Before I forget these details, I wanted to write a short post updating about the baby's sleeping progress.
He's been a great sleeper, actually, since he was born. I mean, in terms of being able to fall asleep without help all the time, he's always been able to do that. Not every time but he could and we knew enough this time around to encourage it. BUT! He's been comfortable in his bassinet that keeps up upright a little not his crib.
So, this time it's more sleep adjustment to the new place rather than sleep training to teach him to self sooth. So far, much easier (thank you sleep gods).
He's just getting over another congestion cold so it was really an accident that I started him in the crib all the time this week. As his congestion was clearing up, I was putting him in there for at least one nap a day.
Two nights ago, I put him down in the crib after I fed him and put Carolina to sleep. He often falls asleep in my arms as I'm reading Carolina her bedtime stories and then I carry him into our room and he's out for 4 hours or so. Well, I decided to put him in the crib. I figured it's the easiest one of the night sleep cycles to try since he's the most willing to put himself back to sleep.
I didn't hear any complaining from either of them for about 10 minutes so I took my chance and ran down the hall to put the clothes in the laundry, as Ismael wasn't coming home for another hour and if I didn't get started then, I'd not get the clothes done before the laundry room was closed for the night... and I HAD to wash some of Carolina and the baby's things for the next day.
I thought I was being really fast. Not so much. I walked back into the apartment, 10 minutes after I had left, to the baby crying. Hysterically. I have no idea if it was the full 10 minutes or just 2 minutes but it was clearly going on for a while as he was REALLY worked up.
I ran into the room and picked him up. I figured as this was as close to the start of sleep training as any day, I might as well start. So I planned to stay for 5 minutes and then walk out. But he was so terribly upset that I waited until he at least had calmed down, which took 7 minutes. He wasn't completely asleep again but he was calm again.
He woke up again a few minutes later. I held him for 2 minutes, and then that was that. Then up every 2 hours for the rest of the night per usual recently.
Last night he cried for 5 minutes, pretty strongly, and then I held him for 5 minutes. He cried for 2 minutes and then fell asleep.
Tonight, he cried for 2 minutes, mostly just like telling me, "I do not like this. This is not what I like. Oh, forget it." and then gave up and fell asleep.
I'm sure this is not the end of it forever, but this is a fine start and I'll take it.
We'll be introducing a bottle during the night with formula in a few weeks. I'm not only exhausted, really, but I don't make enough for extra to pump for a full bottle. He eats every 1-2 hours, and I make enough milk with enough left over but not enough for another bottle.
I think it's part of the teething to want to nurse to feel better and I had already gotten him used to eating less quantity and more often like his ENT specialist recommended for his reflux. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I have really no idea how many ounces he would drink at a time. I would need to pump a good many times just to get 4 ounces, which I think should be enough?
Anyway, we're just going to power through the "What IS this terribly tasting crap?" phase and put as much of my milk in as I can to help get his taste buds accustomed to it.
Here's to a future with more sleep. At some point. Soon-ish. Please. :)
He's been a great sleeper, actually, since he was born. I mean, in terms of being able to fall asleep without help all the time, he's always been able to do that. Not every time but he could and we knew enough this time around to encourage it. BUT! He's been comfortable in his bassinet that keeps up upright a little not his crib.
So, this time it's more sleep adjustment to the new place rather than sleep training to teach him to self sooth. So far, much easier (thank you sleep gods).
He's just getting over another congestion cold so it was really an accident that I started him in the crib all the time this week. As his congestion was clearing up, I was putting him in there for at least one nap a day.
Two nights ago, I put him down in the crib after I fed him and put Carolina to sleep. He often falls asleep in my arms as I'm reading Carolina her bedtime stories and then I carry him into our room and he's out for 4 hours or so. Well, I decided to put him in the crib. I figured it's the easiest one of the night sleep cycles to try since he's the most willing to put himself back to sleep.
I didn't hear any complaining from either of them for about 10 minutes so I took my chance and ran down the hall to put the clothes in the laundry, as Ismael wasn't coming home for another hour and if I didn't get started then, I'd not get the clothes done before the laundry room was closed for the night... and I HAD to wash some of Carolina and the baby's things for the next day.
I thought I was being really fast. Not so much. I walked back into the apartment, 10 minutes after I had left, to the baby crying. Hysterically. I have no idea if it was the full 10 minutes or just 2 minutes but it was clearly going on for a while as he was REALLY worked up.
I ran into the room and picked him up. I figured as this was as close to the start of sleep training as any day, I might as well start. So I planned to stay for 5 minutes and then walk out. But he was so terribly upset that I waited until he at least had calmed down, which took 7 minutes. He wasn't completely asleep again but he was calm again.
He woke up again a few minutes later. I held him for 2 minutes, and then that was that. Then up every 2 hours for the rest of the night per usual recently.
Last night he cried for 5 minutes, pretty strongly, and then I held him for 5 minutes. He cried for 2 minutes and then fell asleep.
Tonight, he cried for 2 minutes, mostly just like telling me, "I do not like this. This is not what I like. Oh, forget it." and then gave up and fell asleep.
I'm sure this is not the end of it forever, but this is a fine start and I'll take it.
We'll be introducing a bottle during the night with formula in a few weeks. I'm not only exhausted, really, but I don't make enough for extra to pump for a full bottle. He eats every 1-2 hours, and I make enough milk with enough left over but not enough for another bottle.
I think it's part of the teething to want to nurse to feel better and I had already gotten him used to eating less quantity and more often like his ENT specialist recommended for his reflux. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I have really no idea how many ounces he would drink at a time. I would need to pump a good many times just to get 4 ounces, which I think should be enough?
Anyway, we're just going to power through the "What IS this terribly tasting crap?" phase and put as much of my milk in as I can to help get his taste buds accustomed to it.
Here's to a future with more sleep. At some point. Soon-ish. Please. :)
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