SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK PART 8 -- Pack the bags under your eyes and join us!

[RoRoMommy]

Well...I had to think of something! DH's suggestion "Eyes wide shut--the art of sleepwalking"

I wanted to say thankyou Ginger and Tibsy for your thoughtful posts. I was feeling really low this morning and it was nice to read your words of encouragement. Thankyou for the tea and hug. Can I make mine a hot chocolate next time?

Ginger I hope you feel better soon. I know how horrible it is to be ill and caring for a lo (or 2, or 3!!). I shall try and send some get better thoughts via the internet to combat those cyber germs!

I feel a bit better now as the day turned out to be quite nice. DS2 had a 2 hour sleep, which gave me a chance to spend some time with DD. This was really good because I worry about her being the middle child and want her to feel I have time for her aswell. We even cooked fairy cakes.

My mum came around and helped with the afternoon and bedtime so that was easier. (Although she sneaked off home and left me with the washing up!!!!)

Good luck with the house Beal it is such a stressful time so make sure you get support when you need it.

RoRo I hope you get some rest tonight you sound like I feel.

DH is home tommorrow, but he has tonsilitus so I 'm not sure if having a sick man about the place is going to be more work than it's worth.

I also have a sore throat and feel crappy, but he only noticed today when we were speaking on the phone and he said "you sound like you have a cold"!!!!!!!!

Sending out big sleep vibes to one and all.

Who knows what the night will bring, but I intend to get to bed early and hope that I get at least one block of sleep. [fingers crossed emoticon]

evening everyone

all fine in the house of two little boys! thankfully, i have had no further sleeping issues with ds1 and ds2 (wow- i have 2!) has been very good so far - so keep fingers crossed!

sorry, haven't had a chance to read thru all the posts properly, so lots of and and welcomes for the new SIFTW ladies

almost feeding time again (at least i hope it is, i forgot the huge, rock hard boobs bit!)

hope everyones lo's are all sleeping soundly!

Just a quick hello again, been ontoday but DS wouldn't let me type, kept waking up when he heard the keys - light sleep meaning looong drawn out bedtime tonight, sigh sigh, but hey, asleep now ... for how long who knows?! Plus, had 2x3hrs last night so feeling OK

Anyway, large doses of caffeine to all those struggling, plus and extra frothy chocolatey bit for CM and her crappy time, and hey, for Jay too, brave ladies I tell you!

Hope you're all having lots of rest with very sleepy chilled out little ones tonight ... here's hoping for a good one in the morning. I have the HV coming tomorrow to see how the sleep thing is going ... think I might have to start lying and saying it's great or she'll be here every week forever!

Charliemama, really glad you got a break. You really have got it so tough especially with the illness and doing it all on your own. Hopefully you're in bed already. If not, you should be

DD woke with a raging temp today so DH had to take the day off to look after her. She's still very poorly and very unsettled already this evening so we'll see what the night brings.

evening all

I'm afraid to say i think it might be time to leave you ....not because i want to but because I just don't seem to be able to find the time atm to read all your posts and respond accordingly and i don't like to not give you 100%!

ds is still sleeping through the night and every step of the way it has been on his terms and by co-sleeping!
goes against nearly all the books but the only way it was ever going to work for our family was by me listening to what felt right and (with the help of my siftw sisters) by learning to trust my intincts and go with the flow!

I promise to pop in and 'see' you all at least once a week (think it'll take me a while to wean off!!)but until then i leave you in the capable hands of 2 of the other original members of SIFTW Gingerninja and tibsy and I hope you all get some sleep

oh and 'IT'S JUST A PHASE'

Oh, no Tamdin! You can't go! I understand what you mean about the posts, though, but you're the great sleep hope of this group! Consistent sleep-throughs. You should be so proud.

CM, I am so sorry you had such a low moment, I really wish I had been here to talk you up! You know, (((hugs))), and smoochies, and chin-ups and such. But I hope you're feeling better now, and that a sick DH doesn't bring you down too much...

Ginger I hope your DD is feeling better...there's a bug going around, I tell you.

Meg, glad your DS is feeling better, that must be a relief. My DS is seven months, almost eight now, and no two-to-one nap in sight. He loves his morning nap.

Beal, good luck on the house!!!

