I am so excited about my plans for tonight! My friend Karolyn and I are going to see the Sex and the City movie. We have been waiting a long time for this. Setting aside the dirty language and nudity...I have really enjoyed the theme of friendship in this show.
David and Karolyn's husband Chris are doing "Daddy Duty" and taking care of the kiddos. Chris and Karolyn have two adorable girls, Kelsey is three and Kirsten is almost 9 months. We'll also be stopping in at my favorite spot, Twigs, for the famous cosmopolitans after the movie. We also can't forget their fabulous gorgonzola fries! Don't wait up guys!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Flying "Bumbo" Ride?
You've heard of the "Flying Dumbo Ride" at Disneyland, right? Well, at our house we have the "Flying Bumbo Ride." David puts Morgan in her Bumbo seat, picks her up WITH the seat and takes her for a ride. Here's a peek...
That was fun, is it over?
Again, Daddy, again!!
Kisses from Daddy
After a trip down the hall, into the bedroom and back
Coming in for a landing! (Please ignore Carrie Underwood in the background)
That was fun, is it over?
Again, Daddy, again!!Kisses from DaddyWednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Fussy Butt and Stinky Sleeper
We have a binder that we use to keep track of Morgan's feedings, diaper changes and sleeping. Yes, it is very anal, but I like to use it to see how her sleeping patterns have changed and if/when they coincide with the amounts she eats. There is one page per day. I found these tracking sheets on a website I frequent. They must be made for daycare providers or parents with multiples because there is a spot for a name at the top of the sheet. When we first started to use them we simple put "Morgan" at the top of the page. The I decided to use some of her cute and funny nicknames, so we gradually went through the list of names such as "boo-boo girl", "pooky-boo" and "sweet baby girl." There are so many, I could go on and on.
Now becoming bored with the usual nicknames, I decided this weekend to start using a name I felt applied to her temperment for that day. Yesterday she became "Fussy Butt." She was having a fussy day that I haven't seen since the colicky early months. She woke up several times that morning and was a challenge to get back to sleep. Then she was up for the day about 7 am. About 2 hours later she showed all signs of being sleepy (yawns, rubbing eyes), but refused to take a nap. Finally at almost noon she either she gave in to pure exhaustion or she was calmed by the loud static we played from the radio in her room. Sigh. Luckily she woke up about an hour and a half later much happier.
This morning she earned the name "Stinky Sleeper." Now, she wasn't actually stinky, but lately she has not been sleeping well. She has learned to roll over on her tummy and now prefers to sleep that way. We'll put her to sleep on her back and she'll stay that way for a few hours. Then she'll wake up, roll over and fuss for a while until she falls back asleep. She did that at about 11:00 pm last night. Then she woke up at about 1:15 and showed no signs of going back to sleep. I finally got up and fed her. She went back to sleep, then woke up at 5:15 am for the day. We hope she gets back to her 8-9 hour stretches of sleep again soon.
We are crossing our fingers for "happy baby" or "giggle girl" tomorrow.
Now becoming bored with the usual nicknames, I decided this weekend to start using a name I felt applied to her temperment for that day. Yesterday she became "Fussy Butt." She was having a fussy day that I haven't seen since the colicky early months. She woke up several times that morning and was a challenge to get back to sleep. Then she was up for the day about 7 am. About 2 hours later she showed all signs of being sleepy (yawns, rubbing eyes), but refused to take a nap. Finally at almost noon she either she gave in to pure exhaustion or she was calmed by the loud static we played from the radio in her room. Sigh. Luckily she woke up about an hour and a half later much happier.
This morning she earned the name "Stinky Sleeper." Now, she wasn't actually stinky, but lately she has not been sleeping well. She has learned to roll over on her tummy and now prefers to sleep that way. We'll put her to sleep on her back and she'll stay that way for a few hours. Then she'll wake up, roll over and fuss for a while until she falls back asleep. She did that at about 11:00 pm last night. Then she woke up at about 1:15 and showed no signs of going back to sleep. I finally got up and fed her. She went back to sleep, then woke up at 5:15 am for the day. We hope she gets back to her 8-9 hour stretches of sleep again soon.
We are crossing our fingers for "happy baby" or "giggle girl" tomorrow.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Friends
Now I couldn't do a post with pictures and not have one without pictures of the adventures of our little Morgan.
