Sleepless Nights

Last week was rough in our house. Juddo is growing / teething / having tummy troubles / being ornery / all of the above. This equates into him having problems sleeping again, which means Brian and I are having trouble sleeping too. He is sort of napping, but sporadically, and night-time has been filled inconsistent sleeping. Jude goes to bed fine, but then wakes around 10pm. Lately, this has required a binky, soothing, cuddling, or even brought downstairs for burps or bottles. Once asleep, he'll sleep until about midnight / 1am. Then a repeat of the above with the exception of a bottle. Once asleep, he'll sleep until 4 or 5am. Now, we often bring him into our bed for soothing if possible. If he doesn't quiet back down, he's up and wants to interact and a bottle. If he's up, then he doesn't go back down until a morning nap time 'round 9am (if he'll sleep).

We've tried several remedies...his reflux medicine, baby Tylenol, Ora-jel for the gums, cool binkies, warm snuggles with mom or dad, lots of burping, less food, more food, less stimulation, more stimulation, more music, more white-noise, cry it out, immediate coddling, and just about anything else we can think of. Eventually, Brian and I gave up or gave in and are just trying to ride this time out with the hope that it will get better soon. With fingers crossed, after 5 days of this horrid night time schedule, it has gotten better again.

It's times like these that re-enforces the idea that babies are little black boxes of unknown "stuff." He can't tell me what's wrong or what triggered this sleeplessness, and my scientific process of elimination mind is just going bonkers trying to figure out what's going on in his little body. Good thing he's cute and we love him. I am just going to chalk this one up to teething this time. Here's a few comical "Baby Sleep Positions" that we have experienced in our house. Jude is a master of "Snow Angels." I've woken up to having him staring at me and it is like having a "Stalker." (More than a little creepy). And there have been more than one occasion where Brian or I have booby-trapped the bed with a baby and left the other significant other to find sleeping arrangements elsewhere...