Sleep Routines

I guess you could say that when I saw the word "routine" in relation to sleep I was a little skeptical.  Every article that I read discussed using a routine.  I thought ok that is great but how can that get my child to sleep.

Well, about a month ago we started a routine at bedtime and it has paid off (sort of).  Every night we put on her jammies and night diaper.  Then we have a little snack before we sit down to do flash cards and read books.  Once we finish reading, we have her brush her teeth and give her a drink of water.

We then collect her favorite toy (Mickey Mouse) and tell her that we are going to lay her down in bed.  We each give her a hug and a kiss good night and tell her that we will see her in the morning and blow her a kiss as we walk out the door.

So far, she goes to sleep on her own without a problem.  It is the staying asleep that is a problem.  Sometimes she sleeps through the night, but mostly she wakes up once or twice.  Usually, she wakes up at 5 am and will not go back to sleep on her own.  So, this part of the routine is still a work in process and open to suggestions.

We have since implemented part of this routine for nap time.  I play on the floor with my daughter for awhile and I tell her in a few minutes it will be nap time.  As soon as it is 1 o'clock I tell her that it is time to read a story and then take a nap.  I carry her into her room and read to her while we rock.  Once the book is finished I tell her that I am going to lay her down and I will see her when she wakes up.  We have been practicing this routine for about 4 days now.  I have been met with some resistance, but eventually she falls asleep. 

I guess my skepticism and desire to see what the hype regarding routines was worth it.  I would love to know it anyone else follows a routine or if they have a way to keep their little one sleeping through the night!!

Bumps and Bruises

It seems like every day there is a bump, bruise or a scratch.  I have a little girl.  Little girls are not supposed to run and fall.  Or, crawl across concrete and rock beds.  It is  a crazy cycle.  She runs, she falls, she cries.  I pick her up, she stops crying.  I put her down and we start all over again. 

I thought that you dressed little girls up in cute outfits and bows.  Then they stayed clean and pretty all day.  NOT.  I honestly expect my child to be messy and get dirty.  In fact, the cuter the outfit, the messier I expect the day to be. 

What I did not expect is that my little girl was going to want to dig in the dirt, crawl on the fireplace, play in the rocks, climb on everything and jump whenever and wherever she wants.

Whatever direction she decided to take her life, I will support her.  I just hope that it isn't one of a daredevil!!!

The Art of Repitition

I often wonder if my daughter really knows what her name is!  I tell her to be careful so many times in a day that I would lay money that she thinks that is her name. 

It is funny that as a parent we often find ourselves sounding like a broken record. Only we don't really realize that until we have said something for the eight hundredth time.

Sometimes we don't realize that we have taught our children something until we see them do that.  I see my daughter walking around picking up her dolls and toys, hugging them then patting them.  We hug her all of the time, but I am not quite sure where the patting came from.  Then one day I was holding her and rubbing her back, then I patted her back and suddenly realized it must have come from me.

Watching her grow and imitate life has certainly been teaching me a valuable lesson or two.  Be carefule of your actions because little eyes are ALWAYS watching.

Discovery

One thing that I absolutely love about Spring is that everything is new,  For me it is a time of rebirth and discovery.  This Spring is even more special.  It is the first spring that my 13 month old will be mobile enough to go outside.

The weather has been so nice the last few days that I have taken the baby outside.  I put her on the grass and waited to see what happens.  She sat in the grass and lifted her legs slightly as the grass tickled her legs.  She kept alternating legs as if it would keep the grass off her delicate skin.

Her next adventure was to grab the grass.  First, she just brushed it with her hands.  As she became more accustomed to her surroundings, she grabbed the grass with both hands and then sprinkled the pieces back on the lawn, just to watch the pieces fall.

Her adventure had no boundaries.  She crawled (because she did not feel like walking) across the grass until she came upon a pine comb.  She was so enthralled with this discovery that she immediately tried to put it in her mouth.  I had to do some anticipation that with each discovery, there would be a plan to put it in her mouth.