We are happy to report that the Shock won again on Saturday! We beat the Austin Wranglers 62-42. Still undefeated! Below is Morgan's friend Elijah who's daddy is the head coach. Elijah is about 3 weeks older than Morgan. Elijah's Mommy, Migdalia, is already teaching Elijah that he needs to "protect" Morgan when they start school together. I'm not sure what she needs to be protected from, but we like that she's already making friends. They actually acknowledged each other this time. Usually they barely look at each other. There might have even been a little hand-holding!
We are happy to report that the Shock won again on Saturday! We beat the Austin Wranglers 62-42. Still undefeated! Below is Morgan's friend Elijah who's daddy is the head coach. Elijah is about 3 weeks older than Morgan. Elijah's Mommy, Migdalia, is already teaching Elijah that he needs to "protect" Morgan when they start school together. I'm not sure what she needs to be protected from, but we like that she's already making friends. They actually acknowledged each other this time. Usually they barely look at each other. There might have even been a little hand-holding!
Roaring Rapids
Many of you know that we had a VERY long winter this year. In the past few weeks it's just started to feel like we could have a spring/summer. Unfortunately the warming weather has also caused problems with the lakes and rivers. Lake Coeur d'Alene is several feet above typical summer levels and is currently a no-wake zone. No fun for boaters. The Spokane River has also been overflowing it's banks. David went for a run on the Centennial Trail near our house and he had to turn around at the 7 mile marker because the trail was blocked by the water.
The extra water has also created quite a spectacle of Spokane Falls that runs through downtown. There were a few days last week where the pedestrian bridge was closed due to the high water spray. After church yesterday we decided to go take a look. Here are a few shots...click on the pictures to see them larger:
A view of the pedestrian bridge and water converging from both sides
This kid's getting nice and wet!
The extra water has also created quite a spectacle of Spokane Falls that runs through downtown. There were a few days last week where the pedestrian bridge was closed due to the high water spray. After church yesterday we decided to go take a look. Here are a few shots...click on the pictures to see them larger:
A view of the pedestrian bridge and water converging from both sides 
A closer look
This kid's getting nice and wet!David took that last picture. I wouldn't walk across the bridge with Morgan. It looked scary to me. There were lots of folks out there to take a look. There was also a very long line for the gondola ride that travels across the water, suspended above the rapids. Yikes! Many pedestrians were drenched from the spray, but having a great time.
We're off to do some Memorial Day shopping. Wish us luck...and hope we don't spend too much money! :-)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A Long Week
I've been lagging on my blogging this week. It has been a long one for me at work with preparation for our PR team to visit on Thursday and then two days full of meetings and property tours. Though it is nice to have a change of pace and be out of the office, it is difficult to keep up with the day to day details. On Thursday night I also had a dinner with our company CEO, President, our PR team and a few co-workers. It was nice to have a great dinner out, but I missed my little Morgan terribly. I had to say goodbye to her in the morning and she was asleep when I got home that night. By Friday afternoon I was dying to see her. I got home a bit early from some meetings in downtown Spokane and begged David to come with me to get Morgan early from day care. It didn't take much begging because David was glad to go get her too.
We are ecstatic to have a long weekend with our little one. We are off to some friends' house to "watch" the Shock game. It will be broadcast over the internet. I can't imagine us all sitting around the computer, so I think I'll check in from time to time. The guys will keep us girls updated. Morgan's friend Elijah (and his mommy Migdalia) will be there so it will be sure to be a fun time. We'll take lots of pictures!! Go Shock!!
We are ecstatic to have a long weekend with our little one. We are off to some friends' house to "watch" the Shock game. It will be broadcast over the internet. I can't imagine us all sitting around the computer, so I think I'll check in from time to time. The guys will keep us girls updated. Morgan's friend Elijah (and his mommy Migdalia) will be there so it will be sure to be a fun time. We'll take lots of pictures!! Go Shock!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cracking us Up
Last night Morgan provided quite the entertainment at dinner. We put her in her high chair while we ate. She was pretty quiet most of the time until we were almost finished. Lately she's been very intent on watching us eat. A few days ago she started imitating our chewing motions. At first we thought she had gotten something in her mouth and was actually chewing on it, but no, she was just doing what we were doing.
