Sleep Eli...PLEASE SLEEP!!

For the past month I have really struggled with the fact that my sweet baby boy has not been sleeping through the night. I tossed around so many things that must be the problem, I started with, he is just hungry. Then I wondered if he was just waking up out of habit, or was it the fact that he was teething and he was in pain. After a few weeks of the teething problem I could tell when he was crying because of that so this week I figured I could safely assess when that was the problem. The only thing I couldn't was to make sure he had enough food in his belly to sleep through the night. I agonized over giving him a little bit of rice in one of his bottles. I use the word agonized because the doctor said he only needed my milk until he was 6 months old, also he seemed perfectly healthy and happy, why change a good thing. After getting way to tired one night and talking to Stephanie, Katie, and Linda I decided it was time.



On Wednesday night Eli received his first little rice bottle. Why I choose this night I am still asking myself. Jacob was gone so I basically had to figure out how much milk and how much rice all while Eli is tired and starving. Lets just say it went well but honestly if any one would have been watching they would have thought I was a crazy mother! For example Eli is crying in my arms so instead of measuring the rice I just dumped it in the bottle ( my sister did this all the time why couldn't I) well that worked out fine until I realized I had no clue how much I gave him so how was I going to know if that was too much or too little. Then there was the problem with the nipple. Duh it was only putting milk through before it needed a bigger hole. Eli is still crying so I cut the top with scissors very quickly and very desperately. OOPS I made the hole way to big. Eli being the sport that he is ate the remainder of the bottle by me basically pouring some in his mouth and him swallowing. POOR GUY! I wish I could say he slept through the night, but no he woke up at 1. Since I knew he was not hungry I tried not to pick him up when he cried. I just gave him his binky and would rest my hand on his chest and tummy to comfort him. This kind of worked. I finally gave in and picked him up and rocked him back to sleep. I realized he liked something pressed close to his face so I pulled out this super soft burp rag and let him rub that on his face. He loved that. He woke up again at 4 and this time I fed him. Then he slept until around 8:30 hmmm things were already getting better.

NIGHT 2
This night started off with a rice bottle again. This time Jacob was home and he watched Eli while I got the bottle ready. I measured the rice this time...good job Stacy. Then instead of cutting the nipple with scissors I cut it a little with a knife much better right...WRONG. I again cut it to big and the pour guy drank like 2 oz in 30 seconds NO JOKE. This made Eli really mad and I think he decided then and there he no longer liked rice bottles. He let out a huge burp and refused to eat again and went to sleep. He slept from 8 to 2 am. 2 am is the time I think he wakes up out of habit so I would not feed him. I tried the soft burp rag, the binky and comforting him. I even let him cry a little. TRUST me there was not much crying and I am sure it was more painful for me then for Eli. At 2:45 I gave in a rocked him to sleep. He slept until 6 this time. I fed him and put him back in his crib. I thought he slept until around 8 but I was wrong. I guess Jacob heard him talking in his crib so he went and got him and played with him until he had to go to work.



NIGHT 3.
I decided Eli and I both had enough with the rice bottle and so I just decided to nurse him and see if I noticed any difference. He ate for a little bit then wanted to play. He played until 9:45 then became fussy I put him in my arms and 2 minutes later he was out!! I put him in his crib and I went to sleep in the guest room. I spent the rest of the night wondering what time it was, because the guest room does not have a clock. I kept worrying Eli was going to wake up any minute and I would have to listen or fight the crying. I didn't hear Eli and I heard Jacob...could it be? Did Eli sleep through the night? Then my thoughts shifted.OH NO IS HE OK?? I called Jacob and I told him Eli didn't wake up and I was worried he was not ok. I was too scared to go check so I made Jacob...Eli was sound asleep. Yippee he did it. Eli didn't wake up until 7 am! Now lets see if he does it tonight too!! I am xso greatful for my wonderful husband and great baby who hopefully will start sleeping through the nigh from here on out. Keep your fingers crossed!