Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Awhile back, I did a post on napping.  My little guy is still taking a good long afternoon nap, knock on wood, I hope it continues.  Being a working stay-at-home mom, this is really the only time I have to get any sort of focused work completed.  Sure, I can do little things here and there when he is awake, and believe me, he does love to help.  But generally, I try to be attentive and available for him during the non-sleep times.  After he goes down for the night, it's pretty hard to get motivated to sit at my computer to work on a spreadsheet or reconcile an account in Quickbooks, so that leaves me with about 2 1/2 hours each afternoon (if I'm lucky) that is dedicated to work, whatever that might consist of on a given day.

As my little guy grows, his sleep needs change as well.  This chart I found on BabyCenter.com has come in very helpful when making sure he is getting the shut-eye he needs.

Age	Nighttime Sleep	Daytime Sleep *	Total Sleep
1 month	8	8 (inconsistent)	16
3 months	10	5 (3)	15
6 months	11	3 1/4 (2)	14 1/4
9 months	11	3 (2)	14
12 months	11 1/4	2 1/2 (2)	13 3/4
18 months	11 1/4	2 1/4 (1)	13 1/2
2 years	11	2 (1)	13
3 years	10 1/2	1 1/2 (1)	12
*Note: number of naps in parentheses

According to Parents.com, studies show that many kids stop napping around age 4; however, little ones are encouraged to continue daytime sleep (or at least quiet time) throughout their preschool and kindergarten years.

"Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year olds."

~Author, JoJo Jensen

Rookie of the Year 1st Birthday Party!

Hello!  I've missed you!

This month has been a crazy one around here.  My husband and I went on our first vacation sans baby since the little guy was born.  More on our Napa adventures in a later post.  We celebrated my husband's birthday.  My parents came down for a visit.  And our little guy turned ONE...

Here are some snip-its from his Rookie of the Year 1st Birthday Party!

the invitations
Source:  Le Partie Sugar

#1 pinata, fringe banner, and highchair decoration

Source: Katie K. Franklin

balloons and autographs for the birthday boy

snack food for all those little fingers

a hot dog food truck and a gigantic waterslide for the big kids

football smash cake and sprinkle-filled cupcakes for dessert

Source:  Sprinkles (cake), Katie K. Franklin (pompom toppers), Le Partie Sugar (printed toppers)

goodie bags for the kiddos and chocolate-covered Oreos for the adults

Source:  Kilwins Winter Park

the guest of honor's attire

Source:  Priceless Kids & Birthday Couture

12 Reasons Babies Cry

Before I had a baby of my own, I guess I thought babies just cried when they were hungry, tired, or had a dirty diaper.  However, I had also heard of babies who cry a lot for no apparent reason.  Somewhere along the line in my preparing for baby research, I stumbled across this very helpful article from the popular Baby Center website.  Luckily my little guy has been a pretty good baby so far, but remembering this list has come in handy when I can't seem to figure out why he is crying or fussy.  And to think...after I fed him some more, changed his diaper again, tried to put him to sleep, and cuddled him, all along he just needed to burp!  I hope this list helps you as much as it has me.

The 12 Reasons Babies Cry Checklist:

1. Hungry
2. Dirty Diaper
3. Need Sleep
4. Want to be Held
5. Upset Tummy
6. Need to Burp
7. Too Cold or Too Hot
8. Something Small
9. Teething
10. Over-Stimulated
11. Under-Stimulated
12. Not Feeling Well

For more details on these reasons and what to do if your baby is still crying, check out the full article from BabyCenter.com here.

The Five S's

Have you heard of the 5 S's?

If you are pregnant or already have a newborn, you need to know about the 5 S's!  In his "Happiest Baby on the Block" book and video, Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician from UCLA, explains how to calm a fussy baby!  He says that babies need noise and like to feel as if they're back in the womb.  He also states that "new parents are often under the mistaken impression newborns need stillness and quiet to fall asleep, when they're actually missing the movement and noise of the womb."  So, he came up with the 5 S's to calm a fussy baby.  Here they are...

The 5 S's

(in order)

Swaddle

Although not all babies like to be swaddled, many will calm down when correctly wrapped tightly.

