Sick 'n Tired

So I finally figured out why Hannah hates to do what most kids should do by now, if not by many months ago - SLEEP through the night. She's been sneaking sips from the coffee pot while I'm not looking! While we are grateful to the friends who gave us this adorable little ceramic plate, bowl and mini-mug set, and we know that Hannah likes to do emulate whatever we do, I never thought it would come to this..!

In all fairness, last week was off to a bad start thanks to a virus Hannah picked up from that aptly-named TumbleBUGS class in the Presidio. Only hours after class, her insides were churning and she had little interest in eating a normal lunch. By that night, the runs struck, and they were pretty unpleasant for her. A sweaty fever-state at night led to us allowing her to flop around in our bed, in and out of sleep, most of the night. The following days were far less severe, but the nights were each uniquely painful. Two hours here, two hours there... every waking need these last several months has seemed to take about 2 hours to work itself through until sleep returns. If she begs for it, I'll give her a bottle thinking it's the fastest solution. But it has almost never been enough. Into our bed. Flop-flop-flop...squeeze daddy's nose, slap-slap-slap "Daddy?!" .... Finally, by Friday night, she was either so tired, or the bug had mostly worked itself out, that she was back to sleeping by herself all night, and Sunday morning even slept til 9:00AM! "Are we back to 'normal' again?" I prayed (and I'm not the praying type). After all, Memaw and Bapa are coming out in just two weeks to babysit while we take off for our honeymoon in Spain. Late night pillow fights will NOT be a happy experience for them...

Unfortunately, even when she is fine and healthy (like last night), even though she sometimes wakes up (like last night), she can usually take care of herself by just turning on her musical 'aquarium' and relaxing til she drifts back to sleep. But if someone needs to, say, go to the bathroom, which requires sneaking by her in her living room-based 'bedroom' across the wood floors, which have more than a few creaky spots,... well, it is impossible to get away with it without her springing up at the sound of that very first creak. Which means (like last night), that one or more of us is up entertaining her/trying to get her back to sleep via various methods from 2:30 til 5am, when she finally, FINALLY, drifts off. It is beyond frustrating at this point. I'm OK with coming to her aid when she's sick or really suffering (incoming molars may have been exacerbating her nighttime issues last week), but regular night wakings are just plain maddening. We have let her cry, not for 45 minutes, but for long enough to go back to sleep. However, she has different types of crying - the times when she'll be fine (usually in like 5-10 minutes), and the times when she'll get so hysterical it usually ends up in a mess - in the bed, down momma's shoulder, etc. etc...

Needless to say, I am highly motivated to find a home where she can have her own room, with a door that we can shut, and a bathroom that's nowhere near her bed. I am starting to feel it's unfair not just to us, but to her, in that the current setup is just no longer conducive to her being able to get the requisite sleep that she deserves and needs. And the longer we foster these bad habits, the longer they will persist. So if you know of any cool homes for sale, let us know -- cuz something's gotta give!

(By the way, she developed this weird hives-like rash over the weekend that comes and goes, which is apparently the way some viruses work their way out. There's nothing contagious about her, and thankfully it hasn't been causing her any noticeable discomfort, but it was an interesting thing to learn about from the advice nurse.)

ADVICE: 18 Mos, Tantrums & "Mine!"

Your 18-month-old's behavior: Tantrum triggers
by Dana Sullivan (BABYCENTER.COM)

Some days it may seem as though the littlest things set your toddler off. You serve her morning milk in the "wrong" cup and she throws it at you. Or she wants to go barefoot, even though it's raining outside, and screams her head off when you insist on putting on her boots. What's going on? Sometimes the triggers will be more obvious than others. She may be tired or angry. Or she may be frustrated by her inability to complete a task that she is determined to do, like putting a round peg in a square hole.

What you can do

Tantrums tend to occur at the worst possible time for you. It seems like when your toddler blows a fuse you're either in a hurry to get out the door in the morning, at the grocery store with half the shopping done, or in the waiting room of the doctor's office. What do these situations have in common? They are times that a typical toddler might feel emotional overload, and like she doesn't have your full attention. If you are aware of the situations that trigger tantrums, you may be able to prevent many of them with minor adjustments or a little advance planning. If you must grocery shop with your child, do it when she is well rested and fed. Carry a favorite book or stuffed animal to doctor visits — anything you can do to keep her calm will help. Also remember that the occasional tantrum is a normal byproduct of toddlerhood and development.

Other developments: Learning how to share and comfort objects

There is no "yours" in a toddler's vocabulary — everything is "mine!" So your car keys, a sibling's beloved stuffed dog, her dad's boots, the slide at the local playground — all these things are, in the eyes of an 18-month-old, hers. You can help your child understand what sharing means by praising her when she does give a toy to another child or lets another toddler go down the slide first. When reading a book or watching a video, point out examples of sharing. Try to avoid scolding her when she doesn't want to; sometimes just acknowledging how difficult sharing is will make her more willing to do so. You will have to be patient, and take comfort in the knowledge that other parents of toddlers are going through the same thing.

For a toddler, a favorite stuffed toy (in our case, Hannah's beloved "Hop Hop" - Barefoot Dreams Bunny Blankie) is a great source of comfort. She might also have some habits that soothe her — like twirling her hair, rocking, or sucking her thumb. Most children naturally outgrow these behaviors by the time they're four, so there's probably no need for you to intervene now.