Update on Sleep Issues

Well, I'm a little confused.

Jordyn's sleep is kinda all over the place, and I just don't really know what to make of it.

When I posted on Wednesday, it was as Jordyn was upstairs in her crib screaming when she was supposed to be falling asleep for a nap. How did I eventually get her to sleep? I ended up making a little "nest" for her on the floor of her room with a couple of blankets and by leaning some pillows up against her dresser so she wouldn't bonk her head when she moved around in her sleep. I lay down with her there, not touching or cuddling her, but just next to her. She was asleep instantaneously upon hitting the blanket. She was SO exhausted, but for whatever reason, just would not go to sleep in her bed. I didn't stay long, figuring if the fell deeply asleep without my presence, that would be for the better. I closed the gate at the top of the stairs, came down and readjusted the camera for the video monitor so I could kind of see her through the slats in the side of her crib, and tried to relax. I thought maybe she wanted to be on the floor instead of in her crib for naps since she sleeps on a mat on the floor for naps at school...??

She slept for 2.5 hours. I was worried she wouldn't go to sleep that night since she woke up at 5:30. I was just about to go up and wake her when she woke up on her own. I went out for a couple of hours Wednesday evening to participate in a focus group (and get a $50 Amazon gift card as a thank-you), and my dad babysat. He's the world's worst babysitter, but guess what?? Jordyn went to sleep for him with *no trouble at all*!!! I'd given him a heads-up that her sleep had gotten bad again, told him about making a nest on her floor if she refused to sleep in her crib, etc. But when I got home, he had the video monitor screen on and facing the door as I walked in, and he looked at me and said, "piece of cake". Apparently, she didn't make a peep when he put her in the crib, and went right to sleep. WTF?? But it kind of added fuel to my theory that she misses me, and wants to be with me. Since I wasn't here, the issue didn't come up. And she *slept through the night*. Interesting.

Thursday she was at school all day, and she napped fine there - went right to sleep. I picked her up later than usual, since I was running late from work. But I told her a few times throughout the evening that she was going to have a big sleep with Minnie Mouse (her lovey) in her crib that night, and that I would see her in the morning. She tried to start getting all upset like she has been - started crying and kicking her feet even as I was holding her after putting her pjs on - but I distracted her, and she never went back to it. She cried for maybe a second or two when I first put her in bed, and then stopped, and went to sleep. I was *amazed*!! I'd been dreading bedtime, and then it was no big deal.

But then she woke up at 4:00am crying, and I brought her in bed with me. It doesn't bother me so much bringing her into bed with me in the late-middle of the night, as I've at least had a decent chunk of uninterrupted sleep by then, and at least I get to go back to sleep right away without spending potentially hours trying to get her back to sleep in her crib first. Since she's also had a decent chunk of sleep by then, the sleep pressure isn't built up, and it can be really difficult to get her to sleep where she doesn't want to. In my bed, she goes right back to sleep. And as has happened in the past, I think she'll eventually stop waking up in the middle of the night, and therefore stop coming into my bed, so it's different from just giving in at the beginning of the night and starting out with her in my bed. It was ok, and I did get more sleep even with her in my bed.

Today, Friday, we were at my parents' house this afternoon for nap time. My mom and I were planning to go to the mall for a little shopping, and my dad was babysitting. I tried to put her down, but she fought it, hard, standing up and screaming in her crib. I held for a little while to soothe her, which I know probably isn't the best idea, but you know what? It just seems like that's what she needs right now. I mean, if she needs a little extra mommy cuddling time for a while as she adjusts to our new routine, is it really so bad to give it to her?? But then my mom and I needed to leave if we were going to have any time at the mall at all, so I handed her to my dad, said goodbye, and he got her to sleep after we left. I think he basically patted her tush while she lay in the crib until she feel asleep, and then she slept for 1.5 hours.

Tonight, I prepared her again on our way home from Tot Shabbat and while getting her ready for bed that she was going to have a big sleep in her crib with Minnie Mouse tonight, and that I would see her in the morning. She went to sleep with no problem at all, not a peep. I also put a mini baby blanket thing that I'd been keeping under my shirt yesterday evening and slept with last night to get my scent on it in her crib with her. I have no idea if that'll be helpful, but I figure it's worth a try. Now to see if she'll actually sleep through the night again...

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In other news, my friend H is still in the hospital. She got her trach last week, and had to basically lay still in bed for a week while the site healed. I visited her for a few minutes on Monday, and she was miserable. Just totally DONE and ready to go home. She couldn't talk and still couldn't eat, and was just totally miserable. But then I saw her for a few minutes again yesterday, and she was like a different person. She'd gotten the trach changed and could talk again, and had just gotten cleared to start eating. She smiled, and was in a completely different place emotionally than she had been on Monday. It was SO nice to see that! Today she got moved out of the ICU onto the regular neuro unit. Her mom is experiencing what sounds like PTSD regarding the events that took place over two weeks ago at the beginning of this whole thing, when H collapsed, seized, and basically died for a few moments in her mom's arms before the code team arrived and revived her. I can't (and don't want to) imagine what that's like to reflect on, and to be so worried about something similar happening again. But all is moving in the direction both medically and emotionally, and I think they're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yay!

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In still other news, Jordyn *almost* booked her first modeling job today! I was SO incredibly excited, but then it fell through. She was on a short list of potential kids for a shoot by Hasbro (the toy company that's out of Rhode island), and the modeling agency woman thought all the kids on that list were going to be booked if they were available. So we got the call and email, but after I'd confirmed that Jordyn was available, she found out that not all the kids were going to be booked, and we were "released" from the gig. I was so disappointed, but happy that she at least got that far, and it gives me hope that maybe something else will come up in the future. Too bad - Hasbro apparently pays for 2 hours minimum, even if she ended up being there for 10 minutes, and they pay $120/hour! That's a nice chunk of change for a baby's first job! ;)