I started this blog to make sure that I could capture the memories of Nico's first year and of our time in Spain. Life has taken over and being as diligent as I'd planned with daily posts has proved more difficult than I'd expected. Perhaps an iPhone will sort me out :-).
So, a quick list of moments and things I don't want to forget from the last couple of months:
- the ice-cream lunge - the day I found out Nico liked ice-cream as he sank his face into my cone
- the orxata afternoons - watching his little face light up and his legs kick like mad until Nico got his portion. Who knew cup training would be so easy with orxata in the equation?!
- his formula disgust - it doesn't matter how I hide it, he treats it like poison and spits it out
- the obsession with dogs, bicycles and balls
- his winning smile the first time he pulled himself up in his cot
- his shrieks of laughter as his Daddy blows raspberries on his neck
- the first time I found my shoes unbuckled
- having never taken a dummy he now picks one up and shoves it to the side of his mouth as if he's chewing a cigar. Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come!
- his pre-crawling press ups and his backwards shuffle that's been relegated to the memory archive as he's worked out how to go forwards in the last two weeks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPYoGGBC2fw
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Monday, 28 June 2010
Whose blog is it anyway?
So I've not written for a while. For fear of offending and using this as a venting area a self-imposed silence ensued. And then I remembered...this is my blog, written by me for anyone wanting to read, but most importantly, for Nico.
So where were we? Just starting solids as I recall. The Spanish way. It seems that every country has their way. I was instructed to start gluten-free cereals at 4 months, add fruit at 6 months followed by vegetables and then chicken and beef. I was chastised at check-ups if I'd not followed the advice. We were given evils by the local Mummy mafia if he was spotted munching a bread-stick in his pram. If I'd been in the UK it would have been fruit and veg anytime between 4-6 months (although the official advice is stuck at 6 months, but frankly if you have a hungry baby before he's 6 months old, you'll know...). If I'd been in Germany carrots would have been the first food and no doubt if I'd been in Lebanon I'd have been encouraged to try a little hummus.
Thank god for Annabel Karmel who's book is full of advice and recipes. She's a bit flavour-tastic, but at almost 8 months, Nico will eat just about anything. Cauliflower remains at the bottom of the table, but even to the objective observer it has to be one of the most offensive vegetables. It gives legendary wind to most and smells like wet dog. That said, I quite like it myself.
Nico will happily grab most of the food that's going into my mouth and also eat the sand from the beach when given the opportunity. Growing fast, and now into the clothes of a 1 year old (tall, not fat) it seems that food is doing the job. Nights have become easier with ten hours on the trot becoming the norm although he remains a very light sleeper and will wake up at the slightest noise. Perhaps the two boys sharing a bedroom wasn't our brightest moment.
So where were we? Just starting solids as I recall. The Spanish way. It seems that every country has their way. I was instructed to start gluten-free cereals at 4 months, add fruit at 6 months followed by vegetables and then chicken and beef. I was chastised at check-ups if I'd not followed the advice. We were given evils by the local Mummy mafia if he was spotted munching a bread-stick in his pram. If I'd been in the UK it would have been fruit and veg anytime between 4-6 months (although the official advice is stuck at 6 months, but frankly if you have a hungry baby before he's 6 months old, you'll know...). If I'd been in Germany carrots would have been the first food and no doubt if I'd been in Lebanon I'd have been encouraged to try a little hummus.
Thank god for Annabel Karmel who's book is full of advice and recipes. She's a bit flavour-tastic, but at almost 8 months, Nico will eat just about anything. Cauliflower remains at the bottom of the table, but even to the objective observer it has to be one of the most offensive vegetables. It gives legendary wind to most and smells like wet dog. That said, I quite like it myself.
Nico will happily grab most of the food that's going into my mouth and also eat the sand from the beach when given the opportunity. Growing fast, and now into the clothes of a 1 year old (tall, not fat) it seems that food is doing the job. Nights have become easier with ten hours on the trot becoming the norm although he remains a very light sleeper and will wake up at the slightest noise. Perhaps the two boys sharing a bedroom wasn't our brightest moment.
