Pages

1/27/2016

About Sleep Regression/Teething/Tummy Trouble

We were super lucky that #BabyGoodwin was one of those kids who kind of figured out sleeping through the night all on his own. I'd read blog posts and books about night training, several people suggested BabyWise, and I figured at some point, we were going to have to get strict about our nighttime schedule... And then Jacob started sleeping through the night all by himself without any of that. (I'll never forget the first morning that he slept all the way until 6 o'clock - I barely slept at all that night!)

 Recently, however, he's had some issues with making a lot of noise and sometimes even waking up and crying at night. Sometimes multiple times. He's had tummy issues in the past - the kid hardly ever burped. I think now that he's moving around and so active, it's better. (And he burps much more easily!) The ped suggested putting Colief drops in his bottles, and that definitely seemed to stop any daytime issues. For awhile, we didn't have any nighttime issues, either.

 And he's definitely teething, so of course that can cause problems at night.

 And this all began around 7 months, which can kind of be sleep regression territory. We totally missed the 4-month sleep regression. Never noticed much of a difference in his sleep at that point. But this... WOOOOOOOOO.

 For awhile, he was just kind of a noisy sleeper. We'd hear him toss and turn and occasionally whack the side of the crib. (Not on the monitor or anything - his room is just right across the hall.) He woke us up, but didn't seem like he woke himself up.

Then for awhile he started waking up at 1 a.m. almost on the dot, several nights in a row. And not just, like, "Hey, I'm awake, come pat my butt so I can go back to sleep" waking up. Like full on, suddenly screaming and crying and waking up. We tried giving him Tylenol and/or teething tablets. My husband would mostly just sit up with him and rock him until he finally went back to sleep.

This sucks for two reasons. 1 - our kiddo who was previously sleeping through the night has all of a sudden started waking up and 2 - we have no idea how to figure out the cause.

I read somewhere that overfeeding could be a common cause for tummy trouble at night so we gradually did away with his before bed bottle. He used to get 4 oz, and then we whittled that down to 2, and then one night, he didn't get one. Slept just fine. We also adjusted his solid food schedule to make sure his evening meal came a little later to keep his belly full. Maybe it helped? He didn't seem to have any problem doing away with his before-bed bottle. He falls asleep just fine without it. It's the staying asleep that's the issue.

 If he's teething, there's not really much we can do except continue to give meds at night if he seems to need them. 

I don't think he's hungry - he's been getting plenty of formula and 3 solid meals a day. But it's still happening. He's still waking up. Not necessarily always screaming and crying. Some nights are way better than others. I just wish we knew what caused it so we could help our little guy out. Have you ever had to deal with a sleep regression or any other problems that have caused changes in the way your baby sleeps? What did you do about it? I'd love suggestions!!!

1/18/2016

About the Pack 'n Play: NOW I GET IT

Awhile back, I wrote a post on the pack 'n play because I wasn't exactly sure what to use it for.

We'd initially used it as our downstairs changing area and it was our place to stash all of our diapers, wipes, lotions, etc. But as #BabyGoodwin got too big for the changing pad and started rolling over, I wasn't sure what else to use the pack 'n play for.

I know some people say they put their kids in there for naps, but it doesn't exactly seem like the cushiest, most comfortable place to sleep. And why would I stick #BabyGoodwin in there to play when he's got all kinds of room on the floor?

And then he started crawling.
And going from his belly to sitting.
And pulling himself up onto his feet.

So, yeah. I get it. Now I know what the heck to do with it.

I can't take my eyes off of him for a second these days, so he goes in there for a little bit so I can get things done (pee, fold laundry) without having to worry about him bumping his head as he crawls through the coffee table.

And naps? He has this baby-to-toddler rocking chair that he used to do almost all of his naps in. Until he got mobile! Then all of a sudden, he started trying to roll over in his chair - and nearly managed to do it a few times, despite being properly strapped in!

So I've tried his naps in the pack 'n play, too - and he doesn't mind like I thought he would.

The pack 'n play has become a lifesaver.

What lifesaver baby products do you love?



A photo posted by Jessica (@goodwinjess) on

1/07/2016

Review: Badger Balm Night Night Balm


We don't know if it's the teething or if it's a sleep regression or him learning to crawl or just a phase or what, but lately Jacob has been a really restless sleeper. He doesn't really have a problem going to bed, and it's not often that he wakes up at night, but he moves around and makes SO MUCH NOISE in his sleep.

I know a lot of people suggest including baby massage as part of your bedtime routine. I decided to give it a try, and as usual, turned to Amazon to look for a product that might be able to help us out.

I came across Badger Night Night Balm and decided to order it. 

It comes in a tin as pictured and is a sort of waxy paste - not too oily, not thick either. You rub your fingers around to soften it up. I do that a few times and rub it on Jacob's chest before bed.

It smells really good - lemon balm and chamomile to help with anxiety and stress. I love the smell. Ingredients are all organic.

Product description from Amazon:
Night-Night Balm is a natural Sleep Balm specifically designed with children in mind, to help ease younger minds into the magical realm of the sleep world. For this special kid-friendly formula, we chose essential oils that are known to be especially beneficial for children, helping them unwind naturally after a busy day of learning and growing. Chamomile helps children to be calm and unwind from nighttime activities. Lavender helps children to relax and feel soothed, while Sandalwood instills a feeling of reverence. A safe and natural sleep aid for children (and it works for moms and dads, too)! The perfect addition to any bedtime ritual.

Jacob seems to like it. When I lift up his shirt and start rubbing his fingers in the tin, he's all smiles!

Jacob has been sleeping a little better these days, too! Now if only these teeth would just come in!

1/02/2016

About: Jacob's 6-month check-up

Much to our surprise, at his 6 month check-up, Jacob (only!) weighed in at 19 lbs 6 oz. I ought for sure he'd be 22! He is also 28.5 inches long - which means when he grows another three inches, he'll be exactly half as tall as I am!

The doctor gave us the go-ahead for him to eat EVERYTHING, adding some yogurt in at 8 months, (just a few weeks away!) and moving to 3 solid meals a day plus 24 ounces of formula. I'm still making all of his food, but there are some fruits and veggies that I'd rather buy pre-packaged to make sure they get to the right consistency (corn, raspberries and strawberries - anything I might not be able to purée well with my food processor). That's okay, though - he's still getting a lot of fresh, homemade food.

Here's what he's been eating:
Cereal - rice, oatmeal, wheat
Avocados, butternut squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, spinach, apples, pears, blueberries, peaches, apricots, prunes, bananas, watermelon, chicken, turkey, cinnamon (on fruits) and cumin (on avocado).

I've also started doing a lot of flavor combos - peas and carrots, spinach and banana, pear and zucchini, sweet potato and chicken - he eats it all!

Some of the store-bought foods that I've gotten include flavors like: corn, kiwi, raspberry, cranberry, mango, chick pea, and beans.

He's getting way better at crawling, so baby-proofing has begun! Thank goodness for Roving Cove stick-on foam edges. He loves crawling into, under, and through the coffee and end tables and I've seen him bump his head and nose on the foam edges without hardly noticing! We put together his walker today. Right now, he can push up onto his feet, and will definitely put one foot in front of the other, but he's still wobbly and unsteady. The doctor told us that he'll probably be an early walker because of his good gross motor skills. Yayyy!!!! (I think.)

Questions for you:
What foods does your baby love? And hate?
How old was your baby when he/she started walking?