Good beaUUUUUUUUUUUtiful Friday morning,
Wow - it's a down right perfect summer day around these parts. Sunny, breezy and warm...but not TOO warm.
So...about a month ago I decided to pull the wool out from under my babes and switch up the nap schedule. I just did it one day - COLD chicken...or is it turkey??
We had been napping twice per day. Our morning nap began around 9:30....and our afternoon nap around 2:30.
It was working perfectly for Ms. K.
Ms. R, however, was spending more time crying then sleeping.
I was frustrated and unsure of what to do.
All the books say that "most" babes take 2 naps/day until at LEAST one year of age and possibly until 15-18 months. So .. how -- at 10 months could Ms. R be ready for one nap?
Well - the bottom line is ---- she WASN'T.
But - I thought she was.
We spent about 3 weeks struggling through LONG and painful mornings for Ms. R. I would still give Ms. K a little morning cat nap so she was doing OK. It was nice because I was spending some alone time with Ms. R, but it wasn't the most quality alone time if you get my drift!!
So - after we returned from our week of vacation and she had about 10 meltdowns on Monday ... it dawned on me...
Ms. R is completely EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!
So ... I went back to 2 naps. They aren't always perfect or pretty, but more sleep is involved and that is what counts.
I decided I would put the girls down at 9:30 every day. I also put toys and blankets in their cribs now so they can play if they wake up early. I am trying to stay strong and not go and get them if they wake. Wanting them to sleep or play until about 11:15-11:30.
Another key - we SPLIT them up.
Sobs!!
In "my" dream world....they would be sharing a room from now until they went to college (and even IN college).
But - this is about them, not me. And - they seem to do better (for now) in their own rooms.
So - there you have it. Just wanted to share in case anyone else is going through this. I wish I would have waited and I thank God they transitioned back without much struggle.
The afternoon nap is usually pretty short for Ms. R, but even 30 minutes is enough to give her a boost til bedtime.
OK - I'm done talking about naps, now. Well...until next time.......which could be next week for all I know!!
Happy weekend!
With love,
Cuz I'm the mama!
I'm "mama" to twin girls and their little sister! My goal is to document our crazy adventures in parenting. We were so blessed when our twin miracles arrived -- we don't want to forget a minute! Being a mama of three girls is simply AMAZING and drama-filled! Welcoming baby GIRL #3 was so exciting and surprising! Life is very FULL - hands and hearts! I hope you enjoy a peek into our lives with three silly girls, a busy daddy and a CRAZY mama to boot!
Thanks for posting your experiences for changing up the girls' nap schedules. My girls even at 15 months still like to have 2 naps. I call it two naps but really it is not quite two naps. My girls get up for the day around 6:30. They will typically stay up for an hour maybe 2 at most and then want to go back to sleep for about an hour and a half. Then they will take an afternoon nap around 12:30-1:30is and this will be an hour and a half nap usually. I think it this young age, they still need as much sleep as possible and going without a nap usually spells disaster. I hope your back to normal schedule gives you more happy times with both girls.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely one for the "twins" book...trying to manage two babies' different needs! :) I know this is easier said than done, but the book series that I follow (BabyWise) states that "Mommy decides when naps begin, and Mommy decides when naps end." I think this supports the idea of having a quiet activity available if your baby doesn't want to nap the entire time...at least the baby will be in a more restful / less stimulated environment.
ReplyDeleteI follow this line of thinking with getting up in the mornings, too. Our girls start waking up sometime between 6:00 and 6:30. Unless someone is really in distress, I don't go into their room until 6:45. They're content to "talk" to each other until then.
Good luck...and hang in there! :) :)
Think of it like this....GOOD JOB MOMMA! You figure it out! I'm glad you did, I knew you would! :)
ReplyDeleteYup, we have one who still wants two naps and one who usually either blows one off completely or takes a very minimal one. Usually her animals or book we have in the crib keep her happy (but if she starts yelling we get her out) May try splitting them if problems arise. The days they only take one nap, they are just too fussy or dead tired the next day.
ReplyDelete