Little Miss No-Naps

I don't think there's a single mom-blogger that hasn't written about sleep.

Seriously.

For the most part, we've been pretty lucky in the sleep department.  Once we got Ruby sleeping in her crib in her own room, she has been a pretty fantastic nighttime sleeper.  I know, this makes other people jealous.

I set my expectations pretty low, but she gradually stretched her first round of sleep out longer and longer (once we figured out her preferred bed time).  She's gone up to 9 hours before, but has been generally holding steady at about 8.

Naps are a whole different story.

This is the face of a child who will not sleep.

'Round here, Ruby has earned herself the nickname "Little Miss No-Naps".  Yeah, this kid hates naps.  She was doing pretty well with taking a morning nap (thank goodness, this is when I showered!), and for a while would fall asleep around 4:30 each afternoon.  In the middle, she'd catnap.

Now?  Now we're lucky if we get a 30min nap out of her.  The naps have stopped.

"Hi Mommy!  I don't care if I was yawning a minute ago and I'm all swaddled up, I'm going to keep my eyes open as wide as I can!  Isn't that funny?"

I will admit, I am not the best at picking up on her tired cues.  She can be outright yawning, however, but she still won't nap.  Keith or I will swaddle her up, and go bounce her on the yoga ball in her room, and she will plaster her eyes open as wide as they can go and just stare at you.  She doesn't even blink, I think because she's trying to keep her eyes open wide.

This makes for a very grouchy baby.

And now?  Now she's waking up more in the night!  Usually she'd go to bed around 7:30, wake up somewhere around 4:00, and then again between 6:00-7:00.  She had even been only nursing for about 5min at the 6:00 wake up, so I thought she'd be dropping that feeding soon.  Totally reasonable.  

Then she started having that first waking earlier and earlier.  Last night?  She woke up at 1:24!  Of course, she woke up again at 4:00, and 6:00.  What gives, baby?

Everything is better with sleep...

I think part of it is, she's become a champion swaddle-buster.  She even got an arm out of one of those velcro SwaddleMes.  If she gets her arms out, it's all over.  She wants them out, but she just cannot stay asleep like that.  Sigh.

Today I am trying to get her swaddled as soon as I see a single yawn.  I know with bedtime before, I was missing her cues and she would get overtired, then not sleep (seriously, do not try to put this kid to bed after 8pm, she won't have it).  This morning she took an hour nap.  Right now, she's been in her crib for 20min, but she's rolling around.  Fingers crossed, fingers crossed.  Stay asleep, Little Miss No-Naps.

And now, I'm off to go download the Wonder Weeks app for my phone.  Something tells me this may be my explanation for the lack of sleep...