So Thomas has been on such a great schedule since he came to us. He sleeps from 8:00pm-6:30am. He usually takes a (short) mid-morning nap, then plays and usually takes a (longer) afternoon nap before dinner. We have been so busy that it seems his schedule has gotten a little off. He is clearly tired, yawning and rubbing his eyes, but won't go to sleep. We tried going for a walk, rocking him, laying down next to him and he just won't go down. So I know we need to get him back on his normal routine, but what do you suggest when he just won't sleep? Jim & I are feeling exhausted from constantly playing with toys, and chasing him around. Is it normal to just constantly be on them, or is it good to let them play alone? I am so worried that he'll hurt himself or swallow something bad. I guess I am having normal mommy concerns.
For an update on the adoption process.....
We met with Thomas' SW on Friday afternoon. We weren't sure what to expect and were feeling a bit nervous. His SW was very nice and shared some very important information with us. She said she felt good about this and that Thomas looks very happy here. She told us our home felt warm and full of love. She even said, "would you take another baby?" At which Jim & I just laughed and said not right now. So when she left we felt better and more informed. We feel a little more hopeful after hearing some things as well. The next court date is December 17th and she said we can but don't need to be there. I think we'll opt out due to the fact it could be a long day and I don't want a fussy baby in court :) So we are still loving every minute with him and feel very blessed that God chose us to love him and teach him. Thanks again for all your prayers, as we feel every one and are strengthened by them, too.
I promise I'll update this so don't worry. I just can't find much "alone" time to get on the computer any more with a little one in the house.
5 comments:
sleep advice? i've tried every trick in the book after having a VERY difficult sleeper in tristan! here's a few tips:
is his room nice and dark? some kids have a hard time winding down if there is a lot that they can see from their crib. a dark room signals to the brain that its time to rest.
have you tried playing white noise? we play some for samuel that sounds like rain. its very soothing and keeps the outside noises like traffic and dishes muted.
do you have a naptime/bedtime routine? this one worked GREAT for us. we always would do the same things in the same order before putting tristan to bed. 8 minutes of a dvd called "praise baby" (soothing worship songs) then into his room and we would read 2 gentle stories in a low voice (nothing too animated), then prayers, cuddles and into bed. the whole routine could take up to 30 minutes. after doing this for a few days, he'll start to understand that once the routine begins, soon it will be time to go to sleep and his body will prepare for that, like winding down.
the other thing i thought of is he may be dropping the morning nap. tristan went straight from 2 naps to 1 afternoon nap pretty much on his 1st birthday. for many kids it takes longer to go to only 1 nap, but if his morning nap is already quite short, try skipping it and put him down around 1:00 and see if he is more sleepy then. you may have to play around with the timing of it, starting out putting him down at 12 if he's super tired, and eventually pushing it out to 1:00 which is a very common nap time for many kids.
keeping things consistent and making sure you're home for his nap will keep him on track. of course there will be days when you can't be home during that time, but just make sure that you don't skip it too many days in a row, or you'll have to go back to step #1.
hope that helps!
(sorry my comment is a mile long!)
oh, and in regards to the question about independent play, DEFINITELY, he should be able to play on his own if he is in a safe environment. keep your eye on him, but let him do things on his own. its important for mommies to have some breaks and its a good thing for young children to learn how to entertain themselves as well.
I'm a little late getting in on this post and I don't know if you need advice anymore but, honestly, I have five words for you. Five words that will make your life SO much easier.
Let him cry it out.
But then, there are always thousands of books with thousands of other answers if you prefer. For us, let him cry it out worked amazing wonders with both boys. Both boys are excellent, happy sleepers. It works.
Patricia, you are doing a wonderful job as a mommie. The love you and Jim have for Thomas is showing even in the blog. Follow your instincts because they are good. You are a good and caring mommie. If your house is baby proofed and you peek on Thomas once in a while, alone play is great for him.
He's a good little boy too!
God Bless your family.
Oops, the last comment was from Aunt Sandy
You are blessed that Thomas has such a sweet and loving nature to match your own. You are a good match as a family.
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