Logistics (Bedtime and Finances)

My head nearly exploded yesterday.  Over a crib.  For some reason I felt the need to analyze our sleeping arrangements, bedtime routines, and budget after Baby Boy joins our little family, because of a crib.  And now I'm going to regurgitate that thought process here.  You lucky readers!

It started off innocently enough, just thinking about our plans to paint the nursery tomorrow, excited to have the room painted and the furniture rearranged.  But that led to the inevitable question I've been struggling with for months...  When to buy the second crib?  It would be nice to run out and buy it, and get it set up this weekend; the room would feel that much more complete.  But, on the other hand, it would take up a lot of floor space that we don't necessarily need to sacrifice yet.  Then I wondered...  Do we even need a second crib? 

We bed-shared for the first 9 months of Goosey's life.  Surely we would do the same with Babe, right?  I loved bed-sharing.  But, I also love my space and privacy.  After discussing with Casey, I know that he also really loved it; and it was decided.  But that didn't stop me from briefly considering co-sleeping, in an effort to maintain closeness, convenience, and comfort; and I actually spent about 30 minutes pricing out white mini cribs - because the cinnamon wood would clash with our bedroom set - before realizing my stupidity.  (Yes, you read that right, I actually considered buying a third crib, merely for aesthetic purposes.)  The decision to bed-share was reaffirmed, but I still didn't know if we needed a second crib! 

If we bed-shared for 6-9 months before transitioning to the crib and sleep training, Lucy would be almost 2 years old and in a toddler bed.  We could buy a coordinating toddler bed for Lucy, and Babe could use the crib.  Save a little money and whatnot.  Brilliant, right??  But there are no coordinating toddler beds for the Graco Sarah Convertible Crib.  And I need their furniture to coordinate, people!  So long as these kids share a room!!!  (Which, for the record, will be at least 1 or 2 years - because, oh yes, I even thought about the possibility of moving yesterday.)  In addition to my fixation on wood tones, the savings on a toddler bed vs. a convertible crib is less than $50; and I think the crib would have a higher resale value.  So, it was decided...  Lucy would keep her crib and Babe would have his own, matching crib; but, wait, that means our kids are really going to share a bedroom.  What if they wake each other up?!?!?!

The weight of it finally hit me.  The first few weeks of Cry-It-Out will be brutal, and I'm sure he won't sleep through the night right away.  Then there's my rowdy toddler that likes to squeal and climb, and chat with herself for 10-15 minutes before finally closing her eyes.  After googling and discussing with my mom, it seems like our only option is to have different bedtimes.  Babe first, then Lucy.

In my mind, I had accomplished a lot:
Need a second crib?  You betcha!
Bed-sharing?  Yup!
Bedtime dilemma?  Solved!

BUT...(there's always one big butt that gets in the way, eh?)

What.about.money?  Better quadruple check our projected budget for August 2012...  Only to find a slight miscalculation has been made and we cannot afford full time daycare for two kids.  Scary, right??  Sadly, we don't have an answer for this one just yet.  Mucho (mucho, mucho) to consider.

I'm amazed if you survived that monster post.  Does your head hurt?

CIO, Attempt #2

I know, I know...I said we’d never try CIO again.  But desperate times call for desperate measures, and we were desperate last week!  Before last Friday our bedtime routine looked like this:

5:00 - 5:30 Dinner (1-2 ounces of purees)

5:30 - 6:00 Bath Time

6:00 - 6:30 Nurse to sleep

Once Lulu was asleep, I would wait for limp-limb sleep and then sneak out of the bedroom.  Fool proof, right?  Wrong. 

For weeks we battled the 45-minute intruder and/or constipation or teething pains.  And as a result, much of our night was spent taking turns soothing Lulu (until we’d finally go to bed, at which point she would wake in 1.5-2 hour intervals).  It was frustrating, to say the least.  I would finally collapse on the couch with my big glass of wine with Casey, and she'd wake up.   

But still, we persevered.  Bed-sharing was all we knew; we were committed. 

Until last Friday...when I finally reached my limit.  For three days Lucy refused to fall asleep after nursing; I spent hours trying to nurse her down before finally resorting to the car seat trick.  But even that wouldn’t put her to sleep!  As soon as we got home she’d wake up; and she’d continue to wake every 20 minutes all.night.long.  I dreaded going to bed each night. 

