Wonder Week Leaps

Iris is currently in her programs leap and has roughly 2 weeks left. She is text book to these leaps and her sleep is effected every time as if it isn't disrupted enough. Last night, the night of her party you would think she would be exhausted with playing with her friends and being on the go all day but nope, it ain't happening and was by far one of the worst nights I've had in a while to get her to sleep. 

7pm she is bathed and ready for bed, brushed teeth, had medicine for toothy pegs as she keeps pulling ears. Dadda  read a story and she is moving about not staying still and I let it slide as it's still early. As I then try to get her down fun and games start. She is almost hyperactive if they could diagnose ADHD in babies I would have said last night she had it. I'm trying to think back to lunch and dinner, how many E numbers did she have or have I had something to make her hyper?! When I say hyper I mean hyper, her routine exactly the same every night and usually asleep by 7.30pm maximum tonight wait for it.... Drum roll 10pm! I'm not even joking, wish I was. I was exhausted! Three times I tried to put her down thinking she is drifting off to sleep then 'BAM' it's like someone has used a loud rabbit saying get up Iris, she rolls over and sits bolt upright. I can't quite believe my eyes and start to get a little bit annoyed repeating myself over and over again 'sleepy time'. She knows what it means but she is stubborn as a mule or in this case my husband and fights sleep like a trooper! Infuriating, yes, at the end of my tether? Definitely! Now what do I do? After the third attempt and she is not going down I lose my temper and place her in the cot and come down stairs. She starts crying after about two minutes and I think good maybe this will wear her out I will leave her there for a few minutes. My heart just can't do that and after a short time I'm back up stairs picking her up as she stands in her cot sobbing. I can not leave her to cry, just not for us as a family and I feel I'm being mean, after all she is a baby and she wants her mummy- this won't last forever.

Eventually after Boobie and lying down on the bed stroking her head she falls asleep. I'm thinking hooray at last! Alan is watching the golf on TV in the bedroom so I text a few people and read the Internet. I'm not even joking when I say that the second I roll over and close my eyes, she is awake AGAIN, it's been 20 minutes. I'm like dumbfounded- how can you not be tired? Exhausted? I'm hanging! Then I remember this is leap behavior and I've been here many times before and it's so wearing! 

The night is not too bad a few wake ups, twice I can get away with water the other times only Boobie will suffice. She wakes at 6am bright as a button!  I wake at 6am feeling like I've been run over by a truck and know I have to get up! Aaaggghh -sigh. How many days till the end of this leap ....16!