Napping and Sleeping Update

I must say that when Daddy is home the problem is harder than usual because he is going through a Daddy stage, where only Daddy can feed him, change his diaper, get him dressed, and put him to sleep.

So I've been working really hard to put him on a 5-2-5 schedule...five hours after waking up he goes down for a nap...the nap can only be two hours max...then he is up for five hours before getting his bath and being put to bed.

The first attempt he went to sleep amazingly quick. He didn't need to hold my neck, didn't need me sleeping in the bed with him. He just needed my hand on his back for a few minutes. In each of his hands held a small toy car. He slept for an hour and a half then came out of his room crawled onto the couch and fell asleep again for another half hour.

Then yesterday after playing outside for some time he took a short nap in his bed in the morning, then played around some more and took another nap while we ate dinner. He came into the living room, laid down on his bed, covered up, and went back to sleep while I finished cooking dinner. 

Today he went down for his nap with a little bit of fuss about wanting to go to Daddy, but I stuck to my guns and made him lie down. Of course, he needed my neck, but hey, he's in his little bed, and has been for two hours now. He's finally getting it. I love it because I am now able to do small things around the house, write on here undisturbed, or put my feet up and watch TV.

We are still working on night time, but it is getting better. Wednesday night Daddy slept in Joshua's room on the floor and said that he didn't wake up once. I told him I knew Joshua could do it...it's just getting him to go down without a major fuss anymore.

Potty Training....Maybe?!?!?!?

I had just finished talking with my mom on Skype when Joshua came running into the kitchen with absolutely no diaper on. I had also just asked him if he needed a diaper change to which I got a very adamant "No" and a head shake.
I looked at him and asked if he needed to go potty on the sea turtle (his potty seat that attaches to the toilet). He took off running for his bathroom and tried to put the potty on the toilet. I put it all on and put him on the toilet in which hie did a really great pee-pee job. Then said he was finished. I helped him off and asked "Are you sure you're done?" and he said "Potty, Potty". So back on he went...at which time he peed a little bit more and then had a little poop too. I got so excited and clapped for him and told him great job. I asked, "Do you want a clean diaper or undies on?" He looked at me and said "Undies" and ran to his bedroom to the drawer that I have been keeping the undies in. He is at this moment walking around the house in a T-shirt and undies. I am paranoid that he is going to pee on our carpet or couches and keep asking if he needs to go potty and he keeps telling me no. I guess we'll see what he does today. I'll just stay on top of it.


UPDATE:
We made it a full hour before he peed in the kitchen. If anything at least it was in the kitchen and not carpet. He then asked to go on the sea turtle, where he went a little bit more. We'll keep trying. I'm sure he is getting the hang of it and he's starting to do it all by himself rather than us forcing him to potty train.

Black Out Shades

Nana sent us a picture of some black out shades from IKEA and I went down to our local one and picked up one for Joshua's room and one for Matthew's room (which was defective...need to take that back). I got Joshua's all set up in advance of us teaching him to sleep in his own room...which I will start with naptime today. I am actually very excited about it. I think I will be changing the curtain rod to his football one rather than the ones that came with the house because this one won't hold the weight of the curtains. I raised it so it wouldn't be touching the floor (one less curtain to take up). I picked the gray color because black just seemed so dreary and down for a little boys room and white, well, who puts white in a little boys room?

This weekend we are getting Joshua's dresser out of storage so I look forward to that and getting his closet re-organized since the bin that is in it won't be holding his clothes anymore. I plan to get his name back up on the wall as well. I put most of his stuffed animals into a space saver bag to go into storage under the house since he NEVER plays with them and just kept out a few of the ones that he either likes to dance around or that I will put up on shelves for decor. 

Here is the corner of the room where his bed is.

With the new blinds open

 With the blinds closed but the curtains open 

Two Years Old Today

My Dearest Joshua,

I hope someday you will understand completely how much your mom and dad love you. You have been our sunshine on a cloudy day. Mommy is still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that two years have gone by since we welcomed you into our lives. Sometimes I look at you and still see my little tiny baby that needs Mommy for everything, then there are times that I look again and you are so grown up doing things all by yourself and don't want my help anymore.