I didn’t know what to do.  I was mad (at myself).  I was scared.  I felt like a failure.  Everything I read said deal with it or Cry It Out.  Casey and I agreed that we had to try CIO one more time. 

We followed the same bedtime routine, except I nursed Lulu in the glider and put her down awake in her crib.  And once again, we followed the Ferber Increments to check on her.  The first night she cried for 1 hour and 15 minutes; she slept for 3 hours straight and then woke every 2 hours after that.  (I know that may sound horrible to some, but it was a huge improvement for us.) 

The second night she cried for 45 minutes, and woke every two hours. 

And for the past few nights, she cried for 20-60 minutes...and SLEPT.THROUGH.THE.NIGHT.  Say whaaaa?  I never thought the day would come!!! 

It was a big change all at once, the crib and CIO, but our girl did great!  We chose to bed-share to be closer with our daughter, and we will always cherish those memories; but we made a mistake by exclusively bed-sharing.  If I could go back in time, Lucy would start out in her crib each night and I’d bring her into our bed after her first night waking.  Also, we’d start CIO waaay sooner!  (Valuable lessons for Baby #2!)

And yes, hearing Lulu cry is heartbreaking.  That goes without saying.  I sit outside her bedroom door immobilized with guilt; but, when I wake up in the morning and realize that everyone got a full night of sleep, it is absolutely worth it! 






YAY for a well-rested Goosey!
(sorry for the crappy cell phone pictures)



Now go ahead and say I told you so!       

Introducing Solids

We rolled in Lulu's Half Birthday with the introduction of solid food.

Whoa, they're finally giving me "real" food.  

Oh God.  I hate it, I HATE IT!!!  Never again, please!

As you can see, it was not well received by Goosey Girl, and her attitude hasn't changed much over the last week... 

Lulu has been interested in food for months; but, Casey and I agreed to wait until she was at least 6 months old before introducing solids, because we read that introducing them too soon could cause problems (digestive system development, childhood obesity, rapid and unhealthy weight gain - and so on).  

Fun fact:  Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life increases protection against disease and improves the chances of continuing breastfeeding throughout the first 12 months of life.   

We gauged a lot of our decisions on the Wholesome Baby Food website - I highly recommend all mommas check that site out, if you haven't already!  They provide SO much information: from deciding if your baby is ready for solids, to baby food recipes, to allergies, and so much more.  We chose to introduce pears first, after reading the list of appropriate Stage 1 Foods.  To date, she has had pears, sweet po, and acorn squash.

I thought we were being progressive by skipping over cereal, and plunging into the fruits and vegetables; but, in retrospect, I think Lucy would have enjoyed solids more if we started with something that was mixed with breast milk.  I'm sure she'll eventually get over this aversion to all things solid, maybe once we introduce some bananas.

Fun fact #2:  Bananas are the solid food that taste closest to breast milk. (Thanks for that, Meg!)

For now we're abiding by the 3 day wait rule.  (Some people do 2 days, some do 4 days.)  Meaning we introduce one food at a time, for a period of 3 days; which gives us a chance to evaluate Lulu's reaction to the food and make sure there's no allergy or constipation.  Eventually, once we've gone through all the foods, we'll be able to serve multiple foods at one time.  Lulu hasn't had any constipation problems ::knocks on wood:: and that's something I hope to avoid completely.  

Fun fact #3:  Exclusively breastfed babies are more prone to constipation because their digestive systems are so used to processing breast milk, which is easily digested.  

I originally planned to combine two posts into one: telling you all about introducing solids and making homemade baby food; but, having typed it all out, I realize now that that would make for one verrry long post.  I'll leave you with a few more priceless photos from dinner - just look at her expression! 

Nighttime Nursing

I created The Boob Monster.

I want your boobs, Momma!!!

We all know Lulu likes to eat.  And I, especially, know she likes to eat at night. 

Lucy has never slept through the night; at best, she's only woken once a night, and that only lasted for a few months.  All things went to hell when I returned to work (when I actually needed to sleep).  First I blamed reverse cycling.  Lucy wouldn't eat all day long, while she was with my dad, and then she'd literally nurse for hours when I got home from work.  Fast forward to the 4-5 month wakeful period, Lucy's night wakings moved upward of four times each night.  And that's when it happened, that's when I created The Boob Monster.

