On Monday Robyn and I had a fun craft day planned. I was very excited about it! We made banners for our kids upcoming first birthdays! The plan was to go over to her mom’s house and let the babies nap while we worked. Of course, nothing with children ever goes as planned.
Kye and I got there around noon (and her mom’s house is BEAUTIFUL btw!) and got to meet everyone. Then we set up a pack and play for Kye in a back bedroom. At 12:40 I took him back there and laid him down like normal for his nap. Well, this nap was anything but normal.
I left the room and expected he’d go to sleep as usual. Went back out to the kitchen and started to lay out my letters and he started crying. Ugh. Went in and he’d thrown the paci out of the pack and play. So frustrating!!! I tried a couple more times in and out in and out in and out. He just wouldn’t go to sleep. I’ve NEVER had this happen before his entire life!!! I’m not kidding! I was clueless on what to do. I ended up just staying in the room with him from about 1 until a little after 2!!!
I felt so rude and so so so embarrassed. Here I am this Babywise “Nazi” and someone who preaches the importance of schedule and routine. I go on and on on my blog about how many benefits I’ve seen from Babywise and how wonderful my child behaves because of it. Then he won’t sleep! Seriously?
While the reasons he wouldn’t sleep don’t really matter, I feel like it was partially due to the room being very bright. I know at my mom’s house we have to cover the windows with blankets to keep out the light so he’ll sleep. When in a new environment he wants to (understandably) check everything out. Who would want to sleep when there is all this cool new stuff to look at?
It ended up that Robyn and her sister, Laura, cut out a lot of my paper for me for the banner since I was back in the room with him the entire time. Then I just got him up at 2. I NEVER do that but what other choice did I have? I thought I handled him pretty well during the entire thing because I didn’t pick him up once. Honestly he wasn’t even all that fussy. He was just awake and playing and would only cry when he’d throw the paci out of the pack and play (maybe it’s time to dump the paci???) or when I tried to sneak out of the room.
At about 1:45 I went from being annoyed with him (and the situation) to feeling guilt. I was the one who messed up his routine. I was the one who took him out of his comfort zone. I should have never gone over there. I should have put his needs first. I was selfish. I felt so bad for him and apologized to him like a thousand times. The poor kid was exhausted. He looked like a drunk person for real! He’d stand up then stumble back down. Poor little kid 🙁
Then when I got him up I felt more guilt. I had been looking forward to some girl time and I know Robyn had too. I mean I’m free all day any day but she was on a rare day off from work! And she spent her afternoon cutting out my paper for me (and I’m finishing the rest of my banner at home)!!! I felt awful about the entire situation. I think I apologized to everyone there another 1,000 times.
I then became worried about how the night would go. Seth and Crissy were coming over with their kids and I thought for sure Kye would be awful. It was his first time in his entire 10 month long life of just completely not sleeping for a nap. He surprised me though! He was so well behaved and so sweet and loving. I joked that I should have him skip naps more often! He is not a typically cuddly kid but he just sat in my lap and laid on me for so long. It was Heaven!
I am trying to find the best things in all situations and the good in this was that I know what to expect on my brother’s wedding day! He’s getting married AT 1 which is when Kye is down for a nap so Kye will be skipping that nap all together. At least I now know that he should be pretty good even without the nap. AND he still slept great that night and everything so even though it messed up MY day it honestly didn’t mess up his that much. I read that he’s now at the age when “bad” days or naps or other random issues won’t affect him as badly as they would have in the past. Not that I’m saying to make nap-skipping a regular thing (b/c let’s be honest here I’ll NEVER do that on purpose!) but it is good to know that when situations arise where something has to be altered in his day that he’ll recover from it. Now I just need to plan a BABY FREE girl day!
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He was a really sweet and cuddly baby for you Monday night!Also, this is the age when Stevie started dropping a nap and going to one nap a day, sometimes she wanted to take only the morning and sometimes only the afternoon, we decided the only afternoon nap would be better especially with more kids to come. By her 1st bday she was taking a single nap from 1-3:30. he may be starting to wean off the 2nd nap, wiht Stevie it was a slow, gradual process, some days she would still take 2 reg ones and some days only one and a very short one, it was kinda frustrating, but we figured it out 🙂
I told you not to be embarassed! You forgot to mention that MY baby wasn't sleeping in her pack-n-play like she should, either! I know that it was super frustrating, but I think you handled it perfectly! And I think that Kye did, too!
*shrug* Babywise isn't for all babies. And even when it "works" for some babies at first, later it isn't the best. Next time something like that happens, just keep the baby up, on your lap, and enjoy your girls' time instead of stressing about the nap and staying away from the fun. Babies are flexible. . . really. . . more than their schedules! *grin*
How are you making his banner? I need some ideas!!