We have been dealing with a lot of sleepless nights here recently. The doctor says that Avery is teething but I think mixed with growing spurts & of course now the time change, she is all messed up. Last night we woke up 3 times an HOUR. My husband actually stayed home from work today to help take care of her and rest because we were both up all night. I always thought that the older they got the easier it would be. I am finding that the newborn stage was the easiest. Harder in a sense because I didn't know what I was doing, but easier because she slept all the time. She is now starting to show her personality and let us know what she wants and doesn't mind letting us know, loudly- haha!
At 15 lbs, we started introducing cereal & the #1 baby food full time to her about 3 weeks ago. She has taken to them well. She loves the pears, but after doing those for a few weeks we switched to bananas and that helped her tummy a little better. She loves them and does so well opening her mouth and swallowing. I found that feeding her with the spoon was easier than putting cereal in her bottle & she liked it a ton better! October 26th she rolled for the first time during her nap time. I creeped in there and watched her and she just grunted and tried so hard. It was the cutest thing ever. She is also now starting to reach for me and others. She loves pulling up and trying to grab for objects. Her main thing recently is faces. She loves grabbing for your nose, your mouth... and even scratches Daddy! Her favorite color is blue, she just eyes my blackberry and wants to hold my phone constantly! She also enjoys the computer keyboard and the remote control. She loves buttons & anything with patterns!
...I guess you could say I am just in love. In love with her, my life, and all that God has blessed me with. She is truly a blessing!
Kind of an odd post to hear from my viewers, but I am truly anxious to hear your experience is at the 5 month mark and any advice you may have. I'm pretty picky with how I like to do things and I am constantly offered advice, which is great! In the end I do what I want and what I think works best, but I would love to hear your thoughts! I have tried everything to get her to start sleeping, we are very routine... but I'm just not able to put my finger on why she is waking so often! So write me & tell me what you experienced and some things that helped. I also might add that I am trying to slowly wean her from the passy at night because I am finding she is waking up losing it and is 1/2 asleep wanting it and I am always having to give it to her to get her back to sleep. I am to the point where I am letting her cry it out but can't stand her screaming herself to sleep!!! YIKES!
This momma is doing, well.. OKAY. I am PMSing (yes had my first period since I was pregnant), and it's been HARD. My hormones are crazy, I am hot constantly, moody, exhausted, and feeling like a COW! Add restless nights in the mix and I am a nut case, ha! Nothing I can't handle but it's been a HARD 2 weeks! Sorry, a little TMI...
For now, here are some pics of my doll baby!
happy 5months Avery!!!
ReplyDeletelove the pics
Sorry for the recent troubles. I can't remember or not if you are still breastfeeding, but if you aren't... you might try putting a little of the cereal in her bottle at night before bed or during feedings to help fill her up a little bit better. (If it is even a hunger issue...) I also found that when my little boy was 3 months, as soon as I moved him to his crib in his room, he started sleeping through the night. The room was completely silenced and dark. Now that he is 2, that is the only way he can sleep. We never had a problem since. Good luck, and they will grow out of it. I promise!
ReplyDeleteHappy five months! She is such a doll, and I love your new fall family photos! I wish I had some advise to give on keeping the little one to sleep, but I don't. My son is BIG into his passy as well and he is a year already... I have been trying to take it away, but he freaks out! So needless to say I am not even trying anymore. That's really the only way I can get him to sleep, and it's funny you mention she wakes up and can't find her passy, because he used to do the samething! I would run in there try and find it and stick it back in his mouth before he freaked out and woke fully awake! lol. The lengths we go for a good nite's sleep! :-) Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are adorable! Happy 5 months Avery!