Friday, 19 March 2010
Solids, schmolids
At Nico's 4 month check up last week the doctor suggested that we start him on some simple solids to see if it can help to settle him at night time. Think about what you might like to have as your first taste of food to get you on the road to eating proper stuff and I don't think gluten free cereal would feature anywhere near the top of the list, but that's what's on the menu.
Below you can see the before and after pictures....
Before:
After:
If gluten free cereal were my first meal then I think I would spit it out too, but we will persevere.
Below you can see the before and after pictures....
Before:
After:
If gluten free cereal were my first meal then I think I would spit it out too, but we will persevere.
Lost socks
I lost my socks last week. "You lost your socks, you say?" Yes, I lost my socks. Or rather I thought they'd been nicked. I'm a bit partial to socks at the moment as the cold weather and our stone floor tiles can make for very cold feet. I've even been known to wear them to bed as I turn in at night with full certainty that I will be getting up shortly to attend to Nico who dazzled me with his ability to sleep eight full hours and then promptly went back to only managing three hours in a row. So when my best woollen socks went missing I was a little perplexed and somewhat miffed. Cotton socks just don't do the same job.
I'd been to the physio you see for a massage and when I'd come to get dressed my socks were gone. I thought perhaps I was going crazy and that I'd ventured out in the artic conditions of the Costa Brava without them (yes, it did snow in Barcelona last week and we were left for two days without electricity). And then I thought that perhaps the physio had some sort of bizarre sock fetish and took a pair from each client as some sort of trophy which left me feeling too embarrassed to ask if anyone had seen my socks.
So my husband visited the physio last week after running the Barcelona marathon and was promptly asked,
"Did your wife realise she'd left her socks last week?"
"Yes" he replied, "she thought you'd nicked them!"
It seems that the physio always places his client's socks on the radiator so that following treatment they can have lovely warm feet. So not only did I leave with chilly feet, but I'm too embarrassed to go back!
I'd been to the physio you see for a massage and when I'd come to get dressed my socks were gone. I thought perhaps I was going crazy and that I'd ventured out in the artic conditions of the Costa Brava without them (yes, it did snow in Barcelona last week and we were left for two days without electricity). And then I thought that perhaps the physio had some sort of bizarre sock fetish and took a pair from each client as some sort of trophy which left me feeling too embarrassed to ask if anyone had seen my socks.
So my husband visited the physio last week after running the Barcelona marathon and was promptly asked,
"Did your wife realise she'd left her socks last week?"
"Yes" he replied, "she thought you'd nicked them!"
It seems that the physio always places his client's socks on the radiator so that following treatment they can have lovely warm feet. So not only did I leave with chilly feet, but I'm too embarrassed to go back!
Sunday, 14 March 2010
The soundtrack of my life
It's be nearly a month and no posts. As much as crying has become the soundtrack of my life (I have been assured that it will pass, although no-one can say when), no regrets. The smiles are worth every howl.
Finally the sunshine arrived this weekend and my new sunglasses came into their own. Sunglasses, along with a coat with a hood and big pockets are my must-have for new mums. The coat to be thrown on at a moment's notice when there is no alternative but to escape out of the house, the hood to protect in all weather, and the big pockets to replace the handbag that I no longer have the hands to carry.
If we moved to Spain for the good weather then our plan backfired. As the snow arrived in Barcelona on Monday, so too did the power cuts in the region where we live. The lights flickered, the blow heater went silent and all was dark. What I thought would last for just a few minutes went on for a day and a half so we decamped to the snow covered city to seek light and heat with Ivan's brother. Costa Brava or Costa del Third World?
Finally the sunshine arrived this weekend and my new sunglasses came into their own. Sunglasses, along with a coat with a hood and big pockets are my must-have for new mums. The coat to be thrown on at a moment's notice when there is no alternative but to escape out of the house, the hood to protect in all weather, and the big pockets to replace the handbag that I no longer have the hands to carry.
If we moved to Spain for the good weather then our plan backfired. As the snow arrived in Barcelona on Monday, so too did the power cuts in the region where we live. The lights flickered, the blow heater went silent and all was dark. What I thought would last for just a few minutes went on for a day and a half so we decamped to the snow covered city to seek light and heat with Ivan's brother. Costa Brava or Costa del Third World?
