Eat-Sleep-Love | Maryland DC & Virginia Sleep Coach, Baby Planner, Maternity & Child Consultant

Maternity & Parenting Center

Time to Spring Forward!

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Daylight Savings Time begins on March 10, 2013…some of us will be groaning about losing an hour of sleep, while others of us will look forward to an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. But how will Daylight Savings Time impact your child’s sleep? What can you do to minimize any negative side effects? 

First, you can start by preparing in advance to shift your child’s schedule later. About a week ahead of time, start shifting your child’s schedule earlier. On Monday, March 4, 2013, start waking your child 15 minutes earlier, and moving their entire schedule (meals, naps, and bedtime) 15 minutes earlier than normal. On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, try shifting your child’s entire schedule 30 minutes earlier than normal. On Friday, March 8, 2013, try shifting your child’s schedule 45 minutes earlier than normal. Finally, on Sunday, March 10, 2013, return to your regular time schedule (now on Daylight Savings Time). If you are unable to slowly adjust your child’s schedule (or lack control over your child’s schedule), it may take your child a few days to adjust. If your child wakes earlier than normal on Sunday, resist the urge to move everything earlier…delay starting your day and breakfast until your usual time, maintain the schedule for naps and meals and bedtime. Remember, if you consistently enforce the new times, your child will adjust!

A Note to Expectant Mothers

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Tonight was my first speaking engagement with a room full of expectant mothers. I spoke at a “Meet the Experts” event for Mama’s Link, held at Kidville.  I have to say, it was tougher than I thought it would be!  How do you boil down the key concepts of the first six months of sleep for expectant mothers without overwhelming them with information?  After reflecting on the evening, here is my take-away…my list of “top tips” for new moms:

