Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Two Steps Forward; One Step Back

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I wrote earlier this week about our excitement at being released from Vision Therapy. Mister Man hit a huge milestone and accomplished so much. That was the good news of the week - and our two steps forward.

And then there's the two steps back. Remeber when I discussed last week about how we're working on moving Little Miss away from Pull-Ups at night? Yeah, it's not going so well.

The first couple nights, my husband and I woke up Little Miss a few times to have her go p0tty at night. She stayed dry, but then we started having solid accidents during the day. Three of them, in fact. That had the washing machine cranked up enough.

After the third night, Little Miss hasn't stayed dry yet - we're hoping cutting off all liquids after dinner helps, but the jury is still out on that one. Even when she's awakened only a couple hours after falling asleep, we still discover her lying soaking wet and sound asleep. And yes, this is my light sleeper who wakes up if I so much as walk past her room too loudly.

The washing machine is now drawing overtime wages, and we're dipping into the "wow, I didn't realize we still owned these" sheets. Last night, I arrrived home from softball and could see the light in Mister Man's room as I pulled into the driveway. That is never a good sign. I could hear him sobbing as I walked into the house and quickly ran upstairs.

Yep, he'd had his own accident in bed, something he hasn't done in years and only - maybe - twice before in his life. And apparently somewhere along the way his mattress cover ripped (according to my husband) and was thrown away. (Side note: yes, we have a cleaning lady who strips our beds and remakes them, so I wasn't aware of this.) Being an IKEA mattress with a thick cover, the cover is removable and washable.

My husband's response? Well, the cover is hard to remove, so he'd left it on for the previous half hour plus of cleanup. We now need a new mattress tomorrow for Mister Man. And it had better come with a protective cover! Instead Mister Man was put back to bed with a towel cover the very wet spot and no sheets, comforter or anything. Since I could see the towel already getting wet, I made a few alterations to the arrangement, including providing Mister Man with a comforter.

Needless to say, I'm in somewhat of a crabby mood after this. Of course, part of that is remnants from the night before.

The wee ones sleep through the night. They sleep in their own beds. They always have, and they just don't know there's an alternative. Shortly after 9pm, Little Miss woke up sobbing hysterically, but couldn't tell me what was wrong. After I comforted her, I came back downstairs. Three minutes later I was back upstairs with more sobbing. And no good resolution. This time I didn't make it down the stairs before her hysteria had me running back into her room.

She didn't want me to leave. She couldn't stop crying - and even today - she couldn't tell me why. Every time she was settled to go back to sleep, she's start up again as I walked out the room. After forty-five minutes of this, she finally asked me to stay and sleep with her. Uhhh, no. She asked to sleep in my bed. Again, no (hello not-staying-dry-girl, not in my bed!).

At this point, I sighed and asked if she wanted to sleep with Mister Man (obviously I had no idea there wasn't a mattress cover on his bed). She agreed, and I placed her next to her thankfully very heavy sleeping brother.

An hour later, she was sobbing again. In his room. Once I made to the bedroom, I determined that she was done with his room. She wanted to be back in her own room (thankfully, she was still dry!). So I picked her up and gently deposited her back in her own room.

That was the last I heard of her that night, but ohhh did it mess with my own sleep. We've never had that experience before, and I have my fingers and toes crossed that we don't experience that particular regression again.

Two steps forward, and one step back. As thrilled as I am that Mister Man graduated from one therapy, I need some more news like that on a regular basis and less backsliding like we've had since then.

Anyone have a glass of wine they can spare?

8 comments:

WeaselMomma July 22, 2010 at 6:12 AM  

We still run into this issue is Smallest Weasel doesn't manage to use the bathroom before she falls asleep. I hate the sleepless nights spent washing sheets.

Tara R. July 22, 2010 at 7:32 AM  

I sure don't miss those kind of nights. I hope you all get a much needed good night sleep and keep taking those steps forward.

Michelle July 22, 2010 at 11:26 PM  

WeaselMomma - The frustrating thing is that she DOES go before bedtime. And it's getting worse. Two wets so far tonight already.

Tara - I appreciate it. I much prefer the steps forward :)

septembermom July 23, 2010 at 10:26 AM  

I'm having those nights a lot lately. I keep telling myself that it's just a matter of time when we'll be done with this phase. Hang in there. It will happen :)

Pat July 23, 2010 at 12:24 PM  

Oh, Michelle, I feel for you. That all sounds just horrible and frustrating to have to deal with. My middle son wet the bed till he was 12, though accidents became much fewer and farther apart over the years. Whenever he had wet sheets, it became his responsibility to bring them and his pjs to the laundry room. I wasn't going to tell you this before, so as not to discourage you, but then I decided to share. I kept a plastic mattress cover on his mattress. I stopped being annoyed with him and it just became a normal routine. Bed-wetting virtually always stops when puberty starts. As he got up to around 7 years old, he never wet the bed if he was at a friend's house or grandma's house.

Hang in there!

Michelle July 24, 2010 at 12:04 AM  

Kelly - It's a matter of time... but it's also a matter of my sanity. And poor kid, too!

Pat - Until he was 12? I'm buying Pull-Ups tomorrow. I'll put them on outside her pjs, but I can't change sheets nightly and do that much laundry for another 7 years. I don't remember this being part of the parenting classes I took. They snookered me ;)

Pat July 24, 2010 at 12:05 PM  

After age 7, middle son would go sometimes for a week without an accident, and then it stretched out to a week and a half to two weeks. By 11 it was maybe about once in a month; by 12 it never again happned. His problem was that he was a very deep sleeper and virtually nothing external to his mind would wake him up. Once he became a daddy (at age 26) he became more easily awakened (by his son's crying). I tried so many different things and nothing worked and I would be mad at him because I was so frustrated. I didn't want to feel mad at him all the time, so I decided to let it go and do an extra sheet and pjs whenever necessary without feeling irritated at him, because I knew he couldn't help it. He really hated that he wet the bed and he wanted to stop it, but he couldn't.

Michelle July 25, 2010 at 10:42 PM  

Pat - I think you're just trying to make me feel better now ;) And Little Miss? She *doesn't* *care* which is the part that drives me the most nuts. Which reminds me I need to go wake her up to go now.

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