Mission: Nap Schedule = Accomplished
It took about 7 -8 months, but Joey and Eliza are officially on the two-a-day nap schedule (sometimes 3 for Eliza). Woohoo! Accomplishing this feat is a big deal in mommy world, so I’m giving myself a small pat on the back. It is no easy task to catch the open sleep window, especially with my hands already so full. I have a lot to pay attention to all the time. I had to make catching the sleep window a priority. So, for a long time, I was on my toes watching for sleep cues. It was definitely tricky with two babies. Here’s the incredibly abridged version of how it worked:
Eliza was (and still is) much more predictable than Joey. When she needs sleep, she wants to sleep…and she lets me know it! As long as she doesn’t get overtired, I’m able to put her down and she rolls right over. Joey, on the other hand, is so mellow that it’s hard to catch his sleep window. He’ll just kind of chill until it’s eye rubbing and ear pulling time. That’s when I know he’s really tired, and sometimes it’s too late. In order to get him down, I have to let him cry. Now, it’s obviously ideal to get both babies sleeping at the same time. This is tricky for the morning nap. Joey and Eliza typically wake up for the morning at different times (Joey usually earlier than Eliza by about an hour). Here’s the catch, though…Joey lasts longer awake in the morning. He doesn’t need to go back down for an hour and a half to two hours after he wakes up. Eliza goes back down after an hour. So, almost daily I’m able to get both Joey and Eliza napping for some amount of time between 9-11am. Whether they sleep for an hour or two hours still varies. Oh well…
The afternoon nap is really where the “conquering hero” comes into play. Yep, I’m able to get ALL THREE babies down at the same time! Toot Toot (that was my own horn). After Joey and Eliza wake up from their morning nap, they’re good to go for about 2-3 hours. I wear them out by taking them on outings with Linnea, or we just play at home. When lunch time comes around, I get everyone fed and changed, and put them all down. YES! I finally have a little “me” time during the day. Fabulous. Oh, and I should admit…I do have a summer girl. There’s NO WAY outings would occur on a regular basis without an extra set of hands.
So, there you have it. No, it wasn’t easy, and, yes, I left a LOT out. Naps are a daily challenge. The naps still vary, but for the most part, the babies are on a schedule. It makes my life feel somewhat less chaotic, and I get the best out of both babies when they’re well-rested. All the hard work is worth it. It feels GREAT when my babies wake up happy. It’s almost like I’ve napped too!
June 25, 2010 at 9:02 pm |
Toot Toot! (That’s me tooting your horn.) That is a serious feat. We’re just starting the segue to the two-a-day nap schedule ourselves. It’s hard enough always catching the sleep cues with one…I cannot imagine how insane it’s gotta be to try to get 3 down at the same time. Props, serious props.
July 12, 2010 at 6:16 pm |
This is good to read! I have B/G 5 month old twins and a 4 1/2 year old and naps are a daily struggle, for the babies, not the 4 year old. I can not believe that he naps through all the screaming the babies do when I lay them down in the afternoon. They are tired, they need to nap, and do not. Ugh. My oldest was so by the book, napped great from the get go. It is so encouraging to read that it takes time. Thank you for sharing!
July 15, 2010 at 3:22 am |
Glad you enjoyed the post, Rachel. I’m amazed my older daughter sleeps through the screams too. We have sound machines on full blast in each room, which must be the saving grace. Sleep is still a constant struggle with the twins, but we’re making progress. I’ll tell you what I always tell myself: hang in there! They’ll take to it eventually.