWing things go so much better, so I just pretty much accepted things for awhile. And ever since then things have gotten progressively better. So I've always written it off to a need in a routine change.
There are only a few times where he "screams" awake. So if it was medical don't you think he would do that more?
Things are so much better thanks to BW and all the lovely ladies on here that I don't classify Lyle as a "bad" sleeper anymore. He goes to bed independently and STTN most nights. I know there are plenty of babies/toddlers out there who don't do that. (When there mom's are being honest about it) He just seems to need less sleep then some. And I'm still trying to figure out how much that is.
I think Lyle is like H in that it really does span over a few days, but man.... how do you keep track of that
Oh.... and he is still teething, so there is still that to contend with. But.... 2 molars are a lot of the way out, and some of the incisors are poking through. So I do see a light at the end of this tunnel.
Sorry this is so long.
Jean - is DH doing better?