Schedule update

A mom asked me today how my sleep schedule was going and I realize I haven't posted an update. While every day is a new day, for the most part the babe is on schedule and happier for it. We try to work on a 3 hour rotation - wake up, eat, play for an hour to an hour and a half and then nap. She tends to go down for a nap quite well, as long as I'm paying attention to her cues (ear pulling, eye rubbing, long blinks or an overall fussiness). She has a pacifier, which I also use to put her down. We know this means we'll have to wean her off of it, but she needs it so we're fine with it.

I started this post at 5:30pm this evening, and at that point the babe was staying true to my word. Fast forward two hours and she was in the middle of a major breakdown. Screaming to the point of losing her voice, gassy, angry and so upset that we forgo the bath because we thought it would upset her too much. After an hour of pacing and patting, followed by rocking and an attempt at co-sleeping, she finally petered out next to me in our bed and I eventually transferred her to her bassinet when she was good and asleep.

Today is an off day. I knew that by noon based on her demeanor, so I was prepared to throw the bedtime routine out the window if necessary. The biggest part of this scheduling, for us, is knowing how to be flexible for her. I am constantly reminded that my A-type personality and desire for conformity has no place in her life. I have to roll with it, whatever it is, and just know that one bad day doesn't mean we've failed; it's just one bad day.

Oh, and she's also just discovered her thumb. Awesome.

~ H