Side-lying

Positioning your baby on his side or stomach in your arms can be very calming for a little one in a big world.  However, remember to always place your baby on his back to sleep.

Swinging

Supporting your baby's head and neck, gently swing your baby back and forth.  The movement is meant to be slow and consistent, not fast and jarring.

Karp is quick to caution parents not to try these techniques when they are angry.  Parents should never violently shake a baby, in order to prevent severe brain injury.

Shushing

Quietly make a shush sound in your baby's ear to mimic the sounds of the womb.

Sucking

Offer your baby a clean finger or pacifier to ease his natural need to suck by making him feel secure.

Hopefully, trying these techniques will work as well for you as it did for me and my little guy.

Best wishes for sweet dreams!

Source

Pregnancy Journal

I am hearing more and more good news these days!  Congrats to all the new mommies-to-be!  Praying for healthy pregnancies and speedy deliveries when the time comes.  :)

I shared my favorite Baby Diary and now I'm sharing with you my favorite Pregnancy Journal.  When I was pregnant, I wanted one that had enough questions to guide me but not so rigid that I couldn't add in my own experiences.  After a long search, I found this one to be the perfect combination.  I hope you like it as much as I do.  I can't wait to look back at it in a couple years to remember the wonderful experience I had being pregnant with my sweet little guy.  It will also be cool to compare if I ever have a second.  I'm sure it will be a whole different story the second time around.  Can a girl really be that lucky blessed twice?  Only God knows but I hope so!

Here it is:
the Nine, a pregnancy countdown journal

From the Barnes & Noble website, here is the description:

Featuring nine colorful tabbed sections to correspond to each month, this journal offers smart prompts to help a busy mom-to-be capture all those important milestones and funny moments before pregnancy amnesia sets in. You’ll find pages for writing about the first time the baby flutter, space to vent about the crazy and unsolicited advice you’ve been getting, and monthly “check-in” pages for belly photos and quick notes about whatever particular thoughts and feelings this special time brings to mind.

You can find the Pregnancy Journal here at BarnesandNoble.com.

Linking up at Semi Homemade Mom!

Our Schedule

Like I said in my post Nap Baby Nap, I have followed a flexible parent-directed feeding (PDF) schedule from the moment my little guy was born.  This idea comes from one of the many books I read while pregnant called On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the GIFT of Nighttime Sleep.  According to authors Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D., "a baby cannot maximize learning without experiencing optimal sleep.  Optimal sleep is tied to good naps and established nighttime sleep.  These advanced levels of sleep are the end result of consistent feedings.  Consistent feedings come from establishing a healthy routine.  PDF is the pebble that creates the ripple effect leading to all these outcomes."

With lots to juggle on most days around here and wanting to give my baby a great foundation for healthy growth and optimal development, I knew this type of routine would work best for me and was hopeful that my baby would catch on quickly, which he did!  Like clock work, I could anticipate his needs before they arose.

If you have read Baby Wise but are having trouble remembering the details, this post is for you.  Or possibly you have the book but don't have time to read it and before you know it, your bundle of joy will be making his/her debut!  While I highly recommend that you read or at least skim through the book (It has TONS of great advice and way more details that I can post here.), I've made it easy for you by sharing our schedule!  Just click here to download...and print, if you choose.  PS - There is a boy version and a girl version, same schedule just different colors. :)

It may seem overwhelming at first, but stay calm.  Take it one day and one week at a time.  Give yourself time to get to know your baby and your baby to get to know you.  Do what seems right for you, your baby, and your family.

Some notes:

Yes, following this schedule, you will have to wake your baby in the beginning during the day if it's time to feed him but he is sleeping.  This helps to stabilize the baby's digestive metabolism and helps him organize his sleep patterns into a predictable routine...naps during the day, sleep at night.  Let baby wake naturally at night, but don't let baby sleep more than 4 hours without feeding during the first 4 weeks.  Following this schedule, your baby should be ready to sleep 5 hours at night at 5 weeks old, 7 hours at night at 7 weeks old, and so on until he is sleeping 11 hours at night.