ReplyDeleteI know it doesn't seem like a blip in time when you're living it, but trust me, this too shall pass. More than likely she is growing and getting ready to reach a new developmental milestone and that is what is waking her at night. I could never stand to hear my babies cry and many times would fall asleep sitting up rocking them as they slept in my arms. I think always answering their cries, only builds trust and it will make your baby fall into a normal routine easier as she knows that her needs will be met. You're right though, you know whats best for you and your family and you just need to follow your instinct! You've done a great job so far so trust yourself now! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love your blog!!! It's so cute. I have a 1 year old, Lauren. We put rice cereal in her bottle, even after dinner time. It helped her sleep 500 times better. For us, that did the trick. But so many babies are just different. Lauren had reflux so it helped with that too. PS: Can you be my stylist? HA I love your clothes!
ReplyDeleteLove love love the new pictures, Avery is such a little cutie. My son, Jackson, is about a week behind Avery in age. We're still exclusively feeding him breast milk, so I don't have any tips on cereal/baby food. However, I must say the within the past two weeks the mobile and humidifier have become our best friends. I was shocked at how much better the humidifier helped him sleep - we're in south Louisiana, how much more humidity do you need?!? Anyway, that paired with his new interest in the mobile has made night time so much better. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat first picture of your family is GORGEOUS! Love it! Parker had a similar issue around the same age and I added another solid food feeding during the day. Solved the problem ASAP. It could just be her way of telling you that she is still hungry and not only for liquids but for solids. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAshley she is just so adorable! :) Good luck with the getting more sleep! If you find anything that works, let me know! :) I am all for some advice because I am in the same boat! :)
ReplyDeleteI, too, have no advice but I will specifically pray for patience for you! Once we started our son on formula at 6 weeks, he was sleeping through the night and now that he's 2, we've never had less than 8 solid hours of sleep each night - spoiled, I know!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are adorable - your lady bug was just precious on Halloween too! You really are blessed with an amazing family and a beautiful life. I'm with a previous commenter, can you be my stylist!? :)
hey ashley,
ReplyDeletei love the book -how to solve your child's sleep problems. It's kinda like baby wise but a little more laid back. It's a good investment because it has sleep advice for your kids all the way until they're 18. Both my boys started sleeping 12 hours through night at 3 months or younger. We love to sleep around here:)But for encouragement, it goes by so fast and she will not do this forever! I'm sure you already do this, but start praying for her sleep. God cares about that too!
My daughter is only 10 weeks and 2 days, but I thought I would add my two cents...
ReplyDeleteShe sleeps in a bassinet, next to our bed at night. It has a vibrator thing on it and we turn that on once, maybe twice, and she goes to sleep. During the day, she naps in her crib, in her room, with instrumental music playing and we also bought a vibrator thing for her crib. There is a box like thing that sits on the side and the vibrator we put under her mattress. (It's all battery opperated) The box also plays music, has a light, and you can push a button so that when she cries, whatever "big" button you push (i.e., vibrator, or music) will turn back on, automatically. We got it from Target and it is by "First Years." I think it was around $30.
Good luck!!
Happy 5 months miss Avery!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you think she may be teething, try nighttime oragel and teething tablets!! Worked for us!!
The pictures are beautiful! I love the family pic!!
Hey Ashley! First of all, LOVE the new pics of little Miss Avery...so cute! To answer your question about this stage, well I have twins that were two TOTALLY different babies at this stage. Landrie was my baby that started sleeping through the night at 2 mos. and as long as she was fed when she was hungry, she was a pretty easy baby. Ella on the other hand did not sleep through the night until she was 15 mos old, which has only been about the last 3 mos. She was smaller and had a lot of colic, so that was tough. When she got to be around a yr., our issue was the separation anxiety that she had. I think that at the stage you are in right now, babies are learning and noticing so many new things (just like you said Avery is doing) so they just simply don't want to waste time sleeping. If you don't already have some kind o crib soother, like the ocean wonders aquarium, maybe try one of those. If/when Avery wakes up it might just get her attention enough that you won't need to get up with her and lose sleep. Also, I know that it is truly heart breaking to listen to your babe scream herself to sleep, but I too had to do this and I really believe it is what helped. There were times when I was up 10-15 times at night and it was exhausting, but one night it finally clicked that Mommy was still around and that it was ok to sleep. Just listen to your instincts and keep truckin' along, by the looks of things whatever your doing is working!
