Once upon a time, I published my posts around midnight so they were up for you all to read in the morning. That has all changed thanks to the little hellion photographed above.
That's Harlow, in case you weren't sure.
Harlow is not the biggest fan of sleep. She prefers to stay up until at least 10pm and by the time she finally stops jumping around her crib like she's at an Insane Clown Posse concert, I'm so exhausted, I can barely haul myself to my own bed.
Yesterday, at 10pm, Harlow was holding on to the side of the crib and doing squats at 200 beats per minute like she was Jane Fonda on crack. She stands, she sits, she squats, she crawls, she does just about anything except lie down. Mazzy, for the most part, just sits on the edge of her bed watching like she's at a one-baby-show put on especially for her.
In other words, neither of them are getting much sleep.
I don't want to talk too much about this because my plan is to address Harlow's sleep issues next week with our old friend Erin, the sleep consultant.
Although, now that I think about it, we are planning to go away for the 4th, so it's probably best to start sleep training when I get back. First, we put it off because Mazzy got sick, then we put it off because Harlow got sick and now we can't do it because we are going away. BLERG.
Guess we'll all be sleepless for at least another week and you can look forward to my increasingly random posting schedule. FYI- I've still been posting every weekday, just not at any consistent time. Maybe this bothers nobody but me…
Anyway, what else happened these last few weeks besides Mike and I selling tickets to the "Sleepless Baby" midnight show?
• Mazzy told some really horrible jokes
• I was mortified when a stranger saw my nipples
• January Jones ate her own placenta
• Harlow crossed off all her milestones at once
• Poppy wouldn't stop talking about Waldbaums
• I gave you all a peek into the life of Mr. Mommy Shorts
• We all nodded in agreement at Murphy's Laws of Parenting
• Harlow morphed into a banana!
• The Epic Baby Hair Contest took an unexpected turn toward the SCANDALOUS
• I coined the term "Peeps-Chic"
• Annette Funicello's mom spoke out
• Grammy revealed her MASTER PLAN
and finally, my favorite…
• Kids tweeted about TV shows like adults
In case you are not a member of my facebook page, I thought it was important you know what you are missing.
Namely this:
Posted by a friend of mine with the caption "Have I done this correctly?" To which, I say— "If you throw a wig on it, we'll talk".
Have a great weekend!
— Mommy Shorts
I can’t get enough of this picture!
Have you considered the crazy notion of rocking your baby to sleep? I know it is not the common thing anymore but worked like a dream for my mom with her two kids and my daughter was a perfect sleeper. I nursed her and held her until she was fast asleep and tucked her into bed. She always loved nap time and bed time. No fuss. No muss. Just well rested baby and well rested parents.
Yes, I rock her to sleep all the time. Then I lie her down in the bed, tiptoe out of the room and two seconds later she is screaming for me. I come back into the room and she is standing up. Then I rock and repeat. At some point every night, Harlow gets super frustrated with the rocking, knows what I am up to and starts crying while trying to wiggle her way out of my arms. That’s when I usually just put her in the crib, let her put on her little show while I watch. If I leave the room while she’s putting on her show, she gets upset. But if I stay, she seems ok. Let me just say— it’s a VERY LONG show. It usually ends when it looks like she might be tiring herself out, so I pick her up and do the rocking thing again and then PRAY I’ll be able to put her down and leave the room without waking up. All this is to say— well aware of the rocking option. It’s what we do every night. But I think ultimately, when the parents are ready (which we haven’t been yet), I think a baby needs to know how to soothe themselves to sleep.
Hey Ilana! I love, love, love your blog. Question: where do you get Harlow’s adorable wraps? I’m having a girl in November and the hair wraps are on my must have list — but I can’t find them anywhere!
Little Hip Squeaks- tell her I sent you! http://littlehipsqueaks.com
my baby girl does the same thing but she likes going to bed at 2 am 🙁 I have try everything it seems and she is just a party animal in her crib. I had to take her crib down for good because she was climbing out of it even at the lowest last setting. also she has hit the bars many times and she was getting hurt. 🙁 so she sleeps in the pack and play now and bed time last night for the first time has move to 8 pm which is wonderful now 🙂 i hope she will keep going to sleep at 8 pm 🙂 i feel safe with her in the pack and play now she can not climb out and she does not hit any hard wooden bars any more when she falls down. i have pictures of her in her crib. She was 6 months old.
Try Etsy 🙂
OK, I’m going to give you the opposite of rational, professional advice. Bring the girl into bed with you. Put Mazzy to sleep in her room and bring Harlow into your room and have her fall asleep in your bed next to you. This is only to be done temporarily until you talk to the sleep whisperer. This way, everyone goes to bed at a reasonable time. Yes, this is bad. Yes, it will be hard to get her out of your bed. Yes, this will get between you and Mr. Mommy Shorts, but YOU’LL SLEEP. It’s not the best, but it has to be better than watching the midnight showing of Sleepless Baby. Maybe just for the next few days??
I love your blog. You should totally take a video of her doing does squats.
I’m reading the other comments, pissing myself laughing. My son is almost 3. He still screams through the night. For those who are wondering, he’s seen every professional in the book – the kid’s fine – he just doesn’t sleep well. I’ve tried every sleep training technique you can possibly imagine (and followed the instructions perfectly). None of them have worked. Except the “scream it out” method (this is where people start judging me…don’t judge me unless you haven’t slept in almost 3 years). I never in a million years thought I would EVER try that technique. BUT…no sleep makes for a SHITTY mother and an EXHAUSTED child (exhausted children will not develop properly). So…cry it out works. Here’s the thing. There’s ALWAYS SOMETHING that will throw things out of wake. Kid starts sleeping. Gets a cold. Kid starts sleeping again. Gets a tooth. Kid starts sleeping again. Family has to move. And…you start all over again. People assure me he’ll sleep by the time he starts school. Then again, they also told me he’d only cry for the first 3-6 months. Bwahahahaha! Empathizing with you…
Going through the same thing ith my 8 mo , standing at all hours. I finally gave up and started sleep training. He was sleeping all 11 hours without any rocking or anything before this whole standing up business. Think they go on overdrive with all this newfound abilities. Hope you have a good weekend and get some sleep 🙂
You had me at “squats at 200 beats per minute like she was Jane Fonda on crack”!!! Must post video!!!!!
Ahhh, I too need those headbands. Well, my baby needs them.
My lil girl is nearly 5 months… is this what I have to look forward too… oooh yay…. lol BTW Harlow is ADORABLE!!!!
I ended up putting a mattres in the floor of the guest bedroom and lay down to sleep with both kids. We hug and cuddle and after they fall asleep i go to my own bed. That way, if they wake up at night they still have each other to cuddle with AND big sis doesnt think its unfair that mommy only cuddles with baby! I also give them massages to calm down
I feel for you. Some kids are just not good sleepers. Mine are not. Better now they are nearly 5 and nearly 3 but it took until about six months ago to stop the internal shaking with rage when people would tell me about their babies sleeping through at 11 weeks and offering tips as if years of sleep deprivation was a personal choice I could easily avoid. From reading your previous experience with Erin sounds like hope is nearby – good luck til then and praying Harlow decides her next trick to keep you on your toes is sleeping so long you wake up feeling drugged and forget where you are!
Thanks for the warning…I’ll avoid your page during the sleep training posts. Otherwise, LOVE your blog 🙂
My son used to HATE sleep. He still kind of does, but he’s accepted that’s it’s a part of life. Hopefully Harlow will do the same, sooner rather than later for your sake.