It's still all about sleeping

Bedtime procrastination has finally arrived to our household. All the excuses I had previously read about that kiddies come up with to stay up longer and delay sleep are now in use by Jasper.

"I wake up"

" I make pee-pee"

"I have a ca-ca"

"I need more water in my sippy cup." (He continued by saying "Here, Mommy, fill it up" while holding it out through his cracked door in the dark)

"I need a tissue"

And tonight's: "I cough"

All are used repeatedly as he creaks open his door and walks into the hallway and stands by the safety gate. Each time, in the same night, I repeatedly walk him back to his bed and tell him to stay in it. Eventually he does.

Our focus has been on night weaning, not really on sleep training, i.e. sleeping by himself all night. But it has naturally evolved into that, sort of. For the most part, he goes to sleep on his own and on average sleeps 7 hours straight. However, when he wakes during the night, Nick goes to him and often ends up being the one to sleep with him. And if it's a particularly difficult night, he'll lay with him till he falls asleep.

I've re-read my favorite sleep book and have found it to be more pertinent at this stage. I've reminded myself that he still needs 11 hours of sleep and 1.5-3 hours of nap. But with night nursing eliminated, he gets up around 6pm, no matter what time he goes to bed. So bedtime needs to be 7pm. Naptime needs to end by 3pm and that means being asleep by 1pm. Not an easy feat since I am working at day care with him 3 days out of the week till 1:30. And with the delayed bedtime due to procrastination, I think a true effort in sleep training needs to be planned and put into place. Just two weeks. Now, where to schedule that in?

Both of his bottom two year molars are in and it seems that the top two are on their way, though no bumps yet on the gums. Just a little more grumpy than usual, lots of drool and a runny nose. And a loss of appetite. He eats, but less. And he wants to nurse more. All consistent with his behavior throughout each time he was cutting teeth.