To sleep, perchance to dream.....

Sleep, that has been our battle the last couple of weeks. Well, really since we have been home, but the last few weeks have been the worst of it.

In China they slept through the night.

Then we came home and we were exactly 12hrs different in time than where they previously lived. 2 in the morning, which would have been 2 in the afternoon became a key
"wakeup" time for them. In China their nap would have just finished so we understood it would take a while for that adjustment to take place.

Then we added in an 11:30 wakeup...why? we don't know.... It was mainly Zachary at first...but then Hunter joined in as well....Then we began adding a 4:30 wakeup....

It got worse and worse. By the end of last week I was at wits end.

We know w/ adoption you can have attachment issues. For anyone not familiar...it has to do with if they ever bonded w/ anyone previously, and if they grieve for whoever they bonded w/, and hopefully over time they bond w/ you. Most families talk about really "feeling bonded" when the children have been with them longer than without them..... our kids were adopted at 15 months....so based on that somewhere around 30 months we should really be in the groove bonding wise.

We have definitely started "attaching" the boys know who Mommy and Daddy are....and want us vs strangers.....they want us when they bang their head or just don't feel good. Actually right now they want us ALL THE TIME.... If they had their choice they would probably like to be carried around 85% of the time. Bath time and climb all over everything can't be left out as those are favorite activities so they would pass up the carrying for those!

But "anxious attachment" is usually a phase (that hopefully you get out of) that the kids go through when they don't want to be away from you. This seems to have come into play a bit during our nights recently. They want to be reassured that we are there.....so we have had nights where they wake up every 2 hours.....ughh!

Not such a happy mommy! Or....it could be a combination of things.....

they are still teething...w/ some major drooling going on these last two weeks....also a known culprit for sleep disruption.

or...it could be their growth spurt.....both boys have grown almost 2 inches and gained 2 lbs during the last 2 months......

Whatever it is .....it hasn't been pleasant...

So finally I posted on an adoption site to see if other moms, especially those who had twins, had any ideas that worked...

A lot of people talk about just letting kids "cry it out" but w/ attachment concerns it's a fine line to walk. So that's why we went to those who have been through the same thing.

So we started trying a combination of ideas......

and whether it is what we are trying or if their teeth are not bothering them.....last night was fabulous!

One boy, Z, slept all the way through till 7:30am and the other, H, woke only 3 times and was solidly asleep by 1:30 am.....and he slept all the way through until 8:20 am!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Thank goodness! I really needed it last night as I had a migraine as well. Daddy took the first wakeup...and I got the next two and then I got to sleep in my own bed all the way until the morning!

I don't know if it is just a short reprieve or if we are turning the corner (we had not too bad of a night the night before as well).....but whatever it is I'll take it!

please.....everyone...say a little prayer that this continues....mommy likes to be functional, not a walking zombie....