Sleeping Update

Everyone has been so kind and supportive on Facebook about my sleeping issues with my little toddler.  Thank you so much to everyone for your encouragement, advice and prayers.  I've been getting a lot of questions and people asking for updates about how he is doing, so I thought I'd follow up on the issues.

It hasn't been very long since my last post-- not even a week.  But we have seen great improvements!  I can't really pin-point what exactly made the switch, but I can tell you the things that we are doing differently.  First of all, I haven't been completely honest.  I've made this problem sound like it was all McCoy's fault.  But in hindsight, it was completely mine.  Not McCoy's, and not Whit's.  It was all my fault.  I created this sleep problem and I was trying to convince myself that I was trying to fix it, but I wasn't.  I was so sleep deprived (and still suffering from it) that I would do anything to get a little shut-eye.  This meant that I was allowed McCoy to use me like a door-mat.  But all that changed this week, with a little help from you and a lot of help from Whit and McCoy's doctor.

We started getting McCoy ready for bed at 7:00 pm.  This is NOT ideal for me.  It's too early.  Half the time, Whit isn't even home from work and we haven't eaten dinner as a family (eating dinner as a family is very important to us as well).  So, 7:00 pm is too early for me.  But after dinner, we take a bath, get on our pjs, take our medicine, read a book.  Then I lay him down, run my fingers through his (short) hair and let him know that I will be there if he needs me, but it's time to go to sleep.  He screams and cries for 20 minutes.  I go in again, lay him back down, and do the procedure again.  Then he screams and cries fr 20 minutes (sometimes 15, because it's just that sad).  Then I go in again, lay him down, and magically he falls right asleep!

Since our change in routine, he has been sleeping through the night with only one or two wake-ups.  One night (our second night), he slept through the night without waking up once.  Then about 6:00 am, I told him that Mommy was still tired and if he wanted he could come lay down with us in our bed.  And he slept until 8:15.  So, it was a great night for all.

I've also seen a HUGE change in his behavior.  He hasn't had a temper tantrum in a few days and if he wants something, he usually is patient until I am able to fix the problem.  That was probably the one thing that was driving me crazy the most.  Because after a night full of numerous wake-ups, the last thing I wanted to deal with was a child who was screaming and whiny all day long!  But so far, so good.

KNOCK ON WOOD!!!

20 minute intervals

This post will probably be written in several 20-minute intervals.  I'm guessing about 6.

Interval #1--- 7:20-7:40
McCoy.  Sigh.  I love the kid.  But he has cursed me with no sleep.  Everyone always told me, "Get as much sleep as you can, because your life is about to change," or "You have a baby... say goodbye to sleep."  Well, you know what?  Why does it have to be this way?  Not every kid refuses to sleep.  I was so lucky... I got a kid that only sleeps on average 5 to 6 hours a night.  That can not be good.  And lately (the last three or so nights) it's gotten worse.  I've made my several pleas on Facebook; reaching out to all my mother and father friends.  HELP ME!  What do you do with your children?  How do I get some shut eye?  And how do I get it to become a habit?  A ritual?  A routine?  A schedule?  A technique?  A procedure?  How do I get to sleep for more than one night every five or so weeks?  What's wrong with my child?  Why won't he sleep?

I have noticed some terrible changes in his behavior.  Temper tantrums, almost.  For instance, yesterday we went to Target.  I started to put him in the cart seat and strap him in-- he threw a fit and demanded to sit in the basket part of the cart.  At first, I let him.  But made him sit still.  Then he started to stand up.  So, in the seat part he went.  McCoy-- 1 point.  Mom-- 1 point.  Tied.

