I can’t believe how quickly she’s growing. Her legs which were once long and lanky, have now grown into these beautiful chubby, juicy thighs that I just want to kiss all day long. Oh, baby rolls are just the best! Of course, time is flying by. I know it’s felt like this since she was born – actually since I got pregnant – but it feels even more so lately because she’s changing so much each day. A new expression, sound, or movement. She looks at things with more curiosity or understanding. It’s incredibly exciting, yet nostalgic all at once. Can you have nostalgia for things that are happening in real time? I certainly do. I give her so many kisses and snuggles each day because I know this time is fleeting.
Knowing how fast time is flying by has helped me cope with this rough patch we’re going through. The 4 month sleep regression is no joke…nooooo joke. If your baby somehow skips it, thank your lucky stars. Our sleep has been worse lately than it was when she was 2 weeks old. Crazy, right? You just learn to cope somehow. I’m on auto-pilot. When we snuggle in the morning and Adriana is all smiles and giggles, everything is right in the world again; I just move on with my day and push the bad night of sleep out of my mind. The surprising thing is my body has adjusted to the broken up sleep better than expected. For the most part, I can function fairly well (although fuzzy mommy brain is still going strong!), and I have a lot to keep me busy during the day with my blog and cookbook work. But I’m still looking forward to things improving. That first night of solid sleep is going to feel like HEAVEN. I might cry when it happens. Tears of joy, hah.
Still putting her down for regular naps in the bassinet, but she hasn’t been napping for long stretches lately. She needs to nap about every two hours at this age. Anything longer, and she “goes loopy” hah. I am wondering if the sleep regression is to blame for her short naps. I think it might throw everything off. I’m trying not to worry about it too much because from what I’ve read everything is kind of up in the air right now. I’m just trying to be consistent with things and give her lots of love, reassurance, and snuggles.
I mentioned last week that Adriana made an obvious shift from being able to sleep anywhere and in anything (months 0-3) to needing a quiet, dark room to sleep now. The exception is sleeping in the car…that will usually put her out. When she was a newborn she could sleep almost anywhere…now that’s definitely not the case. She’s too aware of her environment now. We made the mistake of going to a family visit during her nap time this past weekend and oh boy did we pay for it. When we arrived she was groggy from a short 15 min. sleep in the car, and she quickly became overtired as our family obviously wanted to visit with her. I tried to nurse her and she screamed bloody murder. We tried to put her to sleep in one of the kid’s rooms and she screamed even more. We bounced her, rocked her, sang to her…we tried everything and she screamed and screamed for over an hour straight. I think her gums were bothering her too. My sister in law and brother in law were like, “Oh how I remember those days!!!” hah. Of course, I forgot my Solly baby wrap which would have been so nice to put her in. It became obvious that she wasn’t going to settle until she slept so we ended up having to leave early. Bummer. After she finally napped, she was all smiles. It’s amazing how babies can go from meltdown territory to perfectly content once they’ve had their beloved nap. Anyway, it was a tough day, but we learned a lesson: make sure she naps before we leave the house. Rookie mistake, probably. Figuring out baby sleep has to be one of the most challenging aspects of parenting…don’t you think?
Is anyone else starting to feel cabin fever coming on strong this month? January is always a tough one. I feel it even more so this year, although I have to say I feel much better now than I did last winter during the first trimester! I’m daydreaming about us getting away for a vacation to AZ in Feb or March with my parents. It’s keeping me going right now just thinking about all of that glorious warm sunshine! I can’t wait until spring and summer though…it’s going to be so much fun to be able to get out of the house more with Adriana and to have longer daylight in the evenings! Plus, summer fruit and veggies!!! Give me all the summer produce!
I’m happy to say exercise has been going a bit better this week! I’ve been back at the treadmill workouts – doing about 1/2 hour of hill walking almost every day. It makes such a difference in my mood and I swear it even helps with the sleep deprivation. I’m doing the Madonna arms and Pilates butt workout videos (linked in previous posts) occasionally. It’s far from a consistent workout routine, but I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself right now, especially during this sleep regression. I’m just grateful when I have some kind of movement each day.