The goal is to transition through Merge 4 after solids are introduced.  Before then breast milk or formula is all your baby needs for his daily nutrition.  Check out the book Baby Wise II for more information on starting solids.  We were on the 6 liquid feedings a day for a long time until my little guy started solids (beginning with baby rice cereal/baby oatmeal) around 22 weeks, but even then he wasn't quite ready to drop a liquid feeding.  For a few weeks, we worked on dropping a liquid feeding once he got used to the solids.  Breastfeeding moms should maintain at least 4-5 nursing sessions in a 24 hour period to keep their supply up.

Please note that your baby has to be ready and capable for the merge/transition.  Some babies are ready sooner or later than others.  Don't force them to drop a feeding if they aren't ready.  Obviously, if your baby is showing hunger signs, you should feed him.  He may be going through a growth spurt or extra thirsty at that time.

I say flexible schedule because as much as I tried to stay on track with the set times, the feedings would give or take 30 minutes on most days.  Following PDF is a combination of watching for hunger cues and the progression of time, so if your baby is showing hunger cues a little early than scheduled, feed him.  Or if you just got home from an errand, need to put the groceries away and he isn't showing hunger cues, he can wait a little bit.

Remember, not every day will be perfect and it doesn't have to be.  Just enjoy your time with your baby.  It may not seem like it at first, but it will go by fast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to having our schedule print-out handy all the time, I used this adorable Baby Diary for the first month or so.  Then after the first month, I switched to a Note I created on my iPhone.  I know there are some different smartphone apps out there for keeping track of feedings, diaper changes, etc. but I liked my simple Note better.  Here is a sample from the schedule we were on from around 11 weeks and continued until about 25 weeks when he got used to some solids (baby rice cereal and oatmeal) and transitioned through Merge 4 and 5.

The template stayed the same, but here is what I would change on the Note throughout each day:

1. Since I'm nursing and it's best to start on the side you ended on, I kept track at the top by changing the L or the R so I knew which side to start on for the next feeding.  You might think I'm crazy but with mommy brain in full swing, it helped me to keep track.
2. I would add the actual time I fed him and adjust the schedule accordingly if it happened to be earlier or later.
3. I would also keep track of his naps trying to make sure he got between 3-4 hours of good sleep during the day.
4. Try not to have your baby nap between the last two feedings.  This could cause him to not sleep well at night.
5. 11 hours sleep at night!  Woohoo!  Now, if I would just get to bed before 11:00pm, we'd all be well-rested!

I hope this is all helpful to you.  You don't have to follow a schedule to be a great mom.  These are just some of the tools I used to make life easier for us.

{I am by no means an expert and don't claim to be such.  As a new mom, I'm going through this right now, learning and loving my little guy the best way I know how.  You may not agree with my strategies, but please be kind and open to others' opinions and ideas.  What works for one mom and baby may not work for another.  These are just some of the techniques I've come up with through my research and experience.  I'd love to hear about your experiences.  We can all learn from each other!}

Nap Baby Nap

Did you know that for a 4 to 7 month old baby the average number of hours slept in a 24 hour period is 14?!  The average amount of daytime sleep (naps) is 3-4 hours leaving about 11 hours for nighttime rest.

From the moment my little guy was born, I followed a flexible parent-directed feeding (PDF) schedule from the popular book On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the GIFT of Nighttime Sleep.  It has worked very well for us, and I would highly recommend it to any new mom.  My little guy began sleeping 8 hours at night at just 8 weeks old and 11 hours at night when he was 11 weeks old.  I attribute his good sleep habits mostly to the schedule we followed and the techniques below.  More on our schedule in a later post.

The 3-4 hours of napping is what I'm going to touch on here.  Most babies with established sleep patterns like to nap in the morning for an hour and a half or two hours then again sometime after lunch for another hour and a half to two hours with maybe a 30 minute catnap in the late afternoon or early evening.  These 2-3 naps should make up the 3-4 hours he needs for good daytime rest.

However, getting a baby to nap can be one of the most mind boggling and frustrating things a mom will go through!  Who is with me here?

Some days your baby will fall asleep on his own for his nap yet other days, he will need to be swung, swaddled, or lulled to sleep.  Some days your baby will sleep for a solid 2 hours, yet other days he may wake after only 20-40 minutes!  This awakening early is also known as the "nap intruder".  If the intruder sneaks in, it'd be a good idea for you as the parent/caregiver to protect the nap time and try to help the baby get back to sleep.  If you get the baby up and he isn't actually ready, you will have one cranky baby in no time.  You will be totally confused because you thought the nap was over!