  • Sleep is a learned skill – but it is learned over time.  Ultimately, your child should learn to put him/herself to sleep without a “sleep crutch” – a negative sleep association that requires something to be done either to or for them to fall asleep.
  • You can’t spoil a newborn…it is all about responding to their needs and making them feel loved and secure.
  • Consistency matters…work on developing flexible but predictable routines around eat and sleep for your child over the early weeks and months.
  • Before your baby arrives, talk to your spouse/significant other about your sleep plan – do you want your baby co-sleeping in your bedroom?  For how long?  Do you want to share a bed with your child?  for how long?  Any option can work for your family, but if you become an “accidental” bed-sharer, you (or your spouse/significant other) may grow to resent your baby’s presence in the bed.
  • The first night or two, babies often seem “perfect” – they sleep all night, and just wake to feed.  The 3rd  or 4th nights can be a different story…and often coincides with coming home from the hospital!  Don’t worry – it is likely just a short-lived case of the baby fussies, and once you and your baby get to know each other better (and your baby’s natural clock kicks in), nighttime should become easier again.
  • Moms also need to make sure to take care of themselves…sleep when baby sleeps, eat, and make time for just YOU – even if you just escapes for a brief period here and there. If you are a stay at home mom, you have to remember that even though you’ve taken on the job of raising your child, that does not mean you are not entitled to some time for you!
  • Practice Dr. Harvey Karp’s 5 S’s to help soothe your baby when upset…swaddling, stomach/side hold, shushing, swinging, and sucking.
  • Back is best (for SIDs prevention).  Because babies do not sleep as deeply on their backs (startle reflex), swaddling babies helps promote good sleep habits.
  • Don’t be afraid to try a variety of tools to help you calm and soothe your baby to sleep during the early weeks…a bouncy seat, strange voices, a quiet song, a swing. Sometimes, your baby will hate a tool the first time or two, but could grow to love it later. The lesson is to try, try again…you never know when s/he may start to love something new!
  • Take steps to help your baby differentiate between night and day.  During daytime hours, expose your baby to lots of natural light and room lights.  At nighttime, prepare a quiet, dark environment for your baby.  Limit exposure to television at nighttime, and consider getting room darkening shades to help keep the light out.  Treat nighttime feedings/wakings in a “business-like” manner – keep it quiet, dark, and about the feeding, not playtime.  Children need morning rituals to help differentiate between nighttime and daytime (a good morning song, opening the blinds, etc.)
  • Right around 4 weeks of age, babies start to “wake-up” during the day – this is when it becomes important that they do not become over-tired.  Most babies should not be awake longer than 60-90 minutes for the first few months.  It is a good idea to watch the clock and start putting your newborn down to sleep (in their crib, in a swing, in your arms, in a car seat, in a stroller…whatever works!) within 90 minutes after each waking all day.  This process will help lay the foundation for excellent sleep habits as your baby grows.
  • If you are nursing, look for other ways to soothe your child other than nursing, especially after the first 6 weeks.  This will help your baby learn to find comfort in many different ways, and not depend upon nursing to soothe him/her and go to sleep.
  • By 6 weeks, start working on putting your baby to sleep drowsy but awake – falling asleep without a bottle or breast in their mouth.
  • Newborns prefer a later bedtime…once your baby starts to get older and sleep at least 8 hours at night, (by 4-5 months of age) bedtime should move earlier.
  • Don’t expect to see a regular nap routine for your child until they are older – many babies do not consolidate into three regular naps a day until they are 6-8 months old!  Until then, just watch those awake windows and sleepy cues from your children. 
  • You will sleep again!  Newborns generally wake every 2-3 hours around the clock to eat the first few weeks of life, but many newborns begin to give 3-4 hour stretches between weeks 2-4.  By week 8, most babies can go at least 1 4-6 hour stretch without feeding at night (and some will go longer).  By week 12, most babies can do a 6-8 hour stretch at night without eating.  By 4 months, most babies can sleep 8 hours without eating, and 10-11 hours by 5 months.  
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your baby just will not sleep!  Before you throw in the towel and think “my baby just doesn’t need as much sleep as other babies” or “perhaps if I did quit breast feeding and just gave him/her formula”…consider whether there are medical causes for your baby’s sleep challenges.  There are many medical reasons that can cause your baby to be awake and unhappy.  Reflux is one key culprit.  In the past, many doctors diagnosed unhappy babies who cried inconsolably for long periods of time with “colic.”  Newer information is actually showing that these babies may be suffering from reflux.  Reflux can present in many different ways.  Some babies spit up all the time, and some babies will scream inconsolably for hours and hours at a time, particularly at nighttime or after prolonged periods of laying flat.  Some babies simply refuse to lay flat!  Other symptoms include:  excessive hiccuping, choking/gasping/gagging sounds, frequent night wakings, constant congestion, gassiness, or desire to continuously nurse or eat (the milk is soothing and neutralizes the acid).  If you suspect reflux, talk to your pediatrician!  You can try simple tips such as feeding your baby in a more upright position, keeping him/her upright for 15-30 minutes following a feed, feed smaller amounts more often, burp frequently, and elevate your baby’s head when sleeping (like on a bouncy seat or a newborn napper).  Your pediatrician may suggest trying an over the counter medication or a prescription medication to see if your baby’s reflux improves.  Other common medical causes for sleep disturbances during the first six months may include food sensitivities, poor latch, gassiness due to bottle, and sickness.  
Another key issue for new moms is post partum depression (PPD).  Nearly all moms suffer from a bit of the baby blues, but if it is overwhelming or continuing for longer than two weeks, you may be suffering from PPD.  If you are emotionally unavailable, your baby can sense that – it can be harder to soothe your baby and meet his/her needs when you are overwhelmed and struggling, and all of that can play a part in whether your baby is sleeping.  Familiarize yourself (and your partner) with the signs and symptoms of PPD, and do not be afraid to ask for help!  There are many remedies, both natural and medical, that can quickly help you feel like yourself again.  For more information about PPD, check out Dr. Shosh.

Finally, balance and meeting your needs, both sleep and otherwise, are critical in the early weeks.  Many expectant parents wonder how they will function with so little sleep.  The truth is, you just do it.  You try to sleep when your baby is sleeping, you forgive yourself when you fail to keep a clean house, and you remember to eat and take care of you.  Having strong family support and a good partner throughout the process makes it easier and better.  