Jays, try co-sleeping, perhaps? Have you tried that yet? Keep yer chin up, though, SIFTW sister! We've got your back.

Hey Effie! I just read back to your playing at night post, I remember when DS went through that phase. That was the time when I realized why they're so darn cute...it's an adaptation to ensure their survival among the sleep deprived mums of the world!

Skirmish! That's such a lovely picture (well, sans the engorgement, I guess I was kind of hoping that would only happen the first time. Oh well...we can dream). I hope you're getting rest and enjoying your boys! Yes, that's TWO boys!

CSB, it sounds like a bit of an improvement on the 2x3 hours sleep, but at the light sleeping! If DS was a light sleeper he'd never get through DH's snoring.

God, I hope he doesn't snore tonight. I really need some sleep!

Love and kisses to you call!

Tam am very and at you leaving. We've been together since Feburary and we've shared some real ups and downs. I'll miss you terribly but you've been a great friend to me lifting me up during really horrible times and you've been an inspiration for the many that have joined the thread looking for advice.

You should be really proud of yourself you've done it your own way and trusted your instincts despite so much pressure to do things differently.

Good luck and lots of love to you all and keep in touch on email and facebook and drop in on the blog too. (which incidently I've just posted on for the first time in months)

Tam so to see you go but at least it's for all the right reasons! You have been such a supportive friend and an inspiration to those of us who turn away from the path of sleep training. So happy that it has worked out for you and your DS and please do come back to see us xxx

Tam i think it's fab that you longer need us for sleep rants, i can but dream.

last night was atrotious, bed at 7:30, awake at 9, 12, 3, 4, 5 and then up at 5:30 for day am proper shattered and got to drive to manchester tonight

Jay - hows it going? what are you currently trying? have you about what your instincts are telling you?

Charlie - i'm with you on the hot choc sister, as long as i can have squirty cream, marshmallows and a chocolate flake, o and also that i can finish the squirty cream in my mouth, lol

Roro - hows it going with dad?

Skirmish - i'm so glad that ds2 is not going to require us on the SIFTW thread! what's your age gap? hows ds1 adapting?

CSB - that's so much better than it was a week ago. you should feel proud girl.

Ginger - how is DD this morning? and how was she over night?

morning!

amber dd is 15 mths....where did that time go?

beal good luck with the house lovely we've been in the same house for 12 years [shcok] so have never had to deal with a chain. fingers x'd for you x

charlie yay for the 2 hr nap and special time with dd. fairy cakes, yum i must admit, it bothers me sometimes that i dont give enough time to ds, and he's 13 (still my baby tho ) yay for your mama helping out and hope dh is a help rather than a hindrance

skirmish, ahhhhhh, you sound really proud. bless you sweetheart. enjoy your boys x

csb - good luck with HV. a little white lie wouldnt go amiss

hi to roro and ginger

and darling tam, am so pleased that you stuck to your guns and trusted in your instincts to help your lovely little man to sleep in the way that you knew he wanted. you've been a great support and sounding board to us all and we'll miss you lots. will keep in touch tho, dont you worry the huggiest of (((hugs))) to you xx

oh, x posted beal for your night lovely. safe drive tonight

Morning all, pretty rough night for us, but a couple of 2-hour stretches in there. The cough is still the main culprit so can't really expect too much til that's shifted.

Beal for your night and drive to Manchester... hope you can catch up on some rest today. Any news on the house?

Hi Tibs, Ginger, RoRo, Skirmish, Amber, Charlie, EP and all the other lovely mommas

He has just woken from morning 'nap' after 15 minutes ... I really have a feeling he is dropping that nap... argh! Those who have just one nap, what time is it?

Morning

Meg, if we have one nap it really depends on when she's woken. If she gets up at 7 I'd say she'd go down about 12? However, your little man is still a bit younger so he might not last that long. I found in the begining we'd have a long mid morning nap and then a cat nap quite late. It was a bit difficult to begin with actually but she's adjusting to less daytime sleep now.

