Being a Parent is Rough

James is a tough kid. He's adorable, but man can he be demanding.

Me? Little ol' me demanding? No...

We are trying to get him to sleep better, he is still getting up 3 times a night. It's time for things to change.

But how can you say no to this face Mom? I get up all night long so I can spend more time with you!

I never had much sympathy for parents who had kids 1 year plus still getting up in the middle of the night or sleeping with them. I thought, come on!! Show that kid who is boss and make him sleep in his own bed, sure it's tough, but it must be done! Well, I am now one of those parents, except my kid is only 4 months. However, based on how things are going, we're going to need the next 8 months to sleep train him. 

This is typical sleeping James. Cute right? Angelic isn't he? Indeed he is, but that is because he's fallen fast asleep eating away and now is happily dreaming his milk coma away. (I have tried repeatedly to wake him in this state, it is darn near impossible, trust me.) What will happen in ten minutes from now? He'll wake up screaming. And though we do our best, he has just taken a 10 minute power nap and is ready to go for the rest of the night! Rest of the night meaning about 11. My kid doesn't go to bed until 11. What is the matter with us?! Show that kid who is boss and put him down at 8.  

So after visiting the Doctor yesterday and getting some of her advice, we decided to do just that. We bathe him, lotion him, swaddle him, read to him, kiss him and put him in his crib to go to sleep. I don't know about you, but if someone did that to me, I'd be out in seconds. Not James. He'll lay there all of a minute, maybe two if we are lucky. Then he'll start his pouty moans which quickly, ever so quickly, become angry moans, to crying, to screaming, to shrieking so hard he makes himself spit up, choking on the spit up and becoming all the more upset.

I don't know how this goes with most kids, but if you let James cry he just gets worse and worse. Though he loves to suck on his fingers when he is happy, he forgets those little things when he is angry and just screams and yells. Nothing settles him (we were trying the patented leave for 1 minute, go back settle him best you can, leave for two minutes, go back, leave for 4 minutes etc etc etc) well one thing does--picking him up, patting his back, sushing in his ear until he is fast asleep on your shoulder. The problem with this? He isn't learning how to put himself to sleep. Since he doesn't put himself to sleep he doesn't sleep as long, which leaves me getting up with him at 12:30, 3:30, 6:30 and finally 8. 

Solution? I have none. He fails at calming himself. I fail at being able to listen to him scream for more than 30 minutes. I border between bawling and laughing, not knowing which is more pathetic. 

His late afternoon nap was the worst today. He was supposed to go down at 4, once 5:30 rolled around he was finally asleep. Yep, it took about an hour and a half to get that darn kid asleep. I read, I swaddled, I shushed him and patted his back to get him in the mood and extra groggy, then gently laid him in his crib and walked away. This led to 40 minutes of me in and out of his room. Finally caving, I fed him but kept him awake and tried again. Nope. Put him in the swing, nope. Shrieking cries is all received in return for my hard work. Then I had the brilliant idea, I'll put him on his changing table. He LOVES his changing table, hates a pacifier hates the car, but loves getting his diaper changed. This is what I hear next. (Yes, it is supposed to be black, the lights are off, he's supposed to be naping!)

Cute little James cooing away. I thought I finally had it made. Nope! Not five minutes later, guess who is screaming again? So, I cave. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I've done nothing for the last 90 minutes but listen to him scream. I pick him up, stare into those big watery swollen eyes, put him over my shoulder  and shush him to sleep. Finally. 

Guess who just woke up?