I found this Spring to be so much more enlightening than in the past.  I loved watching her movements and excitement.  I am so grateful for these opportunities knowing that next Spring will be even more different than this.

Sleepless Part II

My sleepless saga is ongoing.  I have received a lot of helpful hints from all kinds of people.  One thing that most people had in common was that they would not let their  child cry either.  Other people warned me against picking up my daughter saying that was not a good idea. 

About a week ago I decided to lay on the floor next to the crib.  I could reach my hand through the rails to soothe my daughter while she was laying down.  She didn't like the idea of me sticking my hand through the rails.  She pushed my hand out of the crib.  So, I just laid there on the floor.

After a little time passed she would fall back asleep.  We do this a couple times a night.  The highlight of it all is that she is no longer screaming at night.  She doesn't even cry now.  I lay on the floor and she lays in her bed, rolls around for a little while, then falls asleep.

I know, I was told that this too is a bad idea because I will have to break her from getting used to having me there at night. I was told that I need to go in her room when she cries, rub her head and leave.  Then when she cries wait 10 minutes, go back into her room and repeat.

The more that I think about this last piece of advice, the more frustrated I become.  I am sure that if I asked my father if I was held when I was a baby, I am sure that he would say yes.  I am pretty sure that I outgrew being rocked and as an adult still fell loved.  So, I accept the advice from all of the others: let my baby know that she is loved.  If she needs me to hold her, I will.  If she needs to be rocked, I will.  And if she needs my to be near, I will.

I know there will come a day when she has grown and I will reflect on these days.  I would hate to look back and wish that I had held her more!!

Sleepless in Michigan

I am not certain how many days have passed by, but I am positive that I miss sleeping through the night.  It started about a week and a half ago when my daughter broke out in an allergy rash.  I can understand her waking up crying.  She did not feel good. 

Now, her rash is almost gone.  But, three nights ago she started waking up a couple times a night SCREAMING at the top of her little lungs.  It is not the kind of cry that I can let her "cry it out".  She screams so loud that she starts to hyperventilate.

I go into her room and try to soothe her.   Laying her back down, giving her a pacifier, stroking her head and telling her to go back to sleep is not cutting it.  I end up changing her diaper (which is soaked and has no room for another drop) and then rocking her until she calms down and falls asleep.

Everything that I have read says that this is normal for this age.  It could be night terrors or separation anxiety.  I lean towards the latter.  Considering that she is still clinging onto me with a firm grasp even when I put her back down to sleep.

I know everyone says, "whatever you do, DO NOT pick them up".  I have a hard time not picking her up when she is screaming.  I know the difference in her cries and there is something clearly wrong for her to scream.  I am open to any other feedback or ideas that anyone might have for a screaming 13 month old!!

A New Do

Today I went to the hairdresser for an overdue cut and color.  While my color was processing, I chatted with my hairdresser about the joy of motherhood for someone in her forties.  All of the sudden a customer chimed in with her contributions.  She is a grandmother that watches her grandbabies.

I was expressing how tired I was.  How for the last year I have been sleep deprived and wondered if my life was ever going to resume.  The woman in the salon started laughing and said not for a long time. 

I then began talking about how I have to get a head start to go to the bathroom because before I know it I hear the pitter patter of little knees coming down the hallway followed by her daddy chasing her.  Is nothing sacred?  The woman in the salon then said "it is kind of like trying to poop with a baby on your lap."  I started to laugh.  There were a few other anecdotes that we shared.

Part of me laughed at how funny it sounded to hear someone else say the many things that I have been thinking.  For so long I have thought, "am I the only one that experiences these things?"  or "am I a bad parent because no one else talks about these things?"

I feel like my spirit has lifted.  Not just because I have a new hairdo (and my daughter barely recognized me without a pony tail) but, because I am not alone in the experiences that I have been experiencing!!

