Caffeine or Ibuprofen?

It seems that every morning, the first question that crosses my mind is, will it be caffeine or ibuprofen to kill this nagging headache? Today the solution was simple.... both. I am not sure what it is exactly, but every morning I wake up with a pounding headache, I imagine it is what one would feel like after getting hit by a car.

Ok, backup. Let's start by saying that we have coaxed Madison into sleeping. After realizing we created the monster, rather the baby that could not fall asleep unless aided by eating, we knew we had to find the solution, whatever it would take, for us all to get more sleep, for Madison to start sleeping. Most babies at this age take 3 naps a day and sleep at night... not ours. Before finding the sleep solution, Madison took 2 or 3 20 minute naps a day (this is not normal) and woke several times at night. We realized we had a real problem on our hands when Will and I would find ourselves arguing at 3am... not because we were really mad at each other, rather we were so tired and neither of us knew what to do to calm the screaming beast next door to us.

After reading nearly every sleep book out there, we reverted to mom's advice: Put her in her crib, close the door and walk away. It turns out this method (with some additional advice) is also backed by a well known sleep physician. Thus we put Madison in her crib, shut the door, set the timer for 60 minutes and let her try and sleep. If after 60 minutes she is still crying, attempt fails, she wins and gets out of jail for free. It took about 4 days of this method and she began sleeping, thank you God. Now she naps (3 times a day) and goes to bed, all on her own. We have our little bed time ritual, kiss her on the head, shut the door and walk away. Madison fusses for 20 minutes and is out like a light.... and she only wakes once in the night now.

So we have somewhat remedied the sleep problem and you are asking why all of the caffeine and ibuprofen? I am convinced that in order to ever return to normal, Will is going to have to send me away for a month to a tropical, sunny island, where I will sleep my days, and nights away, completly uninterupted. I figure my sleep defecit is so huge, that it will take something this drastic to solve it.

To all of you, I wish you all a peaceful nights sleep.... enjoy every minute of it; and if by some chance you find yourself awake at 3am--- think of all of those first time parents who are awake with you.