Rosalee Ray is a month old today! We have had the time of our lives and already I cannot believe how fast time has gone. She'd gain a pound by her two week appointment and I'm positive she's at 10 pounds now - our little chunk is soooo cute! We have got this parenting thing down! ha ha, joke :) It's been fun figuring things out and trying to get a smile out of her that isn't due to gas or pee. I've aced a few bits of the art of parenting (like packing a diaper bag and taking day-time naps) but here are a few I'm looking for advice on. Or at least some friends to commiserate with, since everything is still new and fun for me (give it another month, right?). So, let me know if you have any tidbits of knowledge or funny stories to go along with these issues:
Spit up - The cause of this is obvious but I do not know how to remedy it. Our little Rosie eats way too much way too fast! Inhaling/Gulping like you've just crossed the Sahara and have access to a fire hose describes it pretty good. But then we spend the next hour, whether or not she's been burped multiple times, spitting up the majority of the meal. And then it starts over...
Crib - My child hates her crib. She will sleep in your arms anytime--you don't even have to rock her when she's sleeping! But touching the crib elicits automatic alarm clock syndrome. My parents used to have to put me down and gradually remove all but a finger which then they had to sneak off my tummy in rhythm to my breathing while holding their breath and crawling out of the room on their hands and knees before I would stay asleep - I'm hoping someone has a remedy for this genetic condition, because our floor creaks.
Night-time - I know we have been much luckier than most parents...but our little girl is NOT a fan of night sleeping. Once she is asleep she usually stays that way for a good chunk of time, giving her grateful parents some good hours of sleep. But she doesn't go to sleep until at least midnight, and when she does wake up she is up for a good 2 hours before going back to bed. How do you get a baby to fall asleep in the middle of the night when all they want to do is stare at the ceiling while you are holding her?
midnight
3:00 am
6:00 am
11:00 am
And Lastly (for the time being):
So much fun!!!!!!!!!!
For the spit up: it sounds like you already burp her a lot during a feeding. Also prop her semi-upright for a good half hour after each feeding. If you're not holding her, put her in a boppy pillow or a bouncy chair or something that helps her not lay too flat. If you're already doing that...then good luck, I guess! It's normal and it will get better with time.
ReplyDeleteFor the sleeping...lay her down when she's tired but not asleep. That's best way for her to learn how to put herself to sleep. Does she have something that she likes to soothe her? Caleb liked to suck his thumb, and Russell likes to hold his feet (he's a bit of a weird-o...). It's natural for babies to soothe themselves with their hands, so if you swaddle her, make sure her hands are up by her mouth (they can be swaddled in the blanket, but don't put them by her sides). Also, get her a distraction in her crib. A mobile or a mirror or something. Then when you lay her down she has something to look at instead of just crying, and when she's done eating in the night she can stay up as long as she wants, but allow you to go to bed. And if she's fussing when you lay her down, you don't have to go back to get her until she's really upset. At this age you obviously shouldn't just let her lay there and cry, but I've found there's a difference between a "But Mommmm!" and a "My world is crashing down and I'm about to die" cry. If she's just a little upset, you can go brush your teeth, or use the bathroom, and then go back to her. She'll figure it out. :)
She sure is a cutie! I especially love that midnight face! Hehe!
I have no advice whatsoever, but I will say that this whole post made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteLauran,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, congrats on cute little Rosie! Lincoln is only a few months older, but here is what we did/are doing:
-Not sleeping at night: sorry to say, but give it time. Eventually they do figure it out and it is a glorious thing. Also, if Rosie is napping during the day, wake her up every 2 1/2 to 3 hours to feed her and let her sleep as long as she can at night.
-The crib: this was one long hard struggle for us and I think we finally mastered it! Like clockwork, Lincoln would wake up 7 minutes after we put him down, regardless of whether he was sleepy or completely out. We started with working on day time crib naps. But, at night, we used the car seat--just swaddled him tight, and propped the car seat so it was closer to lying on his back (they also sell nap nannies that do the same thing). For us, it wasn't worth the lack of sleep trying to teach him to sleep in his crib when he just wasn't ready. He needed to be propped up. Then, one week, he just figured it out. It was closer to 12 weeks then 8, but gradually he'd sleep in his crib for 3 hours, then 5, etc. and would allow us to put him back in there after he ate.
Bathtime: extra washclothes. Seriously, you need them. After we bathe Link, we'd pull him out and lay him on his towel and immediately cover him with the washcloth that we had just used and wrung out. It has saved us so, so many times!
Also, when I was at my wits end (which I hope you never reach) my brother preached to me the importance of routine before all naps and bedtime. I use the Happiest Baby on the Block's 5 S's (check it out--they are great), turn on the fan and dim the light and Lincoln knows that we are going to bed. Consistency really is key.
Good luck rummaging through all this advice and figuring out what works for Rosie. It eases up around the 2 month mark, but you'll really feel like a person again around 3 months!
She is just adorable, Lauran! Love all of your pictures. Sounds like you already have lots of great advice, and it's true: by 3 months you'll be feeling like you have a handle on things.
ReplyDeleteHello Lu darling!
ReplyDeleteSylvia now sleeps in her crib at night which is fantastic. Initially, she also had issues--we used her car seat and that helped a lot. We also always swaddle her. It helps babies feel more secure--cribs are just so huge compared with being in the womb or in your arms. We also got her a white noise machine and it has been wonderful.
Also I would reiterate your friend Allie's advice about routine, particularly for bedtime.
Good luck, you are amazing!
Kristi
I've tried to teach my kids to sleep in their cribs from day one. I found that even a day or two of carrying them around, holding them during naps, made my life harder for the next week at least. You just have to be consistent. One thing I've always done re: nap/bedtime was to keep it lighter (possibly noisier) during the day and DARK at night. I hardly even turned on a nightlight.
ReplyDeleteYes on the bedtime routines (but don't take it to the extreme like we did, Will had a bath EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for a year at least).