More than One Child?

After having my nieces over for the day and night I wonder how people do it.  How do people successfully raise more than one child?  I have one and she is a handful on a daily basis.  Having 3 kids for one day presented its own challenges.  There are days when I think that I am ready for more than one child and even more days when I am happy to have one.

My parents raised 4 boys and 1 girl.  I have no idea how my mother survived that.  We are are all approximately a year and a half apart.  I am sure that my mother faced the same challenges that I do daily only hers was multiplied.  Everyone keeps saying that the more  children you have, the easier it gets.  I keep looking at my little girl and thinking, how is that possible?  I suppose at some point the kids will play with each other and take care of each other.

Although challenging, it was fun to have a houseful of kids.

The First Year

Well, the first year has come and gone.  It seems like I was just preparing for the big 1 year birthday.  Everyone tells you that the first year goes by so fast.  But, when you are in the fog of sleepless nights and endless feedings you think that surely everyone must be playing a cruel joke.  It felt like forever before I got a good night sleep. 

I didn't realize that it would be difficult to watch my baby become a toddler.  I already miss the days of holding her and wondering if her first smile was just gas!  I remember wondering if she was ever going to move, then roll over and then crawl. 

It has been an exciting year.  I would not have traded it for anything.  I feel fortunate to have been able to spend the whole year with my little girl especially when I hear my friends talk about all of the things that they have missed.

Bathing

Up until today, I thought that giving my baby a bath was a good thing.  I take every precaution to make sure she is safe, the water temp is just right and that she is clean.  I thought.  I watched the Today Show's episode this morning pertaining to bacteria and bath toys.  To say that it grossed me out was an understatement.  They explained how toys with a hole in them build up bacteria on the inside because you can never fully clean them.  In some cases, the toys built up black sludge.  These are the toys that children put into their mouth, squirt into their eyes as well as all over their bodies.  So we think that when we clean them with soap, they are getting a nice clean bath.  They also said to store the toys outside of the bathroom because flushing the toilet from up to 20 feet away can contaminate the toys.  I will be sticking to the solid bottom duckies and cleaning them with rubbing alcohol.

For more on the story:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/35685464#35685464

Customer Service

Why is customer service these days so terrible?  One would think that with the state that our economy is in, businesses would be bending over backwards to help you out.  Not so, I have found out.  Out of 4 companies that I have written in the last month, only one has responded.  I am really annoyed considering the businesses are child related.  I emailed Gerber's customer service to tell them about some baby carrots that I purchased.  The carrots were dried out all around the seal.  I kept the container for a week just in case they needed the numbers on the container.  They never responded.  I emailed the customer service department of the American Red Cross concerning a pacifier thermometer that they sell.  The one that I received does not work.  I am still waiting to hear back from them,  I also made a purchase from Little Maven.com.  On 2/25 they had a sale from 12-5 EST of 25% a purchase and free shipping.  I emailed their customer service department and called the customer service department.  The customer service phone number gave me a voice mail.  Four days later I did hear back from Little Maven and they did make the correction. The company that responded the quickest was Safety 1st.  We purchased a wall mounting kit that had a bent screw and one that broke when we tried to use it.  They responded and sent me a new product immediately.  I wish more companies took their customers seriously and responded quicker.

Sleep II

The sleep project has been underway for 3 nights now.  So far so good.  My little one still wakes up 2 (11pm and 2:30am) times a night but, the first wake-up she searches for her binky and then falls back asleep.  Wake up number 2 is a little more painful.  She wakes up, sits up in bed and then starts crying.  I wait and watch her on the monitor to for a few minutes to see if she is going to fall asleep.  After a few minutes, I go in and lay her back down and tell her that she has to go back to sleep.  I go back to bed where I watch and listen to her.  Her crying has made it down to 10 minutes and then she falls asleep.  I guess I will work on pacifier dependence once we master the whole sleep thing!!  One thing at a time.