Mornin' Tibsy and everyone else

DD was very restless over night and awake for a long period at about 3 but on the whole not bad considering. She seemed much improved today so we've sent her to nursery . Cross fingers she's ok. It's awful but it's just so difficult taking time off for sickies especially when you work part time already.

hi meggy for your night, but you know it will get better when that blasted cough has gone. dd has her nap any time between 12 - 1pm and yesterday slept for 2 hours!! nice

ginger glad dd better today, but for restless night. those long wakings absolutely slay me now. it must be hard juggling poorly lo's and work. am sure she'll be fine today tho

So happy for you Tam! You've done an amazing thing for your LO, it's not an easy achievement, you should be so proud of both of you!

sounds like a lot of sniffly, coughing LOs out there, so you can add mine to the bunch. He's not outright sick but very snotty and was awake for 2 hours from 3am this morning - not impressed. he was actually really happy in bed with us BUT WOULD NOT GO TO SLEEP! if we put him in his cot he would stand up and scream. sigh. hoping it's just a phase. sickness, teething, whatever.

meg, after what i said yesterday i think we might be getting close to 1 nap territory. i'm going to see how long ds can stay up this morning. i know if i put him to bed too early and then he onnly has one nap, it's going to end in disaster. but lately he has been super hard to settle for hte afternoon nap, maybe he's not needing it. i don't know. it's so confusing. guess it will change day by day until it settles into a pattern.

Thanks for all your input. I think the answer might be to shift his 'morning' nap back half an hour or so, then let him have half an hour in the afternoon, til the morning one shifts after lunch and the afternoon one drops. Just buggers with my nice daytime routine. It's just a phase...

that sounds sensible meg. i know what you mean about stuffing up the routine though. i was quite happy with how it was before!

Amber: I was there at 3am too. DS did sleep between 10ish and 3, after doing all the 'wrong' things yesterday, feeding him down for a long nap (and snoozing in bed with him), feeding him to sleep and again when he woke an hour later. But he was restless and coughing from 3 till the alarm went off at 7 - then clinging to me and yelling as I was trying to get ready for work . Mornings are a struggle atm, as I can't sneak off and leave him in bed any more. Not nice for DH to be left with a squalling baby either.

Jay: that sounds incredibly tough. I'd recommend co-sleeping as well if you're happy with it. It certainly makes the difference for us - I'd go insane if I had to physically get up every time DS woke!

Tam: NOOOOOOOO! . I know what you mean about catching up with messages though. And you are truly an inspiration to us all . Thanks so much for all the help and encouragement you've given me over the past too-many-months-to-count .

Lurgy upgate: I'm still coughing, DS is still coughing, DH irritatingly immune but increasingly impatient with the two invalids . No vomiting incidents yesterday. Have stocked up on Calpol and baby cough meds. I,, however, can't take anything cos still bfing (sigh). Antibiotics gradually kicking in. Isn't November awful?

Bea: fingers crossed for the house

RoRo: snoring serious contender for divorce, esp at the moment...

ginger, ep and i were all partying at 3am - makes me feel better already.

am coughing too ep, are the ABs helping|? feel like i've been sick the whole of november minus a few days. that better be it for this year, i'm over it.

Right, must be industrious and pack away ds' too small clothes and then make a list to pack for our holiday.

i've also just booked flights for the end of january to stay for a week in a ski chalet kind of thing that a friend's husband's family owns (they are quite well to do frenchies) yippee. i feel quite brave as dh is flying home on the wednesday, but i decided to stay on until the sunday with everyone else. there are also two other children going about 6 months older than ds so i'm glad to be in the company of other parents.

ps. EP i don't think i'm going to be able to do next friday. being sick for a few days has really buggered my to do list. sorry!

Sounds like your winter plans are sorted, Amber . The ABs do seem to be helping, slowly. At least I'm not as wheezy now. Anyway, you'll be heading off to the sun for a month or so, you'll be fine then!

Hi all ... eek @ all the 3am wakeups! And the lingering ailments! EP. Amber, ginger, Meg ... I am definitely due a sick LO!

As a newbie Tam, I can only say how good it is too see someone graduating! It's proof, while we wallow in sleepless fuzziness, that It Will Pass - so thank you!

Bad night, and up for day at 5.30 but has been asleep for 1hr now on shoulder so hoping longer napping is not far off . HV said she thinks he's a case where we have to learn about him and follow his lead which was refreshing. DP home now (rained off work, it's vile here) so when LO wakes have got extra pair of hands, might manage to get vomity bedsheets changed .

Sweet dreams folks!