It's possible that I am not meant to parent a "normie," as we call them affectionately in our house. A typical kid. One with 46 chromosomes. The regular kind. However you say it, and no matter how cute she can be at times, Kinlee is pushing my buttons in ways that drive me to the edge so quickly.
Something is up with her lately, and I'm so fed up with trying to figure out what it is. For the last week or so, she's been getting up again at night. Two--sometimes three--times in a night. Waking and screaming. I give her a bottle, she takes about 3 oz and restlessly goes back to sleep. In about 3 hours she does it again. She won't eat like she was doing before, bottles or baby food. She fusses all the time. It's a whiny, grunt/growl, complaining thing that wears on my nerves like I didn't think was possible. She won't sit still for the world. She must climb on me, stand in my lap, turn around, sit down, and do it again. All the while whining and being generally uncomfortable.
I can't tell if she's hurting, or if she's bored, or if she is tired since her naps are also all screwed up. Last week we had an insanely busy week, with appointments and events every day, several a day. Maybe she's just off her routine? But this seems excessive for that situation. But what do I know? All I have to compare it to is the easiest kid ever, always pleasant (99.9% of the time), self-soothing, pleased to have company or be alone. Braska is a breeze. Maybe Kinlee is sick. Maybe she's uncomfortable, because she also hasn't been having dirty diapers nearly as often. I just don't know and it's driving my crazy. She wants Mommy alot, but when I have her she's still unhappy and so restless and whiny, once again.
M was very good to take the girls with him to visit his parents on Saturday. I got alot done and I felt so much better. But when Kinlee got home she was a mess. She wasn't as bad while they were gone, but still not her happy self. Then yesterday we were down there again for football and she did ok, but still a bit weird at times. Then last night, up twice again, not wanting to go back to sleep, thrashing around. SOO frustrating. I'm spoiled, I know it. But knowing that doesn't help me either.
Maybe I'll take her to the doctor today just to check her ears/throat/etc. She has been messing with her ears some, but she has done that since she was born, and they've always been fine. Maybe it's a combination of everything, but if that's the case, what in the world am I supposed to do to fix it? Stay home and let her "reset" for a week or so? I want to help her. I want her to be happy. I want to be sure she's not actually needing something I'm missing, but this is hard.
[Just before I hit publish, she woke up, playing in her bed, smiling, but with a VERY crusty nose. After some un-fun cleaning of the nose, she was fine, went in Braska's room to play with her for a few before we take Braska to school. Seems fine, but how long will it last today... Any insights??]
Something is up with her lately, and I'm so fed up with trying to figure out what it is. For the last week or so, she's been getting up again at night. Two--sometimes three--times in a night. Waking and screaming. I give her a bottle, she takes about 3 oz and restlessly goes back to sleep. In about 3 hours she does it again. She won't eat like she was doing before, bottles or baby food. She fusses all the time. It's a whiny, grunt/growl, complaining thing that wears on my nerves like I didn't think was possible. She won't sit still for the world. She must climb on me, stand in my lap, turn around, sit down, and do it again. All the while whining and being generally uncomfortable.
I can't tell if she's hurting, or if she's bored, or if she is tired since her naps are also all screwed up. Last week we had an insanely busy week, with appointments and events every day, several a day. Maybe she's just off her routine? But this seems excessive for that situation. But what do I know? All I have to compare it to is the easiest kid ever, always pleasant (99.9% of the time), self-soothing, pleased to have company or be alone. Braska is a breeze. Maybe Kinlee is sick. Maybe she's uncomfortable, because she also hasn't been having dirty diapers nearly as often. I just don't know and it's driving my crazy. She wants Mommy alot, but when I have her she's still unhappy and so restless and whiny, once again.
M was very good to take the girls with him to visit his parents on Saturday. I got alot done and I felt so much better. But when Kinlee got home she was a mess. She wasn't as bad while they were gone, but still not her happy self. Then yesterday we were down there again for football and she did ok, but still a bit weird at times. Then last night, up twice again, not wanting to go back to sleep, thrashing around. SOO frustrating. I'm spoiled, I know it. But knowing that doesn't help me either.
