I’m totally at a loss as to how strict to be with Emma’s sleep routine right now. She’s not feeling well, and her sleeping habits are SO far from normal I can’t help but think there’s a good reason for it, not just her being a snot.
She woke up at 9:30 when the neighbors decided to test their New Year’s firecrackers and Rusty went nuts. She didn’t just wake up, she freaked out. It took a while to calm her down, but once she was calm, she went back to sleep in just a couple of minutes. Then she woke up again at midnight when the neighbors put on the whole fireworks display. She went back to sleep pretty easily, but Rusty took a while to calm down, so I was up for about an hour between the two of them. Then up again at 1:30. I let her cry for about a half-hour before finally going in to check on her. I only sat by her crib for a minute or two before she fell back asleep, but then as soon as I crawled back into bed, she woke up again. I let her cry for 45 minutes this time before giving in. By this time, I’d been awake for about an hour and a half. Then she woke up again at 3:30 and I just wanted to cry.
It was pretty clear something was wrong – she just doesn’t wake up all night long like that without a reason. It has to be more than “I want mommy.” So Sean took her to the guest room and they slept there so I could get some sleep. Then she was up for good at 7, but Sean took charge and let me sleep in.
Tomorrow I’ll make an appointment with her pediatrician to get her ears checked out. Teething and fighting a cold are pretty consistent precursors to ear infections, and she’s dealing with both. She has been fiddling with one ear, not a lot, but it’s possible that ear is bothering her.
So here’s to a happier new year… once we all get a decent night’s sleep!
