Monday, May 5, 2008

Gag me!!!

Yes, gag me with a spoon. I just read my last post and my last line of "we're enjoying every minute" and I almost puked. I don't know how such a sugary sweet line was typed from these fingers.
Now don't get me wrong, Drew and I love parenthood and Ellie is wonderful BUT this girl never sleeps. Yep, the dark truth revealed.
I've realized blogging is sort of like my old journals. When I look back and read them I wonder, wow everything in my life then sounds so perfect, did anything ever go wrong??
So today is all about reality. Many of you who read this knew me as a child and know I didn't sleep either (still don't) and I guess this is my penance (at least that's what my mum says).
Ellie doesn't nap easily and when she does it's only for 20 minutes. Sometimes she will take a 2 hour nap in the morning (sheer bliss). At night our routine starts at about 7 when she nurses and kicks and flails to keep herself from falling asleep. When she finally goes down to bed she up again most every hour till morning.
Drew and I are exhausted zombies.
So the plan . . . I went to a sleep seminar and they recommended the book The No Cry Sleep Solution. (My dad went and bought it for me THAT day :) Drew and I have been reading and taking notes. The interventions start soon. All very gentle but the goal is to wean Ellie from ONLY falling asleep on the breast or being walked and rocked by her daddy and learn to put herself back to sleep when she wakes at night. This is going to be a difficult road because we are starting this new routine when we're at our wits end but hopefully in a month or two I will be posting that I am REALLY enjoying every minute, even 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!!!



Oh, how fleeting these moments are.

2 comments:

Laura said...

Dear Drew and Donnianne;

We understand how hard it must be to struggle for a good night's sleep every single night. I'm always amazed at how alert you are during the day, and we are cheering you on towards finding a solution to this very real child-rearing challenge.

love,
gramma Laura

MOma said...

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY !!
it will get better OXOXO