It’s been a while since we’ve posted an update on how Sarah is adjusting (last two posts were Family Leave Report and Checking in on Sarah).
Sarah has been with us a little over four months now, and all along, we’ve been saying that she is adjusting really well. The two areas that were perhaps the most challenging were riding in the car seat and going to sleep at night. She’s doing a lot better in the car seat, although our lengthier trips are few.
Our biggest challenge in the past four months was getting Sarah to sleep at night. In the earliest days, Sarah would often cry (and sometimes scream) herself to sleep at night, up to 30-60 minutes. Nothing seemed to work. We’d usually hold her till she fell asleep, but as soon as we’d lay her in the crib (or even move toward it), she’d wake up, and not be happy about it.
The transition was similar for Ethan but, if we remember correctly, Ethan’s transition (i.e., going to sleep calmly at night) was much quicker. It has only been in recent weeks that Sarah has been doing well at night (she has long done well for morning and afternoon naps; nighttime was always the challenge).
For a while there, it seemed like it was taking forever to get her to this point, but in hindsight, three to four months isn’t really very long in the grand scheme of things, I suppose.
The current challenge with Ethan’s sleep is that he’s been getting up much earlier ever since we returned from Korea (6:30 am +/- an hour). They go to bed at the same time (7:30-8:00 pm), but Sarah sleeps much later (around 9:00 am or so). We’re hoping that the beginning of daylight saving times helps Ethan sleep a little later (we miss having more productive time before the kids get up in the morning)!
In spite of these challenges, though, we have been extremely blessed that both Sarah and Ethan normally sleep throughout the night! We’ll say it again, we are extremely blessed!
HI PASTOR JOLEEN, HOW ARE YA DOING? ED AND I HAD A TIME WITH TODD GOING TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. I THINK WE WERE TOO EASY ON HIM BEING FIRST TIME PARENTS. I SOMETIMES WONDERED IF HE WAS JUST AFRAID OF MISSING SOMETHING. AS IT TURNED OUT HIS SECOND DAUGHTER, SYMONE, GAVE THEM FITS TOO ABOUT SLEEPING. WHEN JOEL WAS BORN 6 YEARS AGO WE WENT UP WITH THE KIDS. AT BEDTIME THEY SAID “DON’T PUT HER IN BED NOW SHE’LL KEEP US AWAKE”. SO WHEN SHE WENT TO SLEEP WE PUT HER IN BED. WHEN SHE GOT AWAKE IN THE NIGHT THEY WOULD GO GET HER(BAD IDEA) AND SHE WOULD WATCH T.V. IN THE ROOM NEXT TO TODD AND KATINA’S. I SAT WITH HER AND FELL ASLEEP IN THE RECLINER WHILE WE WERE THERE SEVERAL NIGHTS. SHE WAS 2 THEN. I DON’T KNOW WHEN SHE MAY HAVE OUTGROWN THAT HABIT. JUST HANG IN THERE. WEAR EARPLUGS TILL SHE GOES TO SLEEP. EVENTUALLY SHE WILL REALIZE IT’S THE THING TO DO TO GO TO BED. LOVE, CATHY