Sleep is for the weak: Stop blogging and go to sleep already!

We started sleep-training Camille exactly a month ago today.  So far, we feel like it has been a very good decision.  We're all getting better rest!  So, this blog post marks a temporary halt to the "Sleep is for the Weak" series...while we catch up on sleep :)

What does life look like in our family right now?  A typical weekday looks something like this (if you're a parent, you're probably already scoffing at the word "typical"):

1:00am - Chin & I go to sleep (okay, sometimes later...because we are fools).

8:30am - Camille wakes up and plays in her crib.  Chin goes to pick her up and brings her over to our bedroom for "Family Snuggle Time."  Camille loves it and is all smiles.

Family Snuggle Time this morning

8:32am - Camille gets over the novelty of snuggle time and wants to nurse.  I nurse her in bed.  Although, she likes to take breaks and looks to make sure Chin is still there.

9:00am - Either Chin or I change Camille's diaper, Chin goes off to work, Camille is less distracted, and we finish off morning nursing.  After that, we play together.  Which means she's in her jumperoo and I'm next to her...on Facebook.

10:00am - I'm starting to get hungry and get up to make something to eat.  I find that there is nothing good to eat in the fridge.

10:15am - I'm still trying to figure out what to eat.

10:30am - I whip up something, usually pretty unhealthy.  And, of course, Camille is cranky because she sees that I'm eating.  Does she want to eat?  Does she just want to ruin my life?

10:35am - After stuffing down what I'd just made, I go to make some food for Camille.  For now, it's oatmeal cereal + pumped milk + Japanese yams.

10:40am - I start feeding Camille while she watches cartoons...in her jumperoo.  She, of course, feels like a diva.

Diva

10:50am - She has either eaten the entire thing (which is usually the case) or she has turned into Spitty Gonzales.  I clean up and we are off to wind down in her new room!  That's right!  We moved her into her new room last Saturday and, well, I will write more later.  So, winding down involves me changing her diaper, take her to go potty (she usually poops), and then walk around holding her upright (facing me) while singing a sleepy time song.

Sneaky little girl...with her taggie blanket

11:00am - (Yeah, winding down is a process and it takes a while...mostly because she likes to take forever on the potty.)  I put her down in her crib with her little taggie blanket and say, "It's nap time, Camille.  I love you very much.  Have a good nap!"  I then leave the room and I don't return unless I sense that there is something wrong (I have the baby monitor with me).  If she's over-tired, she will cry anywhere from 2 minutes to 5 minutes.  If it's just the right time, she will just play with the blanket and then worm into a comfortable sleeping position -- no crying!

11:05am - She's out!  If I'm smart, I'd take a nap or shower or have a quiet time.  I'm usually on Facebook.  And maybe I eat something.

12:50pm - She starts stirring.  Sometimes she will wake up and play in her crib for maybe 5-10 minutes.  If she was woken up by the garbage truck or something, though, then she'd cry.  I go pick her up.

1:00pm - I nurse her first and then take her to go potty.  Then we spend the rest of this awake period doing different things like visiting people, receiving visitors, going grocery shopping, or just dinkin' around the house.

Playing with Auntie Tara

2:15pm - I feed Camille her second solid food meal of the day.

2:50pm - Wind down and put down for second nap.

3:05pm - She's out!  But for her second nap, she often wakes up.  Usually not crying.  Just worms around and tries to get into a comfortable position.  Maybe there are more noises in the afternoon?

Ahhh...so peaceful

5:30pm - She wakes up and I nurse her.  Then I take her to go potty and change her diaper.

6:30-7:00pm - Chin comes home.  We make dinner and eat.  Haha!  Okay, this rarely happens.  Last night, it was fried chicken from Albertson's.  Yummm!

7:30pm - Camille gets her solid dinner.  Usually Chin feeds her.

8:00pm - Camille starts getting cranky.  You see, we've cut out her 3rd nap.  And she's sleepy.  But if I try to put her down at 8 (which we've tried a few times), she doesn't go down until past 10!  So, we just try to do different things to distract her.  Like walk around the mall or give her a bath (which she gets 2-3 times a week).  Or sometimes we just give her "naked time" where we take off her diaper and let her roll around.  She really enjoys this.  We do need to take her to go pee about every 15 minutes, though.  She can hold in pee.  But only for 15 minutes.  Hehe.  She's peed on our bed and the futon and the play mat and the couch a few times when we've been careless and let her go longer than 15 minutes.

8:45pm - If we haven't changed her diaper by now, we change her diaper and take her to go pee.  She normally wears cloth diapers during the day.  But at night, we put her in a disposable.  I don't really want to know what they put in those disposables to keep babies feeling dry for so long.  I suppose most parents don't want to know this.  Aaaaand that is why we continue to pollute God's green earth.  (I'm really stepping down from my organic, dye-free soap box now.)

8:50pm - The three of us wind down a little bit.  But usually by this time, Camille is pretty ready to go to sleep.  Chin kisses her good night.  I nurse her laying down on the futon in her room.  Most of the time, she falls asleep while nursing.

9:30pm - But inevitably, she wakes up at the end and starts having a conversation with herself.  No, I'm not kidding!  She's not looking at me.  She's just making talking sounds.  There's no need for a paternity test.  She's totally Chin's daughter!  If I don't feel like she's had a full feeding, I nurse her a little more (which takes a little bit of convincing).  When she's done, I put her down in her crib, give her the little taggie blanket and kiss her good night.  Most of the time, she plays in her crib and worms around for about 5-15 minutes and then falls asleep.  No crying.  Yay!  Chin & I hang out.  Which means we're on our separate computers but sitting in the same room (the living room, where we've relocated the office).

I woke up the other night to find her sleeping in this position

Weekends are completely different.  We just wing it most of the time. :)

So, that's it!  We ended up sleep-training her and we do let her cry-it-out when we feel that it's necessary.  We are thankful for the occasions where she does not need to cry at all.

Last night, I slept through the night.  It was my first time doing this since the 20th week of pregnancy!!  I didn't wake up even once.  When I woke up at 8:34am, I checked the monitor and Camille was playing with her taggie blanket.  I love this child so much!

...

As a final note, I would like to thank all my friends who have given me their input on infant sleep.  I am especially thankful for those who just listened to me bitch about this process.

And thank you for reading.  As I write, I aim to be as transparent and honest as I can be about this journey through life.  I realize that there are risks to being this naked about our lives.  But what the heck...we hope you still love us. :)

Thank you.

Sincerely,

The Weak

...

Blessed are the weak, for they will get sleep... 

(excerpted from the Baoieatitude)