Those early weeks with your baby are primarily about bonding…your newborn will wake to eat every 2-3 hours. For some parents, feeding is quick and easy, but other parents find feedings take a very long time. It isn’t just the feeding (although some babies are very slow nursers – they can easily nurse 30-45 minutes each feeding). Some breastfeeding moms struggle with getting their baby to latch and stay latched – and the overnight feedings can be particularly frustrating. Most feedings involve a diaper change, and for moms who have to pump, the process of getting up, preparing the pump, pumping milk, and then actually feeding a baby can also take way too long – in fact, it can seem like all you do is feed your baby.   If you are formula feeding, it is easy to share that responsibility, but it can be tougher for the breastfeeding mom to figure out how to share that load. It takes at least 2-4 weeks to establish a healthy milk supply, and nursing moms really should try and nurse or pump every 3 hours around the clock until supply is established (which means a nursing mom really can struggle to get a break and sleep through a feeding). Even if you are nursing, you can still share the responsibility for the overnight wakings with your spouse/significant other. Your spouse/significant other can wake up/fetch the baby, do the diaper change after feeding, re-swaddle, and soothe your baby to sleep after the feed. If you are pumping, your partner can feed baby the breast milk when you are finished.  But remember, if you are just exhausted and need a break, it really is okay to take it.  
So, for all you expectant moms out there, know that good sleep habits do not happen immediately, but they are slowly shaped and developed over time.  There are many steps you can take during the first six months to help get your newborn off to a “right start.”  Check out my services page…I offer a newborn “Right Start” consultation to help expectant and new moms work on creating flexible eating and sleep routines and developing skills to build the foundation for a lifetime of healthy sleep habits!

Nighttime Serenade

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Picture it…it is 15-20 minutes past bedtime, and your little one is lying in bed…not so quietly.  I don’t mean screaming or crying, or misbehaving…but not sleeping.  What do you do?

Tonight, as happens many nights, I put my son to bed, came downstairs, and sat on the family room couch.  I was quite pleased that both of my children were in bed and silent.  Uh oh…perhaps I spoke too soon.  Over the monitor I hear the following:  “ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYandZ, now I know my ABCs, next time sing with me!  Let’s do it again FASTER!”  (I admit, I sat there watching him on the video monitor for quite some time – I love to see his fisted arms pump every time he yells “faster”).  My first reaction?  That child is simply ADORABLE.  He is not quite 3 yet, and he loves to sing his ABCs!  While I sat here puffing myself up with pride, I could hear the ripples of laughter escaping him as he sang his ABCs faster and faster, over and over again.  Who knew that ABCs could bring so much joy?  Some days, he sings “No more monkeys jumping on the bed” or he sings Shabbat songs that they practice in his preschool.  I love hearing him self-entertain.

After a few minutes, I started to think…”Do I need to intervene?  It is bedtime, and that child is definitely NOT sleeping.” How, as parents, do we determine when to intervene at bedtime?  As a general rule, when my children are not truly upset or engaging in dangerous behavior, I try not to intervene at all once I leave the room.  But, how long is too long?  

In most cases, I find that my son’s antics rarely last longer than 30 minutes…unless I intervene.  Then it becomes a game – he tries to do more and more to get my attention.  I think that is part of their genius – they know exactly which buttons to push to keep us engaged.  At all costs, it is always better to avoid a battle of wills with a toddler.  But I find waiting during that time and NOT intervening very difficult.  I want to tell him to be quiet, or lie still, or go to sleep.  I think sometimes, it is easy to assume they are just goofing off and defying us.  

I am starting to realize that Micah’s singing routines (or storytelling, or conversations) are actually his way of winding down from the day.  It relaxes him, it allows him to burn off excess energy, and it settles him.  When he is ready, he rolls over and goes to sleep.  Instead of battling with him, I now build in a cushion for him to stay awake and do his thing.  If his activities escalate into bed jumping, or continue on for 40 minutes without any signs of winding down, I do intervene.  I have a video monitor that has a “VOICE OF G-D” function (as we like to call it) – you know, a speaker into his room that makes us sound like this disembodied voice coming down from heaven.  When needed, I simply use the monitor to say “Micah, enough____(fill in the blank), lay down and go to sleep.”  He is usually startled, he still looks around, puzzled that I can see him.  If he starts to engage in the behavior, I will say “Micah, I see you, lay down and go night night.”  So far, it always works.  He is usually quiet after that, and falls asleep shortly thereafter.

So, for now, I’ll just work on giving him time for his nighttime serenades…and I’ll sit down here on the couch, quietly laughing as I watch him.  Being a mom definitely has its perks!