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Baby and the dog
Night sleeper!
14 weeks in and we've just had 8 hours sleep in a row!
At 5am this morning I had to ask Ivan to check on the baby as he hadn't woken up since putting him to bed (for the second time) just after 9pm last night.
Hopefully Nico is realising how lovely it is to have a night of uninterrupted sleep and it will be the first of many.
We've been working up to it for a while and managed 6 hours in a row for almost a week about 3 weeks ago, but a holiday to my Mum's in France, a travel cot and the strange settings put paid to that and we regressed back to just 3 hours on the bounce at any one time. Back home in his own crib and the sleep fairy has been to visit :-).
What a shame that we have to give back his crib and move him to his big cot tonight! Fingers crossed Nico won't notice. Fat chance, but here's hoping.
Well done baby - we feel almost human.
At 5am this morning I had to ask Ivan to check on the baby as he hadn't woken up since putting him to bed (for the second time) just after 9pm last night.
Hopefully Nico is realising how lovely it is to have a night of uninterrupted sleep and it will be the first of many.
We've been working up to it for a while and managed 6 hours in a row for almost a week about 3 weeks ago, but a holiday to my Mum's in France, a travel cot and the strange settings put paid to that and we regressed back to just 3 hours on the bounce at any one time. Back home in his own crib and the sleep fairy has been to visit :-).
What a shame that we have to give back his crib and move him to his big cot tonight! Fingers crossed Nico won't notice. Fat chance, but here's hoping.
Well done baby - we feel almost human.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Crossing the border
Out goes colic....in comes teething.
Nico goes from strength to strength with his lungs demonstrating increasing capability on a daily basis. Didn't someone say that three months was about the time that babies stop crying quite so much? Here's hoping :-).
We're in France for the week. Our first holiday. It's at times like this I wish I'd married a man with a driving licence (husband, please don't be offended).
We loaded the car and hit the road at 4am and crossed our fingers in the hope the Nico would sleep as we made our way out of Spain and up into France. Thankfully he did for the first three and a half hours allowing us to break the back of the journey. The border was empty...clearly neither the French nor the Spanish authorities are worried about border crossers at that time in the morning.
Nico goes from strength to strength with his lungs demonstrating increasing capability on a daily basis. Didn't someone say that three months was about the time that babies stop crying quite so much? Here's hoping :-).
We're in France for the week. Our first holiday. It's at times like this I wish I'd married a man with a driving licence (husband, please don't be offended).
We loaded the car and hit the road at 4am and crossed our fingers in the hope the Nico would sleep as we made our way out of Spain and up into France. Thankfully he did for the first three and a half hours allowing us to break the back of the journey. The border was empty...clearly neither the French nor the Spanish authorities are worried about border crossers at that time in the morning.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Gina Ford - Angel or Demon?
And so the debate continues. Does this woman give new mothers all of the advice that they need when caring for their babies, or do her suggestions set them on the fast track route to post natal depression?
For those of you who don't know the name, Gina Ford is supposedly Britain's number one baby care guru. At this point I will add that she has no children of her own but rather used her extensive experience as a maternity nurse to come up with her infamous routines.
Since publishing her now notorious book in 1999 (now even more notorious following Nick Clegg's very public slating a couple of weeks back) desperate first time mothers have flocked to the bookshops in their droves. Undoubtedly her methods have made her millions, although perhaps many have felt that they have subcontracted out the first few months of caring for their baby. Critics say that they are so focused on following the routines that they feel that they cannot enjoy the precious first few months as the clock determines all.
When I was expecting Nico, a very good friend of mine offered me one piece of advice. She said, "whatever you do, do not buy that god damn Gina Ford book". She holds it entirely responsible for her feelings of failure and subsequent post natal depression which lasted for two years following the birth of her son. So I took her advice; I didn't buy the book.
But two weeks ago, after reading the papers and listening to long discussions on radio about the validity of her methods I decided to buy the book. On a trip into the city last week I read it from cover to cover and it seems as if we have been making many mistakes (or at least in Miss Ford's eyes).
There is much that flies in the face of the current guidelines from bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and current medical advice. No wonder mothers are confused.
