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| Ignore the large spit up spot...changing her again would be futile! Ha ha! |
Last week Lena Joyce turned two months already. She is continuing to plump up and now weighs in at 8.5 pounds and is really filling out her newborn clothing now! She also grew three inches since she was born. She went to get her two month shots and did so well. She was exhausted and fussy the first day but after that she was back to normal. Lena is getting close to being able to turn over but not just yet. She is also smiling a TON and I love it!
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| I love her smiles and she has been "talking" lots too! |
Her on demand sleeping and eating schedule has also been changing and I am beginning to put her on a more regular eating and sleeping schedule this week. I can tell that she isn't sleeping enough on her own (over stimulation?) and she has been getting more fussy and cranky because she is overtired. Last night I tore through the Babywise book and today I want to get my hands on a copy of The Happiest Baby on the Block. Babywise was okay but I want to see another perspective and I would like to research some more practical advice on sleep schedules as well.
Dare I say this...any and all advice on eating/sleeping schedules is welcome! I have my gut instincts about what to do but I wouldn't mind hearing what has worked for you. The on demand style of "she will know when she is tired and hungry" thing isn't really working anymore for us.
I still LOVE being a stay at home mom and I am so thankful that I get to do this. It is such a privilege to spend my day with Lena and after two months it feels so natural to be her mom!
8 comments:
She is so adorable!!! As for the sleeping advice, I got nothin'! Maddie is 17 months and just now starting to get on a schedule. Sort of.
cutie patootie!
She is so cute. She looks like a pretty happy baby, too.
Okay, my recommendations:
1. Anything goes for the first three months. Seriously, whatever gets you both some rest!
2. EASY routine: Eat, Activity, Sleep, You (time for you). That is from Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Of course, my house is usually more like EAESY. ;)
3. Read Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. It is kind of hard to get through all the research, but I think it is a nice middle ground between Dr. Sears and Mr. Ezzo!
4. The older she gets, the more predictable things will get. :)
Have fun!
Love these new pictures and love this little girl. We are so blessed to have her in our family. I'm glad you are having so much fun with her. Love her smile.
I had to laugh about the spit up on the shirt - Genevieve wore a bib FOREVER, at first because of spit up and then because of teething drool. Changing a bib is so much easier and less traumatic than changing clothes several times per day!
As for the sleep recommendations, I would have to agree with Tina (above). I read the Healthy Sleep Habit, Healthy Child by Marc Weissbluth (known as the cry-it-out method) and the No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but we were able to sift through them and find the common basic principles and we found a middle ground that worked for us. Finding a good sleep routine was the best thing we ever did. I guess that's my best advice - there isn't necessarily a right or a wrong method - just educate yourself of what a baby needs and find what works for your family. Good luck!
I am a big supporter of Babywise...but tend to be a bit layed back about it. At this age I would make sure my baby's days were anchored with a regular wake up time and a regular bed time. In between I would practice the EASY plan (eat, activity, sleep, you time)....this was almost always on about a 90-120 minute schedule at this age.(but I never let feedings go more than 3 hours apart during the day...otherwise they make up for the calories at night) so expect lots of naps every day until around 4-6 months (maybe later for Lena since she was a bit early) when the 2 nap a day cycle sets in. I also always did bathtime at night as part of our "routine"..this helps calm a baby from the day and prepare for sleep. As for nighttime...that is always on demand in my world....what I don't do though is get up at the first peep...sometimes they suprise you by fussing a bit and then just going back to sleep...babies have regular sleep cycles just like adults do where they go through phases of deep and lighter sleep all through the nigh..in the lighter sleep times they can wake a bit and fuss...but it may not be hunger...so give it some time before you jump out of bed. BUT...it really sounds like you know your baby and will most likely find a method that works for you. Like the other moms have said...they tended to use a combination of things as I did. You just need to tailor it to you and your family.
Oh...and she is rediculously cute!!! Love her!
kd
I am a big supporter of Babywise...but tend to be a bit layed back about it. At this age I would make sure my baby's days were anchored with a regular wake up time and a regular bed time. In between I would practice the EASY plan (eat, activity, sleep, you time)....this was almost always on about a 90-120 minute schedule at this age.(but I never let feedings go more than 3 hours apart during the day...otherwise they make up for the calories at night) so expect lots of naps every day until around 4-6 months (maybe later for Lena since she was a bit early) when the 2 nap a day cycle sets in. I also always did bathtime at night as part of our "routine"..this helps calm a baby from the day and prepare for sleep. As for nighttime...that is always on demand in my world....what I don't do though is get up at the first peep...sometimes they suprise you by fussing a bit and then just going back to sleep...babies have regular sleep cycles just like adults do where they go through phases of deep and lighter sleep all through the nigh..in the lighter sleep times they can wake a bit and fuss...but it may not be hunger...so give it some time before you jump out of bed. BUT...it really sounds like you know your baby and will most likely find a method that works for you. Like the other moms have said...they tended to use a combination of things as I did. You just need to tailor it to you and your family.
Oh...and she is rediculously cute!!! Love her!
kd
She is such a cutie. I have loved Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It has been a huge help. Leland became a "fussy baby" about 6-8 weeks. After reading in my copy of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child I realized he was actually a "tired baby". I made a few small changes and he was back to his laid-back happy self.
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