8 Months!

Ok, I say this every month - but seriously, how is Benjamin 8 months old?!  8 MONTHS!  I can't believe it.  He gets more and more fun every month. :) 

This month we had lots of exciting things going on!  We started swim lessons at the YMCA which Benjamin is loving.  Daddy takes him in the pool while Mommy watches and takes pictures. ;)  

 

We also took a trip to Florida with Grandma!  It was so much fun to get away from the "polar vortex" and enjoy some time in the sunshine.  We went to the park almost everyday to swing on the swings and play in the splash pad, went to the beach, swam in the pool, and met up with Aunt Sandy and Grandma Judie for a visit!  It was a great get away.  I can't wait to get back down there again soon!

Such a good little boy on the plane!

Age : 8 months

Weight : Around 21 or 22 pounds I'd guess? He definitely looks a lot bigger to me in the past week - especially length wise!

Clothing and Diaper Size : He is still in 12 month clothes (or 12-18 month if its a range of sizes), and size 4 diaper.

Milestones :  Benjamin got his first teeth this month!! He got his little bottom left tooth at about 7 months 3 weeks, and then the other bottom tooth popped in just a few days after that.  He looks so cute with his little teeth!  He is also getting SO close to crawling.  If you put something he really loves in front of him a few feet on the carpet, he will kind of "army crawl" to it.  He uses his arms to pull himself, and then sticks his little feet into the ground to push himself further.  It's so cute and funny to watch!  He's definitely on the move more so now than ever.  He hates being confined to one area!  He also just started playing peek-a-boo with us.  He will pull his bib up over his face, and then pull it down with this big smile!!  He looks so proud of himself!  It's the cutest thing!  I love how much he is interacting with us now.

Look at those toofers!

Sleep :  Benjamin is still doing a great job sleeping at night!  He lays down around 8:00 and wakes up around 7:00.  He gets up once around 3 or 4 for a feeding most nights.  Every once in a while he will sleep all the way through the night which is an awesome surprise. :)  We are having a hard time with the naps again.  Benjamin just loves to be awake so he can play with Mommy and Daddy!  He will fall asleep while nursing, but we are trying to get him to learn to fall asleep on his own.  Ugh. :(  He still rarely sleeps in the car (no one believes me - apparently he is the only baby in the world who doesn't like to sleep in the car!).  We are thinking about installing his convertible car seat in the next few weeks when it starts to warm up a little to see if that might help him get more comfortable on longer car rides.  

Eating : He loves finger foods!! He is getting a little bored with the pouches, and much prefers something he can pick up and eat on his own.  Some of his favorites are bananas, blueberries, chunks of baked or steamed sweet potatoes, egg yolks, cheese, bread, Puffs, and Yogurt Melts!  He will have about half a pouch at each meal, but it's a little more work to get him to eat it!  I just want to make sure he is getting a good variety of nutrients. He is still breastfeeding every 3-4 hours though, so I feel good that he is getting most everything he needs from that anyways. 

Favorites : His new bath tub that he gets to sit up in, Fisher Price apps on the iPad, Cheerios, Puffs, playing peek-a-boo, Mommy sticking out her tongue at him, his blankie, the aquarium in his crib, grabbing Daddy's face :), playing with his cousins Tia and Stella, and his puppy Maggie!

Doesn't like : Diaper changes (or anything that involves having to sit still), long car rides, getting out of the bath tub, and getting a toy taken away from him (usually something that he isn't supposed to have, like the remote or the phone!).

7 Months

Just a few nights ago, I went into Benjamin's room to check on him before I went to bed.  I quietly opened the door, snuck in, and peeked into his crib...and started crying!!  Where did my little newborn go?!  He looked so LONG in his crib.  I can't believe how much he's grown.  I am not necessarily sad that he is 7 months old, because I love each stage so much!  He is able to interact with us more and more each month.  I say it every month, but I think 7 months might be my favorite age!  And I know watching him start to crawl, or learning to walk, or hearing him say "Mama" or "Dada" will just melt our hearts!!  So it's not that I don't want him to grow; I just wish it could slow down a little! :)

Benjamin was baptized this month, and it was such a special day!  All our closest friends and family were there (except my dad, brother, and Luke who were out of the country on a fishing trip they'd had planned for 2 years!).  Benjamin was SUCH a good boy.  Didn't make a peep during the mass or the baptism service - even with the priest poured the water on him!  We had a luncheon afterwards at River Crab that was lots of fun.  Benjamin received some very special and thoughtful gifts.  All in all, it was a wonderful day!!!