Today, we ran some errands.  He refused to take a nap today, so we left without a nap.  He slept on the way there.  Fine by me.  Mom-- 2 points.  McCoy-- 1 point.  Ha!  But when I went to put him back in his seat after our first errand, he refused to get buckled in.  And arched his back-- I know you moms know what I'm talking about!  I kicked my body force into a higher gear, and about 5 minutes later, he was finally buckled in.  Mom-- 2 points.  McCoy-- 2 points.  But then, he continued to scream and throw fits the whole 30 minute car ride to our next destination.... McCoy gets 2 points for that one.  McCoy-- 4 points.  Mom-- 2 points.

Interval #2--- 7:45-8:05
McCoy is not acting like himself.  I know that he is 4 months away from the big TWO, but this just isn't like him. Flailing around and dropping into dead weight... it's just not right.  Something is wrong.  Medically.  Behaviorally?  Chemically?  Something just isn't right.

I decided to call the doctor and see what was going on.

So I took him in for possible ear infection (because he was tugging and itching the back of his ears a lot) or swimmer's ear.  The first couple of questions the doctor asks: "Does he have a fever?"  Nope.  "How is he sleeping?"  HORRIBLE!!!  TERRIBLE!!  Thanks for asking.

Come to find out, he has eczema really bad on his back (we've known about), but just recently came up behind his ears.  According to the doctor, he thinks that McCoy is itching and uncomfortable and can't get a good nights sleep.  So here are the things he suggested to try: Zyretc, medicated prescription ointment for his eczema, turning on more lights, making bedtime earlier (7-7:30) and two naps a day.

Overtired?  Yup.  So am I.

He said to put McCoy in his bed-- let him cry for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, go in and HOLD HIM to soothe him (thank you, finally some soothing), then put him down for another interval.  We are about to start interval #3.

Here was our schedule so far tonight.

Dinner-- 6:30 pm
Bath-- 6:45 pm
PJs and book-- 7:10 pm
Into bed-- 7:20 pm

And then the intervals started.  He told me to call him in a week if it didn't get any better.

The next step is to completely change his diet, sleep journals (which I've already started a few days ago), and the sleep clinic at Children's Mercy.

Doctor said he could tell I was sleep deprived.  I bet I could count the number of nights that McCoy has successfully slept through the night on two hands.  And doing the calculations, I'll bet it's been three years since I've had a good sleeping schedule for myself.  How can I be a good mother if I don't take care of myself?  I need WAY more sleep than what I'm getting.

Interval #3.... just went in after interval #3.  Picked him and rocked him and hugged him.  He went right to sleep.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's journey.

working out

Good Afternoon.  I just wanted to touch base with you and see how you are doing.  It's summertime.  It's too late to be "loosing weight for summer" because summer has already arrived.  However, I'm working my butt off lately on working out.  Well, I've been at it for one week.  But in this one week, I've burned over 1800 calories (according to my android phone app) and worked out 5 days (only skipped one day).  I started going to a Body Pump class at the gym on post, and have been running/walking 3 of those days.  I've been doing weight lifting for an hour, and running for about 35 minutes.  And guess what?

I have gained four pounds.

freeing ourselves from debt

April 2011 (shortly after learning about Debt Snowball and Budgeting our brains out...)

Credit 1-- $2,802.97

Credit 2-- $3,153.96

Credit 3-- 0

Credit 4-- 0

Student Loan-- $9,749.73

Credit 5-- 0

Department Credit-- 0

Toyota Car-- 0

Van Loan-- $5,100.00

TOTAL DEBT: $20,806.66

June 2011

Credit 1-- 0

Credit 2-- $3,084.61

Credit 3-- 0

Credit 4-- 0

Student Loan-- $9,509.61

Credit 5-- 0

Department Credit-- 0

Toyota Car-- 0

Van Loan-- $4,900.00

TOTAL DEBT: $17,494.22

Wow.

Some big expenses are coming our way, though.  I will need to save about $3,000 for some career coursework next year, and of course, I want Lasik surgery oh so badly.  That will be approximately $4,000, probably even more. 

But, as far as our budget and debt snowball is right now, we are looking good!  It's something I've been struggling with but it feels so good to get it right.