To help him get back to sleep, try reswaddling, a little cuddling, softly rubbing his head, or giving him a pacifier a few times (and making sure he has a fully belly and a dry diaper).  This little tidbit can make your afternoons much more enjoyable.  Your baby will be happier and well-rested.  In addition, if your baby is overly tired, he or she may not sleep well at night, and we all want our babies to sleep through the night, right?  If he does go back to sleep, he should sleep as long or longer than the first span.  Your baby should wake up happy and cooing in his crib not crying and fussy.  If he wakes up fussy, that means he probably needs to get back to sleep for a little longer.

Tips for helping your baby sleep and get back to sleep:

establish a bedtime routine

~ Put your baby down to sleep around the same time each day/night.
~ Start calming your baby a little bit before you are going to put him down.  Slowly swing him in your arms, rock him in a rocking chair, or go for a walk.  If he gets riled up before a nap or bedtime, he will have a harder time falling asleep.  Remember, he would much rather be playing with you than sleeping.

~ Incorporate soothing activities such as a warm bath, gentle massage with lotion, story time and/or a prayer.  This will help your baby recognize it's time for sleep.
~ Use a swaddle blanket, sleep sack, and/or pacifier to comfort your baby.

put baby to bed sleepy but awake

~ Put your baby in his crib while he is sleepy but still awake.  Although it's a sweet time for baby to fall asleep rocking in mom's arms and can be done on occasion, putting baby down sleepy but awake will encourage him to learn how to fall asleep on his own.
~ Always put your baby to sleep lying on his back.

white noise & dim light

~ Set up a small fan in the baby's room.
~ Turn on a sound machine or soft music.
(I use the sounds and music from my baby's swing that is already in his room.)
~ Keep the room dark or dim using a soft nightlight when attending to baby during naps or nighttime.


A well-rested baby = A happy baby!
(and a happy mommy)


...for he gives to his beloved sleep.  Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.
Psalm 127:2-3 (ESV)


{I am by no means an expert and don't claim to be such.  As a new mom, I'm going through this right now, learning and loving my little guy the best way I know how.  You may not agree with my strategies, but please be kind and open to others' opinions and ideas.  What works for one mom and baby may not work for another.  These are just some of the techniques I've come up with through my research and experience.  I'd love to hear about your experiences.  We can all learn from each other!}

Sources:

Kidshealth.org
BabyWise I
The Gentle Art of Mothering
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Baby Wise II

Vintage Chic Ivory & Pink Baby Shower!

A few weekends ago, I had the honor of throwing my little sister a Baby Shower!  We were born 18 months apart, got married 2 months apart, and are now having babies 7 months apart!  Yep, we are pretty close!...just wish we lived close.  :(  But that is one of reasons I was so excited about her shower!  It was in Indiana, so I got to go home!  I still say that after living in Florida for almost 7 years now.  Can anyone relate?

On with the shower...

I knew the theme had to be Vintage Chic to match my sister's favorite style, and some of her best-loved colors are "Light Rose" (Pink) & "Antique White" (Ivory) which fit well because she is having a girl!  So, where did I start?  A secret Pinterest board, of course!  But it's not a secret anymore, you can find it here!  I just love how it all came together.  Here are the details!

Decorations

~ "Cute as a Button" sign alongside baby pics of the mom & dad-to-be ~

~ vintage high chair with hydrangeas & baby's breath and an old handmade baby rocking chair with poem ~

~ OPI Bubble Bath nail polish favors and pink rose burlap runners for the tables ~

Food

For the Sunday afternoon shower, we served pecan chicken salad with croissants, caprese skewers, fruit with dip, cake, mini cupcakes, and pink lemonade!

~ a fun, frilly ruffle cake ~

~ mini pink champagne cupcakes ~

~ pink lemonade in glass mason jars with lace ~

Activities

1.  Each guest received a baby sock when they arrived.  The goal was to find its match by the end of the shower.  Then the mommy-to-be got to take the cute little socks home!

