This is winding up to be the fourth night of inconsolable wailing at bedtime, and then again in the middle of the night. The fourth night of rocking until my but is sore, until I’ve sung every song I know, twice. The fourth night of staring blearily at the green lights on the clock at 12:30am, at 12:36am, at 12:48am, and so on until about 2:03pm. The fourth night where DH or I ends up in a compromised sleeping position with a small foot to the jaw. I’m exhausted. And totally at a loss. At first, I thought Bean was teething—and his incisors are coming in. Then I thought it was because he was sick—and he did have a fever. But then his fever went away and his teeth seem fine and he’s still a terror at night—and he’s never been like this. Usually, we have a great little routine: a bedtime story or two, a bath, a warm sippy cup of milk, and then we rock until he falls asleep which is usually about 10 minutes into the program. But for the past week he’s wailed ferociously whenever I move to put him down—stirring from what seems like a deep sleep to protest the transfer from my arms to his crib. And he’s been acting like this for everyone, not just me (for his Gran at nap times, and for DH if he’s the one to rock Bean to sleep.)
I’m not sure what to expect at this age (20 months). I know he’s become suddenly more verbal, and also more exploratory in his defiance (he climbed INTO THE FIREPLACE yesterday which resulted in his first ever time out), but somehow I haven’t quite been able to connect the dots. The fact that I’m sleep deprived hasn’t helped that any, either.
So I’m turning to you yet again, internets—what should I be expecting at this age? I'm at my wits end right now. And. Must. Get. Sleep.