Wisdom (teeth)

We have had a several week run of 5am wakings. In conjunction with only 1 hour naps, this does not make for a happy mom or a happy Girl.

Sunday evening was really the topper. To bed at 6:45pm, up from 1:30-3:00, then for good at 5:15am. Ouch. Girly was crying from her bed at 1:30 and, instead of waiting to see if she would go back to sleep, I went to rock her a bit. She instantly fell asleep in my arms. I put her back in her crib after about 5 minutes ... and ... let the crying commence. (As I stood up with her from the chair, she started tapping my shoulder as if to say, "Umm - scuze me - I am comfortable here - sit your ass down.")

I was lamenting to a friend about the up-all-nightedness and she asked about teeth. Teeth? Oh yeah. Those. Didn't occur to me in my middle-of-the-night momnesia stupor.

She has been chewing on her hands and everything in site for weeks, but I hadn't seen any teeth on the brief inspection Girly will allow. Then today, what do I find? A MOLAR! I surely didn't think we were ready for those. She only has 4 upper teeth and 2 lower, but I guess the tooth fairy doesn't ask which ones you want next.

(Here is a little chart about tooth eruption, not that we have followed this pattern).

So, Motrin is our friend again. I can't say that this is the sole cause of the early waking. (It started before the time change, which I thought would help things, but alas has not. ) We have fostered some behavioral component by getting her out of bed at 5:15am to come to our bed so we can catch 7 more minutes of sleep. I know we could and should leave her in bed to figure it out on her own, but sometimes sleep wins.

I am also experimenting with black out shades for her naps. She naps better at school than at home, which is crazy to me. A few variables to consider,though: 1) it is darker in her school room than in her bedroom, and 2) there is a peer pressure component when the room is filled with other sleeping children. I have resisted black out shades for an unknown reason. I guess I thought I didn't want her to become dependent on almost total darkness for napping. In reality, though, she almost exclusively naps at school or home, so it isn't a big deal. And the thought that I might be able to count on 1 1/2 or 2 hours of napping is just SO APPEALING.

I should have known better about the teeth ... the last time her sleeping was so disrupted teething was definitely the cause. Let this be a reminder to you. Also, as my friend said, there just must be something about the smell of a mom's neck that makes teeth feel better.