Since Belle started eating real food (so far Belle- and Belle's bib and clothing and seat- tried rice and oat cereals, peas, carrots and sweet potatoes), I have increased the amount of laundry I wash each week. I promised a friend I wouldn't discuss poop excessively, but I can't ignore the drastic poop change in frequency, consistency, and ability to be retained by the diapers. This has all resulted in an increase of cleaning (buy Stain Stick and Shout stock- Belle will be sure to keep those products flying off store shelves) and washing.
Still no tooth, but she has a runny nose, likely a gift from her cousin Noah, so the uncharacteristic fussiness could be a result of her cold? Who knows... We just roll with the punches.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
No-cry goodnight
Belle usually fusses when we put her down to sleep. She cries for a bit, but then sleeps just fine. Whether or not her falling to sleep is influenced by our sleep training, which really only kicks in after the first feeding, bedtime has been a dream these past few nights. Tonight marks the third night in a row that Belle hit the crib mattress and fell to sleep without a single cry or fuss. I could get used to this!
We'd better see teeth soon
My usually sweet and happy little Belle has been needy and uncharacteristically fussy since Sunday. I am thinking that a tooth may be on the way. I hope that with Belle's first pearly white returns Belle's pleasant and mild disposition.
Seven months and no...
In the seven months that we've been parents, we have not yet lost a sock, though we've misplaced a few (they are so tiny and often get stuck in funny places). We've never lost a pacifier, though they've all dropped in unsavory places and needed to be cleand before they could be used again. Belle has never slept through the night, but she has slept five hours straight (7pm-12am), and we're working on the second half of the night. I haven't yet slept more than four hours straight, but I have slept eight hours collectively (including the early morning naps that I sometimes take with Belle).
I think we're doing pretty well for seven months.
I think we're doing pretty well for seven months.
Sleep training update
The first night of Operation: Sleep Through the Night, Belle went to sleep in her crib at 7pm. When we went to bed at 10pm, we woke her, but let her cry in her crib until we all could sleep. Unfortunately for us, she fussed for about 40 minutes. When she woke again hungry at 1:30am, I fed her and put her down to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in the living room. I went back to bed, but immediately changed my mind and went to sleep on the couch in the living room next to the Pack-N-Play. Some maternal instinct wouldn't let me leave Belle alone on this first night. Somehow, I felt like if I was nearby, I could handle her screaming better. She woke at 5am, fussed for about ten minutes, and went back to sleep until 6:20am at which time I fed her (she was up for the day then).
Since then (it's been six nights now), she has gone to sleep easily before 7pm, woken up to eat between 11:30pm and 1:45am and gone back to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in the living room with no trouble. She has woken and fussed one or two more times (we can still hear here from our bed), but gets herself back to sleep. And when she wakes, it's a short fuss- less than five minutes for sure- each time. Then, she wakes hungry and ready to play after 6am.
I guess we'll consider her sleep trained once we don't hear her between the middle-of-the-night feeding and 6 or 6:30am. I don't know how long that will take.
As far as my concerns, it has not been so bad for me. I still get once nighttime snuggle/feeding session. My body seems to be adjusting OK to the decrease in feedings. This morning she woke at 5am, but got herself back to sleep until 6:20am, so the wake-up/play time has been reasonable.
I have a plan to get together with some college girl friends over the weekend. Babies are invited, so the real test to this sleep training operation will be a sleep over in New Jersey when the stakes are higher (waking other non-parents and other babies). I hope Belle's sleep skills rise to the occasion.
Since then (it's been six nights now), she has gone to sleep easily before 7pm, woken up to eat between 11:30pm and 1:45am and gone back to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in the living room with no trouble. She has woken and fussed one or two more times (we can still hear here from our bed), but gets herself back to sleep. And when she wakes, it's a short fuss- less than five minutes for sure- each time. Then, she wakes hungry and ready to play after 6am.
I guess we'll consider her sleep trained once we don't hear her between the middle-of-the-night feeding and 6 or 6:30am. I don't know how long that will take.
