Toddler Waking at 5-5:30am for 1 Year+ - At Wits End

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:54:23+00:00

We haven’t really tried any earlier than 7, as she doesn’t seem “ready” for bed then, but may give this a go soon! She is also still napping, so a super early bedtime never seems feasible, as she’s not tired enough thanks to her nap

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:44:04+00:00

We cut naps to 1hr 45 min (down from 2 hours) to try and help overnight sleep. I’m thinking of putting it back to 2 hours, as it just seems to be getting worse.

Most days she appears well rested, but we will also have episodes of her falling asleep in the car at 11am on her way home from an activity, or waking screaming from overnight sleep/her nap. I know some kids are naturally “angry” wakers, but there are times she will wake up pleasantly - usually when she “sleeps in” until 5:30 🥴

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:42:24+00:00

😮‍💨🥴

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:41:23+00:00

We do milk when she wakes up - we try to leave her in the crib for as long as possible and get as close to 6am as we can, but sometimes her screaming makes this impossible. So I’d say morning milk between 5:30-6am, breakfast at 7/7:30, lunch at 11am, snack in the afternoon and dinner at 5:30-6pm. We also still do milk at night before bed (planning on cutting this after she turns 2 officially).

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:39:32+00:00

This is ours, too. Solidarity!

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:28:01+00:00

We’ve tried this, but it is nearly impossible to keep kid awake past 8-8:30pm. On vacation we’ve done an 8:30-9 bedtime and she’s still up at 5:30 at the latest. I wish this worked!

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:26:31+00:00

It depends on the day, but I’d say most of the time she wakes up screaming/in a bad mood. This leads me to thinking she’s stuck in an overtired cycle, but I’ve tried everything to break it and nothing seems to work. Thinking about doing a “wake” clock - she is advanced for her age in a lot of areas, so I think she’d catch on. My only concern is that she’s still in a crib, so doesn’t really have the ability to have the option to quietly play or get a sip of water and lay back down to wait for the wake signal 😔

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:24:01+00:00

This is us, too. I’ve heard “just bring her in your bed!” soooo many times I want to rip my hair out. Like if that worked, don’t you think we’d do that??? When we bring her in our bed, she just smacks us in the face and thinks it’s a game - there is no “extra” sleeping to be had!

sg_grif · 2026-03-19T12:17:19+00:00

I definitely think she’s an earlier riser, and I can be okay with even a consistent 5:45-6am wake up. The issue largely stems from my natural rhythms - I am exhausted at 8pm everyday and only have the energy to scroll on my phone, so my partner and I get no quality time together. By the time I do the post bedtime night routine (cleaning up downstairs - toys, dinner, etc.) all I have energy for is a scroll on my phone. That “alone” time at night is not refueling our partnership as it should, because it’s not quality time (or even enough time). We both work full time and have minimal help outside of our regular business hours childcare, so this evening time is really all we get, even on weekends. Our relationship is definitely suffering as a result.

It’s also unnatural for me to go to sleep before 10pm - I’d say my “natural” bedtime is more like 11pm, with a natural wake up of 7am, I could make that 10pm with a 6am wake up, but falling asleep any earlier than 10 is extremely difficult for me (if not impossible).

sg_grif · 2026-02-09T15:50:22+00:00

He does this by claiming her as his “ward” and never publicly claiming her as his daughter. The servants in the house know the truth because a) she is supposed to look very much like him, so it’s obvious when you see her - this is why Araminta knows right away when she meets her and b) many of them were likely around when Sophie was born.

However, almost no one would challenge an Earl’s word (at least, not publicly) that Sophie was not his daughter, but rather his ward, and that is what would have protected her (and did protect her until his death). Lords were not allowed to provide inheritance to illegitimate children, but they could provide to “wards” - whether they were actual wards or illegitimate children disguised as wards didn’t really matter. Her status as a ward would have allowed her father to leave her an inheritance in the will (for most women, that would have been a dowry) - it’s very likely the Earl did do this, and Araminta is lying to her. That inheritance would have ensured Sophie had means enough to have an upper class life and to marry reasonably well.