I have always nursed on demand and comfort nursed - my mom likes to call me the human pacifier.  There is nothing wrong with doing either of those, but there can be consequences...  Hunger is one of the strongest cues for the human body, and I essentially trained Lucy's little body to eat at these set times each night.  D'oh!

I once read on a breastfeeding forum that some mother's were eliminating nighttime feedings or scaling back their nighttime feedings by choice and/or by their pediatrician's recommendation, and I thought, "Well that's kind of mean.  Why would they do that?"  Now I get it!  (Does that make me judgey?)

I still nurse Lucy to sleep every night, with no intention of stopping anytime soon.  But now, when she wakes at 9 pm, 12 am, 1 am, and 2 am, I soothe her back to sleep without the breast.  By doing this, I've eliminated the hunger cues that caused her to wake previously.  It took us almost one week to reteach Lucy how to go back to sleep without nursing (and Holy God was that a long week!), but after only two days we saw a decrease in night wakings.  Now we're back to waking once a night!  YAY! 

So if you're a breastfeeding momma that also comfort nurses, keep doing what you're doing!  Just be sure to alternate your methods of soothing, especially for nighttime wakings.  Yet another lesson learned!!!


How did you handle nighttime wakings?  Or are you one of the lucky parents whose kiddos slept through the night at an early age?

10 Reasons: Why I love bed-sharing

Whenever I tell people that we are a co-sleeping family, they look at my like I have two heads.  People just assume Lucy sleeps in her crib, and that she has for months.  I find that quite frustrating, and even offensive at times.

I know we've already had this conversation about why bed-sharing is awesome, but I feel like taking it a step further and sharing the top ten reasons why I love it... 

10.  Lucy sleeps better, and that means I sleep better. 

9.  I get to fall asleep listening to Lucy breathing.  (Does that sound creepy?)

8.  It gives new meaning to the phrase "Fast Food", I can whip my boob out and go right back to sleep.
  
7.  Saturday mornings.  (My favorite part of the week!)  We wake up and play, and cuddle, take pictures, and just enjoy each other.  No rushing around to get to work or wherever else.

6.  No need for one of those pesky baby monitors! 

5.  It put my mind at ease knowing the SIDS risk was decreased.  

4.  I like to think that this bond and closeness is creating a foundation for our relationship in the years to come, as it did for my mom and I.  (Maybe that's an Italian thing?)

3.  Catching Lulu laughing and smiling in her sleep. 

2.  Watching Casey kiss Lucy and talk to her in the mornings, before he leaves for work, when he thinks I'm still asleep.

1.  Waking up to Goosey's sweet face.

Of course there is one small drawback to bed-sharing...  Now that Lulu has gotten a little bigger and more mobile, I occasionally have to fight for my side of the bed!

I hate CIO, I hate CIO, I HATE CIO

I caved.  I decided to try the Cry-It-Out Method for Lucy's first nap this morning, and whaddya know, I was right. 

Cry-It-Out just isn't for us.  I've known this for years, since I heard my brother and sister in-law using it with my niece.  I'm the mom that cries when her baby cries.  I'm the mom that drops everything and RUNS to my baby when she needs me.  Why I ever thought that I could go through with this method is beyond me.

Oh ya, I was stupid and I was selfish.  That's why.

We had a terrible night last night.  Lucy went down later than she should have and she was up all night.  Finally, around 4:30 AM, we threw in the towel and put her in the car seat.  We drove around town for 30 minutes, got home, and she actually stayed asleep in her car seat for two hours.  Lucy is almost 6 months old...we should NOT have to resort to the car seat trick.  I told myself, "Tonight she sleeps in her crib."

So, tired and frustrated, I tried putting Lucy down in her crib this morning.  For my first attempt, I tried nursing her in the glider; when she fell asleep, I waited for "limp-limb" sleep and tried to transfer her....she woke up instantly.  Rinse and repeat.  Attempt #3, Casey rocked her.  And, attempt #4, CIO.  I read the Ferber Progressive Waiting Chart on this blog and away we went.

The first interval was three minutes.  Lucy didn't cry for the first two minutes, but once she started, she didn't stop.  I went in for two minutes, patted her belly, held her hand, and stroked her face - which made her cry harder.

