night terrors & the Jackson 5

It's been 4 years now, that I have been trying to figure out Violet's sleep issues. She has rarely slept through the night. As an infant, it was every hour or 2 that she was up. This lasted well into the 18 month range. Now, she kicks, thrashes and cries out. So, I finally was trying to get to the bottom of her night terrors. I found MANY interesting connections.

First, and most appropriate for Violet, is a link between night terrors and childhood obstructive sleep apnea. John and his father wear CPAPs and John's Grandfather died of obstructive sleep Apnea. So, my best guess is that my kid can't breathe at night. That would explain the dark circles under her eyes. Many have said the night terrors immediately went away after having the tonsils and adenoids removed.

Also, kids with night terrors don't want to go to bed...for obvious reasons. She ALWAYS puts off bedtime. Fights it like the plague.

Third, there is some thinking that it's because they are overheated. Many kids sleep only in their underwear and don't want their feet tucked in. THAT'S MY KID TO A TEE! We can't keep pajamas or socks on her at all. We tried to swaddle her really tight when she was a baby, thinking that would help....we were roasting the poor kid!!! She'd always bust out like a little Hudini.

Fourth, general anxiety makes the night terrors worse. ie the stress of going to bed (check) School (check) and stressful days (check). Violet has also bitten her nails since just before her second birthday. She does it when she is anxious or bored. John said she is neruotic just like him.

So there we have it. I feel like a real great mom for figuring this all out about 3.5 years too late. I think what I'm going to do now is just try and keep a journal to pick up on patterns. Next step, take her in for a sleep study. I'm not going to mess around with the sleep apnea.


On a completely unrealated topic: Violet announced today when we were driving home listening to the Jackson 5 "I want you back "(?) (Stop the love you save may be your own...you're headin' for a danger zone) I'm not sure what the song is called. ...Violet says, "I want a band to play this song next to the doughnut place. And all the cars have to get out of the parking lot and park side by side on the street. And I will get up on that thing and dance in my bra and underwear and high heels when I'm a little bit bigger. Can we do that?"

I said, "whoa whoa whoa. Let me get this straight. Do you mean Dunkin' Doughnuts?"
"Yes. The parking lot next to it."
"You mean those condiminums at High on Rose?"
"Yes. That black building."
"And you want a band to play this song by the Jackson 5?"
"Yes."
"What band do you want to play it?"
"I want them to play it."
"And you want to dance up on what thing? The balcony?"
"What's a balcony?" (I point one out to her)
"No, no, no no no. Not a balcony. On that thing that has a letter cut out of it."
"You mean that silver sculpture that looks like an O with a chunk out of it?"
"Yes, yes yes. That sculpture!!"
"Ok, so you are telling me that you want the Jackson 5 to come to Lexington and play 'I want you back' (?) in the parking lot of High on Rose while you dance in a bra, underwear, and high heels ontop of a silver metal sculpture when you get older."
"Yes, yes yes. Can we do that when I get bigger?"
"Sure!"

Violet's violet bath

Today, Violet and I read about the healing properties of violets. We learnded that you can eat their flower and leaves. You can also make teas and use the leaves for a poultice. We made a violet infusion and poured it into her bath. We have so much more to learn about violets. Violet is telling me this last sentence should be: we have so much more to learn about boys. .... Well... that's true too.