I think every mom wishes she could bottle up these newborn days. I know they go by so quickly. I want to use this blog to keep a little memoir of this sweet and new time that I have with Harper so that I can come back and look at it later… remembering the sweetness and possibly the scent of pink that baby girls come with.
Chris and I have been trying to get Harper on a schedule. The first 3 nights were pretty rough being at home. Harper would do great feeding and going to sleep, but she would wake up and stay awake from about 3am-6am. I was so tired and my body was and is still healing, so I really needed rest (what new mom doesn’t?!?) She was so helpless and tiny with her little squawks and squeals. I would feed her as I sat in bed, watching infomercials (there is some pretty cool stuff out there!), and nodding off every few minutes. She would seem content so I would place her in her crib right beside the bed and lay down just to doze off when she would start crying again. I would try to soothe her in her bed, but she would have none of it. She just wanted to be held and loved. So, I would pick her up and bring her onto the couch with me. She would lay on my chest, and we would try to go to sleep. After sleeping this way for 2 nights, I couldn’t do it anymore! Neither of us were actually getting any sleep! So we broke out the book Baby Wise, and it has been amazing! It took about 2 days to start seeing a difference, but what a difference it has made! Our current schedule goes something like this…
Sometime between 6 AM/7:30AM – Harper wakes up & I feed her. 30 mintues (My goal this week is to narrow the time we begin our day to around 7 – 7:30. Right now the time she wakes up depends on how well she does at night with feedings & sleeping)
6:30/8:00 – Awake time for an hour(Singing, tummy time, kicking time, etc – this part will become a lot more fun once she is able to start communicating with us. Right now we have to fight for her to stay awake!)
7:30/9:00 – Nap time for an hour and a half. ( I will either take a nap with her, or get things done around the house)
Then the cycle starts all over again… until the late night feeding around 10 or 11 pm… That is when we cut out awake time and go straight into sleep time. As of now she is sleeping in 3 1/2 – 4 hour increments, and it is great! I still look forward to her drawing those out, but this is much better than staying awake for 3 hours straight!
So, I write all of this to say… That is an ideal day! We are NOT perfect in any way, and I get really excited when the schedule works out like it should.
This morning was such a precious time with my girl, though. She just couldn’t calm down after her awake time and go to sleep. She was fussy and really wanted her passy. (I hate giving it to her b/c even though it quiets her, it keeps her from really falling asleep). So I just picked her up and snuggled with her for her entire nap. Having a baby asleep in your arms, breathing heavy with their sweet baby’s breath is truly something amazing. It is now 1 pm and I am still in my pj’s and haven’t brushed my teeth, but in trying to capture a bit of this time – while my daughter is still so new, soft, pink and fuzzy – I just had to let go of the schedule and just hold my sweet Harper.
You know that we thrive by a schedule in the Lockhart household… Q still cannot funciton without one. I am glad that you remember that you still need to be flexible and soak in every special moment with her that you can. Know that they only get more fun as they get older. It’s hard to watch our little girls grow up so quickly, but know that your job is to raise her to learn how to be totally dependent on her Heavenly Father. Every thing you do today will shape her little life to have an eternal impact. I can’t wait to see how God will use our girls in the future! Keep up the good work, Mommy.
Mary Lindsey,
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! We are so excited that Harper has arrived, safe and sound! She is a beautiful little girl and you are glowing as a very happy Mommy!
We did Babywise with our twins as well. As a matter of fact, the NICU nurses started them on the 3-hour schedule before we ever got them home, so we just had to continue it. The scheduling made so much sense to Jamie and I, because we truly believe that all children desire structure, not only for the parent’s sanity but for their “safety”.
One thing that was so comforting to me through Babywise was to know why they are crying. With the scheduling, you know when they are hungry, tired, gassy, etc. And the long-term effects are wonderful: Just last night my two slept from 7:00 pm to 8:00 am, and normally take 2 2-hour naps during the day. And a well-rested baby makes a happy baby! So hang in there, sister- Harper will thank you for it:)
Congratulations again- Love you!
Tara
How awesome! My sister clung to Babywise as a first time mom as well! She loved it. Kiley is now 8 months old and is still on “the schedule.” It sounds like it really works wonderfully! Kiley now sleeps from 7pm to 8am! I’m praying for yall!
So glad she is doing so good. My best in Texas teaches Babywise (or Growing Kids God’s way) If you need a questioned answered (and can’t get a hold of anyone) she always tells me to give out her info as it’s her ministry to help new moms go through the schedule process. She has the two most wonderful children ever. God has given her a gift for sure. Just in case she is jenibug7@aol.com. Her name is Jen! Looking forward to seeing you all in a few months.