Bedtime Routines

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From a sleep perspective, bedtime routines help establish predictability, calm our children, and create a relaxing environment that is conducive to the onset of sleep.  As a mom, I love having a bedtime routine with my children – I love the snuggle time, I love the one-on-one time, and I love kissing my children goodnight.  I also love that the routine induces cooperation from my often challenging 3 year old son, Micah – he knows he gets only one book, he knows that we sing a song, and then he knows I leave and it is time for bed.
What makes for a good bedtime routine?  Calming activities and consistency.  Calming activities can include a bath, a story, a massage, a song.  The what is less important – but the routine should be concise.  If it takes you 45 minutes to calm your child and put him/her to bed, consider editing down your activities.  The most critical part of a good bedtime routine is consistency.  Doing the same thing every single night starts to create positive sleep associations…your child knows that certain things will happen, and at the end of the activities, s/he will be going to sleep.  In time, the simple act of going through the bedtime routine starts to make your child feel sleepy!
Our routine is fairly simple – from start to finish, it takes about 10 minutes (a little longer on bath nights).  We go upstairs, we use the potty, we brush teeth, we put on pajamas, we take medicine, and then we read a story.  For my daughter, Maya (who is almost 1 1/2), we read the story together while sitting in her chair.  For my son, he lays in bed and I sit on the floor nearby and read to him.  After story time, the lights go off, and I sing a song.  We have three different bedtime songs…You are My Sunshine, The Rose, and Free to Be, You and Me.  My son usually tries to manipulate me into singing all three songs to him…I gave in once during a moment of weakness while he was sick, and he has pushed me to do it every night since then (for the past 3 months).  My solution?  I sing one verse of each song…so the total time isn’t any longer.  It is kind of like a “mash-up” from Glee (for all you Gleeks out there…), only I sing off-key and without any dancing.  I could break him of the habit in a few days, but I love that the songs mean so much to him. 
What amazes me most is how my son depends on the routine.  If I do something out of order, he tells me “No, Mommy, we brush teeth now,” or “Mommy, sit right there,” or “You turn off light now.”  He also loves to choose what book we read (tonight was Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, but Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Cat in the Hat, Put Me in the Zoo, Goodnight Moon, and Mama Loves Me are some of the other books that currently seem to be in rotation).  This week, Maya, too, has become a little particular about her routine.  She likes to hold her medicine bottle and play with it while I am changing her and putting her in her pajamas.  She insists on getting her lovey and her paci out of the crib to hold while we read a story.  We have been going and picking out books to read from Micah’s room (I still haven’t fully unpacked her room since our move a few weeks ago).  In the past, the story was always my pick, but currently, she seems obsessed with a Curious George ABC book.  She throws a fit if I try to read her any other book!  What makes me laugh most of all is Micah with the goodnight songs…he tells me what to sing, and in what order.  In fact, if I start to sing before he picks the song, he gets upset.  Some experts would say that I am the parent and I should control every aspect of the bedtime routine, but I find that giving Micah a degree of choice and control (that suits me) also calms him down and makes the bedtime routine go smoothly.
For me, the routine is not the difficult part…it is the stall tactics before bedtime that  truly test my patience!  Micah knows that if we start on the routine, bedtime is imminent.  So, he has to go to the bathroom one more time, or he suddenly gets hungry, or needs a drink of water, or he asks to brush his teeth.  I am extremely careful to pack in an extra few minutes of battling his stall tactics from the time I announce we are going up to bed.  When he starts with the stall tactics, I usually simply tell him no, or I give him one or two reasonable things…like a sip of water, or washing his hands.  I have, on occasion, threatened a time out if he continues stalling and I start counting backwards…although one time that backfired and he asked to go to time out instead of to bed.  Actually, for a week, Micah stood up during nap time and yelled “I want time out” – he thought it would get him out of napping!  Clever child, that one….
What are some of your favorite bedtime activities?

Spoke too soon….

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After Micah’s fussiness last night, I hastily declared Micah “asleep for the night” at 9:15. Apparently, I spoke too soon. Elliot and I were catching up on the DVR, reviewing the architectural plans and discussing child care challenges last night. Right around 2:30, I started to get a bit sleepy. I turned to Elliot and said “I think I’m going to call it a night after we finish watching this show.” About 3 minutes later, we heard this LOUD wailing over the monitor – yup, Micah woke up screaming. We gave him a minute to see if he would roll over and fall back to sleep, but no such luck. Elliot went upstairs and spent about 20 minutes cuddling with Micah and trying to coax him back to sleep. We tried a little more Tylenol, but Micah just needed to come downstairs and cuddle with his Mommy.

