I've been trying to get more pictures to meet the demand of everyone who reads this blog and checks my status on Facebook, but Eliana moves so much, I can never get a good one--unless she is asleep, of course. So, here is something better for your enjoyment:
Eliana loves getting her diaper changed because it is also play time. Merrill discovered that she loves you to blow air on her face, and this is what we see each time.
This is for kicks and giggles--the poop-ing face.
So, Merrill and I have decided that we would like to get at least a little more sleep at night. How have you moms managed that? How can we get Eliana to sleep without her having to cry it out? We want to avoid that completely. I don't want Eliana to fear sleep. She's already starting to fight sleep, especially in the evenings. How do you help an infant that fights against your coaxing them to sleep? And when do you start setting up a sleep schedule for naps during the day? What's worked for you guys?
The Tews
- keritew
- I'm currently living in San Antonio working on a degree in Computer Graphic Arts at University of the Incarnate Word. Mother of 2 and married to the most awesome guy I know.
Eliana Jean Tew
Eliana is so cute! Do you swaddle her? Swaddling has helped all my kids to sleep better. That way they don't wake themselves up with their arms. Try to put her down while she is drowsy and still awake. That way you teach her to fall asleep on her own. If you bounce and rock her you will teach her that that's what she always needs to go to sleep. We always rocked our first baby Nicci to sleep and we had the hardest time getting her to stay asleep. Every time we put her down she would wake up. So with the other kids I have started to put them down when I can tell they are tired but still awake. They might fuss for a few minutes but all my kids took pacifiers so that kind of helped them to fall asleep too. Good luck!! The first 3 months are always the hardest! Soon she will sleep much better!
ReplyDeleteWith James we tried the Ferber method of teaching him to soothe himself to sleep but that doesn't work until the baby is around 6 months old and no longer needs to wake up at night to eat. So the first 6 months were miserable :( Beatrice is exactly right though about not rocking them to sleep and all that.
ReplyDeleteWith Andrew, we were blessed! He woke up every three hours to eat and then put himself back to sleep pretty much.
Both mine took pacifiers, also. Michael was pretty good about falling asleep on his own, but when they got a little older, they definately cried themselves to sleep. Emma was the worst! She would cry FOREVER before she would fall asleep! Before you think I'm mean, I did try to go in there and soothe her, but when I would go in there, she would start ALL OVER AGAIN, so it didn't help. I was told by the kids pediatrician that as long as there was nothing in there that could harm them, or if they weren't hurt, then it was okay to let them cry. Plus, it makes my kids more tired! You just have to learn your baby and do what's best for her. It may take a couple more months before she really gets on a schedule, though. Good luck, mama!
ReplyDeleteI put Lynne on her tummy. It was the only way she would sleep. I know most people would be shocked that I would endanger my baby like that (with SIDS and all) but she needed sleep and I needed sleep.
ReplyDeleteI think she had a paci, too. But I honestly can't remember. Those drove me crazy, though, cuz I'd have to wake up and put it back in for her. At least for the first few months she was right next to my bed.
Start working towards a schedule now, but don't plan on having a set schedule for awhile. With Lynne it was more of an "2 hours awake, 2 hour nap, 3 hours awake, etc" depending on when she woke up. And even once you figure out her schedule (with the first, she gets to dictate it), it will change with growth spurts and new skills and things happening in life. Make sure you learn her cues, especially the tired ones.