The second interval was five minutes.  After three minutes I was sobbing.  Casey went in for the second "visit" and just as I was about to throw the baby monitor through the window, he and Lucy came marching into the kitchen.

He said, "She pooped....  And we're never doing that again."

And then we both started laughing, which made Lucy laugh.  But as soon as he set her down to change her, she started screaming again.  I think she so overtired and afraid that we'd leave her again...  After much soothing and nursing, she finally went to sleep in our bed.  Where she belongs.

Call me a wuss, call me an idiot, I don't care...  I'm not judging mothers that use the Cry-It-Out Method, not at all, its just not for our family. 

Lucy N.A.P.S.

Please ignore Casey, who is also a great napper, passed out on the floor...

I know that I've complained a time or two about Lucy's napping abilities, but over the past week it became very clear to me that her napping abilities are just fine. 

My nap-giving abilities, on the other hand, need(ed) some work.

With the help of my darling friends, Jaye and Meg, one very informative mommy blogger, and ultimately, Dr. Polly Moore, I have discovered the secret to infant napping!!

Its called, The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program or N.A.P.S.

Note time when baby wakes up
Add 90 minutes
Play, feed, or pursue other activities
Soothe baby back to sleep

Now, right off the bat, I know most of you are probably thinking, "Gee, that's A LOT of napping!"  (*cough* Mom!)  Well, let me tell you, 1) It is NOT and 2)  Frequent napping helps baby sleep through the night.  Babies brains are in a constant state of development, even when they're sleeping - which is a whole other post, and so consequently, they need to nap every couple of hours!  

This book taught us so much.  We've learned to recognize Lulu's sleep cues; we've actually developed a schedule; we finally realized that the mysterious fussiness was actually over-stimulation; and, it has made for an overall happier Goosey.  What I loved most about this book was that it didn't advocate Cry-It-Out, because neither Casey or I agree with the CIO method, and it seems like the majority of books on infant sleep do so.  Dr. Moore actually points out that sleep training should not be used until at least 6 months.

From the very first day we used N.A.P.S. we noticed an improvement in Lulu's sleep quality.  Lucy is very much on a 90-minute clock (some babies are 120-minutes); she is very expressive in her sleep cues, it is unbelievable to me that we never noticed them before last week.  Prior to reading this book I always had to nurse Lucy down, but now she'll go down in her swing!  And if we catch her cues at the right moment she'll go down verrry easily. 

As for sleeping better at night...she's up to 8 hour stretches!!!  After almost a month of hourly waking, it is a very welcome change!!  I recommend you all go buy this book immediately, you will not be disappointed.

A well rested Goose is a happy goose.

Has anybody else used (and LOVED) the N.A.P.S. program?  What is your baby's nap time ritual?  

Lucy's Schedule

Lucy's schedule is non-existant.

......and its starting to be a problem.

Lucy's current caregivers (my dad, brother, and sister) tag team baby duty Monday through Friday, while Casey and I are off gallivanting 50 minutes west of F. Thrills.   

From the very beginning, Casey and I have leaned towards the attachment parenting style.  And we've followed the 7 B's to a T.  The 7 B's, for those not hip to the AP lingo are Birth Bonding, Breastfeeding, Babywearing, Bedding close to Baby, Belief in the language value of Baby's cry, Beware of baby trainers, and Balance.

Being sans schedule falls under the "Beware of baby trainers" category.  We have a nighttime ritual, but it doesn't commence at the same time every night.  We look for Lulu's cues to figure out when she's tired and ready for bed.  She recently started rubbing her eyes when she gets tired - which is adorable and a huge improvement from the spontaneous and inconsolable crying.

No one likes to see this face.

But like I said, being without a schedule is starting to affect everyone.  My dad/Fallon/Cole have to hold Lucy all day long or she gets fussy.  I'm talking can't put her down for ten minutes fussy.  And she's kinda heavy to be holding for ten hours straight.  Just sayin'!

I guess utilizing the Attachment Parenting style is great, for those who get to be a stay at home mom...but for those that have to continue working, it makes childcare a little troublesome for your daycare providers.  Back in the day, when I was on maternity leave, I was never able to accomplish a whole lot while Casey was at work (i.e.: showering, eating, using the bathroom....let alone anything truly productive - like laundry or cleaning).  So to impose that kind of responsibility on not one, but three people's lives, is a pretty craptastic feeling.

