Sleep-1 B-0

My B had been a sleeping nightmare since this past weekend! Saturday night he woke up at 3 am and stayed crying for a solid 30 minutes before going back to sleep.

The night before last he refused to fall asleep unless he was in bed with us. I finally left him in his room at 2 and he cried until he fell asleep 25 minutes later.

Last night I was more careful to monitor nap time and keep the bed time routine in check and he went to bed willingly for me at 9:45 pm. However, 5 am like clockwork he's up crying. I went into his room and consoled him. I told him if he laid down I would stay in there with him, but he refused. So I said okay and that I loved him and good night. I went into my room, turned on the bathroom fan to drown him out a little so K could sleep, and it only took him 10 minutes to fall asleep. I don't know if it was the fan noise getting into his room or if it was because he was more hysterical than normal.

I've tried it all. I can't sit in his room because it makes it worse. He wants to be in my arms and in my bed. I never let him sleep in my bed so I'm not entirely sure why he's decided he needs to be in bed with us. He's been doing this for months now off and on. Last time around I started giving him allergy medicine every day and he slept thorough the night fine. So I do wonder if he's having some reaction to the enormous amount of pollen in the air and it's just not something I can physically see.

Either way, I've also made sure naps are no more than 2 hours and our routine at night is always the same. He is a night owl like his momma and that's a problem! 

The hardest part about it is staying strong while he's screaming "mommy! Mommy!" In his room. At 3 am you are so tired and it hits you right in your heart! Regardless, I think the solution for B is being told he's loved and leaving him to go back to sleep on his own. He has a music box from his late grandmother, but I don't think it's working anymore. He's just plain stubborn and two. A hard combination.

Luckily I have had a lot of great support from other moms of two year olds and older. They've given me some great feedback or just a plain "stay strong!" And that helps a lot. Sometimes you feel like you're alone in this terrible toddler life, but it's never true. 

So, let's hope 10 minutes turns to 5 tonight! 

B is Two!

Two years ago today at this time (10:15 pm) I was sitting in my hospital room anxiously awaiting the arrival of my little man. I cannot believe it has been two years already! My little B has been the biggest blessing in my life, I truly could not love him more. I wanted to dedicated this post to him by filling out a questionnaire about my little man.

A conversation with B (2 years old);
Favorite Food: Spaghetti
Least Favorite Food: Tomatoes (Ironic, right?)
Favorite Sport: Anything involving a ball!
Favorite Television Show: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Favorite Thing To Do: Slide down the slide
Favorite Song: "Happy" by Pharrell, "What Does the Fox Say?" Yvelis
Favorite Book: "Animal Strike at the Zoo"
Favorite Movie: Jungle Book, Monsters Inc, Brave, and Frozen (But Disney movies are awesome)
Three Words That Describe Me: Stubborn, Short-tempered, Giving

B, while stubborn and short-tempered, is so very kind. He will randomly bring you a toy, share his food, and bring the dog her toys. He will come up and snuggle with you and give you a kiss. He is so loving and kind-hearted and that makes me melt. He is the sweetest little boy and is so fun. Anything to make you smile.

I have enjoyed every day of B's life. He has given me a whole new outlook on life. I cannot wait to watch him grow and learn more and more. I love my little B! Happy Birthday baby boy!

Mom Life

I am so blessed to be a stay at home mother in this economy. It is a blessing I try very hard not to take for granted. Especially on days like yesterday when no matter what I did B reacted negatively. He was fussy, whiny, and cried over everything! I have been struggling with the latest change in doses of my medicine and my patience just ended. I ended up snapping at B and yelling at him. This made me feel guilty, thus resulting in me crying. This cause B to cry and be concerned about me. Yesterday was not a good day. Days like that are hard to find the positive outlook on life. Especially when you already feel anxious and depressed. Being a mom is even harder. I run my household, plan meals, clean, and raise a beautiful little boy. And even with dream jobs you can have a bad day. I just hate having those bad days because I feel inadequate as a mother. Why can't I handle this? Why do I have to feel so depressed about silly things? Luckily I have a great support group. My hubby came home from lunch, my mom called me on her break, and I have a wonderful group of moms that I can talk to and vent to. I am so blessed and grateful to God for the blessings in my life. Even in my bad days I can take a time out and count my blessings. This is the start to turning a negative day positive. It's never easy and no one is perfect, but it's still worth trying.