Time

I hope that I am not speaking too soon, but I have become obsessed with the sleep program that we started with Grace on Tuesday. Thursday was our best day yet. Yesterday she took 2 1.5 hour naps, a 30 minute nap and a 3 hour nap (she has not really slept like that since she was in her first 2 weeks of life)! Grace was happy and easier to get down for her naps and did not have an evening cry like she usually does. She also continued to sleep well at night (which I always feared that if she slept a lot in the day she would not sleep at night). I feel excited that I am beginning to understand my child's sleep signals, and that I can make her a happier baby. I love rocking her to sleep. It is amazing because she now knows that when I hold her in the cradle position, it is time for sleep. I have had more quality time with her, and time to do other things like cook, clean, check emails, read, etc. Our nursing and changing schedule is more predictable as well. Todd and I hope that this routine continues.

Mommy and Me

Grace and I have been having a ball together this week. Here are some of the things that she has discovered this week:

She has found her fingers and thumb and has been sucking on them on her own.

She continues to coo and make very cute sounds when she is well fed and happy.

She can track an object with her eyes and she turns her head as with the direction of the object.

P.S. I try to update the Shutterfly Albums often, so be sure to check the site for new pictures of Grace.

Sleep

If you have been reading our blog, many of you know that we have had some difficulty getting our alert Gracie to sleep enough during the day. Likewise, she seems to have a "witching period" (the term our nursery nurse used to describe a baby's difficult period of the day which is typically 6-9pm) that usually between 6-10 pm where she cries and is fussy and is difficult to soothe for long periods of time. I would not say that she has colic because it does not happen every night and she can be soothed for stretches of time, but I would say that she is definitely unhappy. She cries loudly and seems to be in pain when she cries (from fatigue and gas, we presume).

After much research, we ordered a book called The 90 Minute Baby Sleep Program by Polly Moore. I read it on Monday and decided to give it a try on Tuesday. Essentially, it states that babies have a 90 minute alert period and then must begin their sleep cycle (this period extends as the baby gets older). Babies need to be taught how to go to sleep and when to go to sleep. This program uses the acronym NAPS-
Note the time of your baby's last waking
Add 90 minutes
Play and pursue other activities with your baby (feeding, playing, bathing, errands, etc.)
Soothe your baby to sleep.

I do have some complaints about the rigidity of the program. Dr. Moore is an advocate of staying home when your child naps, and thus taking your baby out during her alert period. She feels that overall you will have more time in the day because there will be less time that your baby spends crying/fussing and less time spent trying to get your child to sleep. I do not find this to be very realistic to follow so exclusively and I do not want to be so set in a schedule that it prevents the family from making plans in advance. Todd and I decided to give it a try, but decided to be flexible with it (right now as she is young and I am home, it is fine). If we can learn to read our daughter's sleep signals and teach her how to fall asleep on her own, then we have succeeded.

So here is how it went yesterday and I can say I am pretty amazed! I started it first thing when she got up at 6:50 am in the morning. Typically, she would stay awake until 10 or 11 in the morning, getting pretty cranky by the end. I soothed her to sleep at about 8 am (mind you she seemed alert and ready to play so I was skeptical) and the second that I put her in my arms and rocked her, she yawned and did little tired cries... It took her about 15 minutes to go to sleep.

She took 5 naps yesterday- and went down every time at exactly 90 minutes!!! The only exception was the time at 6:50 pm (her difficult period). She resisted and cried and slept on and off for about 40 minutes, and did not sleep soundly until we put her the the sling-- it was about 40 minutes passed the 90 minute time. When she awoke at 8:22pm, she was happy and alert! Todd got to have quality bonding time with her and she went down like clockwork at 9:52. We only hope that this continues as we continue the program.

Grace had another great night's sleep, waking up twice to be fed. She was also easier to put her to sleep after each feeding in the night (little resistance and was down in 5 minutes!).

So far, I am pretty pleased with this method, and how quickly she has responded to it. She is already down for her second nap this morning. Her alert time is so wonderful.. she is awake and happy and there is no fussing! The book says that eventually the naps become predictable and longer, and that the baby will eventually sleep longer periods during the night. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Our Favorite Things

It is strange to spend 10 months preparing for a baby, but not really knowing what to expect or what you actually need. Todd and I have figured out the things that we cannot live without...

1. A Sling- We tote Grace around in the sling when we go on a quick errand or to the grocery store. We also found a hidden use- it puts a crying baby to sleep. When all else fails, we put Grace in there and walk around and she'll fall asleep shortly after. Sometimes, however, you have to stay moving and standing for her to stay down and quiet.

2. A Swing- The swing is great for getting baby to stay sleeping, and to put her to sleep in the daytime. It also keeps her occupied for some time when you have to do things like shower or eat.

3. Lots of Puddle Pads-- Thank goodness we have lots of these- in her crib, and on her changing pad... They save you from having to wash lots of things.. We also go through a ton of burp cloths and bibs...and love our "sheet saver" (we have not had to wash a crib sheet yet).

4. A Portable Radio- We use this to play the white noise at night, and to play music for her in the day... She probably would not stay sleeping without the static noise we play at night.

5. DVD "The Happiest Baby on the Block" - Amazing Video with techniques to soothe a crying baby. They work like a charm.

Three Weeks Old

Grace continues to do a lot of growing and changing. She is beginning to sleep less (much to our dismay) and is active more during the day, sometimes to the point of too much (we always ask her, "aren't you tired yet?")! Grace is an observer and she does not want to miss anything that goes on around her. It has been fun putting her in her play gym and watching her move. She has strong legs and likes to swat and grab things that hang above her. Most recently, she has begun to make cute cooing sounds, that are most present when she is looking at her mobile or when she is in her gym.

Todd goes back to work on Tuesday. I can't believe how fast three weeks went by. We have really been enjoying ourselves as a family and have worked so well together. I know that I will manage fine without him, but it has been so wonderful to have him here. Todd has a lot of emotions about it. It will be hard for him to be away from Grace for so long each day, and I am sure it will be an adjustment for him as he has to manage with less sleep. I will miss having so much help during the night- Todd usually takes on the role of changing her which has been so helpful during the late night/early morning feedings.




I loved this picture of Grace because it shows how alert she is. She can stay propped up in her Boppy for a long time!

Todd and I think she looks like a drunken sailor here.


I took this on Saturday morning. Grace was stirring at 6:30, so Todd took her into bed with us. I woke up before them to snap this shot.


We tried to put Grace in this outfit yesterday. As you can see, it was way too big for her!

Waking Grace!

Grace is a hard girl to wake up. Watch the whole video- there is a surprise at the end.

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My Daily Call

Grandy Betsie calls Grace every night to sing to her. She really enjoys it... Watch the video and see!

Sorry Mom- I know I said I would not post your singing.. I lied :)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com