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Monday, September 11, 2006
Mommy vs. the toddler
Our topic of today is going to once again revolve around sleep issues. But we will make it more of a coffee talk topic. I need your help. What would you do if this was your child.

You have worked very hard to get your child to stop violently rocking himself to sleep. He does so quite nicely. No more fussing and falls asleep rather quickly. However, at nap time he still wakes up and you check on him only to find him rocking. He has only been sleeping for about an hour and not napped well in the past 4 days. What do you do?
a) let him continue to rock himself to sleep. (he may rock himself right off the bed)
b) put a hand on him like you do in the night, but leave him where he is. (he may wake up and rock again and rock himself off the bed)
c) move him and try to put him back to sleep like you do in the beginning (here you risk waking him up to the point of not going back to sleep)

This is the situation I was faced with this afternoon. I went with option c and that didn’t work out so well for me. I woke him up and he never went back to sleep. Oh and before you make your choice lets factor in the rest of the day. He woke up a generally happy baby and ate all of his breakfast. He began fussing shortly after breakfast when he was told no on occasion. Later in the morning he became crying psycho child at everything. He did cry when he bumped his head and accidentally shoved his straw into his mouth. For this I don’t blame him. In fact, that was a good thing. But he also cried at everything else. This isn’t just crying. This is all out wailing. The best one came when his father tried to put the video camera in the backpack so we could go for a walk. The boy needed a nap in a big kind of way.

After over 30 minutes of trying to get him to go back to sleep I finally gave up.

We did take our outing to Lenin Square this afternoon. Pickle was a perfect angel the entire time! Shocking. He walked around the square by the big church. We picked up some gifts for people here and gifts for people back home. We stopped in at the grocery store to pick up important things like coffee and creamer. This was Pickle’s first trip into a grocery. He was awestruck. He had never seen so much food. We weren’t sure what a man was saying to us when we walked in with a baby in a stroller. I thought he was saying that we couldn’t take the stroller in so we took Pickle out of the stroller. When we went into the grocery area he said something else and I returned with, “ya nee pah-nee-mai-oh.” (I don’t understand) He said something else that we figured was it was ok to take the stroller in. We opened the stroller and put Pickle back in. I still don’t know what he was saying. He very well could have been telling us not to bring a child into the store. We thought it would be ok since the quarantine was lifted today. The man was very very nice to us. I was pushing Pickle around the store and he came by and squatted down and said hello and fixed Pickle’s pant leg. He also was so nice as to hold the door open for us when we left.

I do notice as to how gentlemanly men are here. As we rode the trolley into town we watched as all the young men got up so the older women could sit down. That is something you certainly don’t see in the states.

We are still working with Pickle on family names. He now understands that CS is Daddy, but doesn’t say daddy. He still calls him papa. My mom is babada. He doesn’t even have to be prompted for that one. (sorry mom) His new person in the book is Uncle Wayne. He is Coo Coo Coo. He also recognizes the cats. They are Mau maus.

Other things we understand he is saying are car, duck, cow, rooster, pig, cup, ball, airplane, bye-bye, all done and light.

Last night we went up to Kathou and Paypay’s apartment so Pickle and Wobbles could play together. It took Pickle about 20 minutes to get comfortable. We let him bring a comfort item with him. It happened to be my comb, but hey it worked. He played quite nicely with everyone. We only had one small baby battle over a clothes pin. When Pickle had enough play time he said, “All Done” and walked to the door. CS held him in the hall and said paka paka to Kathou, Paypay and Nadya. Pickle actually said Paka too! In fact he said it all the way down the stairs and into our apartment.

He is slowly getting more comfortable around people. This is a very good thing.
21 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Sorry, I've been following this blog for months but am still not clear exactly how old Pickle is. I'm guessing he's two gauging from his behavior. Anything goes for two year olds. Thye can hang onto a mad for a full day, no problem, and this little guy has had so many changes lately that it is likely overwhelming.
If you have no crib and are worried about injury, why not contruct a little bed on the floor? Could you find some calming music and use this as part of the sleep routine? Try to stick to a pattern when preparing him for napping so he can get used to the routine. Dim the lights, look at a book or play finger games quietly, sing songs, move to a lying position, rock and sing together, etc.
I'm not sure what you mean by rocking ( sitting up side to side, on all fours and moving back and forth, all-out head banging?) but I really don't think it's going to stop any time soon so I'd try to modify it and make it as safe and acceptable as possible.
Hang in there. You won't know all the answers right away but getting to them will draw you that much closer to your little guy.

Blogger Chris Sapp said...
Wow! He is picking up on all kinds of words! You have a smart little guy there! I've had Natalia home for 8 months now and I'm still facing some of the sleep issues. They have improved graetly though. Sounds like your little guy is as strong-willed as my Mateo. Although it can be challenging, it's one of the reasons we love him so much. It's so good to see your dream finally coming to fruition!