As far as my concerns, it has not been so bad for me. I still get once nighttime snuggle/feeding session. My body seems to be adjusting OK to the decrease in feedings. This morning she woke at 5am, but got herself back to sleep until 6:20am, so the wake-up/play time has been reasonable.
I have a plan to get together with some college girl friends over the weekend. Babies are invited, so the real test to this sleep training operation will be a sleep over in New Jersey when the stakes are higher (waking other non-parents and other babies). I hope Belle's sleep skills rise to the occasion.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Belle and her doll
This is how Belle usually plays: she is mild and smiley and, of course, ends up eating her toys.
Thanks, Katie, for the wonderful dolly!
Thanks, Katie, for the wonderful dolly!
A visit with Uncle Jeff, Aunt Joanna and Cousin Noah
Seren and Noah sneak in a little snuggle.
Uncle Jeff entertains his son and niece while they play together.
Uncle Jeff plays with Belle and Noah.
(Craig was excited to dress Belle in her Pink Floyd onesie today)
Sunday morning with Belle
She's a little moody today. Little tired. Little pooping. Just a little crotchety. After she failed thrice at napping, the three of us sang Barbara Ann and decided that belle just needs to be held today.
So now I'm holding belle as we watch my best friend's wedding. The two of us are going well.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wild Child
Sleep training: Take Two (and why I'm opposed to it)
It's true: Belle is six-and-a-half months old and still wakes to eat twice a night. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, though, she sleeps throgh the night. The AAP counts five consecutive hours of sleep as "sleeping through the night." Well, Belle usually sleeps 7pm-midnight or 1am, so, well, she's sleeping through the night. It's just that she wakes to eat at midnight or 1am, and then again sometime between 3am and 5am before waking for the day. And, though I am the one who gets up with her and Craig most often doesn't even hear us, Craig is the parent pushing for sleep training.
Why am I not clamoring to get Belle to sleep eleven hours straight? First and foremost, I secretly love the nighttime feedings. We are both half-asleep and Belle is adorably snuggly and it feels like we're the only two awake in the whole world. She eats quickly, and then nestles her head between my shoulder and neck as I walk her back to her crib. She is usually asleep in my arms before I even put her back down. It is a such a special time for us (well, for me anyway). Would I prefer to sleep uninterrupted and wake up rested? Sure, but I know that Belle will only be this little and snuggly for a short time and I can sleep later (like in my retirement in 30 years). And I secretly really enjoy our special middle-of-the-night snuggle nursing sessions.
I am also concerned about my body handling a long stretch without nursing. I have already edured two painful breast infections, likely caused by blocked ducts which could have been a result of the breast not being emptied when it needed to be. Can my body handle not nursing for so many hours and still produce enough to fully nourish Belle? I have not yet gone more than five, or maybe six, hours without feeding Belle. Can my body handle a longer stretch?
Finally, Belle's pediatrician warned us that Belle may wake for the day earlier if she sleeps through the night. She currently is ready to play at 6:30 or 7am (sometimes as late as 7:15 or 7:30 on mornings when Craig's alarm clock doesn't go off). This late wake-up could partially be due to the fact that she her nighttime sleep is interrupted. Anyway, the doctor warned me that Belle could be ready to play as early as 5am if she sleeps straight through the night. Well, since I am the parent who'd be up playing with Belle at that super early hour (one I knew well when I commuted from Manhattan to White Plains via Metro North Train five and six years ago), I would rather get up briefly twice at night and stay in bed until 7am than get up to play at 5am.
Again, would I like to feel rested in the mornings? Yes, but no matter how it's sliced, new parents are always tired. Am I really going to be less tired waking up to play with Belle at 5am? Or waking up painfully engorged? I am not happy about giving up my special middle-of-the-night nursing/snuggling sessions with Belle, either.
But, the books and our friends and my husband are big fans of sleep training, so we're trying it again.
The plan, since I'm not ready to give up nighttime feedings all together just yet, is to put Belle to sleep in her crib at 7pm as usual. Before Craig and I go to sleep, we'll open the Pack-N-Play in the living room. After I feed Belle at midnight or 1am, I'll put her down to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in living room. When she wakes to eat a few hours later, we'll let her cry until she falls back to sleep.
