Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Day is Winding Down at Our House

Ada is such a little morning person. She starts the day in the best mood--usually pre 6 am, when her parents aren't in such good moods. She is chatty, giggly, and dancey all morning long, and then mid-morning/noonish things begin to go down hill. This morning we didn't even make it to 11, she was back in bed by 10:30, which made for an early nap. Not good for the 5:00 hour, the "witching hour" I have heard it called. And it is indeed a witching hour around here. There is much fussing and whining and just general unpleasantness as we try to stretch her bedtime until at least 7 pm. I have found that if I put her down at 6:30, she is certainly going to wake up before 6 am. We didn't make it tonight, though. She was down by 6:30. Yikes. I even tried to fit in a late afternoon nap in order to postpone bed time, but she was having none of that. And by 6:00 pm, I am worn slap out. Any ideas for moving this whole routine back a few hours? If she could wake up at 8am, take an actual afternoon nap, and then go to bed at 8 pm, I feel like everyone would benefit. How can we successfully make that shift? Seriously, ideas anyone?

For a brief second in time, she was napping from noon to three everyday and all was right with the world. It was quite the brief second, though, and now we are doing good to a get an hour and a half nap out of her. I feel like there is some sensible solution that I just haven't thought of. I think I might join her tonight and hit the sack very, very early. There is nothing like waking up after a very full night's sleep. Energizing to say the least.

This is why I must drink unimaginable amounts of diet coke. This is why it feels impossible to give it up. It is my little crutch that gets me through the day. Healthy? Probably not. Helpful? Most definitely.

5 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Laura Beth - mom here - are saying that you're back to drinking a lot of diet cokes. Yipes! I'm thinking ulcer, eventually perforated ulcer. Have you googled those words?

Sorry to invade this space - I'm a mom.

Elizabeth said...

oops. typo. I meant to say, "Are YOU saying that you're back to drinking a lot of diet cokes."

LB said...

No, mom, my friend Tutti is actually holding me accountable because she thinks I have to stop cold turkey. I think 1-2 a day is okay. But, it was somewhat of an exxageration(sp?) But seriously, Tutti won't let me. Yesterday we went to Chick-fil-a, and she "made" me get unsweet tea with a little bit of lemonade. It was good.

Deanna said...

If diet coke is the worst of your vices to get through the day, I'd say it could be MUCH worse! : ) I've cut out the Dr. Pepper myself, so I feel your pain.

joy said...

hey laura beth. good luck with the diet coke thing. i've cut all caffeine since the day i found out i was pregnant and im trying to wait til im not nursing-so i feel a little of the im over it attitude. so, about the sleeping thing- have you tried at all putting her back down to sleep at 6 when she wakes up? Like starting a new routine of giving her a bottle and putting her back to bed? Does she scream and 'have none of it' this way too? Im sure you've tried it, but i thought id ask. it may be like the sleeping through the night thing-a couple of rough mornings pay off in the end. I don't know, just thought id volunteer an effort of solution. o and will you call or text me your number. this morning i was trying to delete your old 770 number and accidently erased you as a contact-oops!