Bug = 1 year 11 months 22 days
Bub = 7 weeks 3 days
Night-time
Bub’s night-time sleep is very settled. She spends the evening with us, has a last feed in bed with me when I go to bed around 11:00pm, then goes to sleep in her cot. She wakes at around 3:00am and has another feed, then sleeps until morning.
Bug is less settled: he is coming into our bed in the middle of most nights at the moment. He used to be an angelic sleeper in the pre-Bub days, but his sleep has been more disrupted since his sister arrived. For the most part, his coming into our bed isn’t a big issue. Bub is now sleeping in the cot beside the bed – rather than in bed with me – overnight, so space isn’t too much of a problem. However Bug can be quite kicky, and at these times it’s impossible for Bob to sleep.
We don’t mind too much where any of us sleeps; Bob recently spent quite a few nights in the spare room because I felt inhibited about disturbing his sleep while dealing with Bub in the middle of the night (in spite of the fact that Bob is such a deep sleeper he doesn’t get disturbed at all).
However we do want everyone to get a good night’s sleep, and when Bug’s having a kicky night that’s not happening. Hence we’re right in the throes of considering how to handle this at the moment.
Daytime Bug
On a typical day, Bug goes down for a nap in his room just before noon for about an hour and a quarter. He has been good at being left awake, playing and reading for a while, and then getting into bed and going to sleep. However this weekend he managed to stay up in his room playing for two hours! Who knows how long he’d have stayed happily if we hadn’t gone in?
It’s tempting to go in and re-tell him to go to sleep, which has worked in the past, but last time Bob tried that it triggered a tantrum and nap-time was over.
Ah well. Even if he doesn’t sleep, at least he (and we) are getting some time out. And I must admit I do like the fact that he is capable of happily entertaining himself for such a long period of time.
Daytime Bub
Bub’s daytime sleeping habits are a little less predictable than Bug’s. I don’t watch the clock at all regarding her feeds and sleeps, I just feed her when she’s unhappy and get things done when she’s asleep.
She sleeps in a Baby Hammock in our living room during the day, so she’s surrounded by the noise of a toddler (and his music) and various visitors. I originally had a borrowed Nature’s Sway hammock from a friend (thanks, LC!), and when this was reclaimed I decided that it worked well for Bub and I bought a second-hand hammock from another friend (thanks, AS!).
Bub seems pretty happy sleeping in the hammock, and I really like having her around so close to “the action”. It means I can effortlessly check on her every few minutes and respond to her needs quickly.
Bub sometimes sleeps well through the mornings until around 9:00am, and these mornings are bliss. We have time to sort family breakfast; get Bug fed, changed and dressed for the day; get Bob off to work; and do a couple of other household tasks like washing and dishes.
The days when she doesn’t sleep in like this are what we in the mothering trade technically call “bad days”. They start off on the wrong foot: Mum might not manage to get dressed… teeth don’t get cleaned… dishes and washing fester… and the loving enchantment mothers feel for their children mysteriously transforms into excruciating existential angst.
Bug’s language skills are increasing exponentially, and he’s quite sure what he means, even if he has to repeat it five times before you work it out, he’ll keep at it until he’s satisfied you’re ‘taught’ (either that or he’ll go and gallop around the lounge).