I have no idea what a good schedule looks like or whats to be expected from a 5 month old;  She's never been a very good napper.  But her lousy sleeping habits and constant need to be held have to be remedied.  I've done a little reading about infant sleep habits (which I shall post about later), but I'm trying to find some inspiration for a good, healthy schedule for Lulu (suggestions?).  I'm hoping to be able to persuade my Dad/Cole/Fallon to try out babywearing and this new schedule, because I think it could make everyone's lives a little easier.

What's your baby's schedule like?  Are any of you ladies following the Attachment Parenting style?

4 (almost 5) Month Wake

::waves::  Hello everyone!  I've missed you!

I thoroughly enjoyed my week off of work!  But wouldn't you know it?  The week I decide to stay home is the week Lucy comes into her 4 month wake.  What is the 4 month wake, you ask?  Let me tell you....

A truly rare site in the Shelton home.

At 4 months old a baby's little brain begins developing cognitive thought.  Babies are observing the world and learning from the moment they are born, but the real fun happens from age 4-7 months.  Babies begin to understand cause and effect, their attention span and memory increases, and (closer to 7 months) object permanence.  Neat, huh?

Casey and I have always known that Lulu is absolutely brilliant, just look at her:

"Oh my, Dada!  Your glasses look dirty, I'll clean them for you."

All these super cool developments do come with a price tag...  Oh hello, fussiness!  What up, distracted eater!  Goodbye, naptime!  Au revoir, sleeping through the night!

So for the last week or so Lucy has been extremely fussy and distracted while breastfeeding.  Like, eat for five seconds - pause - look around, eat for another 10 seconds - pause - whip her head around (with my boob still in her mouth) to see something distracted.  And holy hell, is she a fuss pot!  I have no idea what she wants.  This is the first time I've ever felt truly frustrated as a new mom.

She's also cut her two 60+ minute naps to three, sometimes four, 15-20 minute naps.  And my favorite side effect, so far, has been her nighttime sleeping....she has literally woke up a minimum of five times each night for the last six nights.  Every hour on the hour, after 11 pm.  Including last night.  Only this week, I do have to work.  ::sobs::    

My good friend, Jenn, told me all about the 4 month wake over lunch last week, since her little cutie pie (who's just ten days younger than Lulu) is going through the very same thing.  All along I had been blaming teething pains, ha!


The week wasn't all bad though...

We had lunch dates with baby friends

We swam

We had a birthday

 

Birthday Daddy!

We got new fluff (post to come!)

Yes, that's a paci.  No, she's still not taking them.

And we even started sitting up on our own!

Unfortunately, the only pic I managed to take is blurry.  Poo.

How was everyone's week?  Fill me in!

The Bond

The bond between a mother and child is what motivates her to stick out the first few painful weeks of nursing, when both momma and baby are adjusting to the newness of it all.

The bond between a mother and child is what drives her to spend several hours a day pumping, just so that her baby can have the very best while momma is away.

The bond between a mother and child is what pries her out of bed at 2:30 in the morning, for middle of the night feeds and lullabies. 

The bond between a mother and child is formed from the very moment baby latches, and that bond lays the foundation for the most beautiful and loving relationship that can only exist between a momma and her baby.

Everytime I hold your hand, I feel love.

Everytime I look into your eyes, I see love. 

Every smile, coo, and giggle fills me with love.

How is it possible to love someone this much?

-----

The topic for this week's blog hop was bonding.  For other great breastfeeding blogs, check out the Breastfeeding Blog Hop over at Life With Levi!

Goodbye Swaddle, Hello Arms!

Its official, we are DONE swaddling!

Last week I was getting Lulu ready for bed, wrapping her in the swaddle blanket, and she would not stop squirming; I nursed her for almost an hour, and she was still wide awake and very clearly frustrated.  I rocked her, sang to her and rubbed her little nose.  She wasn't having it. 

At 1:30 I decided to try putting her to sleep sans swaddle.  After some more nursing, Lulu *finally* shut her eyes.  It was a small victory, though, because she woke herself up every fifteen minutes.

The following night was a whole lotta the same nonsense.  We swaddled, we nursed, we rocked, we sang...it was approaching midnight, and Goose was WIDE awake.  

She was starting to whine, and I was teetering on the edge on sanity, so I gently woke Casey for some help.  By gently, I mean I shrieked, "YOU need to help me!"