2.  A fun headband making station!

3.  Late Night Diapers for Mom Only ~ Idea from Driven by Decor

4.  Daddy-to-Be Quiz ~ He gets asked a few questions about parenting and mom's pregnancy.  Everyone predicts how he answered, even the mom-to-be.  The guest with the most answers right, wins!

Gifts

~ the beautiful mommy-to-be opening her gifts and a handwritten chalkboard sign ~

You may recognize a similar little soup can from my blueberry post!  I ordered the sweet "I'm IN love" onesie from this website.

Guests

About 30 girls were able to attend and even my little guy got to party some between his naps.

I am so grateful to have had the help of my sister's sister-in-law.  She hosted the party and did a TON of the prep work before I arrived the day before the party.  My mom was also instrumental in the planning process.  I had her running all over Indianapolis picking up things here and there.  So a big THANK YOU to both of you!

Cake ~ Roll With It Bakery

Mini Cupcakes ~ The Flying Cupcake Bakery

Flowers ~ Farmers' Daughters Market

Printables ~ Le Partie Sugar

So excited to be Linking Up over at Semi Homemade Mom this week!

Whew...lots going on today!  Happy Wednesday!

The Perfect Baby Diary

Hey y'all!  Today, I've got a great mommy-to-be gift idea for you!

When I was pregnant, I was browsing through this adorable little boutique in Winter Park, FL called Tugboat and the Bird.  I was checking out the adorable little boy clothes and the beautiful Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags when I came across this awesome Baby Diary!  If you know me at all, you know I'm a planner, a list-maker, a list-crosseroffer, a generally organized, timed-out and scheduled gal.  So, when I saw this, I knew I had to have it!

I used it from the very first day my little guy was born.  It was perfect.  The nurses at the hospital probably thought I was crazy when I handed them my little diary precisely filled out instead of using their generic computer printouts.  And when these perfect pages ran out,

 

I made my own not so pretty ones on my computer (not going to show you those! think bland excel spreadsheet...), just so I could keep on keeping track.  I was kind of obsessed but in a good way!  It made being a new mommy a little easier for me.  If you're a planner, you will love it.  If you're not a schedule-lover, it might just help you stress less.

Needless to say, when I found out my sister was pregnant and having a girl, I could not wait to pick up the girl version for her!

But much to my sadness, the little boutique didn't have them anymore.  :(  However, when I contacted them, they so nicely put me in touch with their vendor who pointed me to this AMAZING website!

May Books

If you go to Shop --> Books, then click on The Baby & Bump Diaries button, you will find them!  You can even make custom ones!  Browse the website for more pretty books and notes!

Happy Friday!  Woohoo!  It's the weekend!!!

Baby Eczema

What is it? 

Eczema is basically an atopic (strange) skin rash.  The cause is unknown.  In babies, it usually shows up on the cheeks and scalp but may spread other parts of the body.  It looks like dry, thickened, scaly skin.  It can be made up of tiny red bumps that ooze or become infected if scratched.  Eczema typically comes and goes but can be bothersome to the baby and unsightly when it flares.

 

 

Prevention

• Bath your baby every other day in lukewarm water and use a baby moisturizer afterwards.  (I love Johnson's Baby Bedtime Bath soap and Lotion in the purple bottles.)
 
• Allow your baby's skin to breathe and stay cool by dressing them in clothing that is not too tight or too warm.

• Keep your little one's skin protected from extreme weather conditions such as direct sunlight and cold winds.
 
• Use mild and/or fragrance-free soaps, moisturizers, and detergents avoiding fabric softeners.
 
• Keep the baby from scratching the rash.  You can use baby mittens to cover their hands and keep the nails trimmed.
 
• Soothe flare-ups promptly with the treatment below.

 

Treatment

It's not a cure for eczema because there isn't one but this combination will definitely clear it up.  One won't work without the other.  They must be used together.  Gently apply the 1% hydrocortisone cream over the rash then apply the Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy lotion over the cream to seal it.  Use twice a day until the rash disappears then once a day as needed to prevent flare-ups.

 

 

To read more about baby eczema on BabyCenter, click here.

Be sure to consult your doctor if you're ever concerned about your baby's skin.