Have you noticed something has been missing lately? Have you kept track of how long it’s been since I wrote a blog about Ronan’s sleep habits?
Well. That is because we didn’t want to jinx a good thing while it lasted. I was afraid to blog about how great Ronan has been, because I thought, like speaking a wish out loud, it goes away when acknowledged.
I guess it doesn’t matter either way.
For the past three weeks, Brock and I have been living in a state of partial bliss. Ronan has been going to sleep easily around 6pm, and staying in bed until morning. Now, don’t get too excited for us… he hasn’t been STAYING asleep. He still wakes every couple of hours. But when compared with him staying up until nearly midnight, this has been a HUGE accomplishment! He’s also been going RIGHT back to sleep after every wake period. There have been TWO HOUR NAPS! Simply amazing. Brock and I had some alone time. We watched some movies from start to finish. We had the chance to enjoy each other… without rushing. And we felt like perhaps we’d made it over the hump. Maybe things would look up from here on out?
Wow.
Could we possibly have been more wrong?
I know I’ve said this before. I know I’ve always said, “At least it can’t get any worse than this.”
I must be tempting fate, really.
For the last week, now, Ronan has been an absolute bear. All day, fussy and grumpy. All night, waking and screaming. Crying every hour. Unable to be consoled, and unable to fall back asleep on his own. Trying to GET him to sleep is an absolute nightmare. Without changing ANY of our routine or habits, he now stays up and fights sleep until 11 pm. Naps are difficult, frustrating, and short. We’re right back in the snarling pit of exhausted hell. What changed? Hard to say. Is he teething again? Growing pains? Developmental leap? Is there any way to know?
We have an official diagnosis of GERD – Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease – and have started treatment of Prevacid. It takes 2 weeks for the medicine to kick in and make a noticeable difference. Could this have been the problem all along? Should I have stuck to my guns, and fought harder to prove that his problem at night isn’t just behavioral? I can’t beat myself up. We’ve done everything we possibly can.
I hope this is just a passing phase.
I might die if it isn’t.
