Just when I feel like I've mastered our routine, someone throws a kink in our schedule. I often joke with Brian about which baby is my "favorite" (only because they can't understand me and I love them both beyond words). It was only a couple of weeks ago that Harris was topping the charts in every area. He was taking perfect naps, right on cue, sleeping through the night, and giggling all during the day. Well, that's not the case anymore...
Last week I felt this heavy weight on my shoulders and I was having the hardest time pin pointing what was causing all the stress. On Thursday afternoon, after spending an hour off and on rocking Harris to sleep for his afternoon nap, which ended unsuccessfully, I realized, I felt defeated, and so exhausted that I had to give in. I was spending way too much time and energy trying to get him to nap for over a week. I needed to be smarter about the situation, but it's hard when I have another baby in the same room who is trying to take a nap or has to wait to take her nap until he falls asleep.
Ever since Harris and Wynn have been standing in their crib and I started this horrible habit of rocking them to sleep for nap time, I always ask other moms of twins how they solved this problem. The most common response was to split them up. I knew that was the obvious solution, but we don't have a lot of options in our three bedroom home. That is, until you're desperate. Three bedrooms, three kids, just enough space for everyone to nap. So, this week, I pulled out the pack in play and set it up in our bedroom, ready for our new afternoon nap set up. (For some reason, Harris naps just fine in the morning. I usually have to wake him up to keep him on Wynn's schedule). Even though Harris is the one who doesn't want to nap, Wynn is the lucky one who gets to sleep in the pack in play. This is mainly because the pack in play backs up to Graham's bed, and I'm not going to jeopardize Graham's nap by having the louder baby waking him up. I'm hoping this is all temporary and before too long, we will all be back in our original beds. In fact, Wynn has woken up too early in the morning the past two nights so right now she's the one in trouble. ;) I think their teeth play a large part in who my favorite baby is each week!
Yesterday was our first nap with the babies split up in separate rooms and it was perfect! I brought Wynn's sound machine into our room, and made sure she had her puppy dog and lovey so it felt like home. Then, I rocked Wynn to sleep for two minutes like always and put her to sleep in the pack in play. Afterwards, I put Harris down in his own bed. I didn't rock him but for a second because I knew it wouldn't make a difference. As expected, he played in his crib for quite awhile, but once he whined, I rocked him for a minute or two and then everyone napped well past 4pm! I had to wake all three of my little ones up! It felt so great to have that heavy burden lifted off my shoulders.
Selfishly, I obviously want everyone to nap to get some time to myself, but it's also equally important for them to get that sleep. Our afternoon schedule revolves around Graham right now and with all this pretty weather (minus this week), we have been staying outside way past the babies usual nighttime routine so it was making it really hard on Harris to stay up later without the extra afternoon sleep. I'm hoping we are back on track, or at least until the next change up in our routine.
**You might wonder where Graham fits into this whole napping scenario, but he's such an amazing napper, babies crying and not wanting to nap doesn't phase him at all. I usually give him an animal cracker, read him a book, say prayers, and that little guy is ready for bed. (Now at night time, he usually gets out of bed 2 or 3 times before he's in bed for the night...I'm sure that's because he naps a little too long, oh well!)
Last week I felt this heavy weight on my shoulders and I was having the hardest time pin pointing what was causing all the stress. On Thursday afternoon, after spending an hour off and on rocking Harris to sleep for his afternoon nap, which ended unsuccessfully, I realized, I felt defeated, and so exhausted that I had to give in. I was spending way too much time and energy trying to get him to nap for over a week. I needed to be smarter about the situation, but it's hard when I have another baby in the same room who is trying to take a nap or has to wait to take her nap until he falls asleep.
Ever since Harris and Wynn have been standing in their crib and I started this horrible habit of rocking them to sleep for nap time, I always ask other moms of twins how they solved this problem. The most common response was to split them up. I knew that was the obvious solution, but we don't have a lot of options in our three bedroom home. That is, until you're desperate. Three bedrooms, three kids, just enough space for everyone to nap. So, this week, I pulled out the pack in play and set it up in our bedroom, ready for our new afternoon nap set up. (For some reason, Harris naps just fine in the morning. I usually have to wake him up to keep him on Wynn's schedule). Even though Harris is the one who doesn't want to nap, Wynn is the lucky one who gets to sleep in the pack in play. This is mainly because the pack in play backs up to Graham's bed, and I'm not going to jeopardize Graham's nap by having the louder baby waking him up. I'm hoping this is all temporary and before too long, we will all be back in our original beds. In fact, Wynn has woken up too early in the morning the past two nights so right now she's the one in trouble. ;) I think their teeth play a large part in who my favorite baby is each week!
Yesterday was our first nap with the babies split up in separate rooms and it was perfect! I brought Wynn's sound machine into our room, and made sure she had her puppy dog and lovey so it felt like home. Then, I rocked Wynn to sleep for two minutes like always and put her to sleep in the pack in play. Afterwards, I put Harris down in his own bed. I didn't rock him but for a second because I knew it wouldn't make a difference. As expected, he played in his crib for quite awhile, but once he whined, I rocked him for a minute or two and then everyone napped well past 4pm! I had to wake all three of my little ones up! It felt so great to have that heavy burden lifted off my shoulders. Selfishly, I obviously want everyone to nap to get some time to myself, but it's also equally important for them to get that sleep. Our afternoon schedule revolves around Graham right now and with all this pretty weather (minus this week), we have been staying outside way past the babies usual nighttime routine so it was making it really hard on Harris to stay up later without the extra afternoon sleep. I'm hoping we are back on track, or at least until the next change up in our routine.
**You might wonder where Graham fits into this whole napping scenario, but he's such an amazing napper, babies crying and not wanting to nap doesn't phase him at all. I usually give him an animal cracker, read him a book, say prayers, and that little guy is ready for bed. (Now at night time, he usually gets out of bed 2 or 3 times before he's in bed for the night...I'm sure that's because he naps a little too long, oh well!)
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