Maybe I'll take her to the doctor today just to check her ears/throat/etc. She has been messing with her ears some, but she has done that since she was born, and they've always been fine. Maybe it's a combination of everything, but if that's the case, what in the world am I supposed to do to fix it? Stay home and let her "reset" for a week or so? I want to help her. I want her to be happy. I want to be sure she's not actually needing something I'm missing, but this is hard.
[Just before I hit publish, she woke up, playing in her bed, smiling, but with a VERY crusty nose. After some un-fun cleaning of the nose, she was fine, went in Braska's room to play with her for a few before we take Braska to school. Seems fine, but how long will it last today... Any insights??]
I say we trade her in for another Downsie.
ReplyDeleteFluid in the ears and teething are the two things that came to mind when reading your description of her irritable behaviors....especially if you've noticed changes in her eating.
ReplyDeleteI will admit though....from your descriptions of Braska, you were VERY blessed with a very good baby the first go round! So, maybe you're just seeing the opposite side of the baby perspective now?????
Just give her a dose of Benadryl before she goes to bed, that'll knock her out:) JK.......I thought the exact same thing, teeth and ears. Sometimes they are combined, when they get teeth, the ears hurt too 'cause it's all somehow connected up there. Also, it could just be a phase. I know that with the boys I babysit, one in particular was extremely fussy and crabby at that age. I honestly think he wanted to be on the move all the time and would get extremely frustrated when he could not get where he wanted immediately. I have no awesome motherly advice except to hang in there, pray for patience, and if that doesn't work, give yourself the Benadryl (or something stronger) and let her scream it out:) Eventually, they just pass out and it's all good.
ReplyDeleteM--You think you're funny... I get that. No trading allowed.
ReplyDeleteShelley and Misty--Thanks for the thoughts.
I would guess teeth as well, but what do I know, I'm just a dad :) Actually that's remembering back to the older 3, because Hannah got 4 in practically at once and she didn't have any teething pain at all. The other guess might go along with your post on feeding; she could be hungry and this is her way of telling you, "Mom, I need some real food here."
ReplyDeleteI am thinking the same as everyone, but please don't feel bad, mine still does it and he is only a few month younger than Braska.. I completely understand where you are coming from.. Sleep deprived and a cranky kid do not make for a happy mommy! Hope she is just in a mood and not sick though for your sake..
ReplyDeleteLooks like you're getting some good feedback. I will add a couple of possibilities... all of my kids started to regress with the restless sleeping around the time they started to sit up... they are now more mobile in bed so I guess they feel they need to explore the new found freedom. The only thing is that phase doesn't usually last that long - but I hate to say it but if you feed her at that time, it will create a routine and she will start to wake up to feed again and again - so try not to feed her in the middle of the night.
ReplyDeleteBut if she is fussy and changing in personality during the day as well the other thing I would wonder about is tummy problems - maybe from the solid food... could it be an allergy issue? or constipation? I would give her a little bit of prunes (like 1/2 a small jar, it doesn't usually take much!) every other day and see what happens.
Hope you get it figured out soon so you all can return to happy sleep.
I don't have any new suggestions to add, just to hang in there:o) And also Maddy and Gracie both did the thing where they started to wake at night when they were at the learning to sit stage. Since you have been thinking about it I would take her in to your ped. and have her ears and such checked. If all is clear there I would check the ibuprofen dose for her and do some of that with oral-jel before bed, and then if she is still waking at night I would just let her stay in her bed to learn how to put herself back to sleep. I would think that if she gets her sleeping back on track everything else will fall into place with her mood and feeding. I would also agree that maybe she is ready for more food, but not in the middle of the night. And not to criticize where you are at because heaven knows I nursed my girls when I was at the end of my rope and didn't know what else to do in the middle of the night. Doesn't matter what Babywise says when you are that sleep deprived. Don't get down on yourself RK, you're doing a great job! You are having the same frustration and questions that most parents have at some point or another. Not that that makes it any more enjoyable when your turn comes around.
ReplyDelete