what a cute post despite the night time drama. Sorry to hear that. I've been reading your blog for a while and I have twins also, B/G 2 yrs. old. My kids go to school with Eli, Kellie's son (life with premature boys). Visit us sometime at www.parkertwins.blogspot.com. They are former 26 weekers. Your girls light up many lives and give many people hope. I love how you are real and I feel alot of your same feelings. Being a parent is hard and then add weight problems, developmental delays, lung disease, etc. on top and it can be overwhelming! You do an amazing job! Hugs from Ohio!! Alisa Parker mom of Andersen and Ava
I wish you well with the move to BGB. We are moving Cooper this weekend to his BBB. He has always been a great sleeper, goes down easy. I think our luck is about to change! I'll be thinking of you!
So you still had them in their cribs? This may make them more exctied about going to bed in general. It did Henry. For at least 6 months he would RUN to bed when we sked him if he was ready-- of course now his is not as thrilled since he figured out that it is not that big of a deal-- but it was a nice break!
Agree with Stephanie - that last picture of Eden really shows how big she's gotten... I almost didn't recognize her!
Good luck with the BGB... we're hoping to try it at the end of next month. Crib has been nice since she's up so much earlier than us - she 'plays' quietly until we get up. I can only imagine the noise when she can get up and play with her toys at 5 am... ugh.
I thought I was alone in the world of nighttime drama, Kellars not dramatic I suppose he just won't go down when we want him too..There are some nights we are up till after 1 watching Blues Clues, of all things my kid loves something you can't buy in stores anymore..IKEA is such a neat store, we of course don't have one here, the nearest one is over 3 hrs away but I spent hours in it...Hope they like their BGB's..
Thu Feb 28, 01:03:00 AM EST
Anonymous said...
Hi, Billie-- just wanted to comment that Eden & Holland are resembling each other more and more all the time-- the last picture of Eden is a great example.
Billie, they are growing up so fast. I too resist any growing up changes but I find it happens anyways. Some times I just look at them and I wonder what happened. Good luck with the BGB. Did you manage to meave Ikea without spending a bundle (a real problem for me)? Good luck with the night time drama, my turn will come soon enough.
Korinna, Nope, we definitely spent a bundle! It's dangerous having an IKEA within walking distance to our house:) Billie
Thu Feb 28, 10:03:00 AM EST
Anonymous said...
Billie,
Good luck with the BGB. We decided to put one of our twins in the BGB just after Christmas. We're expecting a baby in April and didn't want to buy another crib. She' wasn't terribly interested at first, but as soon as those princess sheets went on it was all over! She was in love, and wanting to go to bed before supper.
Thu Feb 28, 12:47:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...
Billie, I can't believe what toddlers will do! Vomiting is pretty hard core. Here is what my Julia (2.5 yrs)does. She has now a queen size bed (regular mattress on an ikea futon frame) because I was tired of sleeping all cramped up in her small bed. After I went back to work a couple of months ago, she basically stopped sleeping. For two months she ate very little, she slept only 10 hrs/day total and only if I was with her. She has just started eating well again a week ago, and she had two night with (almost uninterrupted) sleep alone ...we are keeping our fingers crossed! By the way, I LOVE the potty whiteboards. Anna
It took us 6 months to end the bedtime=barf phase, it was a really difficult thing to do. It really almost did me in. Now we have a little gremilin who comes in our room at 3am asking to watch tv. Good luck with the BGB I am too afraid that if she has a bigger bed I will climb in it due to sleep deprivation. Little monkey's they wait for your guard to be down and then suck you in. Good luck.
Personally, I am with Tertia. It's all about Anthony...
Thu Feb 28, 10:39:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...
Hey Billie, Good luck with the BGB. Your wonderful nephew made the switch until he relized he can get out of his BBB, then he started sleeping with mom and/or dad in their bed. Now Malachi gets his very own king sized waterbed, while both of his parents sleep on the couch bed. Love you guys, Nick
I find your blog to be so inspirational. I appreciate your candor and honesty... you write beautifully. It is so obvious how much you adore your precious daughters. Thanks for sharing your journey.
whooo boy. We just had to switch the girls to separate rooms...they spent so much time each night talking, playing, getting out of bed, etc. that we had to move Merry into her own room. I am mad. I wanted a guest room! Too bad for me...at least they go to sleep at night now. Good luck with Eden sleeping more...I hope it works. Kendra
Sat Mar 01, 09:19:00 AM EST
Anonymous said...
If you have serious problems getting the kids to sleep (and stay asleep)--and nothing else seems to work; try melatonin. It is a chemical normally found in the brain that regulates sleep cycles. Some kids with various issues don't have enough melatonin up there so they wake up at 3 am to squeal and bounce off the bed--maybe just in our case. Anyway, it's a semi-natural remedy that is available right in the vitamin section at the store. ---Adults can take it too before going to the hardcore stuff.-- Might want to ask your doctor about dosing and such...