Tonight she took turns looking at each person around the table, Grandma, Daddy, Grandpa and Mommy. She'd give that person a big smile and end it with a sort of squeak/squeal...then she'd make the chewing motions. We really don't know why she was doing this, but the more we laughed, the louder and funnier she got. It was like she wanted to be sure she got a reaction from all of us. She sure likes to be the center of attention...she must take after her Daddy that way. A few more weeks until solid foods little one...until then we'll enjoy watching you "eat."
Tonight she took turns looking at each person around the table, Grandma, Daddy, Grandpa and Mommy. She'd give that person a big smile and end it with a sort of squeak/squeal...then she'd make the chewing motions. We really don't know why she was doing this, but the more we laughed, the louder and funnier she got. It was like she wanted to be sure she got a reaction from all of us. She sure likes to be the center of attention...she must take after her Daddy that way. A few more weeks until solid foods little one...until then we'll enjoy watching you "eat."
Monday, May 19, 2008
A Day at a Different Park
I've been behind on our blog. Grandma and Grandpa B are visiting and we've been very busy! Sunday we spent a nice day at Manito Park on the South Hill in Spokane. Spring has finally arrived!!
It was such a beautiful day. We picked up sandwiches and treats at my favorite bakery and spread out a few blankets in a shady spot near the playground. We watched Morgan roll around on the blankets for a while. She is getting quicker and more agile every day. Unfortunately she gets stuck on her tummy and can't remember how to get to her back. Too cute. For so long she only rolled from her back to her tummy. Now that she's figured out the other direction, she can't get back the original way she learned to roll. Hee hee.
We took a walk to the lilac gardens and the rose gardens. The lilacs were looking and smelling great! Can't say so much for the roses. Hopefully they're be in full bloom when Grandma and Grandpa come back in the fall.
I can't believe how big Morgan looks in our most recent pictures! Above is a great picture my Dad took with Morgan, my Mom and I. We call her our "chunky monkey" for a reason!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Bedtime for Baby
A post on a message board I frequent reminded me of how far Morgan has come developmentally. It seems like just yesterday she was a tiny newborn and now she's grabbing her feet and rolling over! Sigh.
The post asked for advice on bedtime routines. For her first month or two "bedtime" was somewhat of a far-off concept for us. We just made every effort we could to try to help her tell the difference between day and night and get her to sleep more than two or three hours at a time, especially at night.
In hopes of someday getting more sleep we did try to establish a bedtime routine fairly early. Morgan went to bed pretty late in the evening, around 10 or 11 pm. I really don't remember why that became the case, but we were still trying nursing at the time and I think it worked in with the schedule we had from the lactation consultant. Anyway, our "routine" consisted of a bath, applying calming lavender lotion, swaddling her, a final feeding...and hopefully, holding our breath, dare we jostle her even a little, we'd put her down in the bassinet to sleep.
At six weeks old, we moved Morgan to her crib. We had originally planned to keep her in our room until she was about 3 months old. But...there are things no one tells you about with newborns that you have to discover on your own. The strange and startling noises she would make in her sleep kept us on edge most of the night, making our precious sleep rather disturbed. When we moved her to her own room, she was still close enough so we could clearly hear her cries, but just far enough away that every peep and squeak was muted just enough.
When Morgan got bigger, and thus slept in longer stretches, we slowly started to move her bedtime up. I had read in my Baby 411 book (great resource new Mommies!) that the best time for a baby's bedtime is between 7 and 8:30 pm. So this was the goal and it probably took us about two weeks to get her there. Now we pretty consistently have her asleep by 8:00 pm during the week. Here is an example of our current routine:
5:00 or 5:30 - Home from daycare (depending on who is picking her up) - Playtime
6:00 - Bottle, play or hang in high chair or jumperoo while Mom and Dad eat dinner
7:15 - Bath
7:25 - Lotion/Massage, put on PJs
7:30 - Last Bottle
8:00 - Put in crib drowsy, falls asleep
We do have a lot of fun during this evening schedule. Morgan likes her baths. We talk to her and sing to her. Baths at this point are quick. Since we do them most nights we are also light on the soap because it can really dry her out in our climate. After drying her off we still do some lotion and massage. She makes the funniest noises and faces while we are doing this! She likes to play with her bath towel and is learning peek-a-boo. And finally, rocking her in the glider chair is such a sweet time as she relaxes and drifts off to sleep as she enjoys her bottle.
