Our nightly routine begins after dinner time, usually around 7 pm we start cleaning up dinner and while I do that Hubby is giving Ava her bath and getting her dressed for bed. I come in sometime last after I'm done cleaning and we say prayers together, we read a story together.
Recently as Ava's sleep habits have started to change we've started taking turns putting her to bed each night. She's always been a great sleeper until 4 months ago when we took away the pacifier. That was a rough stretch for us. We had a few sleepless nights in a row and then she seemed to be good for a couple weeks.
Then out of no where, I think probably due to visiting friends out of town a couple weeks in a row where she slept with us she got used to it and now has been doing this at night;
7:30-8 ish she goes to bed.
Midnight she wakes up.
Falls asleep while I rock her.
Put her back in crib, and instantly wakes back up.
We rock again, and again. Still she wakes back up.
Then, I give in and bring her in bed with us. Where she falls fast asleep into a deep slumber.
This has been. going. on. for. weeks!
I worry about her crying it out.
I worry that she isn't getting enough sleep.
We've tried everything I can think of.
I worry that she's developing bad sleep habits, or that it's a bad practice we've started letting her sleep with us when she wakes up in the middle of the night.
Going home for Christmas for two weeks, didn't help our case any. She didn't want to sleep in her own crib there either.
A couple nights ago she woke up again, same thing wouldn't go back to sleep. I drug my sleepy self down the hall to her room. I seamlessly picked her up and fell into the rocking chair with her and began to rock her back and forth, back and forth.
I must have fallen asleep myself, because when I woke up I found myself in a pain because my neck hurt from the position I was in. I didn't know what time it was, all I knew was that I was uncomfortable.
I walked back down the hall with my child in arms, her heavy sleepy body curled into me and we went back to our bedroom together. I laid her down, in the middle of us and she rolled over and continued to sleep.
It was there that I listened to her breathe, her snoring too. I sat up watching her in the dark that night. Orion woke up and asked what I was doing.
I told him; "Watching Ava sleep, I could just watch her for hours."
He said; "Yeah, me too."
Hey Babe; "Are we developing a really bad habit by letting her sleep with us?"
"Shh, he said. "She's only little once, It's ok."
That statement got me thinking that night as I lie there in bed watching her sleep.
There are times when we "break the rules" during our parenting by letting her sleep with us. Sometimes we do the opposite of "what the experts" say you should or shouldn't do.
Orion reminded me that everything is not so cookie cutter when it comes to parenting. I am a firm believer now that every parent knows their child the best.
Ava is happy. She's is a vibrant little girl.
It's ok to break whatever the rules are every once and a while I tell myself, she is after all only small once.
This phase will pass, and soon we'll be onto the next challenge. The next thing with her.
Even though some phases and challenges seem to last longer than others, I am reminded to enjoy the season we are in.
I'm a firm believer that each Parent knows their child best, break your own ground. Do what you feel and know in your heart is best. Make your own rules for your family.