Blogger Liv said...
He may a child who only needs an hour nap to refuel. How is his personality the rest of the day after his nap? If he is happy, and agreeable, I don't think I would push for a longer nap. If he won't fall back asleep, then you can do quiet things like looking at a book. This would be good cuddle time too when everything is still quiet and calm. It's a nice transition from sleeping to the rest of the busy days ahead.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
My son have very difficult time with sleeping issues too.Try to do the same you do for night at nap time. Created a routine and stick to it. He needs to know what comes next this will give him a sense of security. He is almost 2 and nap time get shorter as they go to the # 2 year. My son stop taking naps at 30 months. Every child is different he may continue naps after that. If you have a chair you may rock him also. I did this with my son and work like a charm. He also slept in our room (we moved his crib) when we got home for about a year and then we moved him to his room. This time in his life is the most challenging as he is try to adapt to his new enviroment and new people. I will say hug , kiss and hug. a lot of touching. he needs to feel secure and love most of all. I know that you are doing some of this as a Mom. This is a transition time for you both and for him. It will get better I garantee :)

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I'd have to agree with all the good advice above. If I had to choose, I'd say option B. An hour nap at age two is a very appropriate length, especially if he gets in 8 plus hours at night. I think you both are doing so great, and so is O., bless his heart! So many changes in the last week, and he's handled it all so beautifully! And so have you guys! Hang in there, every cranky day passes! Even as adults, we can have days like that for no reason, and we seem to get over them OK, so he will too. Hope today is a little smoother for him, and you two, too!
Hugs, Lee

Blogger 6blessings said...
Sounds like you're really doing well and that he is so smart! That's a lot of words in such a short time! I guess he's at a great language acquisition time.

As far as the nap issue, I have to admit that I had the same thought as Liv when I read your post. He's almost two and maybe an hour nap is all he needs. All of my kiddos were different on the amount of sleep they needed (still are). At that age, some would still take a 2 hour nap, others 45 minutes. No matter what, I think you're doing a great job with a difficult situation. Naptime struggles are difficult with any child, but especially with a child that has only been with you a short time. You're doing great!

Blogger adoptedthree said...
Let him rock, if it soothes him and after you return you can work on the issue. Once he establishes his new bedroom and routing it should start to diminish. (by the way he will rock in his new bed until all if familiar) My son did the same thing and it subsided a few weeks after we got home.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I vote for let him rock and you just keep an eye out. He's being very stimulated by his new and happy world and this is what brought him comfort in his old. When tired and believe me he's tired from all this stimuli he needs his sleep. Heartbreaking is it might seem. REMEMBER it's only temporary!!! You guy's are doing great and are wonderful parents and like I said parenting is tough. Watching him rock and even hearing about it breaks all of our hearts so with that being said, keep in mind we are all supporting you and Derek and Oleg!!!! This to shall pass!!!! Love hearing all your stories of this Russian adventure and sending many happy thoughts your way!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anything but babushka,
Mom

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Ditto what mom said above. The rocking isn't going to go away instantly....it will over a little time. In the meantime whatever solution gives him the most sleep is what I vote for. Sounds like A or B.

You guys are doing great.
Serena

Blogger sandy said...
I'd vote for B, and possibly a little A. The sleep situation right now is probably diffiicult because everything's different for him and you don't have a crib to keep him safe. Was he in a crib at the orphanage? If so, the big bed is probably very strange and wide open to him. My kids would creep right off the edge if I let them sleep in a bed when they were used to being in a crib. And you've already found out option C doesn't work. =) Never did for me either. The sleeping is hard... even for non-adoptive children. Make sure you get enough rest yourself so you can be patient when he is having a hard time. I also found that I had a lot more patience and compassion when I read books and asked for help. I hated the 'let baby cry himself to sleep' books. But I found one that I really liked: "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley, for babies. Looks like she has one out for toddlers/preschoolers now too. She has some really good (and gentle) ideas for getting baby to sleep. Good luck!

Blogger Yeah So said...
My vote would be B. The poor child is trying to adjust to so many major changes to his little world. If the rocking brings him some comfort, I say let him do it as long as he isn't hurting himself. He has already shown great strides in trusting you and going to you for comfort.

Blogger fuzzandfuzzlet said...
I would go for option B. Rocking is a self comfort method, he needs to learn to get comfort from human contact. I think option C is good too, but he is going to mistake it for an invitation to play ;)


Lori

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Let him rock...you can not change something he has been doing for probably close to a year or 18 months overnight. Plus his entire world is going to be rocked yet again when you bring him home so any progress made may be lost. He is going through so much right now and he NEEDS to rock...it is truly the only thing he knows to do to soothe himself.

I, personally, would do lots of attachment parenting, including co-sleeping...even at nap time. Lots of holding and holding time. Do you have a sling or hip hammock to make it easier? My son found (and still on occasion) great comfort in his. Your son being older may fight it at first...but it will do wonders to help promote a healthy bond.