I'm curious how her routine changes when we start her on some solid foods next month. Its exciting, but also bittersweet as she is growing and changing so fast. We are doing our best to enjoy every stage along the way. How can you look at that sweet face and not fall in love again and again?!
Sleeping in her Sleep Sack
The "old days" of the trusty Miracle Blanket
The post asked for advice on bedtime routines. For her first month or two "bedtime" was somewhat of a far-off concept for us. We just made every effort we could to try to help her tell the difference between day and night and get her to sleep more than two or three hours at a time, especially at night.
In hopes of someday getting more sleep we did try to establish a bedtime routine fairly early. Morgan went to bed pretty late in the evening, around 10 or 11 pm. I really don't remember why that became the case, but we were still trying nursing at the time and I think it worked in with the schedule we had from the lactation consultant. Anyway, our "routine" consisted of a bath, applying calming lavender lotion, swaddling her, a final feeding...and hopefully, holding our breath, dare we jostle her even a little, we'd put her down in the bassinet to sleep.
At six weeks old, we moved Morgan to her crib. We had originally planned to keep her in our room until she was about 3 months old. But...there are things no one tells you about with newborns that you have to discover on your own. The strange and startling noises she would make in her sleep kept us on edge most of the night, making our precious sleep rather disturbed. When we moved her to her own room, she was still close enough so we could clearly hear her cries, but just far enough away that every peep and squeak was muted just enough.
When Morgan got bigger, and thus slept in longer stretches, we slowly started to move her bedtime up. I had read in my Baby 411 book (great resource new Mommies!) that the best time for a baby's bedtime is between 7 and 8:30 pm. So this was the goal and it probably took us about two weeks to get her there. Now we pretty consistently have her asleep by 8:00 pm during the week. Here is an example of our current routine:
5:00 or 5:30 - Home from daycare (depending on who is picking her up) - Playtime
6:00 - Bottle, play or hang in high chair or jumperoo while Mom and Dad eat dinner
7:15 - Bath
7:25 - Lotion/Massage, put on PJs
7:30 - Last Bottle
8:00 - Put in crib drowsy, falls asleep
We do have a lot of fun during this evening schedule. Morgan likes her baths. We talk to her and sing to her. Baths at this point are quick. Since we do them most nights we are also light on the soap because it can really dry her out in our climate. After drying her off we still do some lotion and massage. She makes the funniest noises and faces while we are doing this! She likes to play with her bath towel and is learning peek-a-boo. And finally, rocking her in the glider chair is such a sweet time as she relaxes and drifts off to sleep as she enjoys her bottle.
I'm curious how her routine changes when we start her on some solid foods next month. Its exciting, but also bittersweet as she is growing and changing so fast. We are doing our best to enjoy every stage along the way. How can you look at that sweet face and not fall in love again and again?!
Sleeping in her Sleep Sack 
The "old days" of the trusty Miracle BlanketWednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
What a weekend!!
Where to recap? Auntie Ali came into town to stake her claim as favorite aunt. So far, she's got a pretty healthy lead. While Meg worked on Friday, Auntie and I took Morgan out on a secret mission for a Mother's Day gift. (Don't tell Meg - the gift is still in the process of being delivered.)
We followed that with a trip to the offices of the Spokane Shock (The local Arena Football team, and my former employer.) I told Ali to be prepared, and sure enough everyone in the office said hello to Morgan, myself.... and Meg?!? (They're identical twins, honest mistake.)
The next night we took Morgan to her first Shock game. Luckily we're good enough friends with the owners that we got to sit in their suite, rather than among the rabid throng of over 10,000 fans. Some day she'll be one of them, but the substantially tamer environment of the suite was just the ticket. She didn't flinch during the pre-game pyrotechnics, watched mommy and auntie consume mini-doughnuts (an Arena favorite) and was as amused by chomping on her bib as she was by the game.
What a trooper! Not a peep the entire game. She endured almost 3 hours of football, being handed off to friends who hadn't met her yet, and the constant drone crowd mixed with loud PA guy. As an added bonus she got to go down on the field after the game and hang out with her buddy Elijah (the coaches son, who's just 3 weeks older.)
Mother's Day was a mellow day at home. She took a nap with mommy, had some more quality time with Auntie Ali, and impressed the assembled crowd with her latest trick - rolling from back to stomach and back.
