7 Hours

Sleep, glorious sleep! Sydney slept from 8:20 - 3:15 last night. I can't believe she is almost sleeping through the night. My dear friend, Laura, gave me the book Babywise and said, "If you'll follow the main principles in this book, your child can begin sleeping through the night at around 8-9 weeks. I did Babywise with all 3 of my boys. The difference it made was amazing!" I was a tad skeptical, but I think Sydney is proving me wrong. I can't remember the last time I slept for more than 2 hours at a stretch. Ahhh....

Some of the philosophies in the book Babywise are controversial. For example, if the baby is clean, fed, and not in pain, it's okay to let them fuss and cry when you put them down for a nap. That doesn't mean you ignore their cries, because parental assessment comes first. But, some kids need to let off energy when they settle in for a nap. Another concept involves lifestyles. Just because a child enters your world doesn't mean you change your entire schedule and lifestyle for that child. The baby can learn to adapt to your current life and enjoy being a part of his/her family. For example, a company doesn't change it's entire employee protocol and policies just because they hire someone new. Sydney is adapting nicely to our family lifestyle and she enjoys the flexible structure (oxymoron, I know) or our daily schedule. It gives her security that every morning between 6-7 a.m., she will eat breakfast and afterward she will play with mom. It's a lot more peaceful and a lot less stressful this way. After her play time, she settles in for her nap and doesn't scream her head off. As a first time mom, I definitely needed some guidance in regards to living with a new baby. I am so thankful this book was passed along to me.