We sat with him for a while longer, and around 3:15 we tried to put him back in the crib so we could go to sleep. No such luck! Micah started screaming his head off again, so we brought him back out of the crib and into bed with us. For another hour, that boy was going! He did not want to nap or cuddle, he wanted to play. Poor Elliot – I could barely stay awake, and someone needed to make sure Micah did not dive off of the bed. Around 4:15, Elliot tried to put him in the crib one last time. Micah definitely cried and fussed, but he eventually fell asleep (I think, perhaps, after I dozed off). He slept until 10:00 this morning. All I can say is…I’m glad the grumpy baby had daycare today! I hope tonight gets easier. I’m sure the poor little guy didn’t feel well from the vaccinations…and his erupting teeth.

Horrible Night

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I have to say, I shouldn’t complain when we have a horrible night, because it really does happen so rarely. Micah has been a great sleeper from the beginning. However, the past few weeks have been rough – sick, teething, ear infections – let’s just say it has absolutely disrupted Micah’s sleep. Once again, Micah started fussing and crying in his sleep shortly after we put him to bed. Around 1:00 am, he started crying out loudly and standing up in his crib. We had to go in and get him, and he was just inconsolable. He cried, and he seemed to be having pain. We gave him some bottle and motrin, and then we put on Sesame Street. After about 1 hour, we finally coaxed him back to sleep. He cried on and off the rest of the night, and finally was wide awake again at 7:00 am. I wish I knew what to do for the poor little guy! I don’t know how my parents did this in a time when they couldn’t tape Sesame Street and play it when necessary!

The off switch is in the tushy

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We’ve had a rough couple of days – Micah woke up a few times this week at 11:00 pm, and has insisted on being cuddled for a little while. Since we missed him, we have humored him a bit. Unfortunately, the minute we separate from him, he wakes up and starts crying again. Rather than pick him back up, we’ve started “potching his tushy” – lightly patting his bottom while he falls asleep. I cannot for the life of me figure out how this is comforting, or even desirable, but Micah seems to love it. I think I would deck anyone who did that to me. Unfortunately, Micah’s “off” switch is apparently in his tush – he only stays asleep and still while someone is patting his bottom! Elliot and I have each taken turns, and the process can go on forever. The minute we stop, his cute little head pops up, he takes a hand and reaches around to his own tush and starts potching it, or he reaches out to our hand to grab it and pull it back or to pat it – clearly indicating that the patting must resume.

Today was particularly harsh – Micah woke up crying at 5:00 am. I guess he must have been hungry. I went in to comfort him, but all he wanted was to crawl into my arms. I tried to take him back into our bed to see if snuggling would put him to sleep, but no such luck. I finally had Elliot make a bottle, and he guzzled all of it right down, but still no sleep (at least for Micah – Elliot fell right back to sleep). Micah stayed awake until 10:30 am before taking a nap! Of course, that messed up our whole schedule. Today was the second day of Rosh Hashana, and we were supposed to go back to synagogue for services. I sent Elliot over while Micah napped, and told him we would join him as soon as we could. Micah slept until after 12, and when he woke up, I quickly gave him a bottle and lunch and we ran over to services. We arrived just in time…for it to end. Oh well – next year we’ll try again.

Anyway, Micah took a great nap this afternoon, but he was a bit tough to put to bed. He just woke up a few moments ago, I spent 40 minutes potching his tush, and I hope he is down for the night. Let’s hope he sleeps until at least 7:30 tomorrow!

We’ve actually had a great holiday – we had dinner with my family on Friday night, and Micah got to spend time with his Aunt Jen, Uncle Jeremy and cousins Paige and Peyton. My friends Heather and Brad also joined our celebration. On Saturday, Micah slept late (until 9:00), and he fell asleep in the stroller on our way to synagogue. He was pretty good during services, although he felt the need to sing along – much to the chagrin of some of the people there. Overall, he was very well-behaved, and I was impressed he was able to stay as long as he did. He took another nap for about 30 minutes before we left services, and he drank his bottle on the walk home. He had a big lunch, and then we went back to my parents’ house for dinner. We actually took some time that afternoon to visit one of my parents’ neighbors, Arleen and Lorin – close family friends who were like second parents to me growing up. Their daughter Rayna was in town, and her grandmother Della was there, too, and everyone was thrilled to spend some time with Micah.

Tomorrow is Micah’s 9 month appointment, and we are back to the work/daycare grindstone. What a crazy week! I have to leave for Orlando on Tuesday, and I’ll be gone until Thursday. I hope Elliot can handle the time alone with Micah!

Sing, sing a song!

