Send the Supernanny!!

Parenting has been the hardest, but MOST rewarding experience I've been blessed with. It pales in comparison to anything and everything I've seen and done in my 31 years. I've felt mostly confident in the decisions we've made for our children, how we discipline, how we show our love, etc. But, when it comes to sleep I haven't the slightest clue as to why we have a child that challenges us time and time again when it comes to our precious S-L-E-E-P.

It's been a while since I've complained about this...guess I'm just getting close to my "limit" again. From the day he was born, Grant hasn't felt too fondly of sleep. As a newborn, he was the perfect definition of a child who had his days and nights mixed up. For weeks on end. He didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 9 months old. We had to sleep train him - which means listening to your child literally scream/cry himself to sleep for 2+ hours, for several days in a row. He doesn't like to sleep past 6am and has been known to be up well before that on a regular basis. Oh, it gets worse...

One of the new challenges for the last 4 months has been horrible night terror type of behavior. If you've never experienced this fun-filled event consider yourself very lucky! It's awful...disturbing, really. It looks like this: we hear screaming coming from Grant's monitor, run into his room panicked, he's thrashing around on the bed, not awake, and completely out of it. Has no idea we're even there. The only thing we can really do is wait until it passes and make sure he doesn't do anything to hurt himself. In the beginning it was up to 8 or 10 times a night, now it's at least down to 3 or 4. Pediatrician says he'll grow out of it...fun! Wonder how long that will take?????

We've tried everything...change in diet, trying to wear him out during the day, 4 different kinds of night lights, eliminating his nap (backfires every time), less or more clothes while sleeping, and on and on. The ONLY thing that has made a difference is sleeping with a lamp on his dresser on ALL night. I'd hate that. He doesn't.

In the last two weeks he's also started to come out of his room several times after we put him down (which is a battle in itself lately). And several means up to 20 times before he finally gives in and falls asleep. 20 TIMES! I've seen this crap on Supernanny...I swore up and down I'd never be "that" parent. Ha...Grant had a different plan. He sits on the stairs, wanders around his room, sneaks down the hall, plays with his fan/lights, and whatever else keeps him occupied. It's SO hard not to get mad, but we just march him back into bed, say good night and leave. Over and over again. Usually takes about 2 or 3 hours for him to give in meaning mommy and daddy haven't been going to bed until almost 11pm every night...oh and he's back up for good by 6am.

AHHH!!! Am I the only parent that can't figure this out?? I am SO not ready for June to be here. I will literally NEVER sleep! Thanks for reading my long whining rant...

Finally giving in!