SIGH

Nap training: HA HA HA. Jackson Cheung will not be undone by a silly thing like NAP TRAINING.

With the exception of the chaos that was Easter, I've been working on the nap thing. I take him upstairs, I pop the pacifier in his mouth, I sit down with him and sometimes we read a story. Sometimes we sing a song. Sometimes I only sit down long enough to wrap a blanket around him and then it's time to deposit him in the crib. "It's naptime, Jack! Night night!" Then I shut the door and I leave.

After fifteen minutes I peek in at him. He's not asleep.

After fifteen more minutes I peek again. Still not asleep. This is when I often take him out, rock him and watch his eyes flutter close within SECONDS. Should I do this? Probably not. But I've got stuff to DO. That kid needs to SLEEP.

I have more tolerance in the afternoon. I let him sit there. More often that not he is in his crib for a FULL HOUR before I lose patience and pick him up. Sometimes I just stick the pacifier back in (he tends to fling them about the room) and leave. But it's true, sometimes I pick him up and sit down with him and rock in the chair for a few minutes and he's out. For two hours, usually.

But at bedtime? We sit, we sing, we read, we tuck into bed and he goes to sleep. Easily. Willingly. ON HIS OWN.

So I know he can do it.

He's not crying in his crib. Oh, sometimes he whines or protests, but for the most part he's banging on the sides or scratching the sheet or pulling off his socks and watching them float down to the floor. I have left him in his crib for over an hour, with nothing to do and no mommy to entertain him, and he has yet to fall asleep on his own.

I'm thinking he's either 1) not tired or 2) going through a Thing. I don't think he's going down to one nap, because if I let him sit in his crib long enough, it's ridiculously easy to rock him to sleep. But maybe his nap schedule is pushing itself back? Maybe I'm expecting him to go down too early? I was planning to just keep him up longer today as a little experiment, but that was before I remembered I have an ultrasound at 11 and BY GOD that child is going to NAP.

So, WHATEVER. If this were not a family website I would tell nap training what it can do.

Besides. We might find out if we're having a boy or a girl today. Not for sure of course. This is a dating sonogram at 16 weeks instead of the Big Ultrasound at 18-20 weeks, so it might be hard to see, and the baby might be shy. But still, the possibility remains. I am thinking boy. I am thinking he probably hates naps too.

Comments

[Nessa]

Oooo, sorry about the naps.

But I'm a little more excited about the prospect of knowing who the baby is!! Are you going to tell us? I can't remember if you did or not with Jack or you just didn't tell us the name. Dear, that must mean I'm getting old.

Anyway - are you gonna tell us? Huh? Huh??

[Nessa]

I just reread my comment and the Huh? Huh?? makes me sound like Beavis and Butthead. That's sad.

[Emily]

I vote Thing.

Asher was like, the best napper EVAH for the last two months. I would rock him and sing him a song, pop him into the crib and I am not kidding you, he would be asleep within 5 minutes. Usually within 2.

Yesterday? He was in there for 75 minutes blabbing away. His usual naptime is noon and yesterday it was 2pm before I finally went in and rocked him and he was out instantly. I think sometimes they just have a harder time getting to sleep and need a little help. He'll grow out if it, but in the meantime, just know I'M FRUSTRATED TOO.

Because I had to rock him down again today.

[jackie]

Nay went through a similar Thing. It was like 3 weeks between "sleep training" worked and when "nap training' took hold. Those were rough days of *maybe* a45 minute nap...good luck to you, and just know it might be awhile -- those were some awful weeks of cranky baby and cranky momma.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah, I have a screamer. In fact, he's screaming right now. The no naps are fun times, fun times. I just keep telling myself "This too shall pass. This too shall pass." Cripes.
Also, you MUST let us know ASAP if you find out boy or girl. I must tell you, though, I am thinking girl.

[Jen]

I vote that if the rocking puts him right to sleep and it doesn't cause a problem, go with it. In my daycare class, we had to rub backs of a couple of two year olds or they would never fall asleep. Some kids just need a bit of encouragement.

[Arwen]

For some reason my feed reader has not been picking up your posts, and I missed THREE! A pox on Google Reader.

You crazy people with your children who will go to sleep in cribs. I keep hearing about this phenomenon, but if it ever happens to me with one of my own children you'll have to pick me up off the floor.

I have my own stupid Nap Thing, though: Camilla hates going to sleep for me. Her dad can get her down in under five minutes (naptime or bedtime) with no trouble at all, but it takes me ages. Today I spent an HOUR trying to get her to go to sleep, and finally gave up, whereupon my sister (who is visiting) went in had Camilla asleep in less than ten minutes. I don't know what's wrong with me!

I hope you're feeling better.

[Tara]

We seem to always be in the midst of a Thing, so I am no use. Plus you know my kid sleeps for crap so you don't want any advice from me.

Can't wait to hear if it is a baby boy or girl Cheung! (That is, if you can tell from the u/s today)