So, I wish I had posted a rough outline of EF's schedule each month because it would be nice to remind me with our second child. I have a feeling that the second one will probably move through stages faster, but you never know! I am just going to go through mealtimes and naptimes. I have been debating naps for a few weeks now, wondering if Eliza Faris is ready for one nap a day. I tried it for a few days and...no, she's not ready! She is okay going the morning without a nap if she is engaged with other children (Mother's Day Out, playing with a friend, or nursery at bible study); however when it's just us and I'm trying to run errands with her in the morning or just play at home, she shows her exhaustion by whining during playtime and whining in the car. Mom told me I took 2 naps a day until I was like 2 or 3. Dang I was a good baby! Well, anyway, as with anything to do with baby, I always consult lots of friends who are going through or have been through the same stages with their child/children. The consensus is that EF should still take 2 naps a day for at least a few more months. Exceptions are MDO days, travel, etc. My question though was why I couldn't get her to sleep in the afternoon until hours after I put her in bed. I have always put her down at 2, but she was often taking until well after 3 to fall asleep (which makes me crazy!). She would play and fuss in her crib until she finally fell asleep. She would have trouble falling asleep at night because of the late nap. She always took a good, long morning nap but wouldn't go down at 2. So, I have started trying a completely new approach thanks to my friend Chapman's nanny. Chapman was telling me that baby Chapman and another child we know who also goes to the same "in-home care" are on the best schedule ever, thanks to their nanny. Both mommies work, so this is important. The nanny puts both babies in bed at 9 oclock sharp each morning. At 10, she gets them up, regardless of whether they are awake or asleep. Then, she does the same thing at 1:00--in bed and then she gets them up prompty at 3, awake or asleep. Although I find it hard to wake a sleeping baby, this schedule has worked for me! I adjusted mine though to an hour later because Eliza Faris sleeps fairly late in the morning, unlike the two kids who are up early to get to the nanny's house.
12 month schedule: Eliza Faris
7:30-8:00ish Wake up and bottle (8 oz)
9:00 Breakfast: fruit, cheerios, cereal or yogurt if she'll let me feed her
10:00 In bed for nap
11:00 Up from nap
12:00PM Lunch: veggie, sandwich, fruit
1:00PM Bottle (8 oz)
2:00 In bed for nap
4:00 Up from nap
4:30 Bottle (I am trying to drop this bottle completely and replace with a small snack when she wakes up...as of today, I am just giving her 5 oz.)
5:30 or 6: Dinner: meat (yea right!), veggie, let's face it: whatever she will eat!
7:30 Bath
7:45 or 8: Bottle (8-9 oz) and bedtime
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2 comments:
I'll give my 2 cents on the nap thing. Before we took S to just one nap a day we were having the same difficulty w/ the afternoon nap. I began allowing her to sleep only and hour in the morning, then only 45 minutes and then only 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, we went to one nap a day, but it was an earlier nap, like 11/11:30. We slowly moved it back and she now goes down around 1pm. I kinda went by how she was doing at her afternoon nap as to when I would make her morning nap shorter and shorter. Hope you have a happy mothers day!
Thanks Caroline!!! I think that sounds like a good idea to shorten the morning nap as the afternoon gets spottier. Right now the two are working, she doesn't necessarily sleep an hour in the morning, I just put her in her bed that long. Thanks for your input and for reading. :)
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