NIGHT OWL

By three weeks old, AA could sleep for five hour stretches; by six weeks old she slept for nearly eight; and, by three months she reliably slept for 11-12 hours each night. Oh, those glory months ... I thought I was totally home free with this gal.

And then came her 9 month birthday. Since this mark, AA has not slept through the night for three consecutive nights (not that I'm keeping track or anything!). At first she awoke because she had a bad head cold ... I'd nurse her back to sleep in a few minutes. When her cold disappeared, her night owl habit persisted. I just can't figure her out! She is really easy to put down for naps and at night ... she loves to lay awake in her crib and drift to sleep on her own. When she awakes in the morning she doesn't cry out for me ... I often hear her babbling away for quite some time before I go and get her.

Yet, somehow, she insists that I pay her a visit in the middle of the night. When I least expect it, AA will sleep through the night beautifully for two nights at a time, and then ... waaahhh!!! she's awake for night #3! I've tried everything from giving her Tylenol before bed for her potential teething to dressing her warm to dressing her cool ... I've tried to give her lots of food before bed and tried to keep her tummy light before sleep. I've tried a fan in her room; a night light; and toys in her crib. I've read that this could be a form of stranger anxiety or even night terrors.

I keep telling myself that this is just a phase (yep, one that JP never went through!) ... and I hope I'm right!