Onto the stats! 

Age : 7 months

Weight : He is definitely over 20 pounds at this point...he's a big boy all around!  He is starting to get a lot more rolls on his arms and legs now, too.   I love chubby babies! <3

Clothing and Diaper Size : He is in 12 month clothes for the most part (some 6-12 or 9-12 month sizes fit).  He is wearing a size 4 diaper.

Milestones :  Benjamin is sitting up all on his own now!!!  He will occasionally roll over onto his side or back from the sitting position, but he isn't nearly as wobbly as he once was.  He also will pull his little body up onto his arms when he's on his tummy - they call it the "mini push up", and it's a sign that he is getting ready to crawl (yikes!).  Mommy isn't sure she is ready for that milestone quite yet.  We have some baby proofing to do! :)  He also is learning to feed himself.  He can hold a pouch, put it into his mouth, and suck out the yummy food all on his own!  He is also able to grab small snacks, like his puffs, between his fingers.  It took some practice, but he is able to pop the little treats into his mouth about 50% of the time! 

Sleep : Benjamin is sleeping great at night.  He sleeps 10-11 hours straight most nights.  He'll go down around 8ish and get up about 7ish.  A few nights a week he will wake up for a feeding around 4, which is no big deal. :)  We did some nap training and it was bruuuuutal. :(  Mommy and Daddy both had a really hard time with it.  As he gets older, he understands more and more - and isn't happy about us leaving him alone in his crib (awake) during the day!  We followed the plan from the Baby Sleep Site, though, and we got through it!  Most days he will go down for a nap with NO CRYING (Hallelujah!!!).  He still has days where he needs a little more shhh-ing or patting when we lay him down, but overall it is going so much better!

Eating : Benjamin is still loving trying new solid foods!  Some of his favorite pouches are Banana Blueberry, Ella's Sweet Potatoes/Pumpkin/Apples&Blueberry, and Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal!  He was having a little bit of trouble going to the bathroom after all the changes in his diet, so we even introduced some prunes.  Believe it or not, he loves them!  He is breastfeeding about every 3 hours now.  It is nice to have a longer span of time between feedings to run errands, nap, or play!

Favorites : Still loves bath time, Puffs, Baby Music Class at the YMCA on Monday nights with Mommy (he loooves his teacher and flashes her big smiles during the whole class!), singing Itsy Bitsy Spider, peek-a-boo, ice cubes in his teething feeder, and pulling Mommy's hair!

Doesn't like : He's getting better with car rides, but still doesn't love them! He also doesn't like teething :(, putting his bib on, and being left alone in a room - he just loves being around people!

5 and 6 Months

2 months have flown by and I have been MIA from blogging! Between the holiday fun, traveling to Florida, and just general busy-ness, time got away from me.  I'll combine both Benjamin's 5th month and 6th month in this post. :)

Before I get started on the stats, I have some exciting news to share.  We are building a house!!!  I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to design a house with all the things our family finds most important to us.  For example, a super awesome PLAYROOM for Benjamin!  I can't wait to have a space where we can organize all his toys.  I also can't wait for my kitchen with a big island in the middle, and a HUGE pantry.  Chris will be so happy having his own office in the new house.  The open floor plan will be so nice, too; I can just envision Chris and Benjamin in the living room hanging out, while I am in the kitchen making dinner - but we will be so close to each other.  No walls separating the rooms!  The builder expects the house to be done early this summer.  I am hopeful we will get moved in by Benjamin's birthday on June 27th so we can have a party! :)

Here is a pic of us in front of our new house on Thanksgiving! So much to be thankful for this year. :)

