Mary has maintained the same sleeping pattern for a week now: From 10:00 p.m. to midnight, she wakes every half an hour screaming. I never fall asleep during that time. She sleeps basically soundly midnight to 4:00 a.m., and so do I. Then from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00, she wakes every 15 minutes, so I don't get any sleep during that time either. A week of this. It would be less tortuous to be allowed only four hours of sleep, but to be jerked from near-sleeping every 15 or 30 minutes over and over--well, that might even be on the prohibited torture list of the UN! At first I thought Mary was teething, but now I just don't know.
Meanwhile, over the last couple of months, Mary went from being an early potty trained child to completely reverting, so she just pees whenever and wherever she wants. She even pees herself and won't tell me, just walking around wet until I discover it. I'll have her sit on the potty for five minutes and nothing happens, so I let her get up and literally within a couple of minutes she pees a flood on the floor: tell me that's not purposeful. She's already on her third outfit this morning. And after four-and-a-half full months of staying dry over night 100% of the time, she has soaked the bed four nights in a row. Now, some might put her back in diapers full-time (and maybe they're right), but I am quite resistant to that since she was fully potty-trained. (I guess she and I are both being stubborn.) She is perfectly capable and I really don't want to go back to diapers for six months or a year. In the meanwhile, I am doing tremendous amounts of laundry while I try to figure out why she refuses to cooperate when she did so for months.
She climbs the built-in shelving in the den countless times per day. I pull her down probably dozens of times per day. This morning I was washing dishes because, you know, I do have to do occasional chores sometimes and I can't actually chain the children to my legs. I heard a strange sound and went to investigate (ten feet away in the den--seriously? that's too far to let children play?). Mary had climbed onto the shelving again, got to the CDs five feet off the ground, and was throwing them down one at a time onto the wood floor. Every plastic CD case was smashed and broken so that they won't stayed closed now. She's only 22 months old and no punishment I've thought of deters her from climbing or bothers her at all, nor has any babyproofing kept her down.
Since 10 weeks' pregnant, when nausea is supposed to go away, mine has gotten worse and worse so I can't even eat half the time. I made the best fajita feast and cupcakes last night and couldn't eat more than three bites.
Lastly, we are trapped indoors because of aggressive wasps and a spider the size of Godzilla.
It is only 9:43 a.m.
Deep breaths, deep breaths, today shall pass, this is not the end of the world, my children are precious gifts from God . . .
(I wrote this blog post by sitting in the den with the children three feet in front of my face, while they occupy themselves with playing cards, so they couldn't get into more mischief.)
Very little sleep is so hard! Three thoughts pass through my head. First, is it possible that she may actually want some extra space for her own and not sleep with you? Is she still nursing? Could she just be mad that your milk has changed? And lastly, could she have a UTI and therefore be awakened from pain?
ReplyDeleteYou literally can't chain them to your leg (although I bet it feels like they are sometimes..LOL). When she climbs something that is off limits for climbing, can you punish Mary by confining her to time out in a high chair or stroller where she is actually buckled and cannot get out?
Good luck to you today. I'll offer up some prayers for you today.
Agnes did something quite similar with the reversion. Even yesterday she went #2 in her undies at my MIL's - which she did last time we were there, too. ?? After peeing on the potty 2 x first.
ReplyDeleteI put her in diapers after Estella was born b/c she reverted again from fully potty trained, and she did that for a few weeks and then went right back to fully trained (unless, apparently, i visit my MIL). So I wouldn't worry about it being a 6 monht or 1 year thing. If it makes it easier for you to clean up, let her have a diaper. She's too smart to forget how to use the toilet.
and if i were you I'd just make friends with her. do some "collecting" as per _hold on to your kids._ see if that helps. put chores on hold if need be, it's not worth upsetting your whole week with mischief. :)
ReplyDeletemy monday blues: i didn't want to start the week with fighting so when the girls decided to wake up late, and then not do their chores, I just told them if they weren't going to help they needed to be out of my sight. they are obviously taking the day off. sitting outside on chairs working on workbooks while I give the entire house a once-over and do laundry by myself. lol. being flexible does help the mondays. :)
Ashley:
ReplyDelete1. She does have more space now. I nightweaned her almost two months ago and it went *beautifully*. Then within a week, Mary *asked* to be moved to the crib (which she'd never slept in), so we did that and she was very content there. But now when she's waking so continually, I bring her into my bed simply because I refuse to keep getting up every 15-30 minutes. But I still start her in the crib.
2. I've considered a UTI, but I don't think so. I see too often when she's in good control.
3. Yes, I did the high chair time out with the CDs. She didn't seem to mind or care, but we'll see.
Thanks for the prayers!
Sarah Faith: Thanks for the warm support. Good to know I'm not the only one with a child reverting. :) I'll try to take it easy today. Nap time comes soon.
ReplyDeleteFirst, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think morning sickness usually abates until closer to 12-13 weeks so at 15 weeks you're not doing too badly! ;-) Mine lasted until 17 weeks this time and is back for the final 3-4 weeks it seems. I know how miserable it is! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteWe're having sleep issues here too and yesterday DS (age 26 months)-- dry since June-- had 2.5 accidents. So I can empathize; it's so hard on everyone. I suspect the sleeping and potty are probably connected for Mary. Those two year molars are so brutal, they could be affecting her now even if they don't pop through for another few months.
I'm sorry it's a rough morning. Can you get outside for a walk for a while? No need to supervise kiddos and you can pray/meditate.
Oh Katherine, what a cross! Matthew was sleeping through the night beautifully, and now we are up all the time. It's tough and I don't understand it, but I guess sometimes kids just revert. Try to hang in there. I wish I had advice, but as you know, I have no idea what I am doing yet. I will just offer up some prayers for you. Big hugs-
ReplyDeleteJust when you think everything is cruising along nicely, Life throws you a curve ball ... or a whole bunch of them all together. Every- one says how important a job of being a mother is; nobody says it's an easy one. I send hopes and prayers.
ReplyDeleteI smile, because I can SO relate. But I also bow down to you because frankly, I'd probably not handle it all with even the smallest fraction of grace you do if I too was pregnant. The very thought of dealing with two precocious children and a large houseful of chores all on top of sleep deprivation (babies are supposed to sleep through the night WHEN? because my 1 year old never has, and it's hit and miss with the four year old) while coping with pregnancy and morning sickness simply makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. I don't think I could do it!
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