It's been a while since I've written. We've had some sleep issues with Kenyon and they seemed to hit their worst in early July. He would not take naps, it would take 3-4 hours at night to get him to go to sleep, and he would wake up throughout the night. Needless to say, Paul and I were not getting the sleep we needed, and neither was Kenyon. After doing a lot of reading, talking to friends, and praying, we decided to come up with some new strategies. We decided it was important to have a routine that we followed each night, so Kenyon knows what to expect and what is coming next. We also decided to start our bedtime routine earlier. Our new routine is working well and Kenyon is napping everyday and falling asleep in less than an hour at night (and a few nights have been under 20 minutes!). After dinner, Kenyon takes a bath, brushes his teeth, reads a Bible Story ("Jesus" as he calls it), pray, read 3 books, then turn the lights out. We tell Kenyon what is coming next and he repeats the routine to us. He is sleeping through the night for the most part and we are all happier and more rested.
Parenting is hard. I knew that it would be challenging, but I didn't realize how hard it would be. There are days when I miss my childless years, when I could take a long shower, go out with friends, and relax at night. There are moments when I am not as patient with Kenyon as I should be and moments when I feel like I am not a good mom. I have always wanted to be a mom and we are blessed that I do not need to work fulltime, so then I feel guily about missing my childless years and freedom. I have some great friends who have been supportive in the moments that I struggle. I wish more parents felt comfortable sharing honestly with each other about how hard parenting can be.
At the same time, parenting Kenyon is the most rewarding and amazing thing I have ever done. I love watching him learn new things daily, seeing his personality develop, kissing his "owies," and caring for him. He loves to help me and has a sweet and sensitive spirit. At night when he is lying down for sleep, he grabs my cheeks, kisses my lips, and says "thank you, mama." It is helpful to know that the challenges and fatigue I experience are normal, and I remind myself daily of what an amazing new job I have as a mother.
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3 comments:
Praise God for better sleep routines that help you sleep more!! I will always share my parenting struggles with you, if you have some to share with me! :)
Yes, yes, yes! I called my Mom the other day and woke her from a late-afternoon nap. At first, I was green with envy...and I realized that this would actually help me to take heart! Our kids are young and EXHAUSTING for such a short period of time and then, soon enough, we're back to being able to nap just like our pre-kids days! Hang in there Cindy...it takes a long time to settle into this job! ;)
Hey cin! Thanks for being so honest in your blog! It is definately true and I get worn out too! When the kids were in StL for a week and I had a whole week alone for the first time ever, I loved the first 5 days. I sooooo needed that time after feeling rather burnt out and I enjoyed exactly the things you said - taking a long shower with no interuptions, not having to wake up at night because somebody wet the bed, sitting at borders for hours and hours reading and drinking cofee, being able to get out of the house without looking for everyone's shoes and getting everyone dressed....etc, but by day 6 I was feeling kind of aimless. Day 6 and 7 I was able to really look forward to the kids coming back and getting back into my usual routine! I think it's good to make sure you get some time to yourself, some time with just you and Paul, and some time with friends - we all need balance. Anyway, on a funny note, Maya is also really into "No One" by Alicia Keyes. Alex has convinced her that she is the next Alicia Keyes, but singing gospel music of course =)!
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