Sleep

For some crazy reason my daughter has decided that she does not want to sleep through the night.  She will go right back to sleep if I pick her up and hold her.  But, the very minute I lay her down, her eyes pop open, she sits up in bed and starts screaming.  I have tried the "no-cry" method in the past and that has gotten me to where I am at today.  I have basically jumped up to get her when she cries to keep her from waking my husband.  A couple of people have suggested trying to let her cry it out.  I tried this last night and it was painful.  She woke up at 11:30pm.  I rubbed her head, laid her down and told her to go night-night.  Then I walked out the door.  She sat right up and started crying.  I repeated this after 5 minutes.  Again after 10 minutes, then 15, then 20.  She would get tired, lay down, get quiet and then suddenly start crying.  It was as if she realized she was about to fall asleep and hurried up and woke herself up.  One hour and 10 minutes later she gave in and fell asleep.  Why does trying to get your baby to sleep at night using the "cry" method make you feel like such a bad parent???  Let's see what tonight brings.  I hope that she has a peaceful night of sleep.

More information:
http://www.parents.com/kids/sleep/tips/how-do-i-teach-my-child-to-sleep-alone/

Swimming

Yesterday I took my 11-month old daughter to her swimming lessons. Thankfully, I asked my sister-in-law to come with me. I asked her because I wasn't quite sure what to expect and also I wanted her to video the moment. My daughter took the water like and old pro. She kicked and splashed like a champ. She did not want anything to do with the mini kick board and did pretty good with the water noodle. Her favorite part of the lesson was picking from a toy to play with. I was glad to see that this tiny tot class had mostly younger children instead of being closer to the 4 year old age limit. At the end of the lesson we went in to shower and change. It was at that point that I realized if I did not have an extra set of hands, I would not have been able to get my suit off and change my clothes. Hopefully, things will become a little easier when my little one can stand on her own. I guess a little planning goes a long way.

Rewards

Either I wasn’t listening or I wasn’t paying attention when my friends and relatives had their children. I have thought that motherhood was part of some secret society (the kind that kept everything quiet). I don’t remember ever hearing any of them complain about the many sleepless nights, breastfeeding, teething or fevers. Now that I am a new mom, I often find myself wondering how did they do it? More importantly, how did they do it with more than one? I find myself tired and challenged every day. And still I wonder why I wasn’t forewarned how difficult motherhood would be. Part of me thinks that it is revenge. Each mother before me that went through it keeps quiet and silently watches someone new struggle through it. I love being a mother and I absolutely love watching each and every new development happen. There is nothing else on this earth more gratifying than watching your child learn something new. Nothing more precious than the day they recognize you and know who you are. And there is nothing more rewarding to a parent than the hugs and kisses that you get each day. All of these endeavors make each daily struggle worthwhile.

Strollercize

I just watched a clip on Regis and Kelly about Strollercize http://www.strollercize.com/. I am all about trying to get this body of mine back into shape after baby. But, I am not sure about strollercizing. It looks like it could be a great work out but, here in Michigan (at least where I live) there are not a lot of parks to walk in. There are neighborhoods to walk in. I am not sure what kind of reaction I would get from my neighbors or the passerby's as I lunged myself throughout the neighborhood. I am wondering if anyone in a city outside of New York has tried this out. It looks like Central Park is the ideal place for this exercise.

The beginning

I know that there are a million people that write about motherhood, but I don't seem to find many that write about experiencing it for the first time in their forties. I have found this experience to be one of the most challenging as well as rewarding experiences in my life. There are pros and cons to waiting later in life to have a baby. The pros are that you have gotten a chance to live your life and enjoy many things. I feel that I am much more patient as well as relaxed as a parent. When I was younger, I was a little more high strung with very little patience. The biggest con about being an older parent is, well, that you are older. I realize that I will be close to 60 when my child graduates! That is a frightening concept! Overall, for me, waiting was the best choice and I have no regrets!