Just a thought, Carla
Thu Mar 06, 05:16:00 PM EST
Eden is a serious Wiggles fanatic right now. We went through a Wiggles phase about a year ago, then it kind of died down, but now it is back in full force thanks to Auntie Lisa in California and the infamous (at least in our house) "Wiggle Book."
Ask Eden any time of the day or night what she wants to watch, and she will say "Wiggles." Most often she chooses "Wiggle Mooby" (Movie), but sometimes she will choose "Yummy, Yummy" or "Wiggle Day" (Bay).
Eden has decided that she IS Jeff. We hear this many times a day. "I Jeff." Then she will point to us one by one to tell us who we are. Daddy is "Wags Dog." Holland is "Dorothy." And I am "Greg."
And if you know The Wiggles, you know Jeff. Jeff is ALWAYS falling asleep.
[Image] One, Two, Three...Wake Up Jeff!
[Image] "I awake Moo-ey." (That's Eden's version of Murray...sort of.)
[Image] The really ironic thing, is that given how much Jeff likes sleeping, Eden does not. About a month ago Eden decided that she really doesn't like going to bed at night. It has been such a pain, and has caused a great deal of stress in our household. After TWO YEARS of being an absolute angel at bedtime, she has completely turned the tables on us.
Thinking back, I guess it got gradually worse. She started waking a couple of hours after she went to bed, and I would go in a pick her up, rock her or hold her for a few minutes and put her back down. Then she wanted to rock for a while before going to bed. Then the rocking got longer and we got more and more resistance to going back to bed. She would wake up saying "Hey Mama" or "Hey Dada" repeatedly, then sometimes "I scared" which she KNOWS will always get us running. The we worried ourselves silly over whether she really IS scared...maybe she is afraid of the dark...maybe she is in pain...maybe it's reflux...and on and on and on. She still isn't able to verbalize exactly what it is that is bothering her, so we are left guessing the worst.
Then she got sick, and all Hell broke loose. Total meltdowns at bedtime, with a great deal of breath-holding, and the ultimate in GETTING YOU WHAT YOU WANT...vomiting. We started getting breath-holding, followed by big vomits every time we laid her in her bed. And she was sick, so we broke down and did it. We let her sleep in OUR BED.
The thing with Eden is that it ONLY TAKES ONCE. She is a quick study and as soon as she connects that vomiting leads to sleeping with mom and dad, she will soon be vomiting every night.
We came up with a game plan, that we put into place two days after she got home from the hospital. The plan was that she HAD to sleep in her bed, even if it meant we slept in her bedroom on the floor. We took turns putting her to bed and lying on her floor until she fell asleep, then we took shifts during the night. Turns out that she really wants company and IF you can get her in her bed without a vomit, she will be okay as long as someone stays in the room with her.
We had a massive vomit on Friday night (on my shift dammit), but each night since then has gotten progressively better. We've gone from an hour of "I don't wanna go bed" over and over again, to a few whimpers for 5 or 10 minutes before falling asleep. And for the past 2 nights we have had no night wakings! I feel sane again...for now. I just hope it will last.
We decided in the interim to make the move to BIG GIRL BEDS (BGB). We bought them last weekend at IKEA, and will hopefully get them together this weekend. Tonight they got their new pillowcases, Holland got Dora, and Eden got the Disney Princesses (their choices in shoes, hats, and now bedding). I had planned on waiting until kindergarten for the BGB, but since Eden hates her crib so much, I thought we may as well make the move now. I am very resistant overall to them growing up, but somehow it is happening anyway!
[Image] Hard to believe that someone so darn cute can cause so much drama!
"Wake Up Jeff (Or Go To Sleep Eden)"
19 Comments -
what a cute post despite the night time drama. Sorry to hear that. I've been reading your blog for a while and I have twins also, B/G 2 yrs. old. My kids go to school with Eli, Kellie's son (life with premature boys). Visit us sometime at www.parkertwins.blogspot.com. They are former 26 weekers. Your girls light up many lives and give many people hope. I love how you are real and I feel alot of your same feelings. Being a parent is hard and then add weight problems, developmental delays, lung disease, etc. on top and it can be overwhelming! You do an amazing job!
Hugs from Ohio!!
Alisa Parker
mom of Andersen and Ava
Wed Feb 27, 12:27:00 AM EST
Oh Billie, never a dull moment, huh?
I wish you well with the move to BGB. We are moving Cooper this weekend to his BBB. He has always been a great sleeper, goes down easy. I think our luck is about to change! I'll be thinking of you!
Wed Feb 27, 08:05:00 AM EST
So you still had them in their cribs? This may make them more exctied about going to bed in general. It did Henry. For at least 6 months he would RUN to bed when we sked him if he was ready-- of course now his is not as thrilled since he figured out that it is not that big of a deal-- but it was a nice break!