We had such a great Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families.  We traveled to Florida after Christmas for Benjamin's first vacation.  He had a ball!  His favorite things about Florida were the swing at the park and the swimming pool.  It was so rejuvenating to be able to take him outside for walks again.  It took me back to the first few months after he was born when we went for walks everyday.  It was so great to get out of the house and get some fresh air!  It was also great that Benjamin got to spend some time with his cousins.  He ADORES Trent and Owen.  It was adorable to see the big smiles he gave them!  He really enjoyed trying to play with Tia and Stella, too!  We were happy we got to go visit Grandma Judie for a day at her Florida house, too.  We had a blast on our first trip, and we couldn't have asked for Benjamin to be any better than he was.  He was truly an angel on the plane - Chris and I were both so impressed!!  He only slept about 20 minutes on the way down, but he just played and hung out during the rest of the flight.  And on the way home he slept the entire way!  Such a good boy. :)

Here are some pictures of Christmas and our trip to Florida!

Age : 5 & 6 months

Weight : Benjamin was 27 inches long and 18 lbs 6 oz at his 6 month doctors appointment. He was in the 80th percentile range for both stats! He's a big boy!!

Clothing and Diaper Size : He is in size 9 month clothes, but is quickly approaching 12 month sizes! He is wearing size 3 diapers now.

Milestones :  I think 6 months is one of the most magical months yet!  Benjamin has changed so much in the last 2 months.  Even the way he looks at me seems different - you can just see his little brain working.  And talk about Mr. Personality! :) He is more and more social everyday.  I'm glad that he doesn't get nervous around new people yet; he loves anyone and everyone who will give him a friendly smile!  He is rolling all over the place now.  I will leave him on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor, and come back to find him across the room!  He is lifting himself up with his arms on his tummy, but I don't see too many signs of crawling just yet.  He is getting pretty close to sitting up, but is still a little wobbly!  He loves to feel everything right now.  He will open and close his fingers (almost like the sign language sign for milk) to touch everything he can.  And everything is still going into his mouth, but we have yet to see any teeth emerging!  Finally, he is a crazy bouncing machine in his jumper!  It is so fun to watch him having such a great time in that thing. :)

Sleep : Benjamin went through a pretty rough 4 month sleep regression.  He was rolling over and couldn't get back to sleep (as I described in my last post).  This caused him to wake up multiple times a night (sometimes 4 or 5 times!).  I was desperate, and decided to get a personalized sleep plan from www.babysleepsite.com.  Oh my word - it is wonderful!  It is a 36 page personalized plan JUST for Benjamin with step-by-step instructions on how to help him get to sleep on his own...and STAY asleep all night.  The best part is - IT WORKED!  He started sleeping through the night again at 5 months.  When we went to Florida, we got a little off track, so we are working on getting back on schedule now that we are home.  But he is still sleeping great through the night!  The next thing I need to tackle is nap training.  I have to nurse him to sleep for naps, and sometimes that doesn't even work.  It makes for a very tired boy and some long days!  But not to worry friends - the personalized sleep plan has a section just for naps. ;)

Eating : We started giving Benjamin solid foods at about 5 1/2 months.  He was giving us all the signals that he was ready a bit early!  He was reaching for our food, opening his mouth when he saw us eating, was able to sit up on his own, and no longer had the newborn reflex to push things out of his mouth, so we decided to go ahead with the solids!  We started with rice cereal, which he liked! But then we moved on to sweet potatoes which he REALLY liked!!! And we've been experimenting ever since.  Some days he seems more interested in eating than others (there have been a few days where he didn't want any solids at all!), but most days we are really having fun with them. :)

In addition to the solid foods, Benjamin is still nursing every 2-3 hours.  He only takes about 4 minutes on each side to finish eating now! Such a change from those early days when he was nursing for 45-50 minutes every 2 hours (if he could wait that long!).  I could probably write an entire post on it, but as I look back on our journey of breastfeeding, the main thing I think about is how glad I am that I stuck it out.  It was (and still is) a huge commitment!  There were days when it was really painful, really difficult, really time consuming, and really tiring. There were days when I worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat.  There were days when I was totally ready to throw in the towel.  I knew it was the best thing for Benjamin, so I stuck it out.  And now I can honestly say that it is SO easy...and really enjoyable, too!  I truly love those feedings in his nursery, where it's quiet and we can just snuggle in.  I totally respect every mom with whatever decision they make about breastfeeding.  It doesn't work for everyone!  But I am pretty darn proud of myself for sticking it out for the past 6 months.  And I plan to do my best to make it another 6 months!  We are half way to our goal. :)

Favorites : Bath time, his Fisher Price jumper, the musical mirror in the car, Mommy or Daddy blowing raspberries on his tummy or cheeks, Maggie (he loves watching her and gives her big smiles!), playing with his cousins, swinging in the baby swing at the park in Florida, grabbing Daddy's nose and face, and pulling Mommy's hair!!!