I think she's also starting to develop an appreciation for how great a mommy she has. Since we've been together, Meg's said that she'd like to find her passion in life. Mission accomplished. My beautiful wife was made to be a mom. I've told others that I may not be the love of her life anymore (that's a really good thing, mind you.) Morgan has stolen her heart. I know when Meg initially said this she might have meant professional passion. So my greatest gift to her will hopefully come at the end of summer, when she'll most likely start her full-time job as a stay at home mom!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Little Handprints
The mystery of the red paint is solved!!! Morgan's daycare teachers had all the babies put their handprints on a piece of paper with a cute Mother's Day poem. I just love looking at the prints of her cubby little fingers!
Here's the poem!
I'm having a nice Mother's Day. I got to sleep late. David made a delicious Creme Brulee french toast and I got some great presents from my parents, Morgan and my sister. Now he's out getting me my favorite Cappuccino Blast from Baskin-Robbins. Ali and I are hanging with Morgan. What more could I ask for?! It's a great first Mother's Day!
Here's the poem! 
I'm having a nice Mother's Day. I got to sleep late. David made a delicious Creme Brulee french toast and I got some great presents from my parents, Morgan and my sister. Now he's out getting me my favorite Cappuccino Blast from Baskin-Robbins. Ali and I are hanging with Morgan. What more could I ask for?! It's a great first Mother's Day!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Auntie Ali's in the House
Morgan's Auntie Ali is here for a visit! We have lots of fun plans. Ali and are are getting pedicures tonight, we'll have brunch at our favorite place Saturday morning and a Shock game at night. Sunday (Mother's Day) I get to sleep in and have breakfast made for me! Sounds great huh?! I'm sure we'll have lots of new pictures to post. Happy Friday!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Scared the Poop out of Her
I had to add this to today's post! I just got off the phone with Morgan's daycare. As soon as I hung up I laughed out loud! Miss Sherry told me that they had a fire drill this morning. The babies don't do well with it at all because of the loud alarm and they are loaded four to a crib and are rolled outside.
The funny part was that Miss Sherry said that she had just changed Morgan's diaper right before the drill started and when they got back in the building she discovered that Morgan had pooped. The fire drill literally scared the poop out of her! Hee hee!
I hope this doesn't sound mean that I laughed. I hate the idea that this upset her, but somehow it struck me as funny too. Please forgive me.
The funny part was that Miss Sherry said that she had just changed Morgan's diaper right before the drill started and when they got back in the building she discovered that Morgan had pooped. The fire drill literally scared the poop out of her! Hee hee!
I hope this doesn't sound mean that I laughed. I hate the idea that this upset her, but somehow it struck me as funny too. Please forgive me.
Red Paint?
When I walked into the daycare center to pick up Morgan yesterday one of her teachers was on her way out. She warned me that Morgan had some red paint on her hands, but "she wasn't allowed to tell me why"..."she" is Morgan, not the teacher. Of course I laughed, but I wondered hmmm, what are they up to? When I saw her, sure enough, traces of red paint on her hands and fingernails. Then I looked closer and saw paint on her ear and the back of her head. Even funnier, when I went to give Morgan her bath I took off her outfit and she had red paint on her shoulders and arms too! AND they had made an effort to wash it off, so there must have been much more! They also must have stripped the babies down to their diapers so they didn't get paint all over their clothes. I'm trying to picture the scene...I would have liked to be there! I can't wait to see Morgan's first art project!
I also chatted briefly with Center Director. She was so cute. She said that Morgan had a good day and she (the Director) had "gotten" to feed her twice. We get a lot of comments from the teachers about how content and happy Morgan has been and how she's fun to be around. David said the other day "I think they all like her a lot." As we both work, it's good to know that your child is being well cared for and "loved" in a place that she spends a large portion of her day.
I also chatted briefly with Center Director. She was so cute. She said that Morgan had a good day and she (the Director) had "gotten" to feed her twice. We get a lot of comments from the teachers about how content and happy Morgan has been and how she's fun to be around. David said the other day "I think they all like her a lot." As we both work, it's good to know that your child is being well cared for and "loved" in a place that she spends a large portion of her day.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
A Day at the Park
With the weather in Spokane finally getting nice, we were able to spend a little time at the park with Morgan on Sunday. We had a nice time hanging out and people-watching at a local park called Mirabeau Meadows. Since it was one of the few nice days we've had so far this year, there were a TON of people there. We had to search to find a shady spot with semi-dry grass.
