Rice Cereal

We got the "go-ahead" to start solids at Charlotte's 4 month dr appt so we decided to begin with rice cereal about two weeks ago. She didn't know what to think of it at first but I think she's starting to get the hang of it. I can't wait to get in her new high chair soon so we don't have to keep using the bumbo.
We are going to introduce a veggie and a fruit in the next week or so... I can't wait to see how she will like it!

Hey Mom.. What is this??

Getting the hang of this

 



4 Month Sleep Regression

I never knew that this even existed! But it does... and the books don't lie... the internet doesn't lie... blogs about sleep don't lie... It STINKS!

Charlotte has never slept through the night. She had progressed however to doing about 4-5 hour stretch right from when we put her down, waking up to nurse and then going back down for another 3-4 hours. I was handling this perfectly. I actually loved it. I was still getting snuggle/nursing time with my baby at night but only waking up one or two times. And then Charlotte turned 4 months...

I think my baby is a textbook baby because every growth spurt she has been BAM right on! So when she turned 4 months her sleeping patterns drastically changed all of a sudden I was wondering.. WHY is she waking up so often. Okay maybe this is a growth spurt? Check! It was! She was waking up so frequently to eat. She's done this before, in a day or two she'll be back to normal. WRONG! It last TWO weeks... and I'm talking waking up every 45 minutes to every hour. I was one exhausted mama. So I started reading books, googling sleep, and that's when I discovered that this was not just a 4 month growth spurt. It was actually the infamous "4 month sleep regression" and my baby had it bad!

Basically what this 4 month sleep regression is, is their sleeping patterns are changing. They are growing rapidly and their little brains are changing the way they sleep. This totally explained what was going on. But, that didn't leave me satisfied because I was still exhausted. I started researching sleep training methods because I truly believed that this was the only solution to helping her sleep better at night and to get herself back to sleep if she wakes up (self soothing).

I bought the No-Cry Sleep Solution, Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child and The Ferber Method. I read them both and decided the best decision for our family was to do The Ferber Method. It is definitely not "Cry-it-Out" but it does lend itself to allowing them to cry but in time intervals of you checking and soothing them.

SOOO we did it! And literally within one night, Charlotte was sleeping longer!! I layed her down after nursing her for the night and she immediately started crying (normally I would rock and rock and rock until she was out cold and then to only have her wake up like one hour later, crazy!) So I went in after 5 minutes of her crying, gave her the paci, rubbed her head, told her I love you and left the room. She continued to fuss and cry for another 10 minutes and then something crazy happened... while watching her on the monitor she stopped crying, started sucking her fingers and then soothed herself to sleep! WOWZA! We did it! She slept 4 hours straight that night and I was in heaven!

Since then she's been doing 5 hours and then another 4 and then another 2-3 hours. We are loving this and we are both finally getting some much needed rest. I think it's safe to say now that we've kicked this "4 month sleep regression" out the window :)

And by the way, Charlotte is still sleeping in her crib wonderfully and we've stopped swaddling. We decided to stop swaddling the first night we sleep trained and we've had bliss ever since.

Sporting my new sleep sack, sans swaddle!

Out for the night!

Sleeping like a baby should :)



First Trip to the Zoo!

About two weeks ago, Drew and I decided to take Charlotte to the zoo for the very first time. The weather was beautiful and it was just a great day to be outside. We are so fortunate to live close to a big city that has a zoo! We can't wait to go back!

First stop at the Giraffes

This day is going to be so fun!



With Daddy at the Cheetahs

There's a bear in there!

Rhinos

The zoo wears me out!

Sea lions



One of mommy's favorites! Meercats!

Whoa! Elephants!

Mama's favorite!!

Mama and Me with the baby Orangutan & Mommy

My little monkey and mama

Daddy and his little girl

So fun!

What a FUN day at the zoo! Can't wait to go back!



We've transitioned to the CRIB!

I have been dreading the day that we would eventually transition Charlotte into her crib in her own room. Since the day she was born she has slept by my side and I couldn't bear the thought of her not being there anymore. And secretly that meant too that when she transitioned she really was growing up! :(

She has started to out grow her bassinet and would wake herself up by kicking the bottom or if she would bust out of her swaddle her arms would hit the sides. I hated to see her so uncomfortable so I knew it had to be soon that we transitioned.

I've been trying to put her down in her crib for naps during the day (when we are home during nap time). We've always been on the go and she would nap in her carseat or I would have her in her swing in the living room (she's obsessed!) But I knew for her to become comfortable sleeping in crib at night, we had to start somewhere.. nap time. But she just wouldn't do it. For about two weeks, I would try for at least her morning nap to put her down in there and then BOOM she would wake up and cry. So then I'd start the process over of rocking her to sleep and then trying again. Sometimes I would just give up and put her in her swing because I knew that would work and the poor girl needed to nap.

So this Friday night rolled around and Friday night was going to be THE NIGHT. Whether she was ready or not... we were going to try her crib for night time. So I took the bumpers off of her crib.





Playing in her crib before bath & pjs.. I LOVE this picture. She's my little acrobat.

Hey Mom, we're really going to do this?

We did bath time, lotion, baby massage, read some books, swaddled and nursed and then we were ready for it... bed time! I rocked her to sleep and she drifted off to dream land...

Sleeping peacefully in her crib

After staring at the monitor for a good 2 hours before I headed bed, I felt like I was ready for myself to fall asleep. I checked on her a few times and then decided to rest. Before I realized it, I woke up 5 hours later and she was still asleep!! Charlotte ended up sleeping a total of 10 hours that first night and only woke up once to eat. I was able to get her back down in her crib for the 2nd and last stretch. The next morning I had one happy baby and I was one happy mama.

My sweet BIG girl and me!

 





C's new activity!

My sweet mother in law sent Charlotte this adorable jumperoo today. She LOVES it!! A new fun activity for this big girl to sit up in.

Mama this is FUN!



Charlotte rolls over!

This video was taken when we were in Corpus (see below post!) Charlotte had rolled over once before but I never got it on video.. this time I did. Sorry for me and my sister's annoying voices in the background... :)