Gina advocates giving your baby a daily bottle of cool boiled water. The WHO specifies that breastmilk alone provides all of the nutrients and fluids that a baby needs for the first six months - ok a little lacking in Vitamin D perhaps, but a few minutes in daylight each day sorts that.
Gina insists that the baby must sleep in his own room from Day 1. The NCT advises that for the first six months that baby should be in the same room as his parents.
Gina pertains that allowing your baby to cry himself to sleep for every nap and nighttime is natural and necessary from Day 1. Leading pediatricians warn of the long term damage that can be done to a baby left to cry.
Baby slings are not allowed, naps in the pram are forbidden.
And Gina's trump card is a strict feeding schedule. My pediatrician has told me to feed on demand except for the first week where I was advised to wake the baby every two hours during the day and every three at night to make sure he was sucking enough to stimulate the milk.
I didn't follow her schedules as I took the advice of my good friend not to go down that road so I can't comment on their effectiveness. But what I can see if the conflicting advice offered at every turn.
Gina reckons that of all 300 babies that she's dealt with that not one has suffered from colic, or at least if they have she's been able to cure it within 24 hours. Given the colic hell that we've had for the last 10 weeks I'm sure that if I'd got hold of her book a couple of months ago I'd have tried her suggested routines to see if they offered the magic colic cure that everyone is looking for. I'd be interested to know for those of you that have followed her routines, have your babies had colic?
For those of you who don't know the name, Gina Ford is supposedly Britain's number one baby care guru. At this point I will add that she has no children of her own but rather used her extensive experience as a maternity nurse to come up with her infamous routines.
Since publishing her now notorious book in 1999 (now even more notorious following Nick Clegg's very public slating a couple of weeks back) desperate first time mothers have flocked to the bookshops in their droves. Undoubtedly her methods have made her millions, although perhaps many have felt that they have subcontracted out the first few months of caring for their baby. Critics say that they are so focused on following the routines that they feel that they cannot enjoy the precious first few months as the clock determines all.
When I was expecting Nico, a very good friend of mine offered me one piece of advice. She said, "whatever you do, do not buy that god damn Gina Ford book". She holds it entirely responsible for her feelings of failure and subsequent post natal depression which lasted for two years following the birth of her son. So I took her advice; I didn't buy the book.
But two weeks ago, after reading the papers and listening to long discussions on radio about the validity of her methods I decided to buy the book. On a trip into the city last week I read it from cover to cover and it seems as if we have been making many mistakes (or at least in Miss Ford's eyes).
There is much that flies in the face of the current guidelines from bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and current medical advice. No wonder mothers are confused.
Gina advocates giving your baby a daily bottle of cool boiled water. The WHO specifies that breastmilk alone provides all of the nutrients and fluids that a baby needs for the first six months - ok a little lacking in Vitamin D perhaps, but a few minutes in daylight each day sorts that.
Gina insists that the baby must sleep in his own room from Day 1. The NCT advises that for the first six months that baby should be in the same room as his parents.
Gina pertains that allowing your baby to cry himself to sleep for every nap and nighttime is natural and necessary from Day 1. Leading pediatricians warn of the long term damage that can be done to a baby left to cry.
Baby slings are not allowed, naps in the pram are forbidden.
And Gina's trump card is a strict feeding schedule. My pediatrician has told me to feed on demand except for the first week where I was advised to wake the baby every two hours during the day and every three at night to make sure he was sucking enough to stimulate the milk.
I didn't follow her schedules as I took the advice of my good friend not to go down that road so I can't comment on their effectiveness. But what I can see if the conflicting advice offered at every turn.
Gina reckons that of all 300 babies that she's dealt with that not one has suffered from colic, or at least if they have she's been able to cure it within 24 hours. Given the colic hell that we've had for the last 10 weeks I'm sure that if I'd got hold of her book a couple of months ago I'd have tried her suggested routines to see if they offered the magic colic cure that everyone is looking for. I'd be interested to know for those of you that have followed her routines, have your babies had colic?
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
An arms baby - naptime no no's
It's been a while since I last wrote as Nico not only needs 100% of my attention during his waking hours, but up until this week has needed pretty much 100% of my attention during his sleeping hours too.