We gave her a small dose of baby Tylenol, and chalked her restlessness up to "growing pains".  Casey rocked her for awhile, and eventually brought her to me to nurse.  She fell asleep without the swaddle, and stayed asleep for a couple of hours.     

Pssst!  Momma, I'm hungry!!!

Fast forward one week, and Lulu seems to have gotten the hang of things (yes!).

Those first few days were rough, though.  I do not function properly on three (choppy) hours of sleep.  I was desperate for a solution; I contemplated buying The Woombie and even starting Lulu on solids, but neither of those were practical solutions.  All you can really do is wait it out... 

(seriously, its a myth that solids help babies sleep through the night - but we'll talk about that later).

The average age that babies outgrow the swaddle is 3-4 months; and, whether I like it or not, Lulu is almost 4 months old!  We had a good run, Swaddle.  You will be missed!

Have any of you mommas had to break the swaddle habit recently?  Do tell!

Reverse Cycling: A Working Mom's Worst Nightmare

Remember how Lucy wasn't the hugest fan of daycare not so long ago?  Well...she still doesn't *love* it, but she has adjusted somewhat over the past three weeks.  See:

That's a content Goose, if I've ever seen one.

That first week, though, THAT was brutal.  After finding a bottle that Lulu would accept, she suddenly decided to stop eating for Auntie Fallon and Grandpa.

Can you say stressful? 

As a new mom, already experiencing massive loads of guilt from returning to work, this killed me.  Day after day my dad and sister would tell me, "She's not eating" or "She's had two ounces over the last eight hours".  WHAT?!

I contemplated going home, meeting my dad halfway between home and work to feed her, and even taking time off work (permanently).  None of the above made any sense in the long run.  I called the pediatrician, who confirmed the obvious:  that she wasn't eating enough.  Big help doc, thanks a million!

One friend mentioned the possibility of Reverse Cycling (thanks, Kim!), and directed me to this website.  Kellymom has always been hugely helpful with all of my breastfeeding questions; I was actually kind of embarrassed that I hadn't thought to check there!

Reverse cycling is when a baby eats very little while momma is away, just enough to curb their hunger, and then nurses frequently and for longer periods when momma is home.  Apparently some women encourage this behavior so that they can pump less during the day.  I am not one of those mothers!

Reverse cycling is most common in breastfed babies that are just starting out on the bottle, but newborns can also experience it when they get their days and nights mixed up. 

While reverse cycling isn't anything to worry about, it is important for caregivers to monitor wet diapers and signs of dehydration.  Our pediatrician actually brought up the possible need for Pedialyte (also known as Baby Gatorade), should Goosey continue to not eat.  Thankfully it never came down to that!  After five verrry long days, Goosey started eating regularly; and we haven't had any problems since! 

 I eat so good now, Momma!  No more worrying!!!

7 hours 36 minutes

That's how long Goosey slept last night, completely uninterrupted.  Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Can I just say one thing? 

I loved waking up and cuddling with my love bug this morning.  We laid there "talking" for about a half hour, and now we're both enjoying breakfast on the couch.  God bless the weekends!

Our sleeping angel

Introducing the bottle to the breastfed baby

FINALLY!  Sorry for the delay on this one, folks!

Let me start by saying, we did this completely wrong.  We waited far too long to introduce the bottle to Goose, and, ultimately, it has made the experience so so SO much harder than it needed to be.

When Lucy was a whooping four days old, her pediatrician was concerned about her weight loss (13 percent of her birth weight - anything over 10 percent is alarming); she said that we needed to supplement each feed with formula to get her weight up.  This broke my heart.  I instantly started crying in the doctor's office, and I was sobbing uncontrollably that night as Casey tried to feed Lucy by bottle.  But that girl wouldn't have it; Goose refused to use the artificial nipple.  Casey eventually got a few drops in by syringe, but Lucy spit it up within minutes.  Fortunately for us, my milk came in the next day and all was well in the world.  So...as you can see, my little Goose has hated artificial nipples from day one.  Cool story, huh?

I had read that the ideal time to introduce the bottle was between four and six weeks, in order to avoid nipple confusion.  Our first attempt was May 4 (Lucy was just over 6 weeks old), and it was a massive fail.   

