Peaksville, Ohio

The baby (okay, she'll be 2 in April, but she's still a baby to me) has taken to waking up from her nap and crying hysterically (I mean, really screaming, kicking, tear-spurting, gagging hysterics), and nothing,  not one.single.thing, will calm her down for like thirty minutes, sometimes closer to almost an hour.  Seriously, now, let's think about how long that is.

I'll wait.

Yes.  It's a very very *very* very long time.  Especially when your four year old is also starting to have a total breakdown (caused, of course, by the constant noise torture and fear of getting thrown up on).  I'm making jokes now, but it's one of the most unfunny things I can think of.  And I remember going through the exact same thing with Rebecca, only she did end up throwing up almost every day because of it.  Geez, I can't remember how long this phase lasts, must have blocked it out of my memory. 

Anyway, while I was lying on the couch battling the stomach flu this weekend (sorry, this is what, my fourth comment about puke?), I called my parents and mentioned this annoying (to put it mildly) new habit of Jessie's.  My mom immediately said, "If it were me, I'd just stuff a piece of candy into her fist really fast."  Hmmm...  (Wait, does that mean she did that to me?   Nah, I was never such a troublesome baby.)  I just laughed, and kind of brushed the comment aside.

That is, of course, until the next day, when Jess woke up from her nap, and was *this* close to going ballistic.  It had been a nice day.  Rebecca was playing happily on the computer.  My husband was trying to work in the next room.  Jess' nap had been long, she'd woken up on her own.  It was 3 pm-ish, perfect time for a snack, wouldn't ruin any meals.  And she wasn't full-on crying... yet.  I ran (ran, I tell you!) to the kitchen, grabbed a teeny Dum Dum from the Halloween stash bucket, unwrapping as I ran back to her, and stuffed it into that grubby little palm.



Holy smokes, Mom, it worked!



But you know what?  As soon as she realized she was just sucking on mushy paper, and the lollipop was a sticky blue memory, it was over.  The magic was gone and the banshee was back.  Much as I wanted to, I couldn't just keep sticking Dum Dum after Dum Dum into her (could I have?  No, I'd have probably had to pay for that later, too, anyway).  Any other ideas out there?  I'm desperate.  I'll try anything.  We've done television, gone outside, upstairs, hugged her, held her, ignored her.  Komaneko worked for a long time, especially #3, but no longer.  If this lasts much longer, I will. go. insane.  Sure, she looks cute now, but it's all so fragile.  Anyone ever seen the Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life," or read the short story?  I sure know where that idea came from.

Comments

[Ali]

My youngest did the same thing. It was so traumatic I actually stopped giving him a nap (but he was a bit older than Jess). So hang in there - maybe the mummy equivalent of a dum dum is in order!

[Mirre]

I wished I could give you some advice, but I've never experienced this with my children (so extremely).
I do know what my MIL would say though...put her head under the cold shower for a couple of seconds. It will give her such a shock that she might stop screaming. It has always seemed harsh to me, but if nothing else works? Good luck!

[Regina]

I think we have the same youngest child. The constant little furrowed brow, old (or new) bruise on forehead, trantrums post nap. Ours are just as bad too. We finally (just recently) figured out that we wake him up from his nap or get him as soon as we hear him make a peep then immediatley give him food (a big bowl of grapes, pretzel & sippy cup with soymilk) he's okay until he finishes his food. Then he still cries, but it's more of a constant whine instead of the full freak out session.

I have no idea if this will help at all. Things could change at any minute with these kids. Plus we don't know what we're doing~ we're totally wingin' it!

Does Jess sleep through the night? Isaak doesn't, but that's a whole other story. hhmph!!

[ragan]

augh...us to. i buy bigger lollipops, and ALWAYS have a stash of them. those jolly-rancher ones last a LONG time. :) hang in there.

[M.G.]

This sounds almost like the daytime equivalent of "night terrors".
It's where the changes caused in brain chemistry between sleeping and waking trigger an outburst of some sort... I wouldn't recommend medication, just patience and consistent reminders that her behavior is unacceptable. I know it can be tough and stressful, but most kids outgrow it.