Taking Back Our Nights

We are rounding the corner on 8 months. You can be looking for and counting on a little monthly update even though I've neglected this blog for the past couple weeks. Looking at our full calendar with our move, weddings, parties, and just life - I may be neglecting daily posts. I hope to pick up as I find time. Today I had an urge to share some tough moments and thoughts I've had about conquering our nights.

I had chosen not to accept defeat when we came home from our holiday travels. I realized our nights were completely screwed up. I was breastfeeding on those middle of the night wakes while we were visiting different locations. We were in each place about three days and had to adjust to each space whether it be Wells sleeping with us, a pack and play, or this manger type thing (whatever each location had to offer). Prior to our trip, Wells would sleep at least 10 hours straight without waking. During our trip, he would wake up a few times. In order to sleep and calm Wells, I did what I use to do when he was a younger babe and breastfed him back to sleep. Doing so off and on for two weeks, we fell into a routine and battled our nights when we came home.

I have had the opportunity to feel defeated on our sleep routine. I'm not a avid cry-it-out type, but have let him cry on occasion. Sleeping training a baby under six months is much easier than training one over six months. Wells doesn't have a problem falling asleep by himself for naps during the day or taking naps at all. Our nights were different story. I tried a few different approaches in encouraging him to sleep through the night again. I stopped feeding him and offered him a pacifier, rubbed his back, sat on the floor in his room without touching him until he fell back asleep, and let him sleep with us.

We regained our nights and sleeping 10-13 hours each night. It wasn't easy but we did it.

With our move around the corner, I am a bit worried about how it will effect our nights and our daily routines. Overall Wells is very adaptable and happy baby. We will have at the least 2 months without a home up to 4 months. That is 6 possibly 7 different homes or hotels before we move into our new home in St. Thomas. I have confidence that we will make it through.

Sleeping or not, it was important for me to always stay positive and understand that yes Wells will sleep through the night again. It is a season that may last a few days or a few months. It's not something to worry about or feel like a failure over. It is life and we roll on. This attitude helped me through and I'm sure it will help me again.