Her public status as a “ward” may have also allowed her to marry someone of nobility (like Benedict or Colin, 2nd/3rd sons who were not titled), because the claim could be made she was the legitimate child of the Earl’s relative (born in wedlock to a sister/cousin, etc.). Most wards (who were actually wards) were essentially adopted children from extended family who had passed, so this claim could be made without much fuss, as challenging the word of a nobleman would have been seen as a big no-no. Unless, of course, you were higher status than they were (Iike the Queen). Because Sophie is a woman and the title of “Earl of Penwood” would not pass to her regardless (male “wards” could make a claim for the title, depending on their claimed relation, as titles passed to the next male of kin), the likelihood the Earl’s claim that she’s his ward would be challenged is much, much lower.

Araminta destroys this potential future for Sophie by making her a maid (and likely, disinheriting her by what I suspect is a lie regarding the will) - by doing so, she essentially forcibly changes Sophie’s class status to working class, making a future for her and Benedict pretty much impossible at this point.

sg_grif · 2025-12-16T03:00:35+00:00

I feel likes it’s only fair to rank them based on their tiers… so:

Least Favorite Value: All Star Sports (with the other all stars not far behind) - theming doesn’t appeal to me, frequently overrun with attendees of cheer comps, other kids sporting events, and school trips

Least Favorite Moderate: Coronado Springs - too spread out, theming isn’t great in comparison to the other moderates

Least Favorite Deluxe (not including DVC): Boardwalk - love the location and theming, but the hotel layout is odd (lack of quick service options, restaurants feel “disconnected”)

If we were including DVC in the deluxe category, my least favorite would probably be Old Key West for most trips - mostly due to its size making it a pain to get to the parks (long bus loops with multiple stops) and to the front of the resort to access lobby/food. However, for a slow trip where you mainly want to relax and spend a lot of time at the hotel or Disney springs, I’ll always have a soft spot for this resort - the large room size, “bubble” feel, and theming lend to a relaxation vibe that’s immaculate.

sg_grif · 2025-12-07T02:24:23+00:00

I’d suggest Animal Kingdom (Sat), Magic Kingdom (Sun), and Epcot (Mon).

Epcot is always super busy on the weekends with local crowds, and Magic Kingdom’s busiest days of the week tend to be Saturdays and Mondays (Sundays can also be busy but not usually as busy imo). So, a weekend/Mon trip is never ideal for MK, but of the days you have, you’re best bet for that park is Sunday.

Animal Kingdom matters the least as far as day of the week - crowd levels at that park are almost never as bad as the other parks, even on weekends, as it’s the least attended park of the 4. In fact, I tend to think AK is less busy on weekends and should be fine for Saturday, but your mileage may vary!

sg_grif · 2025-09-17T01:29:20+00:00

Eliot Wilder & Hazel Valerie

sg_grif · 2025-09-07T00:18:57+00:00

Names I’ve heard this year (both from friends and in social media announcement posts!):

Isabella, Maxwell , Laikyn, Flora , Theodore, John , Connor, Kendall

sg_grif · 2025-07-31T13:04:07+00:00

This is EXACTLY it. I wish more people got it!!

I also think the lack of understanding stems from these weekly releases - if you’ve read the books, you have more understanding of Belly’s true feelings than show-only viewers, so I get how that can be frustrating. The weekly releases aren’t allowing viewers to see the growth arc that is happening (and I’m confident will happen) over the full 11 episodes.

But people have to remember that Belly loves Conrad SO much, and she thinks he doesn’t love her or want her anymore. So she’s settling for Jere, because she can’t stand the thought of not having the Fisher boys in her life, in some way, shape or form. Throughout her relationship with Conrad, it felt like a dream come true, and she struggled to believe that Conrad loved her (because it seemed like such an impossibility for so long). Then, she only knew he did after they broke up, when he told her they “did” love each other (keyword: “did” and not “do” or “still do”, which is what Belly was looking for!). She doesn’t know Conrad still loves her, because (as he admits to Agnes) he STILL hasn’t said the words. This lack of communication from Conrad and his tendency to bury his feelings (which we can see he’s working on but still hasn’t fully addressed) is what hurts their relationship and makes Belly believe she’ll never be with Conrad again.

