day one...

...of an eleven day break from preschool and kindergarten and ballet class! We might get a little stir crazy with that much unstructured time by the end of break, but right now the thought that there is nowhere that we have to be for the next week and a half sounds pretty cool. We already have a few playdates and a sleepover planned as well as a visit from Gram, Grandpa, Erin, and Addison next weekend. I think it will be a great week.

Aside from spring break, the biggest thing going on with us right now is our battle for a decent night's sleep.

We're having a really hard time getting Drew to sleep through the night. According to everyone, he should be doing so consistently by six months of age, but I guess Drew differs in opinion.

Naps are going really well and sleep throughout the day is not an issue. He takes three good naps a day with little to no protest. His naps are somewhere between 45 minutes and two hours long.

The problem is entirely between the hours of twelve and seven in the morning. He is still up three times a night!

I.

am.

tired.

I have read countless books on the subject, talked to our pediatrician, and talked with friends. The popular opinion is that I should give him the chance to learn to self-soothe by allowing him to cry himself back to sleep, but this just goes against every instinct that I have and I have been opposed to doing this for months. Obviously, though, it might be time to try something new.

So last weekend Ben and I were determined that little Drew would begin to sleep for longer stretches. We spent two really, really, really long nights attempting the self-soothing method. It was horrible. He doesn't calm himself down and is really quite stubborn for such a little guy! As he gets more and more upset, it breaks my heart. He had a two hour stretch that left me nauseous. (It didn't help the guilt that when we took him for his six month check-up on Monday, we found out that he has an ear infection. That was the end of the crying-it-out method for me.)

Since then, we're doing a pretty terrible job of being consistent. We do have a bedtime routine in place and put him to bed at about the same time each night. He no longer sleeps in bed with me or in his car seat (as we did for months because of the reflux) but now always sleeps in a crib set up in our room.

He continues to wake up about every two to three hours. Sometimes I can get him back to sleep by standing next to the crib and talking to him and placing my hand on his chest. Other times I try to let him fall back asleep on his own- but usually give in and nurse him after he gets really worked up. I am aware that this is really bad, but it is hard to be consistent and rational at four A.M. when it is the third time you've been up that night.

Coffee does a nice job getting me going each morning, but by the afternoon I am completely zonked. Unfortunately, I still really have to limit my caffeine consumption because of breastfeeding, so I've been trying to take a walk each afternoon for a burst of energy. I wish it worked. ;)

But, as a wise friend told me a few days ago, this is a phase and it will pass. I know I had the exact same struggles with Grace and Luke and they are now good sleepers. Geesh...wouldn't you think I'd have figured this sleep thing out by the third child?? Come on! :)

Right now I can hear Grace and Luke trying to figure out a way to get me to agree to set up their tent in the playroom. I think I'll go make their day and agree. :)