Spoke too soon!

So this last nap, Amelia went down without batting an eye lash and slept for an hour and a half - you go girl!!! We're so proud of you!!!

Thoughts on sleep training

This is the first step towards Amelia becoming more and more independent. With each nap, I am fighting her tears and big needy eyes to help her learn to become her own person and fall asleep on her own. But I know that in just a short time as she grows up, she is going to be pushing me, my tears and needy eyes, to let her become her own woman. Parenting is hard, I can't imagine how hard it will be to let them go...

Sweet Dreams!

Sleep training has been going really well! We're not perfect yet, but mostly I can lay Miss Amelia down in her crib or pack 'n play and she'll fall asleep within about 30 minutes. We've had a couple of naps where she has fallen asleep within 5 minutes and no pick ups, but we've also had the times where it's been 45 minutes and several. The good news is that we are establishing a routine, she is learning the program, and we are moving in the right direction.

So falling asleep has been good, but staying asleep (another skill she needs to learn) has not come along yet. Nap sleep cycles are about 45 minutes and she hasn't learned to string 2 or more together so she is not taking only 45 minute naps (as opposed to the 2 hour ones she would take in the swing).

Miles learned to take naps longer than 45 minutes once he was down to only 1 a day, and still sometimes wakes up after 45 minutes anyway. Oh well, at least she is getting the first part down for now, and we can learn to deal with the rest!

Good for you Amelia!! We are so proud of you!!!!

Can't argue there....

This is something I want to remember....

2 weeks ago, Tim and I were trying to figure out what to do with Miles and his illness. He was a bundle of snot and his eyes were watering like crazy and a pussy substance was coming out.

With Miles in the room, I said to Tim, "I just feel so bad, Miles eyes are so red" to which Miles interjected promptly (and sternly like only a toddler can do) "NO! BLUE!!!"

It's true, his eyes are blue.

Sleep Training Begins...

This morning dawned to a whole new regimen - Sleep Training. We have gotten into some bad habits with our little Sweetness that we are starting to break. Her bed time is too late, she naps in the swing, and we are up several times a night to re-swaddle her and put her pacifier back in her mouth. Well, the buck stops here.

We started sleep training Miles around the same time with lots of experimentation (and frustration) leading ultimately to a great sleeper. Since about 5 months old, Miles really has been a dream sleeper, especially at night. We'd like to get Amelia here, but know that we have to invest some time, energy and frustration.

So starting today, Amelia is now sleeping in her crib in Miles room, with no swaddle. This is a HUGE change for her. She's even napped in her crib, and now I am making her do it full time. We haven't figured out the night time yet, but will likely keep her in the pack and play in our room until she fully gets into the routine, at which point she and Miles will start sharing the room.

So how's it going?

1. First nap: It took about 90 minutes of picking up and putting down - then she slept for 30 minutes.
2. Second nap: it took about 45 minutes of picking up and putting down - then she slept for 1 hour.
3. Third nap: it took about 30 minutes of picking up and putting down - then she slept for 15 minutes... hmmm... and that's where we are right now.
   

I am back to trying to get her to go to sleep, more of the same, but we're hopeful that she will learn and adjust over the next week to where she's got it down. Wish us lots of patience and fortitude!

Sick and tired...

So whatever Miles had, we all caught. Miles ended up on his first dose of antibiotics 2 weeks ago with a double case of pink eye and a croupy cough. He was starting to get better over the Memorial day weekend, but we kept hosing him on sleep - both delaying his bed time and not allowing him to catch up on his naps, so he went through a bit of a repeat. While he hasn't needed to go back on meds, Tim and I both caught what he had.

I tell you, parenting is hard, but parenting while you are feeling terrible is a true test in patience and endurance. While I can't say we negotiated the whole thing perfectly, we are through the worst of it and the team-work between Tim and I has been wonderful.

Memorial Day Recap

Happy Memorial Day! Ok, I know we are about 10 days too late, but a combination of a prolonged trip and a bunch of colds has kept us at bay.

This year, we spent the first long weekend of summer with the entire Reeth clan up in Mendocino. We arrived on Friday afternoon. I forgot what a pain road trips were with an infant that had to feed every 3 hours, but we stopped at a cute park in Healdsburg to feed her while Miles got to stretch his legs (thanks iPhone!). We had an early dinner with Mama and Pop-pop who brought Uncle Greg and Terra in from Colorado (by way of Reno). Uncle "Yoyo" (Kevin), Aunt "Neenee" (Jeanie), "Tylie" and "Tody" arrived late Friday night so by the time we woke up in Saturday morning, Miles was surrounded by his most favorite people.

Amelia and Dad strolling in Mendocino

We spent Saturday in down town Mendocino with a great stroll on the beach and a wonderful lunch in town. We had another fabulous dinner out for 12 on Saturday night. On Sunday, we took the Skunk Train through the redwoods and learned the history of the area. It was a wonderful steam engine that had an outdoor observation car. The ride up took about 2:15 minutes and deposited us in a lovely grove for a barbecue. The ride home was much shorter, and Miles promptly fell asleep on Debbie. Both Tim and I offered to have Miles nap on us, but he would have none of it - and only settled in on his grandmother.

Miles and Pop-pop on the observation car

Miles sacked out on Mama

That afternoon was beautiful and there was a large deputation to the beach. It's been a while since Miles had his toes in the ocean, and he had a wonderful time playing with his family.



All this was followed by another wonderful dinner. We tended to keep Miles up later than his bedtime (8+ pm) and he did mostly pretty well. One night there was a beautiful sunset and we kept Miles up to watch it. It was the first time he has seen the sunset over the Ocean and it was a wonderful night.




The trip was great, but we wanted to keep going! On Monday afternoon, instead of braving traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, we called up the Embassy Suites in Napa who graciously took us for two more nights. In Napa, we ate well, went to bed early, napped well, and played in the pool. It was great to get away with just the 4 of us, and we are really looking forward to either more road trips or escaping to Soda Springs once it opens up!