This pic is from this week when Steven and his buddy Jackson were playing. It has nothing to do with this post but I figured you wouldn't read my story if it didn't have a pic. Aren't they cute?! They're only serious once the camera comes out.In the last month or so, everything about Steven has changed and that includes his naps. He is a good napper and has been going down at 9am for about 2 hours and again at 1pm for another 2 hours for a while. I knew enough from friends and books to really enjoy this since I know that we are going to be dropping to one nap soon. And I think that time has come. Lately he's been taking super long naps in the morning, but then, of course is not tired enough to nap again in the afternoons. I started waking him up after two hours the last couple of days to try to protect the afternoon nap and that worked a few days until YESTERDAY.
I put him down about 1pm as usual because he was acting tired. He was quiet for 15 min or so and then talked and played for an hour in his crib. I've been leaving him because he's not crying and usually falls asleep and although I feel a little bad leaving him in there I know it's for his best interest if eventually he falls asleep. After the hour of playing, he got quiet for another 20 min and but then started making noise again. He does this off and on for a while before he starts to get fussy, but then he only fusses for a few min. It's now been an hour and a half since I put him down and I'm watching the clock. Then he starts crying hard. It's been a while since this has happened so I'm a little panicked if I should go in and get him (my first instinct) or give him a little while (thinking maybe this is the last show before he falls asleep).
So what do I do? I give him a few minutes (that's all I could muster after him being in there for so long and not asleep) and go in to get him. I walk in to him standing in his crib fussy but not hysterical. I reach in to pick him up and noticed a huge wet ring (about a foot in circumference) in the corner of his crib. My first response is horror..."No wonder he's being crying. My poor Baby!" But then I start thinking..."what caused that ring? It's not from tears, drool, or snot, so it must be pee." I share this because I think that this is a regular thought process for a mom. Then I think that his diaper must have leaked (that's been happening lately too) until I notice that there's another ring in the other front corner of the crib. And I realize that there's no way his diaper could have leaked that much. Puzzled, I pick him up and realized he doesn't have a diaper on!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!
He took his diaper off, chucked it out of the crib with his stuffed animals, and then peed in both front corners of his crib. Thankfully, the bumper (which was also soaked) saved the carpet. Maybe I should write Pottery Barn and let them know that they left off a key selling point for their bumpers. I can just read the catalog line now: Shields your carpet from pee when your baby takes his diaper off! Oh well, it was time to wash his crib sheet anyway.
So I'm open to any advice moms might have on making the transition from two naps to one. Our next plan of action, I'm trying right now as I type: For his morning nap, I kept him up longer this morning until 9:30am and let him sleep an hour to hour and half before waking him. Then I put him in his crib about 1:15pm when I noticed him getting tired. He has being making noise playing in his crib but is now quiet, so we'll see. He could be taking an awesome nap...or he could be putting off his diaper so that mom has to wash his entire bedding set again.
Happy Birthday to Pappaw who will no doubt find this story very funny!
7 comments:
Laura, I did have to laugh at the pee story! Does Steven nap in just a diaper and not a onesie? Just asking. Question for you so that I don't have to go back and read through all your posts... I know you primarily nursed/breastfed, but Tegan is starting to more-or-less refuse his bottles. He'll drink most of his first morning bottle (so take about 4-5 oz) and leave 1-2 oz which I mix with his cereal. Then, at lunch he'll take about 1/2 (so 3 oz) and now only taking about 1-1 1/2 oz of his 3p.m. bottle. Still takes all of his bedtime bottle. I do offer them before solid food so that he'll get the milk he needs first... Did you experience anything like this with Steven? Thanks!!!
This has been a transition I have been dealing with for several months. We go back and forth. One week, Hattie takes 2 naps, the next she takes 1. I always shoot for 2, though, because she still really needs both. One thing I have found that works is I keep her up longer between naps. So instead of 2-3 hours, I keep her up btw. 3-4 so she's REALLY tired. It's a suggestion in Healthy Sleep Habits, and it works for us some days.
I am so jealous about the 2 hour naps, though. Hattie's have ALWAYS pretty much ranged from 1 to 1.25 hours each. If she sleeps longer than 1.5 hours, I start to get worried.
Duct tape might help with the diaper issue...he he....only kiddin'!
Oops, accidentally posted before I finished.... The plan of action you have set where you wake S. up early sounds great - hope it worked! You're doing a great job, Laura!
That is a great story! My sister had the same issue(taking off diapers) for a while and they had to resort to masking tape so she wouldnt pull it off at night or during naps. It sounds harsh, but it worked, and she eventually quit playing with it. It was funny, for a while you could hear her messing with the diaper over the monitor and knew exactly what she was doing! I think she just liked to exercize control over that and she knew how it came on....
Jenn: Steven sleeps in whatever shirt he's wearing for that day and his diaper- sometimes it's a onesie. I take off his shorts unless their soft cotton because I figure I wouldn't be comfortable in them so he won't be either. I'll anser the bottle question through email because it's too long.
Stephanie: Thanks for the input. That's where I've been getting my plans (Healthy Sleep Habits) and I've been keeping him up longer which is working fine as far. =)
we're at the one year mark and i can see that saige is not as tired as she used to be. we have always kept her up for about 3-4 hours in between and that still seems to be working for the most part. i have also tried really hard to keep her up till 3 or 3:30pm even though she gets a little fussy at 2pm sometimes. i figure i'll get a better nap out of her. as i am typing this she is talking and laughing in her crib! she does NOT sound tired - i just hope she's not pulling off her diaper (she used to do that and I found her in poop one time!!) okay, TMI... sorry for that. anyways good luck! you're doing great!
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