Sleep Deprivation

Scarlett has not been big into naps since she was born.  I had friends tell me about how their babies sleep all day... not mine!  Other friends said their babies are on a consistent schedule, they just naturally wanted to eat/sleep at the same time each day... not mine!  This wasn't a big deal until a few weeks ago.  She just got really stubborn and didn't want to sleep - even at night.  So I brushed the dust off my copy of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.  I had started reading this book awhile ago but I thought it was too froofrooy.  But out of desperation I picked up where I left off.  I actually learned several things I was doing wrong.  Like, I have been keeping her up too late (mostly cause I want to play with her after work).  But I realized that her sleep deprivation was leading to my sleep deprivation.  So this past week I've been pretty good at putting her down at a consistent time for naps/bedtime.  I've established a more specific routine for her.  I tried to force a binki, blankey, stuffed animal, anything... but she only goes down for a nap with nursing/cuddling.  I will work on getting rid of that when she's adjusted to her new routine. She takes naps in her pack and play (since I work in her room with her crib).  


For the most part it's been fine and I'm mad at myself for not being more disciplined about her sleep schedule earlier on.  But my resolve wavers at night when she cries herself to sleep.  I try to rock her and sooth her, but a few different nights she's woken herself up when I lay her down and proceeded to scream.  One night for 45 min.  Another night for 80 min.  I hate it, especially when she screams "mama". I know that the "extinction" method works well, and that I'm not making her cry, I'm letting her cry.  But it still sucks.  Sucks monkey. The first night she cried herself to sleep we went to check on her... she fell asleep with her bum in the air and she had somehow taken her pants off?!?!   And just a cruel twist of fate, last night Jake and Scarlett slept soundly while I laid in bed wide awake for no reason for several hours.  Dang snap!  I'm so tired!


Just yesterday Jake noticed that she's been doing the Zoolander "Blue Steel" look.  She did it all day today:

More about Scarlett...

• She loves books!  She loves to flip through the pages on her own or on our laps.
• She finally got her 8th tooth, so now she's got the 4 middle on top and bottom.
• "Baby" is her FAVORITE word.  She says it a lot while she talks to her toys.  I tried to get it on tape, but she stopped talking each time she saw the camera - what a tease!
• She said "bye Dad" the other day when Jake left for school (kinda freaked Jami and me out!) 
• She copies random words we say (got to watch our language around her)
• Says "uh oh"

Last week we went to Macaroni Grill for dinner.  The manager came out and brought Scarlett a silver baby spoon on a little tray.  He told us that we could take it home with us afterwards.  How cool is that!  Now she can grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth!  hahaha!