ReplyDeleteHey girl! Being a mom is hands down the hardest, most exhausting, most gratifying, most honorable job all wrapped up in one beautiful package! Breaking the passy at night is the WORST, it takes about a week to get it done. Hang in there and stay the coarse, it will be over with before you know it! Love you guys!!!
ReplyDeletehave you used a sleep sheep? Google it and order one!!! They are amazing! I have twin 8 month olds- that have slept through the night since 3 months old from 6:30pm- 7:15am! We too are very routine-(Thank you Babywise) I often feel that every other mom looks at me like I am crazy routine, but I do believe that it is what really helps them feel safe and content! :) We did the pacifier thing too- but I just had to break that habit- so I would try really hard to avoid that at all costs! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI am a Babywise mom too and my daughter who just turned 2 has been a great sleeper since she was very young!
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was 8 months old, there were 9 nights in a row that she woke up. We could not figure it out because she had been sleeping solid 12 hours a night for months. Then, just as fast as the night wakings started, they stopped and she went back to sleeping like an angel. Maybe it was a growth spurt? Or teeth? I never figured it out. Since then it has been a very rare occasion if she wakes in the night. Hang in there! Avery is a good sleeper and will go back to her good sleeping ways.
Pray, pray, pray about it! God designed sleep to refresh and restore our bodies. He knows what you need and will sustain you through these sleepless nights.
As for the first period after baby...I got mine when my daughter was about 10 months. I actually thought I was pregnant again because I felt so bloated and wiped out of all my energy. It will get better!
Enjoy your sweet little girl. She is so beautiful!
Ashley
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, you are an amazing MOM!!!!!!!!!!! Ashley I have three precious little ones (we adopted two amazing miracles from Guatemala) and I am pregnant with my fourth and I come to your blog and I am amazed by you!!!!
I was never as relaxed as you are with my first! :) You are amazing!!! I remember the best piece of advice I learned from my dear neighbor --she told me you have to do what is right for your family and not to listen to anyone else! --I never forgot that!
Caleb was a really great sleeper but he would have periods like sweet Avery where he would get up --I remember being so sleep deprived the people at Starbucks knew me by name! It eventually worked itself out and he did sleep again and I did not do anything differant except maybe PRAY :)
You are doing Great grilfriend--you are! You and Avery are as cute as you can be!!!! I will be praying for SLEEP for you :) Thank you for sharing with us! You are the cutest! :)
Happy 5 mths! Those pics are just precious! I love the first one! It is so cute! Looks like it could be on the cover of Parenting Magazine!
ReplyDeleteEvery baby is different and you just have to do what is right for your family! Hang in there your a great mommy! I feel ya on the PMS thing! Kelcee was 5 mths when I got my period back and my emotions were CRAZY!
Hope she sleeps well for ya soon! Hang in there!
Summer :0)
Hi...I have been reading your blog off and on for awhile now. Your little Avery is so cute. I hate to hear about sleeping troubles because we ALL need our rest to function!
ReplyDeleteAnyway my daughter Leighton didn't start sleeping through the night until she was about 6 months. But some of the things that helped get us there were:
1.solid nighttime routine
2. earlier bedtime (I know this sounds completely crazy but it is true....when I try to keep her up even now, she wakes up EARLIER than if I just would have put her to be at 630/7 pm)
3. I would not get up w/ her unless it had been "X" amount of hours (you set that, I did 5-6 hours at first). Of course if she was SCREAMING I went to her but otherwise she was old enough to learn to put herself to sleep! This works for us ever time to just let her CIO and as she slept longer I moved up the times (ie 10-12 hours).
Good Luck and I hope that all the suggestions will help!!
PS generally it is not a food issue, but a learning how to go back to sleep on their own issue!
My mom had twins so we were definitely on a schedule. She says that made all the difference. She also let us cry it out-we turned out just fine. She wanted us to know that bedtime meant sleep. She wanted us to learn to go on our own.
ReplyDeleteThat made all the difference when we were older because we never had trouble going to sleep because we developed good sleeping patterns when we were younger.