Wed Feb 27, 11:26:00 AM EST
Eden looks so much like you in that last pic!
I have to say that Jeff is not my favourite Wiggle. Now as for Anthony...... ;-)
Wed Feb 27, 01:34:00 PM EST
WOW Eden looks sooo grown in that last picture!
I hope they love their new BGBs!!!!
Wed Feb 27, 09:00:00 PM EST
Agree with Stephanie - that last picture of Eden really shows how big she's gotten... I almost didn't recognize her!
Good luck with the BGB... we're hoping to try it at the end of next month. Crib has been nice since she's up so much earlier than us - she 'plays' quietly until we get up. I can only imagine the noise when she can get up and play with her toys at 5 am... ugh.
Wed Feb 27, 10:01:00 PM EST
I thought I was alone in the world of nighttime drama, Kellars not dramatic I suppose he just won't go down when we want him too..There are some nights we are up till after 1 watching Blues Clues, of all things my kid loves something you can't buy in stores anymore..IKEA is such a neat store, we of course don't have one here, the nearest one is over 3 hrs away but I spent hours in it...Hope they like their BGB's..
Thu Feb 28, 01:03:00 AM EST
Hi, Billie-- just wanted to comment that Eden & Holland are resembling each other more and more all the time-- the last picture of Eden is a great example.
Thu Feb 28, 01:43:00 AM EST
Billie,
they are growing up so fast. I too resist any growing up changes but I find it happens anyways. Some times I just look at them and I wonder what happened. Good luck with the BGB. Did you manage to meave Ikea without spending a bundle (a real problem for me)? Good luck with the night time drama, my turn will come soon enough.
Thu Feb 28, 09:56:00 AM EST
Korinna,
Nope, we definitely spent a bundle! It's dangerous having an IKEA within walking distance to our house:)
Billie
Thu Feb 28, 10:03:00 AM EST
Billie,
Good luck with the BGB. We decided to put one of our twins in the BGB just after Christmas. We're expecting a baby in April and didn't want to buy another crib. She' wasn't terribly interested at first, but as soon as those princess sheets went on it was all over! She was in love, and wanting to go to bed before supper.
Thu Feb 28, 12:47:00 PM EST
Billie,
I can't believe what toddlers will do! Vomiting is pretty hard core. Here is what my Julia (2.5 yrs)does. She has now a queen size bed (regular mattress on an ikea futon frame) because I was tired of sleeping all cramped up in her small bed. After I went back to work a couple of months ago, she basically stopped sleeping. For two months she ate very little, she slept only 10 hrs/day total and only if I was with her. She has just started eating well again a week ago, and she had two night with (almost uninterrupted) sleep alone ...we are keeping our fingers crossed! By the way, I LOVE the potty whiteboards. Anna
Thu Feb 28, 06:33:00 PM EST
It took us 6 months to end the bedtime=barf phase, it was a really difficult thing to do. It really almost did me in. Now we have a little gremilin who comes in our room at 3am asking to watch tv. Good luck with the BGB I am too afraid that if she has a bigger bed I will climb in it due to sleep deprivation. Little monkey's they wait for your guard to be down and then suck you in.
Good luck.
Thu Feb 28, 08:21:00 PM EST
Grace also LOVES the Wiggles. She likes Greg and Murray! If I have to read the Murray book one more time I'm going to scream :)
Thu Feb 28, 08:57:00 PM EST
Personally, I am with Tertia. It's all about Anthony...
Thu Feb 28, 10:39:00 PM EST
Hey Billie,
Good luck with the BGB. Your wonderful nephew made the switch until he relized he can get out of his BBB, then he started sleeping with mom and/or dad in their bed.
Now Malachi gets his very own king sized waterbed, while both of his parents sleep on the couch bed.
Love you guys, Nick
Fri Feb 29, 01:08:00 PM EST
I find your blog to be so inspirational. I appreciate your candor and honesty... you write beautifully. It is so obvious how much you adore your precious daughters. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Sat Mar 01, 12:29:00 AM EST
whooo boy. We just had to switch the girls to separate rooms...they spent so much time each night talking, playing, getting out of bed, etc. that we had to move Merry into her own room. I am mad. I wanted a guest room! Too bad for me...at least they go to sleep at night now.
Good luck with Eden sleeping more...I hope it works.
Kendra
Sat Mar 01, 09:19:00 AM EST
If you have serious problems getting the kids to sleep (and stay asleep)--and nothing else seems to work; try melatonin. It is a chemical normally found in the brain that regulates sleep cycles. Some kids with various issues don't have enough melatonin up there so they wake up at 3 am to squeal and bounce off the bed--maybe just in our case. Anyway, it's a semi-natural remedy that is available right in the vitamin section at the store. ---Adults can take it too before going to the hardcore stuff.-- Might want to ask your doctor about dosing and such...
Just a thought,
Carla
Thu Mar 06, 05:16:00 PM EST