infants first christmas eve... sleep question

traditionally we have family over for xmas eve and then go to my step-FILs family for dessert. then DHs brothers and sisters come over, and one or two of them sleepover. then we go to MILs for xmas day....

but this is DDs first xmas. i don't want her to be cranky all xmas day due to lack of sleep on xmas eve. she's 7m and def doesn't know the difference yet.

so do i agree to all of our traditional things and risk having a cranky baby?? she is pretty happy all of the time, so even a cranky her is still not SOOO bad.

there is def an expectation that we bring her to the step-FILs family after our meal. traditionally these is late, 9 or 10 that we leave the house. but i think since its saturday its less of a problem since we aren't waiting for anyone to get off work or anything like that (usually its me who's working late xmas eve LOL). so im thinking maybe we can swing just stopping by earlier just long enough so that everyone can hold the baby and then i can bring her home, bath and sleep...

then i have to deal with the issue of DHs brothers and sisters. DH is the oldest and his youngest sibling is 17.. so they are at partying age and the whole family are loud talkers i think i might try to cancel those plans altogether...

sorry for the long vent and thinking out loud.. i just DEF want DD to get some sleep before the big day!!! anyone else have similar problems?? do you restructure the whole night around the baby or do you just give in cause its one night a year???

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

the girls are just starting to give us a little more time at night. we are planning to have them in bed at their usual time, otherwise all 4 of us will not be functional on sunday.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

We changed it up in the hope that we get a happy baby on Christmas. We usually go to family far and dont even get there until 7-8 pm...goes until 1am or later. This yr just in laws during the day/early evening and home.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

we never changed a thing... and kids adjusted and were happy babies next day.

DS was 4 months old his 1st Christmas
DD was 5 months old

kids can sleep through ANYTHING... but if you see DC getting cranky, leave.

i wouldnt change anything

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

My DD was 3 months old for her first Xmas and I did not alter our holiday plans at all..........Xmas is once a year and for two days a year all bets are off with sleeping and routines. Even now at age 3........same thing. I just expect she will be tired and worn out after 2 days of holiday fun but the way I see it.......she can get back on track on the 26th. I would keep your plans and enjoy........she will adjust. Merry Xmas!!

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

BIL usually sleeps over xmas eve on our couch. That's where we feed the babies. He hasn't mentioned sleeping over this year ... I think he figured out on his own that it's a bad idea. He's 29 though.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

We usually do Christmas Eve at my parents house and it's a long night. So for this year, we decided to only go to my parents house for a few hours during the day and to have DD home in time for her bedtime. Then Dh and I are gonna cook our own little Christmas Eve dinner. We're gonna try to keep her up a little later on Christmas day though.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

We never altered our plans for either boys first Christmas. My oldest was 3.5 months & my youngest was 5 months. Both boys fell asleep in their infant carriers & slept with no issue.

This year at 2 & 1, we still are not altering. My youngest is always in bed by 7 the latest & we are only starting st 5 today. We will bring the stroller & he can sleep there.

Now new years is a different story. I will most likely stay home while Dh goes to his brothers bc I'm not throwing both boys off for that.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

We do ILs on christmas eve and are there until about 2am. I am bringing a pack n play, and sound machine and plan on putting him down when he seems to need it.

I dont generally skip out of anything due to the kids sleep schedules, but I have really flexible kids who can sleep anywhere and who generally dont get too crabby until a few days later when their sleep is messed up. So I will probably have a crabby kid by the 26th!

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

I thnk you just need to be honest with everyone. Tell them you will be here from 7-8 and there from 8:30-9:30. After that you have to get baby to sleep and will see everyone at the other place tomorrow at 11

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

We go to MIL's for Xmas Eve and people don't even get there til 6pm, and DS' bedtime is 7pm. We are just bringing the PNP and his normal night-time buddies. Probably let him stay up a smidge later than usual, but that's about it.

He is almost 18 months this Xmas and we did the same thing last year when he was 6 months.

Message edited 12/24/2011 8:53:23 AM.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

We go to IL's for Christmas Eve but not till like 5 so we are bringing the pack & play and her PJ's and when we get home we get home.
Tomorrow we will leave int he morning to go to my parents house about 2 hours North, and we will stay over.

I want to get DD accustomed to sleeping other places because I am not one to leave early from somewhere, my parents never did with me and I am a great sleeper.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

thanks! DD is SUCH a go-with-the-flow baby. shes totally not scheduled and it works for us. normally i wouldnt think twice about this.

i just know that when we go tonight at 8 (shes usually sleeping by 9/930) EVERYONE is gonna be passing her around and shes not just gonna go to sleep... oh well!!

my new question is - those who are bringing babies out tonight, are you putting them to bed in their XMas PJs or regular PJs?? I know that seems like a silly question but I still want her XMas PJs to be clean for pics tomorrow morning so I was considering just putting them on before we go over to MILs..is that ridiculous?!?!

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

Posted by Hofstra26


I always buy two sets of Xmas pj's.........one for Xmas Eve night and one for Xmas Day night.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

This is DD's first christmas and normally, I try not to keep her much later than her bedtime, but tonight, I'm just going to go with it and see what happens. We're going to my mom's after her afternoon nap (if she takes it, she's currently fighting her morning nap right now). Then to DH's aunt's house. She'll probably catch a nap in the car on the way around 6 pm. And then I'll bring her PNP and try to put her down there later on. I'm not so sure that will work. If she's getting really cranky, we'll leave.

Message edited 12/24/2011 11:09:45 AM.

Re: infants first christmas eve... sleep question

in bed at usual bedtime..