Update: Operation-Summer Sleep

Operation: Summer Sleep  

 Camber was doing amazing at taking naps. He would show signs of being tired after being awake for about 2 hours. I would take him upstairs, turn on his fan, give him kisses, and lay him in his bed.  I would walk away, leaving the door open just a crack.  I would come downstairs and turn on our video monitor and watch for a few minutes as he settled himself in, usually by turning on his stomach and sucking on his bink. He would be asleep in minutes.  About an hour to an hour and a half later he would wake up, rested and happy.

 Please notice the use of PAST tense in the previous paragraph!

     For the last few days Camber has become a different baby. I put him in bed when he shows his tired signs, still after about 2 hours, and he now just plays and plays and plays.  He even gets upset and doesn't want to sleep! He has also learned how to SIT up in his crib and is very close to pulling himself to a standing position!  I will go in and lay him down again, which makes him very mad!  And two minutes later he will be sitting again!

Notice his little grin, such a stinker!

   He also goes to bed with a binky (that damn thing!!), which he has now figured out how to throw launch out of his crib.  Oh boy, does he think it's funny when I come in the room. He giggles and laughs when I hand his binky back to him.  And two minutes later, right after he sits up, he launches it again.  So I had a clever idea: I'll put three binkies in bed with him.  What did he do? You guessed it, he launched all three out!

   Doug came home for lunch today and Camber was just "sitting" in his crib. Doug said, "Just let him get up." (Because he doesn't understand the monster Camber will turn into if he is overtired). So I took his advice (why on God's green earth would I do that-I am not sure!). And brought Camber down to play while we ate lunch.  Camber played and laughed at Daddy, thinking he was the coolest thing since sliced bread.  After lunch Doug joked with Camber, "Now you be a good boy and go to sleep for Mommy."

I begged Doug to stay! I pleaded! I all but laid behind his truck to keep him from leaving.  But he left.... and Camber did NOT follow his Daddy's rules by being a good boy and going to sleep for Mommy!

Camber sat in bed, played, did a little crying, but did not sleep.

Hi Mommy! Have you come to play with me? Or just give me back my binky?!

This is how he eventually fell asleep.  He was sitting and put his head down between his legs, folded right in half and went to sleep! That can't be comfortable. We will need a trip to the chiropractor after he wakes up to adjust his little spine. But he is ASLEEP!

This is a picture of our video monitor. If you think I am going into his room to get an
actual picture, and risk waking him up, you are crazy!

So from all of this I have learned two things:

 #1. To my parents: I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for all those times I wouldn't go to bed! For every bedtime I cried my way through, begging to stay up longer. I am sorry for asking for another drink of water, saying I need to go to the bathroom, or crying because I was afraid of the monster under my bed.  I see visions of future bedtimes with our son (and they aren't pretty!) and I am instantly sorry!

#2. All these people who write books on baby sleep, can stick it where the sun don't shine (to put it nicely). I have read just about EVERY book ever written on baby sleep.  Books about baby's sleep patterns, books that encourage cry it out, books that say don't ever let your baby cry it out, books by doctors, books by moms.  And you know what every one of them has in common: none of them have a damn clue how to get my baby to sleep AND not one of those authors has shown up at my house to prove their method works!

I have tried everything, and I am not here to get into the debate of cry-it-out  vs. don't cry-it-out or even share my opinion on the matter.  I have tried it all, except crawling into that crib myself to lay down with him. Which I have half considered! I hope it doesn't come to that :-)

But then last night, as he was peacefully sleeping in his bed, I turned to Doug and said, "Oh he is so sweet, maybe I'll go pick him up and snuggle him for a minute."

Ha! I only thought that for a split second!

Oh how I love my little stinker (who acts WAY too much like his Mama!)

This is Camber trying to pull himself to a standing position. He is so strong!

                 But he is so sweet. Look at the precious, little smile!  Oh I love him so much!