(no subject)

[rivka]

Did my last entry make Alex sound too good to be true? Ha. Today she's driving me up the freaking wall.

She was up last night from 12 to 2. No good reason, as far as I could see - she seemed sleepy, even closed her eyes readily, but just couldn't settle. I rocked her, put her in bed and tried to soothe her there, tried to sneak downstairs only to have her start crying again, rocked her again. She was insistent that my hand had to be placed just so: heel pressed against her cheek, fingers cradling her head. She'd pick it up and move it there, if necessary. From 12. To 2. She just hasn't been doing this, for ages, so I have no idea what made last night different.

At 11:15 this morning she started to act tragic - crying easily, hurling herself at me and rubbing her face against my shirt, and so forth. Nap signals. I took her up to her room and started rocking her, but she kept flipping out, arching her back and screaming, even while she still looked awfully sleepy in between freakouts. I let her down, and she played happily while I sorted out her clothes storage. She still looked bright and energetic at noon, so I decided that it was time for lunch.

As soon as I started trying to feed her, her eyes drooped. She cried and cried. She rubbed her face and head, of course getting handfuls of cheesy pasta stars all over her hair in the process.

So I took her back out of the high chair. Screams! and screams! as I washed her face and hands. I carried her up, rocked her for a few minutes, and put her in bed. If she doesn't sleep for at least an hour, I don't know what on earth I am going to do.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I hope she rests. Seems like you both need a rest.

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

You have my deepest sympathy.

Does she sleep in cars? Maybe you could go for a drive to help her calm down and sleep, if this doesn't do the trick?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I don't have a car during the day. And she's not a great car sleeper, anyway - it usually takes highway driving, although on our trip to SF she managed to get in a couple of excellent car naps.

Heh. Nice icon. Maybe I should go have a cup of tea.

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

It's my default icon right now, for some reason...

The car is always my back up promise to myself, in case it ever gets too bad (the fantasy usually involved driving to my inlaws place, dumping him in my MILs lap and telling her to take care of him while I sleep -- did I mention how bummed I am that they moved to Atlanta?). Alas that it's not an option for you.

[neonnurse.livejournal.com]

Is she getting a tooth? That could explain the hand positioning.

Can you lay down and snuggle her for an hour, and get a little nap yourself that way? Her rest is important but yours rest is vital, so you can continue to be "behaving for two". :)

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought teething too.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

I'll stop by the store and pick up more infant Tylenol. I've also had some success with slinging her in those moments, but there are times when Angst and Ennui are the order of the day.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

No, Alex and I are going to run up to the Rite-Aid when she wakes up. I want to pick up the Clarinex prescription and some invitation cards for her birthday, and yes, infant Tylenol was already on my list.

Besides, I don't think you'll have time. Remember that tonight I have my RE class at 7, and it would be best if you could be home and ready to take over by 6:45.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

We have found infant Ibuprofen to be more effective and longer lasting for teething pain.

[erbie.livejournal.com]

Or, even better, Hyland's Teething Tablets. MAGIC! Screaming to sleeping in less than 60 seconds.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Not for my baby. He maybe got a little mellow, but only the hard drugs provided him with pain relief. Like all things homeopathic, it very much depends on the person. We did have good luck with homeopathic calcerea carbonica to speed teething along (Liam is a long, slow teether.)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I just plain don't believe in homeopathy, so we've never given any remedies to Alex.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

I'm certainly not a hardcore homeopathy believer, but since it's in the category of "can't hurt, might help" I've tried a few things. erbie's certainly not the only person to claim that teething tablets are like a miracle drug, and that's a mighty tempting vision that got me willing to try it.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

We got infant ibuprofen, on your recommendation, and it does seem to be helping a little with the tragedy. I had kind of forgotten that she was old enough for it now - thanks.

[ailbhe]

You may end up not so much doing anything as not doing quite a lot. Like tearing your hair out, or walking out of the house and down the street, or...

I sympathise. Sleepless babies we know about. We don't know of any reliable answers. Teething, recent meals of indigestable food, wet or dirty diapers, clothes too tight, or the phantom hair wrapped around a finger that the books all warn you about... or it might just be a baby thing.

[kyra-ojosverdes.livejournal.com]

Is she prone to ear infections? (My kids were/are, so that's always my first guess for "why is the baby cranky and weird.") I hope you both get rest soon! :-(

[pameladean]

You know, sometimes I feel just like that (the way Alex seems to, that is), and it usually means that I'm coming down with something.

I hope you get some sleep.

P.

time change?

[(Anonymous)]

What about all the traveling Alex just did, and the time change? That would explain disturbances in her ability to cope. Even adults take some readjustment time! She may "feel" sleepy and grumpy, but also "feel" that she is off schedule, thus fighting sleep. All that with no concept of what jet lag is! Poor baby.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, it's still a very good thing that she chooses to be that ornery at home, rather than in restaurants. :-)

-J

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Obviously, you are the expert in Alex, as well as being right there with her. I've never even met her.

But one of the little girls I love used to get ear infections after air travel. Usually she would travel for a 3-day weekend, and start getting sick the following Thursday. Before she had a fever or anything that made it obvious she was *sick*, rather than just fractious, she'd spend a lot of time rubbing at her ear and the side of her head.

Of course, she might be teething. Or just fractious. I'm sorry the two of you are having a difficult time.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she's never had an ear infection, so I don't have any idea how she would look and act if she did. I did try tugging at her earlobes a little to see if it would hurt (it didn't), but I have no idea whether or not that's diagnostic.

I'll definitely keep it in mind, thanks.

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

Teething, or an ear infection, or possibly a sinus thing. But something's bothering her, that's for sure. Poor baby. Poor Mom!

[tea-dragon.livejournal.com]

I don't have much experience with ear infections, but a sure sign of teething is a more than usual desire to chew on things. My little one is getting her molars in and now she's in love with her toothbrush because it feels so good to chew on it. I've also been giving her frozen blueberries to snack on- I think the cold helps her gums feel better too. I hope the tylenol does the trick, whatever is bothering Alex, so you can all get some sleep!