Doesn't like : Still doesn't like long car rides, being tired or hungry (but who does like that?!), green beans, and I don't know if I would say he "doesn't like" it, but he definitely isn't as into the TV these days!

4 Months

Another month has flown by!  Benjamin continues to amaze us with the many changes we see in him everyday.  I spent some time looking through his old pictures today, and it makes me very emotional!  Time is going so quickly.  I do have to admit that he becomes more fun every day, though.  He is really interacting with us now!  Benjamin smiles, coos, babbles, and LAUGHS! :)  He has long "conversations" with me, with a very serious look on his face, almost as if he's saying, "Mom, listen up - this is important!"  It is truly the best!  I can only imagine all the things we have to look forward to...

Benjamin's first Halloween is coming up tomorrow!  We had some trouble deciding what he should be this year.  Chris was sure that he would be the best Chewbacca ever, and I thought a little white lamb would suit him perfectly.  Well, neither of those worked out!  So we have a few options, and we are still deciding which one to go with...my personal favorite is one that involves the whole family. ;)  It'll be a surprise tomorrow!

Benjamin went to his first football game this month.  He watched his cousin Luke beat an undefeated team!  It was a beautiful fall day.  Benjamin and Tia laid on a blanket and played, enjoying the nice weather and their toys.  However, as the game went on, the score was tied and things got pretty intense.  The crowd was into it!  And every time they cheered, Benjamin's lip would slowly push it's way out into a pout position, and he would make a little noise...then a bigger cry...finally working it's way up to a pretty loud scream!  Poor little guy!  All the noise was pretty scary to him.  I guess we need to get out of the quiet house more. :)

We also took a trip to the apple orchard with our great friends Lynsey and Mike this month.  It was great to see them and catch up!  We didn't actually do any apple picking, but the donuts were totally worth the trip.

All tired out from a day of fun at the apple orchard.

This past weekend we went to Royal Oak to celebrate Mike's 30th birthday!  It was great to see everyone at the party, and nice to have a night out.  I always miss Benjamin whenever I am away from him, though!  We are so lucky to have family here in town that will babysit whenever we need them.  Chris and I joke that we have to come up with places to go because we have so many people offering to babysit! Definitely a good problem to have. :)

Finally, I have been playing around with my new camera that Chris got me.  It is so much fun!  I am definitely just a beginner with lots to learn, but I think some of the pictures have turned out really cute!  It doesn't hurt that I have a pretty great model to work with. :)  Here are some of my favorites...

Now for the stats!!

Age : 4 months

Weight : I will fill this in after our doctor appointment next week!

Clothing and Diaper Size : Still in size 6-9 month clothes, and size 2 diapers.

Milestones :  Benjamin started to laugh this month!  It was the BEST sound ever.  I was lucky enough to catch one of the first times on video.  Since then we have literally tried everything we can think of to get him to laugh again.  Sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't.  He will usually just give us a huge grin, almost like he's thinking, "You guys look really dumb and silly doing all that stuff to try to get me to laugh, Mom and Dad!"  

He also has started rolling over more consistently.  He did it a few times here or there prior to now, but just in the last few days he is rolling over all the time.  It's not my favorite milestone when he rolls over in the middle of the night and then can't get back to sleep!!!  That may have happened 3 times last night...

Sleep : Benjamin was an AWESOME sleeper...up until a few days ago!  He was sleeping 11 or 12 straight hours a night for a few weeks.  The first time he did it, I jumped out of bed at 7am on that Saturday morning feeling totally awake and refreshed.  I nudged Chris like, aren't you ready to get up yet?!  He must have thought I was crazy!  Benjamin was also taking two or three good naps each day.  However, ever since he started rolling over (like I explained above), he has been waking up 2 or 3 times each night.  Hopefully it is a phase that will pass quickly! 

