Mommy's bad night

Pipsqueak slept ok last night but I didn't...well she slept a good amount just not at the hours I had hoped for.  6:10pm-4:20am.  With just small fussing that didn't require intervention in between.  I, however was miserable.  I slept 8pm-12am and then had nightmares/panic attacks/restless leg/something.  I kept just falling asleep and then hearing her cry or imagining her falling out of her crib.  I finally woke my husband up at 2 and told him if I didn't get some sleep I was going to have to be admitted to the psych ward.  So he sent me to the guest room.  When she woke for the day at 4:20 (man 4:20 used to mean something way more fun...) he woke me up. We laid in the guest room nursing. When I went to flip her over my hand touched poo. Major blow out all over the bed. At this point I laughed.

She then napped from 6:15-7am.  Just long enough for me to fantasize about napping.

So how do I get her to sleep later in the morning?  Keeping her up later doesn't seem to help at all....although we have only kept her up until 8pm here and there, not on consecutive nights.  Any ideas?

Ramblings

First snowfall yesterday!  Pipsqueak loved it (I know this because the good mother that I am I took her out in it dressed in only pjs and danced around).

Thanksgiving was awesome - my family came here and we ate, drank, watched movies and played Wii all weekend.

TEETHING has recommenced.  That pic of her ghost teeth should have been a big flashing neon sign saying "OMG IT'S ABOUT TO GET SO BAD".  She is fussy, clingy and sleeping poorly.  She had been doing 12+hours in her crib at night - not now.  2 nights ago was the worst - she slept 7pm-12am then cried.  I could see she was still lying down and crying quietly so I let her fuss on and off for about 45 mins then got her.  I nursed her, rocked her, and put her back down.  45 mins later she was SCREAMING.  I was so tired by this point that I brought her to bed with me and she nursed on and off til morning.  Ahh the good old days.  Last night she slept 6pm-3am straight without fussing which was a huge improvement - BUT then was screaming so I nursed her again and put her back down in the crib awake.  She settled herself down and went to sleep.  But was then awake and dancing/crying at 4:45.

I am blaming the teeth.  Her top two middle ones are both about 25% pushed through and there are several other white bumps on her gums.  I think once the major drama behind them is over we will have to do a little sleep training update.  And by 'we' I mean Daddy - it is just too hard for me - if I go to her I have to nurse her.  But I DO NOT want her to get used to a nighttime feed again.  She is almost one for Christ's sake!!!

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Mystery teeth

So I think Pipsqueak is teething - unexplained fever Monday of 102.7 - pediatrician thought maybe a virus but no other symptoms.  She has been fussy this week and waking overnight between 4-5am crying.  Yesterday I was taking some holiday photos and in one of them she appeared to have several teeth on top (in actuality she only has 2 bottom teeth).  Upon seeing the picture I immediately examined her mouth and nope, some teeth getting ready to emerge maybe but definitely not poking out like in the picture.  Scary ghost teeth.  

Couldn't help myself!

We decorated today - she is enchanted with the twinkly lights :)

36

Only thrity-six days left of my baby being a BABY!  OMG that scares me.

But the writing IS on the wall.  She is now (kind of sort of almost perfectly) using a sippy cup with whole milk in it.   She is going 14 hours at night with no breast-feeding.  She is sleeping 12 hours straight (added just in case you haven't read my last 3 million posts on sleep).  She walks up to about 12 steps before falling.  She feeds herself most of the time (and definitely prefers that to me feeding her).  She flirts.  She responds to us and seems to understand most of everything we say.  She says Dada, Mama, Nine (sounds German, unsure exactly what she means.  Possibly no because it usually comes out when she is mad).  I think she is saying kitty cat (sounds like 'kekeka").

Having a toddler sounds so odd.

My supply is definitely waning.  She will nurse for an hour trying to milk me more.  Evidently the up all night nursing fests were what was keeping my supply up.  So it is for sure the beginning of the end here - thus why we are introducing small amounts (1-3 oz total for the day) of whole milk now so she can start getting used to it (my pediatrician recommended it!).

Once we have fully weaned I will let my body adjust for a few months and then it is time to get re-checked with the RE.  I am DYING to know what my FSH level is.  It was always around 7 until our IVF cycle when it was like 11.2.  We had 19 eggs retrieved so I evidently have eggs...I hope that number was a fluke and it's back down to normal.  Also hubs needs to have a new SA - I know those results can change greatly both negatively and positively over time.

Have a great day after election day!  We have a playdate with some friends today.

Ahhhh

11 hrs straight asleep in her crib. She put herself to sleep and hardly fussed at all. I got 9 hours. I feel like a new woman!

Best. Night. Ever. - Night 2 of 'sleep training'

I did a lot of research (a.k.a. googling yesterday) about sleep training.  The thing I read that made me most happy is to tackle the night first, then move on to naps.  While sleep training it is best that they get good naps and are well-rested.  So yesterday she took her first nap in her crib for about an hour and half.  Nap 2 in the afternoon was in my lap on the couch - two hours.

Last night I could tell she was getting tired at 6:30 pm (always goes down early when she has 2 naps - with 3 naps shes up til 9 or 10).  We went up to the nursery.  I nursed her, then rocked her while humming. She was asleep in about 10 minutes.  I rocked her for a few more minutes and put her down. Over the next few hours I heard her fuss momentarily, saw her flip over and stick her butt up in the air (cutest thing ever-see pic below), but never cry.  She didn't wake up crying until 3:45!!!!!!  That is the longest she has ever slept - 8.75 hours straight!

I went in and picked her up (I guess we can't call what we are doing cry it out exactly, more like fuss it out).  She was crying and had been asleep longer than she ever had so I nursed her and rocked her.  I put her down before she was completely asleep though.  And she fussed and rocked while holding onto the siderails for only about 2 minutes before she laid down and PUT HERSELF TO SLEEP!

My husband was mad that I nursed her because we really want to end the night feeds but nursing once at night sure beats 6-8 times a night which had been her norm recently!

Obviously I know our sleep drama is not over completely, but we are sure making strides.  She and I can both do this, if we get off track at some point we just have to jump back in.