Sleeping Through the Night

Okay one more post on some baby related tips- hopefully these can help some of you out :)

I'm also seeking advice if any of you have tricks that work!

Let me start by saying Deklan was an AMAZING sleeper since he was born - no joke. The first two months I woke him up every three hours because he was a preemie to eat. After that I started letting him decide when to get up. At first it was twice a night, than once a night, then he would sometimes sleep till 8- 9 am! AMAZING! I was the luckiest mom in the world for reals! This baby NEVER fussed- took naps all day, and slept through the night.

Well, he turned 5 months old and BAM- he totally changed over night! He started being fussy during the day, he was still taking LOTS of naps, but for a week he was waking up every few hours in the night. Part of this problem I will admit was me. I'm a horrible sleeper myself with the worst insomnia- that mixed with waking up to ANY noise he would make was not a good mix. The fussiness I'm pretty sure is teething- which I talked about in my last post, but the sleep- STILL clueless at this point. Could be pain from teething, binky dependency, being spoiled, growth spurt maybe?? I just don't know. He is OBSESSED with his binky. So I decided to stop giving him his binky at night. During the day time naps I still allow for the binky. I tried the no binky at nap time the first day and he screamed for 45 minutes  This was just too much for me- I BALLED. SO far he is doing much better with no binky at night. I think he is still young enough to say that a binky is okay during the day. If he's 4 and walking around with a binky that might be a different story.

 I have however, officially turned my monitor off at night and set my alarm to 5:30 am. THAT way if he does get up for just a few minutes  he will learn to calm himself down and go back to sleep on his own. This terrified me the first night- really the first few nights I haven't slept, hopefully tonight will be different. The first night I woke up at 5:30 to hear him crying- BROKE. MY. HEART. Second night my alarm went off and he was ASLEEP for another few hours!!! WHAT??? So I am starting a bedtime routine. Bath, p.j's, Lavender oil, story, and snuggle time- then bed time. He needs to be somewhat awake when he goes down in his crib, with no binky. All nights so far he has cried ten minutes and then was out! Scheduling naps during the day like that wasn't working. With how much we travel, I just don't think that will work for us. :( I want my child to feel loved and important and yet NOT so spoiled that other people can't stand to watch him.

I also hired a babysitter to come to my house once a week every Tuesday for 4 hours- this way he get's used to us being apart every once in a while and doesn't go through the separation anxiety- at least I HOPE! Plus it gives me a break to run errands or go to the movies with the hubby- let's be honest- WE ALL need a break once in a while. AND in case it was a growth spurt I have been feeding him more and also trying bananas and pears for him once a day. I only give him a few bites since he's so young! http://pinkleblossom.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/startingsolids/ Here was a good blog on when to start with solids.

For you moms or soon to be moms this is a good blog to read on babies sleeping through the night: http://delightfulmomstuff.blogspot.com/2012/02/newborn-sleeping-through-night.html Thank you Aubrey for sharing it with me! REALLY good insight in there! I have a friend lending me a few books to read and hopefully I can share some of that insight as well- HOPEFULLY- he will continue doing better! Here is to a good nights rest! :)

Teething Tips

I am pretty positive Deklan is teething. He is drooling CONSTANTLY- TONS of it!!!! Plus he is chewing on everything in site! Including my arms, hands, pretty much everything is soaked by half way through the day causing us BOTH to need to change- SO I have been doing LOTS of reading on teething- signs and things to relieve the pain and thought I would share for those of you who are going through this or WILL go through this real soon- Hope it helps! The only thing so far I have really tried was the baby oragel- but Deklan HATED that stuff, baby Tylenol  and freezing his binkies. We also bought some of the raspberry binkies, and teething toys which are truly helpful! They look like this:

You freeze them and they work wonders if your baby can hold them in them self! :)

So a few signs your baby is teething: 