We got loads of advice from friends and family beforehand.  One friend told us about Breastflow bottles; the nipple on these bottles is supposed to be very supportive of breastfeeding.  So we stocked up on Breastflow bottles, and only Breastflow bottles.  Many people had told us, "It's trial and error, you need to try out different brands to find what she likes."  And I thought, "Nah...I want a nipple that will support breastfeeding.  Surely she'll love the first brand we try!"  Not the case, my friends.  NOT.THE.CASE.

The second time Casey tried, she took the bottle.  He had to fight her for 45 minutes, but she eventually ate.  Well after that second attempt we had a whole lotta inconsistency.  Sometimes she'd take it, sometimes she'd play with it, other times she would have no part of it.  All the while we insisted on using the Breastflow bottles.

Fast forward a few weeks, and we fly across the country for my last week of maternity leave (post on that to come, I swear!).  Lucy didn't get a single bottle that whole week.  Needless to say, we were all a little worried for her first day at Grandpa Daycare.  What if she won't eat?  What if she's inconsolable?  Well, thankfully, that big bag of bottles paid off.  Grandpa found a brand (Medela) that Goosey would tolerate...by trial and error.  Lucy continues to improve each day with the bottle. 

Side note:  Goose is still doing great with breastfeeding.  She only gets the boob when I'm around. 

I hope this post will come in handy for those who plan to bottle feed eventually.  Despite our stubborn attitudes in the beginning, I really think trying out different brands is key.  I also think starting the bottle closer to four weeks would significantly lessen everyone's stress once the momma returns to work.

Someone has a full belly!

Why bed-sharing is awesome...

 Lucy gets to sleep...

AND

 Mommy does too!

There are A LOT of opinions on bed-sharing, and they are all so very different.  I tend to favor those that are pro bed-sharing.  Go figure.

Our first days as parents were pretty darn sleep deprived; Lucy ate every two hours on the dot, and because of my c-section incision, Casey had to get up with us to change her and bring her to me.  I swore that he wouldn't have to get up with us Sunday through Thursday, once he returned to work (which sucked, because he was back to work 6 days after she was born - ouch!).

We bought this handy dandy bassinet to keep bedside and use throughout the house during the day.  We loved that thing (for about two weeks - three weeks tops).  Well, one night Lucy cried every fifteen minutes.  No matter how much I tried to soothe her or feed her, she would not stay asleep in her bassinet.  Finally, Casey got up and brought her to bed with us.  Lucy fell asleep instantly, and stayed asleep for FOUR hours straight.  Hallelujah!  It was the best night's sleep either of us had had since she was born.  The next night Casey was getting Lucy ready for bed, and he laid her in the bassinet, and I said, "NO way!!!  She's sleeping with us from now on!"

When I told Casey that I wanted to start having Lucy sleep with us, he said that he was worried about the potential SIDS risks.  That is a hard point to argue, but I was so desperate to have another night of nearly uninterrupted sleep...so I began researching bed-sharing.  I zeroed in on two websites (source and source), but like I said before there are a lot of opinions out there...hence, a lot of websites.  I found both of the websites to be very interesting, and I think anyone considering bed-sharing should check them out.  For now, let me save you some time and give you the highlights:

• It is believed that bed-sharing reduces the risk of SIDS, because the infant mimics the mother's breathing pattern; the mother acts as a pacemaker for the infant.
• A study done in 1992 observed a mother and child sleeping independently and sleeping together.  When sleeping independently of each other, the infant stopped breathing 132 times.  When sleeping together, the infant breathed normally throughout the night 

The idea of bed-sharing NEVER occurred to me; I always planned on having Lucy in our room, in the pack-n-play or bassinet, but not actually in our bed.  Not to say that I was ever opposed to bed-sharing, I just literally had never heard of it.  If someone told me a year ago that I'd be a bed-sharing, exclusive breastfeeding, cloth diapering mama, I never would have believed them; but, I couldn't be happier to be all of those things.

Our family gets the best night's sleep possible these days, and its all thanks to Casey!  Nice work, honey!  Since we started bed-sharing, Lucy has slept five and a half hours straight; and I actually woke her that time, because I was starting to worry about her.  We plan on bed-sharing until Lucy sleeps through the night, but plans change; it could be sooner, or it could be later.  I think everyone should try bed-sharing at least once, it does wonders for exhausted parents!

Now if only we opted for the KING SIZE mattress...