This week’s milestones: Adriana now loves to grab her feet. It’s super cute. She’s also started to roll from her back to her side (but not fully over to her belly yet) while playing on the activity mat (she kicks off the sides for leverage, hah). I can’t believe how strong this girl is. When she wakes up in the morning or after a nap she loves to coo and baby talk to herself for a little while (not to be confused with middle of the night wake ups when she cries!) It’s so nice to see her entertaining herself a bit more these days!
I had hoped to get my favourite baby products post up last week, but it’s taking longer than planned. I hope to have it up by next week. It’s going to be a good one!
How are things going in your neck of the woods? Any advice on navigating baby naps while going out?
Hey! Love your book and the blog – never commented before, but I feel your sleep pain (I have two girls, 3 and 9 mos). Keep going through this tough phase. I found especially with my second when I was more consistent with good sleep habits that her sleep has really ebbed and flowed – she’ll go through a tough developmental patch or growth spurt and then get back to something more manageable. I try not to panic now when we hit a difficult phase. With napping – when you want to go out, use the car to give her a somewhat restorative nap on the way (i.e. keep driving or stay in the car until she’s slept at least 30 minutes, or even 45). I also use the carrier for napping out of the house – with two it’s much harder to respect the baby’s schedule when I have to be out for the older one, so I’ve relied on that a lot. January is tough for sure.
Thanks Sarah!
Yes, I think the carrier would’ve helped…I’m going to make sure it’s in my diaper bag at all times! :)
Last week my massage therapist said it was the “most depressing week of the year”. Apparently it has to do with the weather, short days, Christmas debts etc. I actually found the week before Christmas was the toughest for me when my husband was recovering from surgery, short days and super busy and stressed with the Christmas rush! Anyways, this past week I was excited that I could come home from work and still walk the dog in daylight. Very day it’s getting a little brighter… Soon we’ll be back to our walks in beautiful Kalamalka Park! http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kalamalka_lk/ Wishing you some blessed rest and baby Adriana too! It’s hard for both of you to be at your best when you’re tired.
Hey! So sorry to hear about the sleep deprivation – I’m 37 weeks pregnant and EXHAUSTED, ready for this kiddo to come, and can’t imagine being any more tired…I love that pic you posted, it’s all worth it when you get morning snuggles with your little one!
I’m planning on sleep training with a modified babywise (I know it’s super controversial) – I have talked to so many people that have done it and it has seriously worked for every single one of them that has tried, no adverse affects on their babies. I know sleep training isn’t for everyone, and I’m a first time mom so I really have no experience, but maybe looking into something like that would help?
All the best as you figure out what works for you and your family!
The naps when out are a challenge! I asked the pediatrician about it at Nora’s 4-month checkup, and he said that with his baby, they just did everything on her schedule until she was about six months. After that, the naps were a little more consolidated and they could go on longer errands. I have no idea what to do when we fly home to Norway (from Seattle) this summer..will she even be able to nap with so much going on around her at that point? Gaah.
You’ll get through it! I’m sure it’ll go better than you are anticipating. I would Google tips online for her age while flying…there are a lot of great you tube videos for advice.
