The time is quickly approaching that little sweet Jackson will have to be placed in his own room. And I am dreading the thought. Aaron and I are moving to our new home on June 1st. (YAY!) Here's a picture from the outside.
Corona Del Mar, here we come! 3 bedrooms, and two baths. We couldn't be more excited. Our rent currently in Newport Beach is just too much, so after 3 wonderful years of living there, we've decided to depart. Jackson's room is currently in the loft upstairs, which I'm not too crazy about him sleeping alone up there with the cats roaming free. They're so good with him, but hey accidents happen. And I'm a paranoid new mother!
We're so excited that he's getting his OWN room! But, this means no more bassinet. So, he'll be about 4 and a half months old when the official switch is made.
I read "Baby Wise" before Jack was born, and really thought that it made some great points about self soothing and attempting to sleep through the night. Jack has always been a pretty good sleeper and self-soother, so I was hoping it would just be a natural transition.
From when he was 10 lbs all the way to three months, Jack would sleep (un-swaddled) for 6 to 7 (sometimes 8!) hours a night in our room, uninterrupted. So wonderful!
Here's a pic of the little man taking a nap in his "natural" position!
Then, three months came around. Right after his shots, he started waking up every 2 to 3 hours to eat. He wouldn't start crying, but he certainly would be awake and apparently upset. I'd feed him and he'd go right back to sleep. It was then recommended to me to read the book "Happiest baby on the Block." And boy, has this book absolutely changed my sleeping life. I feel like a new person. (But hey, I think every new mom could use more sleep than she's allowed!)
They recommend the 5 "S's," which do make sense. Swaddling, side/stomach, Shhhhing, swinging, and sucking. Now, this book tells you to do these items in a certain order, especially if you have a colicky baby. Well, thankfully this was not Jack's problem. But, at the end of the book, they talk about how to get your baby to sleep through the night. So between 8-9 pm, I give Jack a full feeding. At this point, he's usually very tired, but cranky because he can't quite get to sleep. Then, we swaddle him. One thing I didn't know that I found so interesting is that babies don't like the ACT of being swaddled, so most parents assume their babies hate BEING swaddled. Well, this concept worked for Jack. We swaddled him as tight as we possibly could (even using packing tape to keep it secure. Aaron thought I was nuts!) with his arms at his sides. Then, we walk around the house with him for about two minutes, so he is calmed again. We then place him in his bassinet (half awake, is possible), and VOILA! The sweet child has slept for 7-9 hours consistently every night. Definitely recommend this book to any new mom. No letting him "cry it out..." at least yet. I'm hoping I never have to go there, as that may just break my heart. Literally.
In other news, our sweet boy is loving his BUMBO chair! He looks like an old man sitting in it, but it's so adorable. When we eat at the house, he always sits in this on the table and we can have a little conversation with our little man. He's starting to grab things, he loves rattles and toys that play music. We have this adorable little aquarium that his Great Aunt Kate bought him, it rotates little fishies and plays music. It's like baby TV. He's enthralled!
As I wind down my second week at work full time, I am constantly trying to remind myself of how many blessings God has provided to us. He says, "follow me, and I will show you." He does not show us, and then asks us to follow. This has been extremely difficult considering the large decisions that I have to make by tomorrow afternoon at 5pm.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful and supportive family that loves me either way. But, I am having such a hard time deciding. Prayers & support are so greatly appreciated.
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