I do have to thank my mom for her help in getting Benjamin to sleep so much better!  All the books I read say that you shouldn't sleep train until a baby is 4 or 5 months old. To me, this meant that I shouldn't let him cry at all when going to sleep.  The poor thing was barely taking any naps because he just didn't want to lay down during the day.  He must have been so tired!  One day my mom came over and noticed how fussy he was.  She said, "Amanda, he needs to take a nap.  He is so tired!  Just take a walk for a few minutes.  Let me try to get him to sleep."  She laid him down in his crib and I listened nervously from the kitchen.  He fussed for about 5 minutes, then cried hard for about 2 minutes.  And that was it!  Then he fell asleep.  Ever since then he has been going to sleep on his own so much easier thanks to my mom, the baby whisperer! ;)  

Eating : Benjamin is still a great eater!  He is thriving on breast milk, which we find incredible.  Such an amazing thing that our bodies can do.  He still eats about every 2 or 2 1/2 hours, but he is eating much more quickly now.  He will finish eating after about 10-12 minutes on each side.  Definitely an improvement from before!

Although we are excited to start giving Benjamin solid foods, we plan to wait until around 6 months (or maybe even a bit longer).  That is the recommended time frame so that baby's digestive system is developed enough to handle the solid food, and so their newborn reflex to push things out of their mouth is gone.  I have been researching baby food makers in the mean time!  I think I am going to try to make *some* of his food.  I just think it would be fun to try to whip up new concoctions and see what he likes!  That being said, I am totally all for buying baby food, too.  They have some great organic choices on the market these days!  I love watching what my sister-in-law feeds her 6 month old, Tia!

Favorites : Eating is still his favorite pastime :), watching TV (still only when he can get away with it!), going for walks in his stroller, taking baths, "talking" to Mom after he eats, napping and sleeping in his crib on his soft Pottery Barn chamois sheet, kicking his legs, practicing standing up, Sophie the Giraffe, and his Rhino ball toy

Doesn't like : Long car rides, sleeping in his car seat, being burped in between sides when he is eating (he just wants to keep eating! :)), getting dressed, pacifiers

3 Months

Benjamin is 3 months old!  I truly can’t believe it!  He looks and acts so much older.  I love to watch him grow and change everyday.   I am so blessed to be able to be at home with him to soak up every precious moment.

Daddy was away in China this past week for a business trip.  It was his first time away from Benjamin, and I could tell he really missed him!  We missed Dad a lot, too.  Benjamin and I stayed over at my parents house for a few days, though, and that was lots of fun!  We took him for walks by the lake, baked some cookies with grandma, and took baths in their awesome bathroom!  His baby tub was in their steam shower, and we wrapped him up in a heated towel from the towel warmer when he was done.  Benjamin was living the life!

He just came down with his first cold this week, too. :( That is why his 3 month picture is a little late; this is technically 3 months and 3 days old!  His first virus was probably harder on me than him.  It was really sad to watch him struggling to breathe, coughing up a storm, and sneezing nonstop.  He was kind of lethargic and just not himself overall.  I am really anxious for him to feel better!  He already seems to be doing much better than he was a few days ago.  Saline spray, the Nosefrida, Baby Vicks, and warm baths really helped!!

One of my best friends, Sara, had a baby this past week!  She is the first of my friends to have a baby since I’ve had Benjamin.  From the moment she told me she was going into the hospital I couldn’t stop thinking about her!  Having just gone through it myself, I was so excited for her to experience the birth of her first child. I teared up when I got her text that their baby girl, Finley Sophia, had finally arrived.  Those first moments are like no other.  It was the most emotional and wonderful day of my entire life.  One that I will never forget, that’s for sure!!

Ok, on to the 3 month stats...

Age : 3 months

Weight : 15 pounds

Clothing and Diaper Size : Size 6-9 month clothes, and size 2 diapers.

