Almost EVERY NIGHT for the last WEEK (except for two nights ago), Natalie has been up at night, and not just for brief wakings, either. No, apparently she thinks that bedtime is her second NAPtime, so she wakens anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours after she's been put down FOR THE NIGHT and once she's up she's up for a good TWO-THREE+ HOURS!!!!
This has all come about since her 1-year jabs almost 2 weeks ago - she came down with a nasty case of sniffles shortly afterward, which didn't help, plus she's working on getting her molars out, but GEEZ!!!!!
We've tried earler bedtime, later bedtime, more cold/pain meds, less cold/pain meds. We've had a lot of nights in the last 2 weeks to try these combinations, mind you
; less cold medicine was 2 nights ago for the first time and resulted in frequent but short wakings, but it didn't help last night, when she woke after 45 minutes rarin' to go.
. I am SOOOOO tired of sitting in her chair doing all the things that USED to get her back down if not in short order, at least in under an hour, but after 40 minutes of it and a baby who's getting more and more chatty and engaging and active as I keep trying to settle her, I'm ready to just put her on the floor and hop in the car and drive to my parents' place and leave her with DH for a few days. Seriously. Last night she wriggled off my lap onto the floor, and by the time she tried 30 seconds later to climb back up, I PMS'ed all over the rest of the sleeping household and scared the cr@p out of the baby, not to mention DH and Josie.
I would LOVE to be able to NOT give her ANYTHING to look forward to, but when Josie wakens in the middle of the night, she's even b!tchier than usual the next day - and lately, as big a pain as she's been and with my PMS to boot, it's frankly easier to just get up with the child and take her out to the living room or down to the basement to play while DH and I take turns lying comatose on the sofa making sure she doesn't harm herself. DH has work to go to, like it or not, and I have parenthood to do daily, like it or not, and neither of us has family nearby who can help out by giving DH or me some down time during the day when we ARE home, so no real chance to recharge for nighttime, and I'm already completely wiped out from AF.
I'm going through several coffees and large sodas a day trying to remain functional for times I DO have to be awake, but what I REALLY REALLY need is rest at NIGHT, and so does DH. HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPP!!!!!!