Morgan was watching some teenagers play with a volleyball. She has also recently discovered her feet and enjoys grabbing her toes and/or socks.
A nice park-goer offered to take a family photo. Can you believe Morgan is looking right at the camera?!
Morgan was watching some teenagers play with a volleyball. She has also recently discovered her feet and enjoys grabbing her toes and/or socks.
A nice park-goer offered to take a family photo. Can you believe Morgan is looking right at the camera?!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Ferberizing
This is a strange term that I have only learned recently. It reminds me of the word you used to see connected to dry cleaners...martinizing. I really never knew what that meant, but somehow they seem like they'd be related.
"Ferberizing" is a term used by parents who adopt the "sleep training" methods of Dr. Richard Ferber. There are all kinds of methods out there to train your baby to go to sleep on their own, some include letting your child cry and some do not. Dr. Ferber supports letting your child cry, but not just closing the bedroom door and letting them cry indefinitely. Though I wasn't sure how I was going to handle the crying, at least I knew that I wasn't going to make my child feel abandoned.
Previously we had been doing our night-time routine, a bath, lotion/massage, put on her jammies, a bottle while being rocked in the glider...then rocked until she was completely asleep. Then very, very carefully get up, walk over to the crib and place her in, praying the whole time that you won't jostle her too much or make any noise to wake her up. If she woke up it was back to the glider until she fell asleep again. Ugh.
From my research at 4-6 months, babies are neurologically able to fall asleep on their own. Some babies just start doing it on their own (lucky parents!), but most need to be "trained." We were ready to start "Ferberizing" at four months, but we had to deal with the elimination of the swaddle first. Now that that's done, here's how it works. You get your child ready to go to sleep in the usual manner, though the first night it is good to start a bit later than normal so the baby is more tired. After you are done with your routine, you put your baby in bed awake. Our doctor recommended putting them to bed drowsy at first, so this is what we did. She had her bottle and was partly asleep, but not completely. Once she was in the crib she fussed around a bit and eventually started to cry. Once she starts to cry you wait a designated amount of time to just let them CIO (or "Cry It Out" - this is another message board term like STTN, Sleeping Through The Night). We started with three minutes. This was harder than I thought. When Morgan cries, she cries loud and hard. We turned down the sound on the monitor (we can watch her on the video screen) and closed the door to the bonus room. When the three minutes are up one of us would go into her room and "soothe" her for a minute or two. We aren't allowed to pick her up, but we would talk to her and rub her tummy and give her some kisses. Usually she would calm down some. Then you have to leave the room making sure she was still awake and aware you are not there.
Then you wait at longer intervals, five minutes, then ten minutes...then continue with the ten minute intervals as long as she is still crying. Friday night Morgan cried on and off for a total of 20 minutes (so the three, five and ten minute intervals with a few minutes that she was not actually crying). She was asleep before the first ten minute interval ended. Yay Morgan! She did about the same thing on Saturday night. Then last night she was asleep before the five minute interval was up...so I think it took her about 6-7 minutes from when we put her down to fall asleep. Fantastic!! You are actually supposed to increase the intervals each night...but until this moment I completely forgot about that. It worked fine anyway. We are still working on this for naps...but it looks like the nights are going well. When/if she wakes up around 3-4 am to eat we put her right back in her crib again...both Saturday and last night she fussed around for about 30 minutes and went back to sleep for a few hours. No real crying. Good girl!
This works great for us as we like to have Morgan go to sleep around 8:00 pm. If we have to rock/soothe her completely to sleep each night it takes much longer. Now we can have more time with her knowing that as soon as she finishes her bottle, she can be put in her crib and go to sleep on her own. This is good for her so she develops the ability to put herself to sleep ..thus she sleeps better and longer because she doesn't need us to "help" her get to sleep.
We'll let you know how this continues to go. We are excited about Morgan's progress. I'm sure teething will totally throw everything out of whack, but for now it's going great.