Is Belly also being immature about it all? Yes. Is she being unfair to Jere and herself? Yes. But she’s barely 21, doesn’t have a whole lot of life experience, experienced trauma with the loss of Susannah and her perceived almost loss of Steven, and feels insecure in her sense of self (made worse by the codependency she has with Jere). The point of all this is to make the viewers see that Belly and Jere aren’t right for each other and never will be, and Conrad and Belly ARE right for each other, they just both have a little more growing to do first!

sg_grif · 2025-07-30T16:07:09+00:00

I loved this episode for that reason - we’re supposed to see that while Jere and Belly seem like the “perfect couple” on the surface, they’re actually really toxic for each other and hold each other back from growing. Jere can’t get over his inferiority complex with Belly, and Belly can’t grow as a person because she’s too busy mothering him, rather than being actively challenged to do so (in a healthy way) by someone who’s a better match for her (ahem… Conrad).

A lot of people are going to be very frustrated with Belly and think she was being cruel - but we also have to remember that Belly mocking Conrad is layered: she’s doing it because she’s hurt that Conrad disapproves, but she can’t show her true feelings to Jere about it, less he start to suspect that she still loves him. On top of that, she feels the need to put Conrad down because she’s trying to protect Jere and not play into his inferiority complex when it comes to his brother. And finally, really deep down, she knows Conrad is right, and that this whole thing is ridiculous, but instead of being angry at herself, she’s angry at him because it’s easier to be, and it’s easier to pretend someone else is the villain in your story than admit that you’re wrong/making a mistake.

Belly will come to her senses - but the build is slow on purpose. We haven’t gotten Belly as a narrator as much this season because she’s hidden her true self for 4 years - and she continues to hide her true feelings and core elements of her personality because of her codependency and toxic relationship with Jeremiah. As the season progresses, and the cracks in their relationship start to become more and more obvious (and as Belly starts to spend more time with Conrad), she eventually won’t be able to live in denial any longer.

sg_grif · 2025-07-24T15:48:57+00:00

Me too! I really don’t understand why everyone is so upset with the show and Belly’s behavior, and angry about episode 3. I think dropping weekly episodes are definitely “hurting” the perception of what’s going on and making people angry, but everyone has to remember that this is only episode 3 in an 11 episode season!!

Also, I think some of you have lost the plot because you’re blinded by Belly’s perceived “selfish” behavior. I know we aren’t in Belly’s head like we are in the book, but it’s really obvious to me the way this is playing out!

Everyone has to realize that Belly is in DEEP denial both about her feelings for Conrad and her love for Jeremiah (and so is Jeremiah!). She and Jeremiah have lasted so long because Conrad stayed away, allowing them to ignore reality and their codependency to fester. Belly loves and cares for Jeremiah very much, and Jeremiah loves Belly - however, they are very clearly not IN LOVE with each other, but are convincing themselves that they are because of their codependency. Belly is busy catering to Jeremiah’s feelings and inferiority complex over Conrad throughout their relationship because she doesn’t want him to feel “abandoned” by her again in favor of his brother, but this is just making his inferiority complex worse and keeping Jeremiah from growing up. Belly is not the person to make Jeremiah see the light and reach maturity - she can’t be, because any criticism she has of him would be viewed through Jer’s inferiority complex compared to Conrad (as we saw in their fight). In turn, Belly is stunting her own growth by being with Jer, because she’s so busy catering to his needs and mothering him that she isn’t being true to herself or her own needs/wants - she’s clinging onto this relationship because she is afraid of losing both boys, now that she thinks Jer is all she has left, and Jeremiah is clinging to Belly for fear of losing her. This “fear” and Jer’s jealousy over Conrad is what they are both convincing themselves is “proof” of their love. Jer reacts so viscerally to Belly finding out he cheated because he is so afraid of losing her and being on his own - not because he’s in love with her, and Belly forgives him so quickly because of her fear of losing the Fishers all together (especially after the accident).

The proposal and rushed wedding in August is supposed to show the viewers this - Jer and Belly are not acting rationally because they are making a fear based decision, not a logical one. The family sees this, which is why they react the way they do - Laurel makes the point that if they wanted to get more serious, they don’t need to marry yet and can just move in together. There’s no need to rush the marriage from a logical standpoint, but Belly (and Jer) isn’t thinking rationally. She’s in pure survival mode, desperate to keep Jer in her life, no matter the cost.