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Lately, whenever I sing to Micah, he has been joining in and singing, too. Unfortunately, he does not yet get any of the words right, but he is definitely singing with me. It just makes my heart swell with love. He ooohs and aahs and pauses around the right times, but unfortunately, I think he is unable to carry a tune (just like his mommy).

The past two nights, he has been a bit “clingy” at bed time. I take him upstairs, nurse him, and while he is extra sleepy, I plop him in the crib and leave as is our routine. Normally, he drifts right off to sleep, but the past few nights, he woke up and started shrieking. I tried waiting a few minutes to see if it would pass, but no such luck – the noises kept escalating. Immediately, when I walked in his room, he gave me his big, giant, winning grin, as if to say “Mommy, I missed you!” He wanted to hold my hand and look at me, and he definitely wanted me to sing. At bedtime, I usually sing You are My Sunshine or The Rose. Saturday night, I started with You are My Sunshine two times, then went into The Rose three times. He started to cry and fuss whenever I stopped singing. The first few times through the songs, he sang along, too, before he finally dropped off to sleep. Again, Sunday night, he woke up when I tried leaving the room. I went back in to be greeted by his charming squeal, and he asked me to sing (well, he started to make the “singing” sounds) and it was clear he wanted his songs. I sang a few renditions of The Rose and as I began the verses, he smiled ever so sweetly at me, sang a bit more, then rolled over to his side, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and started to drift off to never-never-land. If I tried to stop, he took the thumb out and rolled over to give me a dirty look. Never mind that I had a CD playing in the background – he only had ears for Mommy’s horrible voice.

Oh, and did I mention that he and Nugget are having a love fest? She comes up every night to help put him to bed. He, in turn, cannot get enough of her. He squeals with joy every time he sees her, he rolls over to be close to her on the play mat, and when he SHOULD be eating dinner, he is busy looking through my glass table to locate Nugget underneath and smile at her. Did I mention yet how many times I’ve regretted purchasing that glass table over the past 10 years? Yeah – it is just as bad when Nugget sits underneath the table and longing looks up at us while we eat dinner.

Here is some adorable video of Micah screeching with delight on his playmat:

Routines are bad

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Just a few short weeks ago, I posted that routines and repetition were a good thing. This post isn’t exactly a retraction, but rather a discussion of the flip side of routines/repetition. Specifically, as I mentioned last week, Micah has been having some issues going to bed when it isn’t Mommy and Daddy putting him to sleep.

I thought, perhaps, Micah’s issue was limited to the circumstance last week . . . Heather and Brad were relatively new, and I thought that perhaps they missed his sleepy cues and gave him his medicine late. On Thursday, however, we went out for our “date night.” My mom has babysat Micah tons of times, and been with us to put him to bed and even done it alone without incident. Because of his recent outbursts, I was a bit concerned there would be an issue. My dad came early and spent about one hour with Micah before we left. I thought easing out the door would keep him calm and relaxed. My mom showed up about 1/2 hour after we left, and the two of them proceeded to put Micah to bed. My mom noticed Micah started to get sleepy and rub his eyes, so she took him and went up the stairs.

Apparently, as they hit the third step, Micah started to get upset. Everytime she came back down the stairs, he was fine, but that third step kept setting him off! They got him upstairs, gave him his medicine, got him ready for bed . . . mostly while he cried and fussed. My mom sang You are my Sunshine to him, but that did not seem to comfort him. Ultimately, Micah calmed down when my DAD started to sing to him. He was quite clear . . . his Goppy needed to sing, and his Grammy needed to hold him. He was quiet as long as Goppy sang You are my Sunshine over and over and over again. He finally fell asleep in Grammy’s arms and she quietly moved him into the crib.

It seems we have a new problem. Micah is great at bedtime, as long as Mommy and Daddy are there. Our normal “routine” is that Daddy takes Micah upstairs, puts him in his pajamas, gives him his medicine and reads him a book, and mommy comes upstairs to nurse him and sing to him. It has been two weeks since Elliot put Micah to bed alone, so we are going to test that out this week and see if Daddy has an issue when he is alone, too. My mom is planning to start coming by a bit more often to put him to bed, and I think at least 1 night every week Elliot should put Micah to bed alone. Hopefully, as we have more people putting him to bed, it will get easier for him. Ironically, I thought the change of locations on our trip to Philly this week would set him off, but he had no issues going to bed and staying asleep even in a new place. I guess as long as Mommy puts him to bed, all is right with the world. I sure hope we can nip this in the bud!

