Sleep, Glorious Sleep!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

I woke up this morning all by myself.  It was even daylight.  Miracle.  I feel like a new person. When my DH told me it was "only" 5:50 AM I was delighted! 

Frankie was going through a bark to go out and then want to eat and play several times in the middle of the night/early like 4am early tirades for about the last week, maybe more.  We took turns going downstairs and letting him out, but then he would not want to go back upstairs, looking to eat at 4 am.  When he did go upstairs, he would jump on top of us and try to position himself on our pillows and then refuse to move.  Or he would jump down and try to provoke Quincy to play.

If we could get him to quiet down,  DH would roll over and snore, but the 3 and 4 am wake-ups always turned into stay ups for me.

Ignoring him did not work.  Yelling at him (of course) did not work.  Putting him in his crate was a disaster. He has a very melodic howl, but nothing sounds good at that time of night (morning?)

Quincy would just go hide in the shower. 

I have felt like a zombie, new mother of an infant, cranky, sleep deprived sleepwalker. 

But last night turned (I hope) a corner.  

Frankie did not even sleep on our bed.  The sun was up before him! I did not harbor resentment and the desire to re-home the re-home (of course, would never do that)

The secret?  We took him to daycare yesterday.  Then, every time he drifted off during the evening, I woke him up (fair is fair ).  If we have to, I will bring him myself every day.

The adage that a tired puppy is a good puppy lives on!  I really have to just keep reminding myself that this 60 lb galoop is still a puppy!  Also true is the fact that he is so cute is what has saved him. 

Please, please may the sleep-deprive crisis be over!  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Love this blog.  It brought back those fond (not!) memories which I am glad say are in the distant past.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Yes, a tired puppy is an Angel! 

[Casey]

How old is Frankie? Our Stanley is suddenly looking for food and fun at odd times in the middle of the night. Ugh! Hopefully, it ends soon. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yes, Daycare is a beautiful thing and has definitely saved our sanity.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I love that you're getting even with him by waking him up during the early evening! Fair is definitely fair! I hope this is the end of the sleepless nights for all of you. :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

So glad you finally got some sleep. Vern is six and still gets us up once a night. For me it is just easier to get up and let him out. Otherwise, he sits and stares at you forever and breaks me every time :) I just admit defeat to speed up the process. Luckily I can go back to sleep. Frankie landed in the right home and they do come cute for a reason :)