Kudos to your Dr. for being able to stick with a schedule…it’s hard. I feel like if we stuck to it perfectly we’d only ever leave the house for an hour at a time, hah. I think it’ll get a bit easier when her naps are consolidated like he mentioned. :)
Hi ladies, I like the restorative nap idea. What worked for us going out is to take a dozing baby in a carseat until s/he woke up (I have a DD and DS very close in age) and then transfer baby directly to a baby scarf carrier. If baby was on me I wore a nursing-friendly top and nursed a grizzly baby in it, yep, right out there in public but in a scarf so no one saw; however putting a heavy baby low enough to nurse did make for some back strain if the shopping trip took a while. But we had a calm baby. Hang in there… and if you can’t, put darling Adriana in a safe place and take a few minutes to re-centre as every stressful job needs breaks! Am 35wks pg and looking forward to starting this all over again :)
Ah yes, I remember these days as well. :) I have 2 boys (6 and 4 yrs old). Neither were great night sleepers. Naps were sometimes great and sometimes not. By the time I had my second baby, I just went with the flow. Like the previous poster said, it is harder to stick to a nap schedule with a baby and a toddler. I did rely on car naps a lot and I brought the carrier along. I tried to at least stick to a consistent bedtime routine (baths, pajamas, snuggles, nursing, etc). With my first, I was always stressed out about why he kept waking up, but with the 2nd, I figured babies are always going to wake up for whatever reason (teething, sickness, wanting cuddles, growth spurt, etc.). I told myself it’s not going to last forever.
Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing great! :)
Hey!
Our little girl is 14 months now…I totally know what you mean by feeling nostalgic in real time. It happens all the time! Have you seen the movie “About Time”? I would highly recommend watching. It gives you the sense that you want to appreciate every moment in life. I watched it after having Alice and total sobfest.
As for naps, it gets easier! It might take awhile…Alice needs to be in her own crib, white noise, blinds down, in order to sleep. When they start taking longer naps, they can be awake longer, so you can get out for longer stretches if they won’t sleep on the go. Patience is my best advice and do what you’ve got to do. You know what’s best for your family!
Hi! I loved your blog before, but now I love this baby section. I had twin boys on 9/14, so they are just a week older than your little girl. They were born one month early (normal for twins) so I am not sure if we are going to hit the 4 month sleep regression soon, but it hasn’t happened yet. They were waking up a few times a night to eat ever since they were born. Sometimes it was every 3 hours, sometimes every 2! Brutal for my husband and I. Over the past week, we have really focused on some things we learned at the 4 month dr. appointment: 1) Don’t let them nap for longer than 2 hrs during the day 2) try to wait 4 hrs between feedings. It seems like those things have really helped their sleep at night – we got 8 hrs last night! First time for that. We are working on them napping in their cribs, but for now one will usually nap in the swing while the other is in his crib. They have both rolled over at this point, but haven’t found their feet yet – I can’t wait to see the happy baby pose!
I have been trying to get back into workouts too! I LOVE the madonna’s arms workout. I also have been doing fitness blender workouts. They have a bunch of free online videos. I have been squeezing in the 20-30 minute videos since that seems to be doable in the mornings when the boys first want to wake up but aren’t yet hungry. They just lay on their play mat and watch me.
Thought I would comment since I am sure we will be going through a lot of the same things over this next year!
Hi Sarah, good on you and your DH for managing with young twins! Just noting for readers out there that scheduling feedings to intentionally space them out over longer periods is a technique that can’t be used for exclusively breastfed babies. Only baby knows when baby needs to nurse again, and mothers respond to their cues. Bfing in response to baby’s cues is essential for maintaining a sufficient milk supply. Yeah, that can be a drawback but one plus is the milk is always ready, safe to drink, and at the right temperature so everything has it pros and cons.
Sure feedings can be intentionally spaced out! Just because they haven’t worked for you doesn’t mean they “can’t work” for any baby. I’m pregnant with number 6 and married to a pediatrician…and we’ve had 5 very healthy babies, on very scheduled feedings, and my milk supply has always been abundant! Don’t put fear or shame on her–she asked her pediatrician what to do and that is what he recommended! Good for her for trying it and for trying the beauty of a schedule to give Mom and Dad a little sanity in their day and better sleep.
Oh Angela, I’m going through the exact same thing! My baby will be 5 months next week, and my once little guy who easily slept through the night now wakes up hourly :( It was actually getting much better, but we both caught the flu and everything has been thrown off course. I’m going to try to put him to bed at 7pm tonight instead of nine. I wish you and I both luck :)
You poor things. I hope this sleep regression dissipates sooner rather than later. Though I can sympathize with Adriana and being groggy after a 15 minute nap. I too don’t do well with socializing with others after I’ve woken up from such a short power nap haha. Also, your bed looks so soft and comfy! I would be out for the count if that was my bed.