Look for and enjoy the small victories along way...it will be easier once you are home and in a routinue...now just look to build up trust in him.

All the best...you will get thru this...
Karen aka angelkisses

Blogger Deb said...
I have no advice for you but just wanted to tell you that both Dave and I are praying for you 3. You're doing great and Pickle has got to know already how much you and D love him. He will calm down and learn to fully trust but it will take time.

Blogger Melissa said...
I wish I knew what to tell you. Maybe you could try trial and error. Try one way for a couple of weeks, if it doesn't work, try another way. Sorry, I know that is not much help, but that is the best I can do. I wish you a lot of luck and a lot of patience.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I'm inclined to say B. I think that if you are consistent with your response to him rocking, he'll learn faster that there are other ways to comfort himself...and that you aren't going anywhere. As for the wailing...I'm sure wimpering didn't get him a thing in the orphanage so going to Mach V is the only way he might have gotten his point across. I've seen plenty of 'typically' developing kids do the exact thing when their parents only respond to the 10th time the child's said "Mom/Dad".
Keep up the good work. It's sounding more and more like you have a fairly typical two year old on your hands.

Love to all,
Auntie G

Blogger Unknown said...
I just love reading about you guys and Pickle. I would say that you shouldn't be so hard on yourselves and expect perfect napping/sleeping over night. Pickle has been through so many changes and I'm sure he's afraid that if he goes to sleep you won't be there when he wakes up. Do what you believe is right for you and for him. You are wonderful parents and I love how committed you are to giving Pickle a "normal" childhood. (whatever that is)

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Hey, I think the Spirit of Crying just departed from our flat and took up residence in yours. Sounds as if you are where we were a few days ago. I do think it is a sig of trust and, though it will deafen you and make you weary, it is probably a good thing. I can hear him as I type. It is not cheating to wear earplugs.

Blogger Jenni said...
I would choose option B, while keeping a close eye on him so he didn't rock out of the bed. My brother actually rocked himself to sleep and would rhythmically bang his head on the wall (against a firm pillow mom put there), while singing, until he was almost 10! He did it every night to get himself to sleep. And we are not children with traumatic backgrounds. It just soothed him for some unknown reason. Funny thing is, his fiance says he still does it on occasion, in his sleep, during times of great stress. He has no idea he does it, and is amazed that the habit is still there, somewhere in his subconscious.

Anyway, best of luck with the sleep issues. I think you guys have come an incredibly long way in the short time Pickle has been with you! You are definitely doing something right!

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Honestly, I would hold off until you are home to REaLLY begin working on that issue.

The BEST choice for attachment purposes would be to sit with him and a bottle in a rocking chair and rock with him. He still gets the movement, but it's being provided by mommy and daddy, rather than himself. The rocking motion, as shown in some studies, actually activates parts of the brain that these kids have missed out on in their early years, due to lack of proper attachments early on. I know this is near impossible at Mar Kuel of course, but perhaps something you can do once you are home :) I had brought a type of sling for Lidia and literally tied her to my body and walked her around for a while before bed. Sometimes she slept, sometimes not, but it really helped to establish our relationship, bringing her back to that baby stage. I know it sounds silly to put them on a bottle again, but we did this and I am SO glad we did. I did WONDERS for her attachment to us and I really think rocking her to sleep (or near sleep) did a lot, too.

I don't think it's a bad thing to let him know you are there, and put your hand on him like you had been doing, letting him rock, but also letting him know you are there to comfort him, too.

Right now it's just not possible to get into a real routine until you get home, since you have rocked his world once...and are about to totally rock it agian in a few days...

*hugs*

Best of luck trying to figure out what will work in the meantime!! I'm sure you will do great mom & dad!!!

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Hello all,

My name is Alison & I've been cooresponding with the Chandlers since Jan or Feb 2006 from the FERA yahoo group. They forwarded me to your blog. We too traveled to Russia on our first trip to then subsequently have our adoption cancelled, so we've walked in your shoes. Our first trip was 4/06, adoption cancelled 7/31/06. The bio mom wanted her parental rights back. The judge decided that he wouldn't give the little girl back to her, but would change her status from "orphan" to "unadoptable" so she couldn't be adopted by anyone. Then perhaps she & the mother can reunite someday. The little girl was taken from her bio mom (for excellent reasons) at age 14 months & bio mom's parental rights were permanently terminated. Little girl is now 3yrs. She has to grow up in the orphanage system. We are Christians and have faith, yet we will never understand how she did not end up with parents in this decision by the judge. Really a travesty. So now we wait for another referral.

On to your question of the day on the rocking & napping....hopefully I'm not repeating too much what folks have already written, but I'd vote for perhaps barracading (sp?) softly somehow so he can rock & not fall off. I have friends that did that and still keep up with that. Rather a modified pillow barracade. Best of luck to you, Alison

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