Happy Friday!!!
I hope you are all staying warm with this crazy cold front that swept the east coast.
G definitely is 😉
So today’s post is going to be for all of you Moms out there- new Moms, Moms to be, and those thinking about having children soon.
I have an AWESOME book to recommend.
I know a LOT of the ‘baby books’ out there are very controversial. Everyone has their own opinion, as to what works & what doesn’t. I totally understand that. EVERY baby is different! I can’t emphasize that enough. They all have their own little personalities, right from the get go.
It’s actually pretty funny HOW different they can be. Like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Gabriella does NOT like to be put down. She isn’t entertained for very long in the little bouncers, pack n plays, etc. I definitely do NOT mind holding her…just gives me more snuggle time. 🙂 BUT, I do need a few minutes here & there to be able to work, get house stuff done, and you know…take a shower. 😀
One thing I have learned that ALL babies have in common is that THEY NEED SLEEP.
Honestly, this may sound dumb, but I had no idea HOW.MUCH.SLEEP they need. Of course I knew that babies slept a lot, but it’s even more than I thought. And it’s NOT just newborns.
I am always looking for new books to read, even though I don’t have a lot of free time to read anymore. But I do love reading books about babies. I have read Babywise, which I do know is very controversial. I read it before we had Gabriella, just to see what the whole ‘Babywise controversy’ is all about.
I liked the whole idea of it, but once I had Gabriella it was totally different. Babywise just didn’t work for our family, and that’s ok! It works for other people, but it just didn’t work for us. It was a bit too strict for me.
Now I have to admit, I’m not ok with her crying. I’m a sucker….and I’m TOTALLY fine with that! 😀 G cries when she doesn’t want to sleep, and it’s Mommy to the rescue. Yes, I do realize this can’t ALWAYS be the case, but for now I don’t mind.
I mean, look at that face, could you resist?! 😉
Babywise somewhat advocates the idea of letting them cry. And yes, I do believe that there is a time & place for them to cry. I now KNOW her cries- the ‘I’m hungry,’ ‘I’m tired,’ ‘I just want to be held,’ and the ‘I’m going to fuss to fuss cry.’ It’s funny HOW QUICK you learn their cries. 😀
So when she does the ‘I’m going to fuss to fuss’ cry…I’m ok with letting her cry for a bit. I mean there is nothing I can do. She usually has this time every afternoon, right before bedtime. And I know it’s coming, so I just deal.
But one of the things I learned is that babies should go to bed early. After reading the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, it opened my eyes to a whole new light.
The author recommends an early bedtime for your baby- like around 6pm or 6:30pm. Now, you would think that keeping them up would mean that you would get more sleep…NOPE! It’s actually the opposite. Babies NEED SLEEP. The longer you keep them up, the more overtired they become. And putting an overtired baby to bed is NO FUN! Trust me. Been there, done that. Yuck.
But the reason that I loved this book, and why I recommend it, is because it’s full of tips & suggestions. It’s not as strict as Babywise. It gives you advice on looking for baby’s ‘tired signals’- when they are sleepy & may need a nap. Another thing they suggest is that you do NOT keep a baby awake for more than 2 hours at a time. And it’s funny, because if you watch for the ‘sleepy signals,’ you will see them before two hours.
I’ve been using the early bedtime with G for about two weeks now- she usually goes to bed around 6pm or 6:30pm- and I notice SUCH a difference. She only gets up usually twice a night- around 1 or 2am & then again around 4 or 5am- to eat, and then she goes back to bed & is up for the day around 7am.
She just seems to like her new schedule SO MUCH BETTER! She usually takes a long morning nap (after our run, typically)- for about two hours- and then an afternoon nap for about an hour & a half. She gets a few ‘cat naps’ here & there, especially when we are out for our morning run & then for our afternoon walk.
I just wanted to share this book with you, since it has really been helpful for me, thought it may be helpful for someone else too!
If you have any other parenting books you would like to recommend, please feel free to let me know!! 🙂 I love reading ALL types!
Sleeping baby= happy baby!
I hope you enjoy your weekend! & as ALWAYS, go RAVENS 😀
Everyday's a 'Hollyday' 