Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Zzzzzzz...


Olivia is very picky about where she sleeps. She doesn't like to sleep in a cradle or crib. (So frustrating!). She only likes her bouncy seat with the vibrate button on...all night....so we go through a package of "D" batteries every week. Thank goodness for Costco.


And she's almost too big for the seat, so I'm not sure what we're going to do... and I'm not sure why she doesn't like to sleep on her back in the crib... She flails her little arms (maybe she feels like she's falling?) and wakes herself up. I hope she gets over it soon, because I don't want to have to send her to college with a bouncy seat that's big enough for an adult. But, I digress...


Well, leave it to Grandma to find a new place that Olivia likes to nap. A warm pile of laundry. I remember being a little kid and loving to have the warm laundry poured on me while I sat on the couch. It's like that Seinfeld episode when Kramer puts his clothes in the oven 'cause he likes them all toasty warm. Again, I digress...


Here's Olivia just snoozin' away in the laundry basket. I think nearly every person I know has a picture of themselves as a baby in a laundry basket. Why is this? What is it with us mothers that thinks "Hmmm. I'm bored. I think I'll put the baby in the laundry and take a picture." :-) I have no idea. But we all seem to have one.


Anyways, if you have any tips on how I can get this child to sleep like a normal baby in her crib, I'm open to any and all suggestions. Otherwise, I'll start calling Fisher Price to see if they make bouncy seats for grown-ups.


Sarah

11 comments:

Unknown said...

My mother in-law has 11 children (all with the same husband which is kinda rare these days) and she said that when the babies were little she would take them on a drive to get them to fall asleep, or even just put them in thier car seat and turned on the car and sat in the drive way. Also a fan (thats what she did for my husband and he CANNOT sleep with out a fan in the back ground) the constant sound helps them sleep.

Christina Johnson said...

Car vs. Dryer
We almost lived in the car at night with my son, it was the only place he'd stay asleep! Every night we'd say, "Enough is enough, he'll stay in his crib and he'll have to fall asleep at some point, right? Tonight, we win!"... WRONG!

One night, getting ready for the car, I stuck the car seat on top of the (running) dryer to put my son in and before I got him all buckled his little eyes had already started shutting! We grabbed a comfy chair, drug it to the laundry room and got to all sleep under the same roof!

Every few nights we'd knock off a few minutes from the timer and stick him in his crib (still in seat) he eventually got used to waking up in there and then we weened him off his seat :)
Persistance and Prayer!

dorfee said...

Have you tried swaddling. That will keep those flailing arms from waking her.

Leeners said...

She is so adorable! My cat is picky about where she sleeps too and she loves a warm pile of laundry best ;o) Haha

Unknown said...

i have seen a type of hammock that hangs from the inner crib rails. you might try onlinet o look them up.

Beverley said...

I have to agree with what Dorothy says. My son was like your daughter. I would swaddle him but another things is that I would only use 1/2 the crib for him. He just like that closer cozier feeling.

Unknown said...

We have a new baby grandson in our house (one month old) who was having the same "not sleeping in the cradle" issue. It was suggested to us that we throw his blanket in the dryer right before he went to sleep so that it would be all toasty warm. We tried it and it actually worked...not every time :o(, but part of the time is better than nothing :o)! Blessings on you and your adorable little angel!

Kate McDonald said...

Sarah,

I know we are still a couple of months from the arrival of babymac..but I was reading about the Baby Amby...and have had friends say this crib alternative is a miracle!

Maybe check out this site:
http://askdrsears.com/amby-baby.asp

Bree said...

I know how hard it is trying different stradegies to try and find what works best, because every baby likes different things, but all of my children went to bed well with a routine of dark room, back ground fan, last nursing session, and a short bounce-burp/pat while I walked them to their crib, and to bed with a well tucked in baby. Worked every time!

tstovall said...

If there is anything I have learned from my two little guys (and many other moms I've talked to)...most normal babies would prefer to sleep anywhere except their cribs! :O) Both my boys were really hard to get to sleep and keep asleep as infants - my youngest is only 17 months and we're still working on sleep issues - but when I look at my 3 1/2 year old sleeping so peacefully I am reminded that it all goes by waaayy too fast! Hang in there!

Unknown said...

Okay I have a SUREFIRE way to get that little one to sleep. Turn your radio station to static (yes I am serious!) so it's white noise. Then turn it up pretty loud (to where you think it might be too loud). My pediatrician turned me on to it when I expressed my concern about driving around at 4am and my little boy was still not sleeping! My son conked out and slept great - we even had it going for naps sometimes. Don't worry, she won't get "addicted", my son doesn't still have to have it as a toddler, but from what I understand it makes them feel like the womb, because it is super loud in there! Sweet dreams!