So, here we go: Sleep Training Round Two.
Why am I not clamoring to get Belle to sleep eleven hours straight? First and foremost, I secretly love the nighttime feedings. We are both half-asleep and Belle is adorably snuggly and it feels like we're the only two awake in the whole world. She eats quickly, and then nestles her head between my shoulder and neck as I walk her back to her crib. She is usually asleep in my arms before I even put her back down. It is a such a special time for us (well, for me anyway). Would I prefer to sleep uninterrupted and wake up rested? Sure, but I know that Belle will only be this little and snuggly for a short time and I can sleep later (like in my retirement in 30 years). And I secretly really enjoy our special middle-of-the-night snuggle nursing sessions.
I am also concerned about my body handling a long stretch without nursing. I have already edured two painful breast infections, likely caused by blocked ducts which could have been a result of the breast not being emptied when it needed to be. Can my body handle not nursing for so many hours and still produce enough to fully nourish Belle? I have not yet gone more than five, or maybe six, hours without feeding Belle. Can my body handle a longer stretch?
Finally, Belle's pediatrician warned us that Belle may wake for the day earlier if she sleeps through the night. She currently is ready to play at 6:30 or 7am (sometimes as late as 7:15 or 7:30 on mornings when Craig's alarm clock doesn't go off). This late wake-up could partially be due to the fact that she her nighttime sleep is interrupted. Anyway, the doctor warned me that Belle could be ready to play as early as 5am if she sleeps straight through the night. Well, since I am the parent who'd be up playing with Belle at that super early hour (one I knew well when I commuted from Manhattan to White Plains via Metro North Train five and six years ago), I would rather get up briefly twice at night and stay in bed until 7am than get up to play at 5am.
Again, would I like to feel rested in the mornings? Yes, but no matter how it's sliced, new parents are always tired. Am I really going to be less tired waking up to play with Belle at 5am? Or waking up painfully engorged? I am not happy about giving up my special middle-of-the-night nursing/snuggling sessions with Belle, either.
But, the books and our friends and my husband are big fans of sleep training, so we're trying it again.
The plan, since I'm not ready to give up nighttime feedings all together just yet, is to put Belle to sleep in her crib at 7pm as usual. Before Craig and I go to sleep, we'll open the Pack-N-Play in the living room. After I feed Belle at midnight or 1am, I'll put her down to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in living room. When she wakes to eat a few hours later, we'll let her cry until she falls back to sleep.
So, here we go: Sleep Training Round Two.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monkey faces and sing-song coos
I am making an effort to remove the pacifier from play time. As a result, Belle is a bit more vocal with her toys, including making sing-song-like coos. She also had started creating the most hilarious faces. She has this one where she draws her lips together and away from her face such that she looks like a little monkey. She doesn't need me to play because she enjoys her toys so much, but I just love watching her.
Anyway, I am a big pacifier fan. In fact, we just introduced her to 'Stage 2' pacifier (the previous pacifiers were meant for babies 0-6 months), which is a little bigger I think. For sleep and in the stroller and when Belle is about to have a meltdown, I am grateful for the little pieces of plastic that have consistently helped calm our baby Belle.
Anyway, I am a big pacifier fan. In fact, we just introduced her to 'Stage 2' pacifier (the previous pacifiers were meant for babies 0-6 months), which is a little bigger I think. For sleep and in the stroller and when Belle is about to have a meltdown, I am grateful for the little pieces of plastic that have consistently helped calm our baby Belle.
Monday, March 21, 2011
How did we get so lucky?
| I ask Belle nearly everyday how her daddy and I got so lucky when we got Belle. How blessed we are that Belle's birth was simple and her health tip top. How lucky we are that she is happy and pleasant and easy-going and sweet. She is napping beautifully and peacefully now and, as I look at her curled up and sleeping in her crib, I find myself wondering how I got so lucky. |
Playing
Belle is a very serious player. She examines her toys carefully with her eyes at first, and then her mouth, and she likes to feel each object with her finger tips. She is so focused on her playing, she rarely notices me. She is just happy to play with her toys by herself!
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