Last summer with my little guy when he was about the same age that Adriana will be, was SO FUN! We went to the park almost every day and walked around or I put him on a blanket on the grass and we had a picnic (milk for him, food for me!). We went swimming a lot and it was just great. I think you’ll really have fun next summer!
Even though your writing about brutal sleep deprivation I’m somehow jealous of your bed lol. That looks like the coziest bedroom of life and you look like you are disappearing in the covers. Really cute picture! Hope this week is better for you guys :)
Looks like you guys are sleeping on a cloud … very soothing environment! :)
I joke that I haven’t slept since 2009 when I got pregnant with my first. My kids have never been sleepers. With my 2nd I gave up on trying to get him to sleep in the bassinet and let him sleep in bed with me. It’s controversial but it worked for me. He could nurse easily in a side lying position and it got to the point where he would just latch on by himself and I wouldn’t even wake up. After a few nights of that I felt much better. Baby #3 is due next month and I plan to do the same thing.
That is rough! I am not sure if you have thought of alternative health for her and taking her to a chiropractor to help with the sleep. A friend was having a similar problem with her new born not being able to sleep long and she took her to a chiropractor. A couple things were out of place and she started sleeping awesome afterwards! Just a thought to throw out there that may improve your life and hers!!
I’d say figuring out baby sleep is THE most challenging aspect of parenting. :)
White noise, long walks with the stroller and the baby carrier were my best tricks during that age for helping my little one nap. Sometimes I’d put her in the carrier and rock her standing up while watching a movie (quietly or with headphones). It relaxed us both.
I LOVE your recipes – and everything else about your site! Congrats on your bundle – she is darling!
Hang in there through the sleep stuff – I agree it’s the hardest thing about having an infant. My 18 month old skipped the 4 month regression – only because he was such a terrible sleeper there was nothing to regress from! Even now he still wakes up 1-3 times a night. My oldest (4.5 yrs) was SUCH a different and better sleeper (slept all night starting at 10.5 months). I have learned with my 2nd to just roll with it & try to not over analyze – things find a way of working out, especially with a consistent routine. It’s a journey, at every stage! I do miss having a solid 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep though….someday!
I think I’ll cry when I get a full night’s sleep too. Tomorrow is my son’s first birthday, and he still nurses every 2-3 hours through the night. You do adjust to the sleep deprivation—and I have found that I’m more likely to get more sleep at night if he naps well during the day! I always wore him when we were out if he fell asleep. As long as he was on my chest, he’d sleep through just about anything. But if I tried to put him down in ANY new environment, we’d get 15 minutes at best–and then he’d wake about every hour or less throughout the night.
Oh, the sleep issues! I wish I could have handled it as gracefully as you seem to be. But I’ll be really honest…as sweet as the grins and giggles and snuggles are, not sleeping just pusses me off! I am ashamed to admit that I deeply resented not getting at least a few uninterrupted hours of sleep each night. I was like ” Listen, kid, I’m doing EVERYTHING for you. Can you just give me a bit of a break??” I know how very childish that sounds but it’s the truth! Nap time was often a challenge for me, too, since I also have a school-age child. Add in weekly grocery shopping and all the miscellaneous errands and school activities and it was really hard to keep a schedule. And, yes, naps effect night time sleep and vice versa. It’s a vicious cycle sometimes, but you WILL get through it. It’s awesome you can find a way to be in each moment and recognize how precious it is. Good luck!
Neither of my girls (3 and 7 months) have ever napped on the go aside for the car or car seat if I super quietly take the car seat out of the car and move it to a dark room with white noise. I’ve always envied those mom’s strolling their kids at the mall who are fast asleep. Not my kids for sure :) But my kids are amazing in other ways of course :)
You have a great attitude Angela. You are lucky to be a mother and Adrianna is lucky to have you as her mother.
PS. I love how you went blonder/lighter with your hair. Looks awesome!