I don't believe in co sleeping for the long run or the long haul but I do believe it is best for both mom and baby in the first few weeks. And of course doing it safely. I like having the baby thst close to me in the beginning and its esasiest for a breastfeeding mama. Tom slept downstairs in beginning with ella and now with Claire so her and I can safely co sleep in the king size bed. I get my side of the bed and Claire sleeps on her side. And as a side note, Tom snuck these pics while Claire and I were taking a quick nap during the day. We usually do not sleep this close at night.
Claire completely had her days and nights mixed up her first week home. There was even one night that I was literally up with her until 5am. She would sleep like a rock though all day long. We just kept at it with trying to keep it bright during the day and not keeping the noise down for her sake. At night, even if she was up, I would keep it dark and quiet.
In the hospital she really liked to be swaddled tight but we hadnt been doing it at home. We started swaddling her at bedtime. Also, if she is tired and fussy it often helps to swaddle her tight and lay her down on her own with no stimulation. By the second week there was HUGE improvement in her sleep. She is going to sleep by 9 and is sleeping three hours, waking for a feeding, and going right back to sleep. She's really doing great for only three weeks. I love that her night sleep has now become like her day sleep that once she out, she sleeps like a rock. Even if I am blogging beside her (like now for example) or have to get up and go to bathroom or even for me to just move into a comfortable position
When Ella was a newbornI rarely napped when she napped. I have to say that the exhaustion is easier to deal with with the second child. I think part of that is because you know there is eventually an end to the exhaustion, because Claire is doing better at night much earlier, as well as I take full advantage of napping with Claire. Its like breastfeeding, I love taking that one on one time just to be with her and bond wiht her. Even if there's tons of other things that need to be done or craziness going on around us.
I kept Ella in bed with me until she was 6 or 7 weeks. Unfortunately with Claire I will probably transition her the end of this week. I think for as well as she is doing at night she is ready but it makes me really sad. Like I said I only let my babies sleep with me those first couple weeks. I think its very important that they learn to self soothe and put themselves to sleep. Ella has literally only slept with us one night since she was a newborn and she was sick and she has only napped with me twice since then. So it makes me sad for Claire to already be making that transition cause it is something that will rarely , if ever, occur again. It makes me sad not knowing if Claire will be our last baby and therefore the last baby to sleep with me. It makes me sad to know that even though her room is next to us she will be all alone in there and I wont have her next to me to know she is safe. But it needs to happen. Tom starts school next week and I want him to be able to sleep well and comfortable in his own bed. Also, I have been
As for my big girl, Ella is getting ready to start school in just two weeks. We have a lots of upcoming activities with school in the next two weeks. The teacher does a home visit with all the new kids. Hers occurs this Friday. The purpose of this visit is to get to know Ella in her environment and where she feels comfortable, see the things she likes, and so she has a familiar face when she walks in for the first day of school. Friday evening there is a school get together/fundraiser at a deli in Loveland where teachers and students are invited. Then the day before school starts the school is having a get together that evening with popsicles and ice cream and a time to drop off school supplies and meet the rest of the teachers. (there are three pre primary classrooms and each have three teachers).
Ella had her three year check up yesterday and she is 29.5lbs and 36 3/4 inches. As Ella always says yes she really is getting "Bigger and big"
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