Let me start off by saying, yes, I have read the sleep books. I love "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I've got "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" on my bedside stand next to HSH. I've read tons of blogs and internet postings with tips. But my children hate sleep, and I can't seem to figure out how to get them to do it.
Jack gave up naps a while ago. I'm sure I wrote something about it. It drove me crazy that he needed sleep and wouldn't take a nap. He's gotten better though. He doesn't seem to need the sleep anymore. He's a much happier kid in the afternoon/evening even without a nap.
Reid has decided to take on Jack's nap aversion now. He's only 9 months old though. Jack waited until he was 4 to really give up naps. I'm hoping this is just a phase.
Reid sleeps pretty well at night. Sometimes he has trouble falling asleep, but usually he falls asleep while nursing, then I put him down and he sleeps the rest of the night. I try the same routine for naps, but it just doesn't work the same way.
This all started about two weeks ago, when the illnesses hit our home. I thought that was the reason for the sleep changes. But now that we're all better, he's still not napping.
Today, he fell asleep in the car on the way home from dropping off Jack at school. It's a five minute car ride. I did stop at Startbuck's, so let's say he slept for about 10-15 minutes (there was a line at the drive-thru). He wouldn't go back to sleep once we got home. I even tried to play with him for a half an hour before I put him back down. Screaming, that's about it.
Then, he started to fall asleep in his highchair at lunch. So I calmly took him out of the seat and as carefully and quickly as I could, took him up to his room to put him in his bed. He slept for 15-20 minutes, then woke up screaming. We went to the basement and played with Jack. He got tired again around 2:45. So again, I took him upstairs to his room, went through the routine, and he slept for about 30 minutes. Woke up screaming again. We went to the library.
Tonight, at bedtime, he was so overtired that he wouldn't nurse. So we sang a few songs, he squirmed and cried. I kissed him and put him in his crib. He cried for about 5 minutes, and then finally went to sleep.
I have to figure this out before we all go crazy. At this point, I'm hoping a week of me being strict about napping opportunities at home (not in the car) will get him back on track. Keep your fingers crossed.
In other unrelated news, Jack is riding a two-wheeler (with training wheels). A few weekends ago, we stopped by a bike store, and Jack tried out a few bikes and lots of bells. We figured out a 16-inch yellow bike was his heart's desire. It was ridiculously expensive at the bike store, so we looked to Craigslist instead. And what do you know, we found one – for $30. The boys and I made a trip to the zoo and picked up the bike from the Craigslister near Brookfield. And now, my big boy has an awesome big boy bike.
He's taking to it pretty well too. He likes to ride it up and down the driveway. The hills in our neighborhood are a little too much yet. But I'm sure he'll get there soon. He loves using the coaster brakes to make it stop and skid. And when it's rainy outside, he's just as happy riding around daddy's side of the garage in circles.
Here are some pics from today's riding
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