We Are All ZZZ's

For over a year Josh has fought sleep and won countless nights. Leaving me or Christian up rocking for hours on end. I remember a time when we had a crazy routine for a month that we would have to pace back and forth in his room with him, bounce around, pat his bottom, rub his nose and forehead, and hum! Then after an hour of doing that he would fall asleep and you had to ever so carefully lay him down in his bed just right! After that routine he would maybe sleep a few hours and it was time for his next feeding. I’m yawning just remembering it all!! Finally though, Christian and I have claimed our victory and we finally win the sleeping battle. It has been an extremely rough, and exhausting year and a half (one that I hardly remember because I was a zombie), but it all paid off.

Many PMD boys can be known as night owls. When I learned this I got pretty upset because I’m a girl that likes her sleep. I knew with a newborn it would be rough but eventually I thought we could find a good sleep routine and I could get in a few more hours of sleep. For a while I just accepted I wasn’t ever going to sleep again and I’d find a way to hook up a coffee IV. I started feeling pretty good and recharged if I could get three hours of sleep and maybe a quick nap. I gave in and quit fighting Josh at night and accepted the fact I was in zombie mode most days. But Christian kept pushing and fighting back thinking it may just take Josh a bit longer than most kids to learn a good sleep routine. He also thought it might just take extra work to find the perfect routine for Josh, and he may be more picky than most kids. Although I have been the one actually putting Josh to sleep and doing the routine, it wouldn’t have happened if Christian didn’t believe it could happen. This is one example of how grateful I am to have him as my partner in parenting Josh! It’s definitely team work and many times you have to carry your team along, like he carried me throughout the year and a half that we have been trying to do sleep training with Josh.

There have been many routines in this past years and a half, some that worked and some were absolute duds. One of the early routines that I actually liked was I would feed Josh then rock him in the rocking chair and I would have to stand up out of it really quick but gentle and immediately lay him in bed with the vibration going. Another was similar but I bounced around our room and laid him in bed next to me and he would sleep with me until Christian came home from work in the morning. We had a special cushion for Josh so he couldn’t roll. I really did love sleeping near him, but that routine only lasted a month. But now we have found a great routine that has lasted a bit over a month, which is the longest routine yet! Hopefully this one is more permanent.

I asked a few PMD families what they did for their boys and what their families night routines were like, before we started sleep training with Josh. Most of them told me they had to use some kind of sleep medicine to help their boys sleep, and even then it wasn’t through the night or they couldn’t fall asleep on their own. I was told over and over to remember PMD boys are night owls, and Josh just may never have an easy time getting to sleep. Clearly like I told you, Christian didn’t let that change his mind on trying with Josh and I picked up the same thinking along the way. Now I know some boys struggle with sleeping a lot more than others, but I was really hopeful for Josh. Since we gave it a long hard try, it’s all paid off. Josh now isn’t using medicine to fall asleep and we have a great routine, the best of all of them if you ask me! 

After his last feeding, I take him in the room and turn off the light and we rock and sing a few of our songs. The first one I sing is “Be My Baby”, by the Ronettes but Linda Ronstadt version. Also yes, this song is the whole meaning behind my blog name, because it’s been Josh and I’s song since he was born. Then I sing him our “Goodnight Song”, which I don’t actually know the title to but my dad sang it to me when I was growing up before bed. I am a sucker for tradition. After we sing those two songs I say our night time prayer. That is our routine! By the end of it Josh is usually yawning and looking so tired. I put him in his bed and cover his legs with a blanket and he has a sweet elephant stuffed animal he sleeps with right by his side. I leave the room and not even a peep, and he sleeps through the night!! This momma is soo grateful for how much progress he has had, and I am extremely proud of him. After being told countless times he would always be a night owl and need medicine to sleep because of his condition I feel very accomplished! Christian and I can finally say VICTORY!!!! We have finally won the sleeping fight, and I’m praying it stays this way.

Thank you for reading this long but awesome update on my little buddy Josh!! I am hoping to continue updating this blog regularly again, and I have exciting news! This momma is starting up a Vlog!! So you can see some of the best moments Josh and our little family has had. I will be able to share what we do in therapy, while we play, and some hilarious Josh moments. I can’t wait to start it up and I hope you all will watch! Thanks, talk to you next time.