Sleep

This is my whiny post about sleep.

I haven't slept a full night since well before Willow was born, thanks to pregnancy nausea and heartburn. As an infant, Willow woke hourly, until about 8 months. As she was finally waking less, we moved. To this day, she has slept through the night- oh, about 10 times.

The first time she slept through was the first night we had Toby home. Or, we were all just so tired from the previous nights labour & delivery that we didn't hear her crying. Sometime in the spring, around her 2nd birthday she began sleeping through a couple of times a week. The other days she woke 2-4 times. This progress only lasted a few weeks and we're back to the 2-4 wake ups every night. Lately, she wakes telling me she has to pee. Wanting to encourage night-time potty training I get her to the potty and she sits there. And doesn't pee. Last night I waited 30 minutes before carrying her kicking and screaming back to bed.

Toby has been a completely different sleeper, right from birth. I'm so glad, because it confirms to me that I didn't do anything wrong with Willow. It's just how she is. Or, as I'll get to in a minute- she suffered from acid reflux and I just didn't know there was something that could be done.

Toby slept through the night around 8 weeks. For one glorious month, I was only getting up a couple of times a night, with one kid. At 3 months his waking increased dramatically- 6 or more times a night. After hearing from our family doctor and naturopath that he had acid reflux I brought him to a chiropractor who helped improve his sleep almost immediately. He slept through the night again at 6 months.

For the last 2 weeks Toby's naps have been short, and nights have been rough. He wakes just a couple of hours after bedtime, and doesn't fall back to sleep easily. At first I thought it was the 8 month growth spurt, but it seems to be going on too long. Tooth #5 may also be bugging him. I am hoping the chiropractor can help him (and me) out this week. I am so tired.

I really don't know how to explain how tired I am. Before having kids, I needed about 10 hours of sleep to feel good. Now, a good day is about 4-5 broken hours. If I get 3 hours in a row I feel like a million bucks. And when both kids sleep well, I still don't sleep good. I toss and turn, like I forget how to sleep. I'm just not used to long stretches of sleep- my body isn't either. I wake up with a sore back from laying down too long.

Whah waah waah, I know. I've got really great kids so it shouldn't matter how much sleep I'm losing. I'll make it up later, right? I just wish I had more patience when I'm tired. I feel so guilty for being annoyed by the attention Willow needs, or frustrated at Toby's crying. All because I'm so tired. My sister was a sleeper like Willow. My mom tells me I have about 4 more years before I feel rested again.

Yawn. I'm so darn tired. Did I say that already?

A few more sweet photos of Toby sleeping. If you're wondering why I'm not posting any of Willow- it's because SHE NEVER SLEPT. I'm not kidding. And in those brief moments she did sleep I wouldn't dream of getting a camera out and waking her up.

Toby sleeping on his Birth Day.

Toby napping well, 1 month old.

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Toby sleeping through Christmas.

Toby asleep in the swing, 4 months.

OK, I lied. There are TWO photos of Willow sleeping. Here she is, on her Birth Day.

Willow catching a quick nap on the couch.

The reason you haven't seen many blog posts from me lately is because of the sleep funk we're in. Hopefully it's over soon.

Yawn.