Naptime has been a struggle with no naps at all unless they are on top of someone.
No naps at all = an overtired baby = even more crying.
It seems as if we are not alone in this; over 65% of infants fall asleep in arms and most of these will wake as soon as their head hits the cot mattress. The upside of this, other than the very precious time I get to spend with my baby who won't be a baby for long, is that I've been getting plenty of rest too. The downside is that the washing basket is always overflowing, the fridge is empty, mealtimes are simple (if they happen at all), my admin pile is sky high and showers aren't quite as regular as they should be.
If I hear the advice from his local grandparents one more time (likely, as it's become almost a daily mantra) "let him cry, it won't do him any harm", my English politeness might just abandon me. Nico cries enough, sometimes for four or five hours a day, so letting him cry even more and by himself to go to sleep feels at best harsh and at worst neglect.
Having abandoned any semblance of controlled crying just two days after starting - it just felt wrong and barbaric and quite unnecessary, not to mention emotionally heart wrenching for us and tough on the baby - it seemed that arms were the only option. We'd tried swaddling, that didn't work. We'd tried putting him to bed and resting our hands on his chest, that didn't work. We'd tried a dummy (several in fact of all different shapes and sizes), he spat it out. But it appears at last that we have an emerging solution. I can't take any credit for this but rather owe the techniques and advice to Elizabeth Pantley, the author of "The no-cry nap solution". It's a book full of common sense, something that may well desert sleep-deprived new mothers, and reassurance that having your baby nap of top of you every now and then is pure bliss for both parties and should be encouraged for the occasional nap.
So what are we doing differently? Her most important piece of advice is to watch your baby for signs of tiredness. Clearly a yawn, if it's not a waking and stretching yawn, is a sign. As is eye-rubbing. But so is crying. Nico cries a lot and despite his colic it is very likely that some of his crying has been to tell us that he's tired, only we just didn't realise. We always put it down to his tendency to trapped wind.
If we're at home, every nap has a routine. A gentle walk around the quietened flat having a cuddle. We warm his cot with a hot water bottle to make it as inviting as possible. We've made his cot more nest-like with blankets tightly wrapped up like sausages. We go to his room and close the door. I hold him close and tuck his doudou between us. Once his eyes start to close the relaxing music starts and I start to hum a tune. Always the same tune and a very simple once, over and over and over again. The lights go down and I rock him in my arms. Every couple of minutes I stop the rocking and cease to hum for a little while. As I start again I recline him even more until he's almost horizontal in my arms and at that point I glide him into his toasty and cosy cot, place my hands on his chest, hum my tune very softly and wait for a minute or two. Gradually I leave the room and close the door.
Does it sound elaborate? Maybe. Does he cry? No. Does it work? So far so good. The theory goes that all of the cues in the routine: the dim lights, the doudou, the background music, the simple him will quickly teach Nico that it's time to sleep and over time the length of the routine will become less and less and in a little time he will be able to use the cues to put himself to sleep.
Clearly life dictates that being at home for naptime is not always possible, so every now and then a nap in the sling is fine or even the heavenly naps on someone.
Naptime has been a struggle with no naps at all unless they are on top of someone.
No naps at all = an overtired baby = even more crying.
It seems as if we are not alone in this; over 65% of infants fall asleep in arms and most of these will wake as soon as their head hits the cot mattress. The upside of this, other than the very precious time I get to spend with my baby who won't be a baby for long, is that I've been getting plenty of rest too. The downside is that the washing basket is always overflowing, the fridge is empty, mealtimes are simple (if they happen at all), my admin pile is sky high and showers aren't quite as regular as they should be.
If I hear the advice from his local grandparents one more time (likely, as it's become almost a daily mantra) "let him cry, it won't do him any harm", my English politeness might just abandon me. Nico cries enough, sometimes for four or five hours a day, so letting him cry even more and by himself to go to sleep feels at best harsh and at worst neglect.
