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Lets chat about something very real and very horrifying. 

Sleep regression! It's here and let me tell you, it is not fun. Sleep regression happens a few times in a baby's life but this is the first time we are personally experiencing it. It's commonly experienced around 4 months, 6 months and 12 months when your baby is learning all sorts of new things and they are excited to keep practicing all these new things! Imagine trying to go to sleep before a big vacation or on Christmas Eve. It's kind of like that. There is so much excitement going on that no matter what you do, you just can't turn your thoughts off. Em is practicing her crawling and she has also started getting into a sitting position by herself which is exciting to dad and I, so it must be just as exciting for her, if not more. Almost every time Em wakes up she is up on her hands and knees which is not usual for her. 

Two to three weeks ago, Emmy was sleeping until 4 or 5 AM every night before she would get up to nurse. That meant we were getting at least a six hour stretch, which was more than enough for me. She was also sleeping in until 9 AM! I felt lucky and I was. Now, Emmy is up about every hour of the night and is up for the day around 7 or 8 AM. Her bedtime hasn't changed at all, and we have even tried moving it up, but she is not sleeping in any later. Being up every hour of the night is crazy! I am a very light sleeper and don't sleep through her nursing. So every hour I nurse her for around 20 minutes, and then go back to sleep for another hour before I am up again. Let me tell you, it's hard work! Which, of course, I was expecting -- babies aren't easy and no child of mine was going to make it easy on me. Luckily nothing lasts forever and sleep regression doesn't usually last for more than 6 weeks. Life will be back to normal soon.. Well, as normal as it gets around here.