Sleep

It is no secret that Andrew struggles with sleeping through the night. Since we have been in Bisbee he has been getting up every 2-3 hours wanting to be held and drink milk. We humored him for the first two weeks, but no one was sleeping well, which is not healthy for any of us. Because Andrew was filling up on milk at night he didn't have an appetite during the day...another big problem. On Saturday I decided to eliminate milk completely from our routine and replaced it with water. I told both children that I didn't have any milk to give them, which was true, and they would have to get by with water. We also knew that we would have to stop rescuing Andrew in the middle of the night and let him work it out himself. Multiple doctors have told us we need to let him cry, but it is very hard for me to let my children cry.

Andrew woke up Saturday night at 11:30 like normal, but we let him cry it out. He cried for an hour and settled back down and went to sleep. He slept until 5:00 when I handed him a sippy of water and he layed back down and slept until 7:30. It was wonderful to stay in bed until 7:30. The nights have been getting better since then. On Wednesday night he slept from 8pm to 6:15, which was the best he has done in months.

We have gone through this before, we have let him cry and he has slept good at night for a week afterwards. But it doesn't last and cycles into waking up at night. This time is different. We are not giving in. He has to learn to sleep continuously throughout the night. Because he isn't drinking milk, he is eating nonstop during the day. It has been so surprising to see how much this little boy can eat.

Andrew,

We love you very much. Mommy and Daddy are so glad you are sleeping and eating better. Please continue to sleep. You are so much happier. You are a good little boy, and we are so lucky to have you as a part of our family. Daddy has been bragging about you all week and even bought you a new truck to show how proud he is of you. We love watching you grow and try new things each day.

Love,

Mommy.