Having abandoned any semblance of controlled crying just two days after starting - it just felt wrong and barbaric and quite unnecessary, not to mention emotionally heart wrenching for us and tough on the baby - it seemed that arms were the only option. We'd tried swaddling, that didn't work. We'd tried putting him to bed and resting our hands on his chest, that didn't work. We'd tried a dummy (several in fact of all different shapes and sizes), he spat it out. But it appears at last that we have an emerging solution. I can't take any credit for this but rather owe the techniques and advice to Elizabeth Pantley, the author of "The no-cry nap solution". It's a book full of common sense, something that may well desert sleep-deprived new mothers, and reassurance that having your baby nap of top of you every now and then is pure bliss for both parties and should be encouraged for the occasional nap.
So what are we doing differently? Her most important piece of advice is to watch your baby for signs of tiredness. Clearly a yawn, if it's not a waking and stretching yawn, is a sign. As is eye-rubbing. But so is crying. Nico cries a lot and despite his colic it is very likely that some of his crying has been to tell us that he's tired, only we just didn't realise. We always put it down to his tendency to trapped wind.
If we're at home, every nap has a routine. A gentle walk around the quietened flat having a cuddle. We warm his cot with a hot water bottle to make it as inviting as possible. We've made his cot more nest-like with blankets tightly wrapped up like sausages. We go to his room and close the door. I hold him close and tuck his doudou between us. Once his eyes start to close the relaxing music starts and I start to hum a tune. Always the same tune and a very simple once, over and over and over again. The lights go down and I rock him in my arms. Every couple of minutes I stop the rocking and cease to hum for a little while. As I start again I recline him even more until he's almost horizontal in my arms and at that point I glide him into his toasty and cosy cot, place my hands on his chest, hum my tune very softly and wait for a minute or two. Gradually I leave the room and close the door.
Does it sound elaborate? Maybe. Does he cry? No. Does it work? So far so good. The theory goes that all of the cues in the routine: the dim lights, the doudou, the background music, the simple him will quickly teach Nico that it's time to sleep and over time the length of the routine will become less and less and in a little time he will be able to use the cues to put himself to sleep.
Clearly life dictates that being at home for naptime is not always possible, so every now and then a nap in the sling is fine or even the heavenly naps on someone.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Dummies again
Just some snippets from recent weeks from well meaning Spanish ladies:
"you didn't pack a dummy in your hospital bag??" - the head nurse in the maternity department
"that baby needs a dummy!" - a passer-by
"you don't have a dummy...what do you mean you don't have a dummy?" - a shop cashier
"all babies like to suck so give him a dummy" - my m-i-l
"where's his dummy?" - the peadiatric nurse at the local health centre
They come in all shapes and sizes. Small teats, shaped teats, brightly coloured teats, textured teats, rubber teats, latex teats...more variety than condoms. The pharmacies are full of them. Nico does cry a lot and people feel that gives them the right to comment and proffer advice. But Spanish babies are dummied babies, which means that Spanish toddlers are dummied toddlers with most three year olds running around with a bit of plastic hanging out of their mouths and spoiling their young innocent faces.
Perhaps the dummy is responsible for the ubiquitous Spanish lisp :-)
"you didn't pack a dummy in your hospital bag??" - the head nurse in the maternity department
"that baby needs a dummy!" - a passer-by
"you don't have a dummy...what do you mean you don't have a dummy?" - a shop cashier
"all babies like to suck so give him a dummy" - my m-i-l
"where's his dummy?" - the peadiatric nurse at the local health centre
They come in all shapes and sizes. Small teats, shaped teats, brightly coloured teats, textured teats, rubber teats, latex teats...more variety than condoms. The pharmacies are full of them. Nico does cry a lot and people feel that gives them the right to comment and proffer advice. But Spanish babies are dummied babies, which means that Spanish toddlers are dummied toddlers with most three year olds running around with a bit of plastic hanging out of their mouths and spoiling their young innocent faces.
Perhaps the dummy is responsible for the ubiquitous Spanish lisp :-)
Sleep training abandoned
After two nights I read that leaving a baby to cry could lead to an emotionally retarded adult and we don't want that. Besides, at the moment all I want to do is to respond to my baby and that doesn't feel wrong at all. We didn't leave him to cry for long without any comfort - I think the longest was for ten whole minutes (which felt like an eternity by the way), but having met a sleep psychologist at a Mums and Babies group last week she told me that there is no need to leave him to cry and that what we're doing at the moment is just fine.