"Ferberizing" is a term used by parents who adopt the "sleep training" methods of Dr. Richard Ferber. There are all kinds of methods out there to train your baby to go to sleep on their own, some include letting your child cry and some do not. Dr. Ferber supports letting your child cry, but not just closing the bedroom door and letting them cry indefinitely. Though I wasn't sure how I was going to handle the crying, at least I knew that I wasn't going to make my child feel abandoned.
Previously we had been doing our night-time routine, a bath, lotion/massage, put on her jammies, a bottle while being rocked in the glider...then rocked until she was completely asleep. Then very, very carefully get up, walk over to the crib and place her in, praying the whole time that you won't jostle her too much or make any noise to wake her up. If she woke up it was back to the glider until she fell asleep again. Ugh.
From my research at 4-6 months, babies are neurologically able to fall asleep on their own. Some babies just start doing it on their own (lucky parents!), but most need to be "trained." We were ready to start "Ferberizing" at four months, but we had to deal with the elimination of the swaddle first. Now that that's done, here's how it works. You get your child ready to go to sleep in the usual manner, though the first night it is good to start a bit later than normal so the baby is more tired. After you are done with your routine, you put your baby in bed awake. Our doctor recommended putting them to bed drowsy at first, so this is what we did. She had her bottle and was partly asleep, but not completely. Once she was in the crib she fussed around a bit and eventually started to cry. Once she starts to cry you wait a designated amount of time to just let them CIO (or "Cry It Out" - this is another message board term like STTN, Sleeping Through The Night). We started with three minutes. This was harder than I thought. When Morgan cries, she cries loud and hard. We turned down the sound on the monitor (we can watch her on the video screen) and closed the door to the bonus room. When the three minutes are up one of us would go into her room and "soothe" her for a minute or two. We aren't allowed to pick her up, but we would talk to her and rub her tummy and give her some kisses. Usually she would calm down some. Then you have to leave the room making sure she was still awake and aware you are not there.
Then you wait at longer intervals, five minutes, then ten minutes...then continue with the ten minute intervals as long as she is still crying. Friday night Morgan cried on and off for a total of 20 minutes (so the three, five and ten minute intervals with a few minutes that she was not actually crying). She was asleep before the first ten minute interval ended. Yay Morgan! She did about the same thing on Saturday night. Then last night she was asleep before the five minute interval was up...so I think it took her about 6-7 minutes from when we put her down to fall asleep. Fantastic!! You are actually supposed to increase the intervals each night...but until this moment I completely forgot about that. It worked fine anyway. We are still working on this for naps...but it looks like the nights are going well. When/if she wakes up around 3-4 am to eat we put her right back in her crib again...both Saturday and last night she fussed around for about 30 minutes and went back to sleep for a few hours. No real crying. Good girl!
This works great for us as we like to have Morgan go to sleep around 8:00 pm. If we have to rock/soothe her completely to sleep each night it takes much longer. Now we can have more time with her knowing that as soon as she finishes her bottle, she can be put in her crib and go to sleep on her own. This is good for her so she develops the ability to put herself to sleep ..thus she sleeps better and longer because she doesn't need us to "help" her get to sleep.
We'll let you know how this continues to go. We are excited about Morgan's progress. I'm sure teething will totally throw everything out of whack, but for now it's going great.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
While Mommy Made Dinner
Morgan's been testing out her high chair some more. She won't be eating any solids for another month, but we are getting her used to sitting in her chair while we do some things around the kitchen. Here's a snippet from last night, while I made dinner.
Mmm. Something smells good. I think I'm kinda hungry. I think I'll blow a raspberry.
Now I'll munch on this for a while.
Bleh! Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I think I'll blow a raspberry.
OK. Now I really mean it! I'm hungry!
Ooh! I see my Daddy! Hi Daddy!
Mmm. Something smells good. I think I'm kinda hungry. I think I'll blow a raspberry.
Now I'll munch on this for a while.
Bleh! Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I think I'll blow a raspberry.
Mommy! I'm ready to eat!
OK. Now I really mean it! I'm hungry!You'll be glad to know Morgan was promptly fed and and happy again. Her teachers at daycare always comment on how sweet she is...and then she gets hungry. It happens so quickly. She'll be happy playing and then all of a sudden screaming to eat. And I mean red-faced, top-of-her-lungs screaming. At least we can say she sure knows how to communicate what she wants.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Teething?!
