Someday pretty soon, he'll be giving full out belly laughs. His laughter is already the best sound in the world so I can only imagine how a big belly laugh will make us feel!
In other news, Lefty is finally pulling her weight again!! I think a couple of days with the manual pump, or the fact that the manual pump made pumping Lefty regularly more convenient, must have done the trick. Ayden hasn't fussed while nursing on the left for two days now and their sizes are much more comparable. I'm back to alternating sides, one side per feeding, again and am glad for it. Shew! That was a close one...
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| On our morning walk! |
He's gotten to where he'll pull back when he's done nursing, look me in the eye and smile as if to say, "Thanks mom!" I just love it!
When David got home we had dinner, put Ayden down for his last nap of the day and worked out together. It was nice to workout and to have a workout buddy. I'm stuck in the vicious cycle of not working out because I "don't have the energy" when I know good and well that working out regularly will actually give me more energy. I found some motivation and made it happen today. It wasn't an intense workout but I got my heart rate up a bit and that is definitely better than nothing. It doesn't help that our current dietary lifestyle has me back in my jeans and shorts from college that I had been saving for years for whenever I could fit into them again. The fact that I'm back into them now, after having a baby, without working out at all doesn't give me much motivation to hit the pavement... But being thin doesn't mean that you are in shape so I need to workout at least a few times a week to keep my heart and lungs healthy and my muscles challenged and strong. The daily naps I've been taking with Ayden have really helped so if I can keep that up, I should be able to start making working out part of my regular routine again.
I wonderful reader, Jana, suggested that I look into one of Tracy Hogg's follow up books to The Baby Whisperer called, The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems. I purchased it on my Kindle and will spend the next few days reading it. I think I'm going to have a little "Get More Sleep" bootcamp. I've got one of our camping sleep pads set up in Ayden's room and I intend on keeping a little log of Ayden's sleep patterns throughout the night. I always forget the details by the next morning and The No Cry Sleep Solution suggests keeping a basic log over a few days so that you can use it as a tool to help you modify. It will also help me be more strict about whether or not I feed him at a wake up, since I can't always remember exactly how long its been when I'm that sleepy. I think we'll go to 4 hour stretches for a few nights and see how it goes. It'll mean even less sleep in the meantime, I'm sure, but I'd rather loose more sleep temporarily for a couple of nights than to keep going on like we are for months. Obviously waiting for Ayden to just miraculously sleep more on his own isn't working and we've got to make some changes around here.
Other than our sleep woes, things are wonderful. Ayden has become such a happy and sweet baby and we are just so in love with him. David rushes in everyday after work and swoops Ayden up to tell him how much he missed him. What did we ever do without our little love bug?? Life is good.
Is your baby a good sleeper? Share your secrets!! :)
~Sarah
I never really wrote down when my son started sleeping through the night but I know it was probably around 4 months (if I remember correctly? The beginning is kind of a blur, lol.)
ReplyDeleteDo you give him a bath before bed? That seemed to be the secret for us, it relaxed him so much I guess it helped him to get into a deeper sleep? I'm not really sure.
I haven't been sleeping so well myself (5 hour last night) and I know I'll be in the same boat once #2 actually arrives. I can't believe I ever functioned before on such a small amount of sleep!
My son is a great sleeper except for when he is sick or teething. A solid and strict bedtime routine was my biggest tool and the dream feed was a close second. If he wakes up before or after his dream feed, I walk in his room, say nothing except, "It's time for night-night. I love you" give him a hug/kiss and lay him down and pat him on his back until he falls to sleep. He sometimes resists, but I keep laying him down and sometimes use the "shh" but nothing more.
ReplyDeleteHe's started to cut more teeth and when he's uncomfortable like that I'll usually let him in bed with us for a few days until he's feeling better. The first night back in his crib is always hard, but I can usually get him back to normal in one night.
I just had to transition him back into his crib on Monday night and was up about every hour to hour and a half patting him back to sleep. When I transition him back, I NEVER pick him up. I make him stay in his bed all night, even if I have to sleep in the rocking chair and pat him through the slats of his crib while half asleep myself. Fortunately, one hard night like that is usually all it takes for us!
My little girl is 15 months old and has been a terrible sleeper her while little life. Though we are tired, we are somewhat used to it. She has given us nights here and there if sleeping the whole way through without needing to be picked up but those are rare. My only advice is do what you are comfortable with and what you think is best for Ayden and you. I can function and be a good parent and my daughter is happy, so although my baby wasn't sleeping 6-8 hour stretches at 8 weeks old, I trust that I won't be running to hert dorm room to hold her at 2am either :) Every baby's needs are so different and if you have the energy to listen to his needs in the night, he is only little once. Of course if you don't feel like you are able to be the parent you want to be, then you may have to try some things out. What? Well I have no idea since we are still awake in the night with you :) Just another perspective to consider. Love your YouTube vlogs and your fun daily updates!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter started sleeping through the night at 3 1/2 months. I had recently switched her from her bassinet to her crib in her own room. I don't know if she just found it uncomfortable or if we were too noisy while sleeping but from that night on she slept through the night except for a few occasions. I know this isn't your issue but thought I would share anyways. =)
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