• Excessive drooling

• Chewing/biting on just about everything

• Irritability or fussiness

• Sore/tender/puffy gums

• Pull on ears

• Refuse food/nursing/bottles

• Have a rash around the face and neck (from excessive drool)

And a few random ideas I found online that may help :)
~ A frozen bagel-
    YES!  This has helped Jewel a lot!  Just be sure to watch baby closely.  As they gnaw on  the bagel
    and it softens, it can break apart.
~  Cold celery sticks-
     I had no idea that celery was a natural pain killer until a reader mentioned it.  I then 
     researched it a bit, and found out that it is in fact a natural remedy, and has been used as a pain killer
     since 30 AD.  You can real all about the benefits of celery here.
~  Lots of cuddles and love-
     If your babe is having trouble teething, spend as much time as possible cuddled up together.  If you
     nurse, nurse more during this time.  Hey, we can always use an excuse to stay in bed with our babes,
     right? ;)
~ Amber teething necklaces-
    several people suggested amber teething necklaces.  These necklaces offer a natural, drug- free
    alternative to soothing teething tots.  Besides that, they are beautiful, lightweight, and have a lot
    of other homeopathic benefits.  You can read all about amber teething necklaces as well as
    shop a great selection at Amber Artisans.  We just ordered one for Jewel, and I can not wait for it to get
    here!

~  Hyland's Teething Tablets-
     Hyland's Teething Tablets are another great homeopathic teething remedy.  Several readers
     suggested these tablets.  They are made from natural medicines and quickly dissolve once
     they hit babies tongue.  Hyland's also makes a teething gel.
~  Camilia Teething Medicine- 
     yet another homeopathic remedy.  Camilia Teething Medicine is an all natural teething 
      remedy that comes in liquid form.  While we have yet to try this remedy, I love that it comes in  
     sterile single use doses.  Camilia teething medicine can be purchased at Whole Food Markets as well as
     many  local  pharmacies.  Visit their site to find a retailer near you.



~  A cold wash cloth-  
     several readers mentioned a chilled wet wash cloth.  We have since tried it, and it really does help!  Jewel
     loved gnawing on it, and the cool cloth seemed to help alleviate some of the pain.  The cloth was also
     great at catching all of that teething drool- bonus!


~  A cold raw carrot to bite on-
     this tip from a reader was so helpful!  Jewel enjoyed the flavor of the raw carrot.  The coolness helped
     with the pain, and her teeth are not near strong enough to bite into the carrot,  making this a safe and
      very frugal teething tip!


~  Frozen foods- 
     many readers recommended frozen foods.  Some examples of foods mentioned were whole frozen green
    beans, frozen fruit slices, and ice cubes made of juice and then placed in a mesh feeder.  We have tried
    the juice ice cubes, and Jewel loved them!

~  The Teethifier 2 Advanced Back Teether-
     while I have not tried this product, it does look like it would be quite helpful, especially for babies who
     take a pacifier (Jewel doesn't).  You can real more about it here.

~  Baby Orajel-
     Baby Orajel is the #1 recommended teething brand used by pediatricians.  It is an instant relief gel,
     and comes in a pleasant cherry flavor.  We have used this product several times, and it does
     provide some relief.
~  Tommee Tippee Baby Teethers-  
      Tommee Tippee Baby Teethers come in a variety of different styles for every stage of 
      teething.  While some are meant for beginning teethers, others are specifically designed for the later
     stages of the teething process.  I have not tried these products, but they were heavily
     recommended to me, and they look like they would be very helpful. 

Stage two easy reach teether

~  Gripe Water-
     Gripe Water is a home remedy known to help with teething pain.  There are several different kinds
     out there, and all have slightly different ingredients.  One that was specifically recommended  to me in an
     email from a reader was  Little Tummys Gripe Water.
Hope it can be useful to some of you- I know I am going to go try the cold wash cloth. Babies can be SO fussy during teething time- I don't blame them though- OUCH!!! DO you guys have any other things that work- or have tried some of these???