We've wondered for a while whether Morgan has actually started teething yet. The faucet of drool has gradually increased over the past month or two. She has taken to sucking on everything in sight, including Mommy's fingers and her lower lip. It is so cute when she sucks on her lower lip...it just totally disappears into her mouth. I've tried to get a picture of it with no luck.
When she bites down on my finger it's not a gentle bite anymore. She's got lots of teething "toys" to chew on. Every once in a while I run my finger along her lower gums to see if I feel anything. Nothing yet and they are are not red or irritated yet.
We keep getting teased by this teething thing. I figure when it really happens we'll know for certain! In the meantime we'll enjoy our girl's cute little gummy smile.
When she bites down on my finger it's not a gentle bite anymore. She's got lots of teething "toys" to chew on. Every once in a while I run my finger along her lower gums to see if I feel anything. Nothing yet and they are are not red or irritated yet.
We keep getting teased by this teething thing. I figure when it really happens we'll know for certain! In the meantime we'll enjoy our girl's cute little gummy smile.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Mommy Time
David's new job takes him out of town a few days each week. Sometimes I dread these days. David is so hands-on with Morgan that when he's gone he is missed dearly by both Mommy and Baby. The mornings are the most stressful. I have to get myself ready for work and Morgan ready for daycare. Every morning is different depending on when Morgan wakes up...so only so much planning ahead can be done.
Aside from the mornings...one thing I've noticed...I dread the days David's gone, but when I'm in the midst of it I really appreciate the time alone I get with Morgan. There is always something new and special for us to experience together. A few things from last night:
* Morgan spent a little time in her Jumperoo again. I'm trying not to leave her in there for too long, but I really needed to get something to eat. She continued to jump herself silly again. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they have the same one at her daycare. One of her teachers left a note on her daily report that she liked it so much she fell asleep in it! I hope they're not keeping her in there too long either...
* Morgan laughed for me again! Last time I made her laugh by kissing her cheeks and making funny sounds. I've been trying to do that again for a while with no luck. Last night I added a variation. When I kissed her I made a little "buzzing" sound with my lips on her cheeks that tickled a little. She especially liked it when I kissed her little chin. We called Daddy and he got to hear a few giggles too. Her little laughs are so sweet, like sparkles of sunshine. I know that sounds cheesy, but it makes me so happy!
* Bath time brought a new discovery. I was carefully cleaning some tender areas and I looked at her face and noticed she was sucking her thumb! She usually sucks her fist or a few fingers, but I'd never seen her actually put her thumb in her mouth.
* When I dropped her off at daycare this morning, I went to leave and the "pouty face" came out and she started to cry. I think we're seeing the start of some separation anxiety. The teacher was able to distract her with some toys before she really got going...and I slipped out the door. I don't want to her to get upset, but secretly I was a little proud of the fact that she would miss her Mommy.
Tune in next week for some more "Mommy Time" stories!
Aside from the mornings...one thing I've noticed...I dread the days David's gone, but when I'm in the midst of it I really appreciate the time alone I get with Morgan. There is always something new and special for us to experience together. A few things from last night:
* Morgan spent a little time in her Jumperoo again. I'm trying not to leave her in there for too long, but I really needed to get something to eat. She continued to jump herself silly again. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they have the same one at her daycare. One of her teachers left a note on her daily report that she liked it so much she fell asleep in it! I hope they're not keeping her in there too long either...
* Morgan laughed for me again! Last time I made her laugh by kissing her cheeks and making funny sounds. I've been trying to do that again for a while with no luck. Last night I added a variation. When I kissed her I made a little "buzzing" sound with my lips on her cheeks that tickled a little. She especially liked it when I kissed her little chin. We called Daddy and he got to hear a few giggles too. Her little laughs are so sweet, like sparkles of sunshine. I know that sounds cheesy, but it makes me so happy!
* Bath time brought a new discovery. I was carefully cleaning some tender areas and I looked at her face and noticed she was sucking her thumb! She usually sucks her fist or a few fingers, but I'd never seen her actually put her thumb in her mouth.
* When I dropped her off at daycare this morning, I went to leave and the "pouty face" came out and she started to cry. I think we're seeing the start of some separation anxiety. The teacher was able to distract her with some toys before she really got going...and I slipped out the door. I don't want to her to get upset, but secretly I was a little proud of the fact that she would miss her Mommy.
Tune in next week for some more "Mommy Time" stories!
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