This wasn’t the original post that was supposed to go up this morning. That post was not completed for reasons which will become obvious. I apologize for the lateness.
Judging from comments and email responses from my last post, Psychotic Toddler Syndrome isn’t just a short phase, but likely a sign of things to come. Oh, I hope you’re wrong.
However, judging from last night, you may be onto something.
Psychotic Toddler Syndrome – the nightmare continues
While E was a little cranky yesterday, he was much better than days prior. However, that would change. He woke up crying at about 2 in the morning. I waited about 10 minutes to see if he would go back to sleep, as he usually does after a minute or two of crying. When his crying got louder, I grabbed a bottle of milk (only a few ounces), and went into his room. (I should note that he has only done this one other time, about a month ago or so).
He was lying down in his crib when I went into the room and woke immediately, so I guess I can rule out night terrors, which I read about at some length at 4:30 in the morning.
I changed his wet diaper and brought him to the living room, where we sat in the dark, and I attempted to comfort him, rocked him and gave him his bottle. Once finished, he wanted down and ran to the bedroom door crying, no, make that shrieking. He wanted mommy.
So, she woke up (despite having to work in the morning, God bless her) and tried to do what I did, with just a little more milk. Then, he wanted down and started baby grunting, pointing his way through the house to mommy’s office. About seven hours earlier in the evening in her office, he was upset because she wouldn’t give him a mechanical pencil (for fear he would poke his eye out when he swings it up and down like a maniac). Well, he remembered, because he made a beeline to her desk, pointing at the mechanical pencil and grunted.
I attempted to give him a marker instead (thankfully, he doesn’t yet know that he can take the cap off and wreak all kinds of havoc; he likes to sit down and run the marker over paper, as if he’s writing). He shrieked again when I gave him the marker. He WANTED THE PENCIL AND NOTHING ELSE WOULD DO!
I gave in. Then, he sat down, running the pencil over the paper, and smiled.
He was having fun.
At 2:30 in the morning.
We calmly coaxed him out of the office, like you might a rabid animal who could snap at any second, and attempted to repeat the bedtime process with another 2 ounces of milk.
After another two crying fits and an hour and half of singing lullabies and rocking him, he finally went down again.
Advice?
Anyone have any idea what’s going on? He seems to be over his cold and is just finishing that medicine I mentioned in the last post. He didn’t eat as much as normal at dinner time, but we did give him diced pears before bed. My wife thought was maybe he was hungry. Another possibility was that he was constipated as he didn’t have his normal after dinner poo.
Dear God, I just wrote about my kid’s bowel movements in a blog. This has officially become one of those blogs that New Age Bitch hates.
Hurricane Watch Two: Electric Boogaloo
As of this writing, the second major storm in as many weeks is knocking on Florida’s doorstep. And… there is at least one, if not two more, poised to follow in the coming weeks. So, your regularly scheduled blog could be interrupted. Your regularly scheduled blogger is absolutely dreading the thought of being confined to the house without power for days on end with a psychotic toddler.
(coming tomorrow: hopefully a post without mention of psychotic toddlers or hurricanes)
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
1. All toddlers are psychotic, without exception.
2. Reading about someone’s adventures/trials/tribulations with toddlers, and about the poo of toddlers, is scintillating when you yourself are also the parent of a toddler. It’s the bonding thing. We bond over shared experiences. Unless the writing is done so very skillfully that it brings everyone back to a moment from their own universal toddlerhood.
3. Daddybloggers didn’t make my list, so you’re still in the clear. Carry on.
Sorry you had such a rough night. I’ve so been there.
New Age Bitch – Phew, glad to see daddybloggers are in the clear. And yes, nothing bonds people together like crying and excrement. I think I read that in a Hallmark card once.
Writer Dad – Which makes me wonder why ANYONE would choose to have another child after going through stuff like this.
Oh yeas, again this is very familiar. I remember when my daughter was young. Me, being the good husband I am, woke up to her crying, and let my wife sleep so she could get some much needed rest.
So, I took her into the living room and started the process; change diaper, rock her, talk to her, walk around the house, feed her, sing to her, tell her a story, play with her…still no relief. Long story short, I continued on this process over and over and over again.
4 hours later my wife comes stumbling out of the room (she started at 2AM and I usually wake up for work around 6), walked over, picked her up and immediately she stopped crying.
This is the point when it finally hit me that no matter what the child wants, he/she will not be content until that want is fulfilled.
BloggerDad,
Even with four of the blighters I can’t call myself an expert, and I’d be loathe to offer advice as it might make things worse
My theory is that they have little ‘awakenings’ as they grow and as they discover something new, they feel compelled to explore it, whether that be a feeling, a noise, singing, or manipulating their parents, even if it’s in the middle of the night.
I feel for you. I’ve been there. I’m still there!
Take care in the storm BloggerDad!!
Here’s to a good night’s sleep for you all.
Like the storms, this will pass. And we will live another day to blog it all out. Hold on in there. It’s a new world every day that your toddler discovers. It’s just be nice if they discovered it without screaming and not in the middle of the night sometimes eh?!!
I’m the father of a two year old and a seven month old. We all have some days where children and parents seem to be at war. Just keep on loving on them.
But don’t be afraid to be the parent and stand your ground on some things. If your child senses that you are a push over, they’ll keep pushing you over – that isn’t any fun at all, especially when they become teenagers.
I wish you well. I hope that your family stays safe during the storm.
Sal – Yup, that sounds like last night. Further proof that babies are insane!
Dave – I wish I could say tonight was better. He woke again around 2 a.m. and I just got him down (4:11 a.m.). Thought tonight he had a good reason to be awake, he had gone poo. We determined he was constipated yesterday, so we gave him some juice and bananna and he had one poo before bed and another in the middle of the night. Maybe tomorrow, he’ll be normal and sleep through the night.
Mom/Mum – Amen to that!
Why Buy – Thank you. I am trying my best to stand my ground. I hope to remain calm and balanced so he remains so.
Blogger Dad,
I came back to this post, after not having commented the first time. After Why Buy’s comment, I feel a bit more secure in writing this:
You’re a Poop! If you let your sweetie control you now, there will be no end. He is old enough to have a bed time. If he shrieks, go in once, make sure he’s not ill, and close the door. End of story. Let him cry, even though it will break your heart. After a few nights of knowing that HE doesn’t control the household schedule, you will ALL sleep better at night. Keep a baby monitor by his face, so you can hear those little noises and breaths as he sleeps – and hold firm!
I know – I sound “old school” but what are you going to do when you leave him with somebody else? Do you and your wife NEVER plan on “sneaking away for a night – or a weekend?”
Hold firm – end it now!
Rita
Rita – While I think your advice is on target, I’ve gotten and read advice from other respected sources which say that to just let them cry at this early an age destroys their trust in you and can have longterm negative effects. I’m torn.
An update: He isn’t waking up and playing now. Now he wakes up crying, calling for his mommy, with a soaking wet diaper (which I change). Then he wants a bottle of milk. He lays in my arms and TRIES to go to sleep, but he has trouble. It takes a couple of rounds before he finally passes out.
He hasn’t been eating as much during the day so I am assuming that he is getting hungry at night? We are adjusting his diet and giving him a small healthy snack an hour or so before bed to see how that goes.
Thanks for weighing in. I will keep that option open.