I have sat and watched your every milestone and watched you thrive in this strange world of ours. You have always had a smile for others and have always had your own opinions about how things should be done. I love that you are an independent little boy that wants to do things for himself. Every day when we wake up and you look at me and smile is the best way for me to start my day. I love that I can walk into another room of the house and you will look around calling out "Mama, Honey, Mama, Honey" until you locate me just to give me a hug or kiss or both.

I love that no matter what you do in your day you always come back to Mama for your hugs, kisses, snuggles, and holding for your nap time and bed time. You are my everything and I could not ask for a more loving, well rounded, little two year old.

I am so proud to be your Mommy and I look forward to all the years to come and watching you grow.

Love,
Mommy

Why Is Sleep So Elusive?

When we brought Joshua home from the hospital he was the perfect baby. He would be up every 3-4 hours for a feeding and would sleep. After a month he was sleeping 6-7 hours straight. Then four months old and he hit the sleep regression, I guess, he woke every 3 hours again. The only thing is...it didn't stop there. While most babies hit this sleep regression they get over it within a week or two. Mine...he didn't get that memo. His sleep at night began to deteriorate. By the time Joshua turned a year he was sleeping in only 1-1.5 hour stretches. It was a nightmare for me. I was a first time mom and I listened to what every mom before me had to tell me try just putting him in the crib, let him cry himself to sleep...that was not the best. Joshua would cry till he threw up all over. We tried The Ferber Method...check 5mins, 10mins after that, 15mins after that, 20mins after that until the baby goes to sleep. Yeah right....he screamed forever and never let up. We tried the Sleep Easy Solution. NOTHING worked and I mean nothing. So, Raul said...lets just bring him to our bed and see if we can get some sleep. By this time I was an angry mom, I was not happy with motherhood and found no joy in being around my one year old. Joshua slept between us comfortably and would pass out from 8:00pm till 7:00am without waking up once. Life did a total 180. I was happy again, I could function, and my little boy started to smile more.

Now, you know what happened, although no one could tell us why he wouldn't sleep on his own in his own bed. 

So, here we are almost a year later and he is still sleeping in our bed, which has gotten very uncomfortable now that I am just seven weeks away from having Joshua's little brother, Matthew. Joshua has this adorable little toddler bed in his room and it has cute little Cars themed bedding on it. You'd think my little Cars addict would love sleeping in it. Nope...it is not where he wants to be at all. He has no lovey, as much as I have tried to get him attached to a blanket, stuffed animal, toy of any kind, etc...nope...he has to hold my neck.

Last night I got him out of his bath and read him a bedtime story. I told him he had to lay down in his bed. I laid down with him for a short while, but I got tired of the neck grabbing so I asked if he wanted me to hold him...this is where the rocking chair would have come in handy...I held him on his bed for a few minutes until I asked him if he would like to lay down...which he said he did. So I laid him down and put his blanket on him and told him he was a big boy and had to sleep in his bed so he could show Matthew how to sleep in his bed when he arrives. After about ten minutes of just sitting on the floor by his bed...he was asleep...soundly...with his soft little snore. I couldn't believe it. Life was going to be amazing if he could do this every night.

At 11pm...three hours after he fell asleep...I could hear him crying so I jumped out of bed...worst thing I could have done...I heard a loud popping noise and just felt the pain radiate in my pelvis. I had forgotten to move slowly. I opened our bedroom door and walked into the kitchen where Joshua was already up and heading toward our room. I couldn't bare the thought of sitting on his floor to get him back to sleep after how I got up so I just let him back to our bed. I'll try again tonight and this time I'll remember to get up slowly and put him back into his bed. After all, how else is he going to learn.

I did buy this cute little clock for his room. It teaches him that when the bunny is sleeping he needs to be in his bed no matter what. Then when the bunny is up he can get up out of his bed. I hope it works...it should arrive in the mail sometime this week.