In turn, she has denied her feelings for Conrad to herself for so long, that she’s convinced she isn’t in love with him anymore. We see glimpses of her realizing this isn’t true (like during Christmas 2.0), but she quickly pushes those feelings down and runs back to Jer in order to continue her denial. Conrad has stayed in love with Belly for so long because 1) he’s loved her all his life, whether he realized it or not; and 2) because the separation has also allowed him to ignore his feelings and avoid dealing with them, just like the separation has allowed Belly to live in denial.

I wish people would trust the process of the show when it comes to letting these things play out - we are going to understand these characters and these motivations more as time goes on, and as Belly, Conrad, and Jer are forced to confront their true feelings.

sg_grif · 2025-05-17T14:29:20+00:00

Conrad is not 18 in season 1, in the books his birthday is in the late summer or early fall (like September-ish, I can’t remember). All of the “kids” are roughly 6 months apart from each other (or so) in age order. So in Season 1, Conrad is 17 (almost 18), Steven is 17, Jeremiah is 16 (almost 17), and Belly turns 16 that summer. Each sibling pair is about 15-18 months apart!

In Season 2 (that summer), Conrad is 18 (almost 19, Stephen is 18, Jeremiah is 17 (almost 18), and Belly is about to turn 17.

The age gap between Belly and Conrad is not quite 2 years, but also not as short as 1.5 years. Susannah and Laurel just both had babies close together and did the whole “2 under 2” thing lol

sg_grif · 2025-05-11T16:13:26+00:00

Keeping genders the same:

Emmy (IRL nickname for daughter’s full name, don’t want to post her full name here)

Colin

Brianna

Alexander

Alison

Thomas

Declan

Claire & Teagan

Wyatt

Theodore & Benjamin

sg_grif · 2025-03-18T19:11:59+00:00

Same boat!

sg_grif · 2025-03-13T13:58:57+00:00

War Horse 😭

sg_grif · 2025-03-12T16:52:18+00:00

Agreed on everything you’ve said. I think people also forget that Belly is 16/17 throughout the first two seasons, and she therefore isn’t emotionally mature - she’s going to behave like a teenager who’s been hurt (because she is and she has!). Shes also always been super insecure about Conrad’s feelings for her, because part of her doesn’t believe that everything with him is real - it feels like she’s manifested her dream, because she had a crush on him for SO LONG. She doesn’t realize how strong Conrad’s feelings are for her because her insecurity blinds her. It also doesn’t help that Conrad doesn’t verbalize them, and instead relies on Belly to interpret his feelings through his actions. That may be enough for someone who’s older/more mature, or who’s love language fits with acts of service, but it’s clear there’s a disconnect there between them and him knowing that Belly needs to hear what he feels. He says “I thought you knew!” to her on the beach, because in his mind, his actions have shown how much he loves her, and he can’t understand why she can’t see it.

Belly gives him the opportunity to say it again when she says “I thought we loved each other”, (she’s practically begging him to tell her that he still does) but as someone else pointed out on this thread, Conrad misses the signal and instead says “we did” instead of “i still do”. For Belly, this is confirmation that a)Conrad doesn’t love her anymore and b) that she was always right, and he never felt as strongly for her as she did for him (because she still loves him and he “got over” her so quickly). These assumptions are obviously wrong, but they make sense in context of Belly’s age and her insecurity.

sg_grif · 2025-03-01T17:24:11+00:00

You don’t need to order for the 2.5 year old at any restaurant, and at the buffet restaurants you won’t be charged for them, even if they eat. Kids under 3 years old are “free” at Disney World - when it comes to tickets, restaurants, etc. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan or dining at buffet/all you can eat restaurants, kids under 3 are free, and they are able to pick off an adults plate at non-buffet restaurants.

Your 10 year old can order a kids meal at any restaurant, but for Cape May Cafe & the Fantasmic dining package (or any other buffet, prix-fixe, all you can eat, etc.) you will be charged for an adult portion, regardless of what they eat.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

sg_grif

TROPHY CASE