Micah in Wonderland

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The good news is, things have improved on the sleep front with Micah. We discovered that Micah has just been hungry at bedtime, so we’ve been giving him some extra milk before bed, and bedtime has become a joy again. We’re not sure if my milk supply is low or if Micah is growing and just needs a little more right now, but things seem to be under control for now.

I have to say, Micah amazes me when he sleeps. He can be an incredibly restless sleeper some nights – kicking all over the place, making noises, plunging his hands into that gorgeous head of hair (who wouldn’t want to do that?) and trying to shove his fists into his mouth. Other nights, he barely moves or makes a sound. When he was younger, we had him sleeping on an incline secure sleeper – it is made of foam, it kept his head elevated to minimize the acid reflux, and it had pillows for his arms to keep him from sliding down. The only problem was, he kept sliding down, so all night long, we’d have to go in and slide him back up. He would either wake up from sliding down, or he would be irritated when we lifted him back up, prompting a round of kicks and punches that would, of course, cause him to slide back down again. As he grew larger and we stopped swaddling him, we decided to remove the incline sleeper and buy a crib wedge – basically, a triangular-shaped wedge that lays on top of his mattress to keep his head a bit elevated to reduce problems with acid reflux.

This new sleeping situation has been a major improvement! We do not need to run in and out of his room all night lifting him up and waiting for him to slide down. For the first few weeks, it was ideal. As Micah has grown stronger, however, he is moving around the crib a bit more. The past few nights, he seems to like to turn 90 degrees and lay across his crib. I’m fairly certain the crib wedge does not help reflux when the baby refuses to lay on it. The past several mornings, he wakes up crying when he has turned 180 degrees . . . yes, that is right, he uses the crib wedge to put his feet up. I’m fairly certain dangling the head downwards is NOT good for reflux. In general, we have been leaving Micah to move about the crib as he pleases, as long as he seems comfortable and sleeps. He has been sleeping so soundly that we have not needed to go in to reinsert the paci at all the past few nights.

Tonight, we went upstairs, put him in his pajamas, gave him his medicine, and I nursed him while Elliot read him a goodnight story. I thought Micah was finished eating – I seemed to be out of milk, and he seemed contented with his paci. He was smiling at me, so I decided to read him another story while we rocked together. Suddenly, he started to get fussy and restless again, so I tried nursing him some more. Just in case, I had another 2 ounces of milk in a bottle on hand. He was quite insistent on what he wanted – he would have none of the right side, and was all about the left side. I got him into position, and away he nursed. I did not think he would get enough, but after a few minutes, his eyes began to close and he sort of relaxed. I made the decision to nurse him to sleep rather than try moving him or separating him before he decided to pull off. Maybe he just needed some bonding with mommy tonight. It took another 5-10 minutes, but Micah passed out and flopped off. I popped in his paci, and moved him into the crib.

After Elliot and I did some cooking in preparation for our upcoming Passover seder on Thursday night, I checked Micah on the monitor because he was so quiet. Once again, he had turned 90 degrees and was sleeping across the crib. I give up! He is very cute . . . I guess eventually he’ll outgrow this position. I may need to give up on the crib wedge, too, although I think it at least keeps him from spitting up for the first few hours he is in the crib after eating.

Micah does such a great job sleeping and napping – I’m so lucky that he is such a good baby. I have been terrible, however, about making him nap in his crib. I have a feeling I am going to regret that one of these days. He really does not like to nap in his crib – most days, he isn’t even too thrilled with the pack n play. He does most of his naps either in the swing, his car seat, or the stroller. Does anyone have tips about napping locations?

We also bought a new stroller tonight. We had been using just the Graco stroller frame – you just snap the car seat in and go. It is easy to use, and really has been perfect for us. Elliot picked up a metrolite stroller as a backup stroller at a consignment shop about a month ago. The pattern is ugly and it is a bit bulky, but it has been good to have an extra stroller in my car or at the house sometimes. Since we will not be able to use the stroller frame once Micah outgrows his car seat (we still have a few more months on that front), we’ve been hunting for our “permanent” stroller. We decided to buy the BabyJogger CityMini stroller. We think it will be great for walking around Bethesda and DC (we plan to test it out next weekend when we take Tammy to see the Cherry Blossoms), it is easy to fold and store, and it is so easy to maneuver. I’m already excited about it, and we have not even used it yet! We may still need to get just a regular old umbrella stroller at some point, but we’ll worry about that when the time comes.