Milestones :  Benjamin has started to recognize his mommy and daddy, which is so much fun.  He will still flash his big adorable smile at strangers, but Mom and Dad get the biggest smiles now!  And he will search for me in a room when I am not holding him.  I love it!  I can tell his vision is getting much better because he will stare at me from across the room.  He has started to follow objects more and more.  He grabs at things, too!  When he plays under his activity mat he loves to try to grab the plastic animals that dangle above him.  Benjamin is talking SO much these days, too!  He is making all kinds of new noises.  Sometimes I will talk back to him, and we can go back and forth in our little baby conversation for 10 minutes. So fun!  He avoids tummy time at all costs, but when he does lie on his tummy you can tell he is trying to roll over.  Hasn’t happened again since the one day he did it in his crib, though!  His neck muscles are getting stronger by the day, too.  Such a big boy!

Sleep : Around 10 weeks Benjamin started going to sleep at 10:30pm and only waking up once (around 3 or 4) for a feeding.  Then something magical happened. :) At 12 weeks he slept through the night!  The first time it happened, I opened my eyes to find that it was light in our bedroom and PANICKED!  Why hasn’t he gotten up to eat?!  I was so worried in that initial moment.  Then I looked down at my sweet boy sleeping peacefully in his bassinet, and I was thrilled!  He had slept through the night.  He typically sleeps through the night about 3 or 4 times a week.  There’s still a handful nights each week when he wakes up to eat around 3 or 4am.  I honestly don’t mind, though.  I love those late night feedings now.  It’s so quiet in the house, and he is so snuggly after he finishes eating. :)  Pretty special moments.

Eating : Benjamin was in the 80^th percentile for weight at his last doctors appointment (10 weeks old), and I can see why – this boy loves to eat!  He eats about every 2 ½ hours during the day.  He was eating for a full 20 minutes on BOTH sides (sometimes even 25 minutes!), and I was beginning to wonder if 90% of my life would be spent sitting on the couch breastfeeding!!  Just in the last few days I have noticed him becoming a bit faster, though.  He is satisfied after about 15-18 minutes (still on both sides).  Slowly but surely, we are making progress! 

While we were over at my parents’ house for dinner the other night, Andrea and I went into the foyer (which we have lovingly renamed the lactation room) to feed Tia and Ben.  Andrea fed Tia, burped her, changed her diaper, and did some tummy time with her....and Benjamin was still eating on the first side!  Haha, maybe he’ll get there someday.  Or maybe he’ll just be my slow, dainty little eater – which is just fine. :)

Favorites : Eating, watching the TV (when he can get away with it!), sucking his thumb (aw!), watching his mobile in his crib, mirrors, toys that light up, napping on his tummy in his crib, bath time, heated towels from the towel warmer at Grandma’s, massages after his bath, Daddy making silly noises and faces with him, and his activity mat with the piano that he kicks and “plays” with his feet.

Doesn't like : Being in his Ergo Baby carrier (he used to love it so this makes me sad!), being hungry, tummy time, napping in his car seat, and pacifiers.

We are moms - and that should be enough.

The Unnatural Mom

This blog post struck a cord with me. I really struggled with the fact that I failed to bring Benjamin into the world naturally. In the weeks after he arrived I blamed myself for the need for a c-section. Maybe if I had just pushed harder...or longer... Should I have said no to the epidural? Maybe I didn't handle the contractions properly. Did I do too much to try to induce labor earlier that day? Maybe he wasn't really ready to come yet. 

I also really beat myself up over his blood sugar struggles. The poor thing was stuck in a NICU bed with IVs and cords all over him for 5 days, and I felt like it was all my fault. My diabetes put him there. What if my blood sugar had been in better control during labor? Did I do enough to control my sugars during my pregnancy? Should I have allowed the nurses to regulate my insulin during delivery rather than doing it myself? 

I talked with my OB about the delivery at my 2 week appointment. She helped me understand that the c-section was totally necessary because of Benjamin's size and posterior position. There was absolutely nothing I could've done to help him come naturally. He was in fetal distress, and might not have survived if we hadn't intervened with a c-section. 

Then I talked with my endocrinologist about Benjamin's blood sugar problems. The doctor said in his 20 years of practicing medicine, he had never worked with an expectant mom who had been in better control during her pregnancy. He said he wanted to "frame my lab work papers"! He insisted that I couldn't have done anything more. 

