Sleep Training

Sleep training is a very sensitive subject. Some agree with it, some don't, and some just do it not because they like it, but as a means to an end. I am in the third group. Tonight, we are sleep training our newest member, and it has been just as dreaded as the first time we did it.

The sad face of sleep deprivation! I feel terrible every time I see this picture!

Our first, Caylen, had major sleep issues from the beginning, which resulted in major sleep deprivation by the time we did sleep training at 8 months. I swore then that instead of battling the frustrations and sleepless nights sleep deprivation brings, I would do sleep training earlier, if it truly needed to be done. Well, this time around, our boy has been a pretty good sleeper. Compared to his sister, at least. His biggest issues are that 1.) he refuses to sleep on any flat surface and 2.) he has a bad habit of waking up at 3-4 AM and not going back to sleep. Until 8AM. Which wouldn't be too bad if he was an only child and I stayed at home with him-- we could just go back to sleep together! But, that's not the case, is it? Not only do we have an older child, she is in school and I have to take her at 7:45 AM, which is about the time he wants to zonk back out. Which, of course, doesn't work-- this results in a fussy baby who is overtired and cranky pretty much all day. He is gradually getting worse and worse with his irregular napping patterns and cranky disposition around dinner time, 6 PM, which is just too early for him to go to bed! Not to mention, the rock n play that he sleeps in is much too small for him, and he has almost fallen out of it, so that is reason enough to move him to the crib. So, tonight is the first night. It is going much better than it did with Caylen, mostly since we are in a bigger house now that doesn't simply echo with the baby's cries. Hopefully he will surrender to slumber quickly so we can all breathe easier.....!

 After one of our long nights......

By the way, the book we are using is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth. With Caylen, we used Sleeping Through the Night, and honestly I recommend the HSHHC, since it is much more in depth about sleep patterns, the effects of sleep deprivation, and what to expect for babies of different ages.






I will give an update soon on our progress!

We Have a Crawler!

Yep, so Caylen is officially a full-time crawler by now! She started crawling back in Texas, as referenced before, but now she is crawling everywhere! And, her teeth seem to be cutting any day now. She has started babbling a lot, and sometimes it sounds like she is speaking her own language! Her favorite word is "dada" or "adda" and she also says a few more 'word approximations' like "no," "uh-uh," "kee" for cat, and she did call my mom's dog "do" the other day a couple of times, but I am not positive that is what she meant. She has been sleeping through the night, too, for the last few weeks, and I am so glad! She refuses to take naps in her crib though, now, but I can handle that better than lack of sleep. She has discovered the stairs at my mom and dad's house and she has started to try and climb them! She is starting to use some of her signs, too, even though her receptive sign language vocabulary has been built up for some time. Example, I sign "drink" and she knows to get her cup but she has yet to sign "drink" herself. She is just growing up so fast; I am so proud of her! I love to watch her grow and change almost every day!

Well, as for the rest of the family, Brandon is still loving his new job and I am very glad of that! I have a job interview tomorrow, Monday, with a school system for a half-time SPED position. I am nervous-- I haven't done an interview in a while and I haven't been an actual teacher for a while longer! I think it is a great position though and I hope I get it, but if I don't, it is okay because it really breaks my heart to think about putting Caylen in daycare, even if it is just part-time. Well, there's no use in worrying about the interview, it is all in God's hands, and it will inevitably work out the way it should as long as I hold up my end.

Well, there really is more to say but that is all I can think of tonight so that is it until next time! Perhaps I will have a new addition to the blog tomorrow??

Back in GA at Last!

Well, we are finally settled in! We have actually been 'settled' since Wednesday of last week, but we just now got internet! I can't believe that we made it this long without internet, to be honest. So, our household goods came here to Dahlonega on the 31st. We also did our walk-through on that day as well. The movers were done by early afternoon that day so we had the rest of the day to unpack, and then we unpacked Tuesday and Wednesday everything was put away! We were lacking a few things so we went to Target for them and bought Brandon some work clothes as well while we were out. Brandon started his first day on Monday and he absolutely loves it! Never in the 4.25 years we have been married, exact to the day actually, have I ever seen him come home from work with a smile and want to talk about how his day was! I am so happy for him, and we are all so happy to be back with everyone. I, however have been so so so SOO incredibly busy I think the top of my head might spin off just any minute! There is so much to do, really, and it seems like the minute we got here there was a never ending list of to-do's.

Caylen is almost 11 months already! Whew, it has all gone by so fast! This means she is having a birthday coming up soon and I feel so unprepared. I know I have not put up many recent pictures, but I have just finished putting up a few on facebook that are a mixture of Caylen at 10 months old. She has changed so much this month! And, we have been so busy too! Those pictures can be viewed here, by the way.

So, next month, right before Caylen's birthday, we are all going to Disney World! Yay! I always thought Caylen would be older for her first trip, but I know she will have fun anyway. We are going with mom and dad, and Anna and Ava (aka Caylen's favorite little girl :-] ). Well, that is about it for this post; Caylen is taking a nap, oh glorious nap, for the first day in 5 days so I am going to take this time to breathe deeply......