Our colic nightmare continues with 3-4 hours of crying most evenings and until that subsides (only 2 weeks to go if Nico follows the average..hmmm) so I don't want to do anything else that could make him cry more. It does seem that his evening activities knacker him out and we get a stretch of about 4 hours before he wakes for food and then 3-4 hours more - next step to get him in the cot...
So if all other babies from my NCT class are apparently sleeping through, we'll have to wait a little longer.
Our colic nightmare continues with 3-4 hours of crying most evenings and until that subsides (only 2 weeks to go if Nico follows the average..hmmm) so I don't want to do anything else that could make him cry more. It does seem that his evening activities knacker him out and we get a stretch of about 4 hours before he wakes for food and then 3-4 hours more - next step to get him in the cot...
So if all other babies from my NCT class are apparently sleeping through, we'll have to wait a little longer.
Monday, 4 January 2010
All babies love the pram...
...not ours.
As we walk around the town pushing a pram, more often than not we have Nico in our arms as he's screamed blue murder to get out. We've made the pram more comfortable, we've tried him in more clothes and also in less. But so far, the pram doesn't do quite what it should. In all of the books that I've read and the online advice, it's listed as a sure winner to calm the baby. For us, it guarantees an enraged baby.
We're currently working on sleep training. Next stop, pram training.
Nico, in case you read this one day, we love you very, very much and will enjoy embarrassing you with these tales once you're a little older.
As we walk around the town pushing a pram, more often than not we have Nico in our arms as he's screamed blue murder to get out. We've made the pram more comfortable, we've tried him in more clothes and also in less. But so far, the pram doesn't do quite what it should. In all of the books that I've read and the online advice, it's listed as a sure winner to calm the baby. For us, it guarantees an enraged baby.
We're currently working on sleep training. Next stop, pram training.
Nico, in case you read this one day, we love you very, very much and will enjoy embarrassing you with these tales once you're a little older.
Sleep training
So new year, new sleep regime. Or that was the plan.
3 days in and we're making progress. We have a routine (stolen from a book): bath, fresh pyjamas, final feed, cuddle and in the cot with his lights and music machine.
There are a few glitches. The first is that this doesn't take into account what to do if the baby conks out at 8.30 in his Daddy's arms. Do we wake him to go through the whole process? Or do we sneak him into his cot with no routine and pray that bedtime has arrived all on its own? It also doesn't take into account that the vigorous crying that goes with being left in his cot is normally accompanied by a pretty vigorous movement elsewhere...
Never mind. Last night the little man went down in his cot and 40 minutes later was fast asleep. Daddy checked on him every 5 minutes to let him know that we hadn't deserted him, and I was banished to the lounge so that the smell of food wouldn't ruin the whole process. We then had 4 uninterrupted hours of peace and the entire night spent in his cot. A big thank you to my Mum for suggesting that we raise the mattress - so simple but it also seems to have made a difference.
"They" say it takes three to four nights of crying for the baby to realise that the feeds and cuddles for the day are over and for sleep to come quickly. Let's hope "they" are right. It's going to be a long week.
3 days in and we're making progress. We have a routine (stolen from a book): bath, fresh pyjamas, final feed, cuddle and in the cot with his lights and music machine.
There are a few glitches. The first is that this doesn't take into account what to do if the baby conks out at 8.30 in his Daddy's arms. Do we wake him to go through the whole process? Or do we sneak him into his cot with no routine and pray that bedtime has arrived all on its own? It also doesn't take into account that the vigorous crying that goes with being left in his cot is normally accompanied by a pretty vigorous movement elsewhere...
Never mind. Last night the little man went down in his cot and 40 minutes later was fast asleep. Daddy checked on him every 5 minutes to let him know that we hadn't deserted him, and I was banished to the lounge so that the smell of food wouldn't ruin the whole process. We then had 4 uninterrupted hours of peace and the entire night spent in his cot. A big thank you to my Mum for suggesting that we raise the mattress - so simple but it also seems to have made a difference.
"They" say it takes three to four nights of crying for the baby to realise that the feeds and cuddles for the day are over and for sleep to come quickly. Let's hope "they" are right. It's going to be a long week.
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