A New Day

For three nights in a row this week, Harry did not nap. Each of those nights, he went to sleep between 6:30 and 7:00 PM with no fighting and slept until 6-7 AM the next morning. Yesterday, he seemed tired, so we let him nap for 90 minutes, from 12:15 to 1:45 PM. That should be early enough not to mess with bedtime, right? HA! He didn't go to be until 9:45 PM and was hell on wheels.

Daddy and I have decided: No more naps. We just cannot abide this late night schedule. He gets worked up and overtired and everyone gets cranky and miserable. The only fly in the ointment is that he sleeps really deeply when he goes down late and is a bit restless in his sleep when he goes down early. We'll take that over the late nights, though. My job has an early schedule (8-4) and I have to be in bed early and up early. We are not night people around here.

So today is a new day. Here is our routine model:

Toddler Schedule - No Naps

7:00 - Wake
7:00/7:30 - Breakfast
9:30 - Light snack
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Quiet/Rest time (45 minutes to 1 hour)
3:30 - Afternoon Snack
5:30 - Dinner
6:30 - Begin bedtime routine
7:00 - Bedtime

He was up at 6:45 today, so we are on track. Those of you who know me well, know that I thrive on this kind of stuff. I'm sure some of you have guessed by reading this that I probably have made lists of meal/snack ideas and activity ideas for each part of the day. You are correct. I have had enough of this haphazard life being held hostage to an unpredictable sleep schedule. It's really demoralizing to think at the end of every day, "Ugh. Do we have to do battle tonight? Is he going to fight or give in? Can I handle 3-4 hours of trying to get him to bed?" It is especially hard when he gets worked up and energized when I'm home alone. Pregnant Mama can't take much of that.

We are also changing up his going to sleep routine. No more bedtime video. He can have that for quiet time and after his bath, but bedtime will be rocking and books. Plus, I cannot spend 45 minutes wearing him in a baby carrier to get him to sleep. My back cannot take it. He's not going to like any this, but if we are consistent, I hope we can change. We have 5 days until Irving leaves for SF. They will not be easy. Wish us luck!