Look who's having a...lion??? Riley is one imaginative little girl. She loves to pretend like she's having a baby and puts baby dolls under her shirt all the time, so she can be "just like Mommy". We thought it was cute when we went to check on her tonight and found her like this:

To Nap or Not to Nap...

That is the Question! The past few weeks have probably been the most frustrating weeks since I've had both kids. Today was probably one of the worst. Let me explain. The past about 2 weeks Riley decided that she doesn't want to nap anymore. Fine. If she doesn't need a nap, then I'm okay with that and she can just have quiet time in her room for an hour. However, this girl needs, and I mean absolutely NEEDS, a nap. I will put her down for a nap and she will stay up forever without sleeping. As long as she's in her room playing I don't care, however, usually about 10 minutes after she comes out of her room she's SO whinny and rubbing her eyes and saying she's tired. Well, what the heck? You were just in your room for at least an hour or more, you were suppose to sleep then!

I get SO frustrated with this whole refusing to nap thing. If I didn't think she needed a nap it would be a different story, but she needs it. I know this first of all because by 3 in the afternoon she's about falling over she can barely walk she's so tired, she whines NO STOP, and if we go anywhere she falls asleep in the car within seconds of the car being in motion. Plus, at night we put her down at 7:30 but she never falls asleep until at least 9 and wakes up with Lincoln around 6:30. That's only 9.5 hours of sleep and that's NOT enough for her. I have tried emptying her room of toys, literally her bed and her dresser in her room. I was so frustrated one day I chucked EVERYTHING into her closet and it still didn't work. Just when I didn't think she didn't have anything to play with she ended up getting into her dresser and playing dress up.

Honestly, I feel like she doesn't know how to calm herself down enough to fall asleep. It takes her an hour and a half even at night to fall asleep even if she hasn't had a nap. If you've been around Riley you know that she goes a million miles an hour all day long and NEVER, literally, never stops. I really think that I think she doesn't know how to take it down a notch, lay down, and close her eyes. It's like she thinks she's going to miss something by sleeping. I've tried to get her to take deep breaths and it works sometimes, but other than taking everything away I don't know what to do. Any suggestions??

Sleep Deprivation

Two nights ago, I awoke to a crying baby. I looked over at Ty and realized that Riley was laying next to him. The only time she's usually ever in bed with us is in the morning when she wakes us up and wants breakfast, I just figured she had fallen back asleep when she came to get us. I looked over at the clock, but since Ty always covers our alarm clock up when he goes to bed because the light on it is bright, so I couldn't see what time it was. Instead, I went and picked Lincoln up, took him out to the living room, got him a sippy and put him in his booster seat.

I put him in it and he kept crying, I was thinking, "what the heck is his deal...". Thinking he was hungry, I got out the cheerios to hold him over while I made breakfast. But, he still wouldn't stop crying...then it dawned on me to check the clock on the wall (it was still dark so I hadn't done so yet). It was 2:10 AM! No wonder the child was screaming, he was still tried and just wanted to go back to bed while I was trying to shove Cheerios into his mouth :)! What a little bit of sleep deprivation can do to a momma...

R-E-B-E-L-I-O-U-S

That's the one word that sums up Riley. We told her she MUST stay in her room when she goes to sleep, but she will NEVER fall asleep in her bed. Oh no. That would mean that she's actually obeying us. Instead she takes her pillow and blanket and falls asleep on her rug, on the floor. Usually. However, it was a new thing this evening. She threw EVERY single piece of clothing out of her drawers, climbed in and made herself comfortable. A rebel she is. But I love her nonetheless!

Riley vs. Sleep...

This is what bedtime (now) looks like in our home...at least she's asleep!!


What a stubborn little thing we've got! Actually tonight was a record (seriously), it only took 45 minutes for her to fall asleep!!

Riley-0, Sleep-1

"Nakie Riley"

"Nakie Riley", as she refers to herself as. I honestly cannot keep this child clothed. During the day she takes her clothes off constantly or I don't even bother putting them on because she says "no momma" when I tell her it's time to get dressed. But it's especially difficult trying to keep her dressed when she takes a nap and when she's going to bed. She always takes her clothes off...I'm not exaggerating either...every night when she goes to bed we have to check on her and then "wake her up" and put her diaper and pants back on. Same routine during nap time.

(Notice the diaper shoved between the bumper pads)

Cute and frustrating at the same time because I'm constantly changing and washing her sheets...especially when I don't catch her before she goes potty!

Today marks 2 WEEKS...

...of Lincoln sleeping through the night. 2 weeks straight of sleeping from about 9:30pm until 6:30 or 7 am and not waking up even once! I just had to share in my excitement!! It feels so good to get 8 hours of sleep again, I wasn't expecting it so early, but I'm definitely not complaining!

Sleep, Sleep and More Sleep...

That is what I've been getting more and more of lately, and I am thankful! Lincoln has been doing SO well sleeping at night. Really since we've brought him home from the hospital he's done wonderfully, but lately he's been doing even better. The past week he's gone to bed at 9pm and has woken up at 4:30am to nurse, then went back to sleep until about 7:30am. Last night he ate at 7:30 pm, then went to bed at about 9:45 and didn't wake up until 6:45 am!!! That's 9 whole hours of sleep (and about 11 hours without eating)!! I went to bed shortly after he did, so I'm feeling great this morning! I also only had to give him his nipper once when I heard him stirring around 3:30am.

Lincoln sleeping!

Lincoln's favorite way to sleep...on momma!

Check out those cheeks...and the bubbles!

However, when I woke up I thought I was going to die, I was so sore/full because he didn't eat all night. Then when he did wake up at 6:45 he decided only to eat on one side. I had to finish pumping on the other side because I was SO full and pumped 10 ounces on one side!! (I know, probably too much information...) No wonder he only ate on one side; 10 ounces for a little 6 week old to eat is a lot!

We've never had a problem with Riley sleeping through the night either, so I hope he takes after her. I really think that getting them onto a schedule has really helped their sleeping and my sanity. Lincoln has already put himself on a "schedule" and eats and sleeps at the same time most days. I know it will change constantly, but keeping a schedule for them helps me a ton too!

Who needs a nap??

RILEY DOES!

Lasagna is why she gets naked before she eats it :)!

Poor little thing has been sick for the past week. At the begining of the week it was the throw-up flu and now it's a cold. So she's been sleeping a lot more than usual and when I had walked into the kitchen to get her a banana to eat I walked back to give it to her and this is how I found her. So sweet!

She's now in her crib sleeping...

ZZZ....

z z z z z.....

Sleep is something I haven't been getting much of lately. I have been so frustrated lately because I have pregnancy insomnia and I'm not sure there is such a thing...but if there isn't, there should be! The last couple of weeks I've been averaging 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night. AND...the only place I can sleep is on the couch, it's the only place I've been comfortable lately.

Last night we went to bed at 9:45 because Ty had to work early but I didn't actually get to sleep until at least 3 am. I know, I know, I probably should get used to such little sleep with the baby almost here, but at least when he is here I'll have a reason not to sleep. I suppose maybe it's maybe my body getting me ready for the months to come!! If this little one is anything like Riley then I'll be lucky to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep. Lets hope he sleeps better as a "newborn" than she did. Although we can't complain much about Riley because since she was 7 weeks old she's slept through the night--about 13 hours. She sleeps from 7 pm until about 7:30 am now, and has done that since she was 2 months old!! But until she was 7 weeks she was up ALL NIGHT, we (well, at least I) literally got an hour or maybe 2 a night.

Anyways, enough rambling for me tonight. Hopefully sleeping tonight will be better--I REALLY NEED IT!!