Thankfully I came to terms with everything that happened with the help of my doctors and Chris's support. But it definitely took some time. To all the other moms out there reading - you are doing a great job!! "We are moms - and that should be enough." <3

Schedules and Routines

Being a new parent is one of the hardest things I've ever experienced!  I am constantly second guessing myself and worrying about every. little. thing.  Am I feeding him enough?  Too much?  Should he be sleeping more?  Less?  Am I holding him too much?  Should I let him sleep in my arms or in the carseat?  Only in his crib?  Is his diaper too tight?  What time should he go to bed?  Should I let him nurse to sleep?  Should he be on a schedule?  Why is he spitting up so much?  I heard a toot but he JUST fell asleep - do I wake him to change the diaper, or let him (and me!) sleep peacefully?  :)

THE LIST GOES ON!!!  Seriously, I bet I spend 95% of my day worrying and wondering if I'm doing this parenting thing right!  This article is spot on.  There are so many theories about how to parent, and it seems like they all contradict themselves, as this lady hilariously states!

Lately a lot of my questions have been in regard to sleeping and whether or not Benjamin should be on a schedule.  I have read lots of books and websites, and think I might have finally figured him out - for now. :)

Before I talk about our 2 month routine (which I say very loosely), here are some of the places I got information on babies and sleep!

The Baby Sleep Site 

Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child Book

The Baby Whisperer Book

Lucie's List 

The last one, Lucie's list, is a great site for all kinds of baby info.  She sends weekly emails based on the week of pregnancy you are in, or the age of your baby once he/she is born.  Her last email was all about schedules and sleep.  It was so nice to have her confirm that what I was doing was right!

Now onto Benjamin's current routine.  Since he was born, I have abided by the 2 hours of wakefulness rule.  This simply means that after your newborn has been awake 2 hours (or sometimes much less!), they are usually in need of a nap.  This was totally true for our little guy.  He is starting to be able to stay awake a little bit longer now that he is 9 weeks (around 3 hours tops).  For example, let's say in the morning he wakes up around 7:00am.  He has a diaper change, eats for about 40 minutes, and then we play for a bit.  By the time 9:30am rolls around, he is yawning and staring off into space - his signs that he is getting very sleepy!  

Speaking of signs that he is sleepy, it is really important to try to pay attention to those.  I've learned the hard way that if he is yawning and looking tired, you need to start soothing him to sleep STAT.  It doesn't matter if you have guests over, or if you need to run another errand.  It is really important to respect their sleepy cues because otherwise you will have an overtired, cranky little one.  And that is no fun!

Another thing I have learned is how to better soothe him to sleep.  It took quite a while for me to figure this out!  The books I listed above actually contradict themselves on one important thing: whether or not it is ok to nurse your baby to sleep.  The Baby Whisperer says you are creating bad habits, while Healthy Sleep Habits says it is a totally natural thing.  I have decided that for Benjamin and I, it is ok.  I don't nurse him to sleep every time by any means.  But if it is around the time he should be going to sleep, and he happens to fall asleep while eating, I don't wake him up!  I have learned other ways to help him drift off to dreamland, too.  Some include: car rides, rocking him with a paci, laying him down on his tummy in the crib while patting his back with a paci, and white noise.

So now a days, Benjamin's daily routine looks something like this:

7am - wake up

9 or 10am - morning nap

1 or 2pm - afternoon nap

5 or 6pm - nighttime nap

10pm - bedtime

His naps usually last anywhere from 1/2 hour to 2 hours.  I said routine loosely because this is by no means a set schedule!  This is what I have noticed him doing on his own.  He basically set his own "schedule".  Now with that being said, there are many days where he will skip one of these naps.  Or he will want to stay up until 11pm!  Or he will sleep a bit later in the morning.  This is just a rough idea of what we have going on on a day to day basis.

I have to admit something.  I used to think it was silly when parents said they couldn't eat dinner at a certain time or go someplace during the day because their baby had to eat or take a nap.  But let me tell you, I totally understand now!  Benjamin sleeps SO much better at home in his crib.  And that makes for a happy, smiley, fun baby (and a happy, smiley, fun Mommy!).  Sometimes I feel rude that I have to leave places or I can't make it to certain events because of this, but hopefully people understand.  If they don't, I truly think someday they will - after they have kids, like I did! :)

Well, those are my words of wisdom for now...until Benjamin switches it up on me again. :)