Sleeeeeeeeep

I remember it fondly.  I know I'm not the only mommy with babies that create sleeping issues.  But when my kids were about 7 months, I finally got serious about making a strict routine so that we could ALL sleep and be happy through the day.  This routine wasn't just about me.  I mean I benefited, sure, but we all needed to sleep.  I did crying it out with Charlie.  Davey never really required it.  He needs a little rocking but then he's off to sleep through the night.  Cake.  Don't get me wrong, he gives us trouble some times, but I'd say at least 5 nights out of 7 he sleeps well, unless he's teething.  But Charlie and sleep have NEVER been friends.  And with her condition, it's forgivable.  However, I found myself (and still do) making excuses for her.  I knew at 7 months, after having doctors tell me and after just being around her, that she wasn't uncomfortable.  She was just used to this certain way, and I had to change that habit.  I had to enforce mom rule and though I wasn't crazy about crying it out, it's what my mom did and I guess that's how I became comfortable with it.  It worked within 3 days, tops.  She responded so well and I was really proud that at 7 months I had TWO babies sleeping through the night.  Rock star. 

Here we are at almost 14 months and it's a whole new song and dance.  Well, for Charlie anyway.  Davey has stayed consistent.  He's a different kid from Charlie all together.  Other than the fact that they both came out of my tummy at the same time, there's no way you can tell they're twins.  Anyway, Charlie has gone back to her ways of telling me when she feels like getting up (usually around 10pm, 2am, and 4am...all in one night) and that she doesn't have to take a nap if she doesn't want to.  I know that not every day can be perfect but stretches of napless days and sleepless nights are not ok.  Not in our house.  This disrupts 3 people.  Now if I had just one I could maybe figure out a strategy that works for one.  But I have two.  And Davey isn't napping or sleeping like he would and should.  So I'm coming to the conclusion that I may have to go through crying it out all over again.  I talked with our pediatrician and he recommended the same.  The doctors say she shouldnt be in pain and if she is at all it should be manageable with motrin.  I took her off the painkillers within 2 weeks of coming home because she didnt seem to need them.  And for a minute there, she was napping and sleeping great.  We had 3 straight days of perfection.  Some of the problem is coming off of a month and a half of craziness, with surgery, Christmas, colds, snow days...but I have to set the tone.  I have to bring us back to reality.  And I'm afraid reality includes crying it out.  Again.  I've read up on the Plantely method (thanks Betsy!) and tried it a few nights and it didn't work at all.  I don't know if it's because I already did cry it out with her so maybe this new method is just confusing?  I'm willing to try it again though.

I'm busy reading up on sleep solutions for a baby in a spica cast.  I'd like to make sure before I try anymore sleep methods, that I'm as sure as I can be that she is comfortable since, ya know, she can't tell me.  Should I roll a towel up to put under her leg?  She can roll from her back to her tummy now so that shouldn't be an issue anymore.  Should I give her a night light?  She went through a scary period there and I can understand giving her added security with a night light.  Or is that just another habit to break later? 

Say what you will about Facebook, because I've said it too, but it has become a great spica cast resource for me.

Currently I'm reading these blogs.  I realize this may be useless to some, but for close friends and family with a shared interest in Charlie's condition, these are some of the more enjoyable/informative site's that I've found:

Raising Madison
Hip Baby
Hip Dysplasia Baby
Violet's Blog
And Baby Makes Chaos