I must confess, I'm feeling a lot of pressure to blog something interesting lately, and have very little new to say. I wouldn't trade Jonah's stability right now for anything in the world, but when things are so calm, and I'm in the house all day every day, there's just not a whole lot to talk about. I'm pretty sure you guys really don't care what I had for lunch nor are you interested in the plot of today's episode of Wonder Pets or Backyardigans.
I do have a couple good ideas and the book really helps, but I just feel like I have ZERO time to formulate a post. Even ones with JUST pictures take forever, because now I want to edit all my pictures... as if I needed one more thing to make this posting process take even longer... but man, Picnik is pretty fun. That reminds me... do any of you know anything about gimp.org? It was in O Magazine, and says it is a free download similar to Photoshop, but when I go there, it all looks pretty technical, so I haven't downloaded it yet. Thoughts? I would love a good editing program but don't want to have to pay for Photoshop. Does anything free actually compare?
Jonah's started really experimenting with the sounds he can make to the point that he's almost given me a heart attack a couple times. When respiratory distress is your biggest fear, and your son just thinks it's HILARIOUS to suck in air a couple times in a row and then bust out a big grin, it's really quite evil and manipulative. (But still really stinkin' cute... you know, after you get over your almost infarction, that is.)
Jonah's kind of had a rough go of it today. Bath and dressing change were much more painful for him than usual as he has some pretty bad spots on both feet, his right shoulder blade, and a really painful one on his bottom. Except when he was in the NICU, I haven't seen one as bad as what's on his shoulder right now, and I've not heard him scream in pain like he did today when water hit the one on his hiney. If you could just say an extra little prayer for him tonight, we would appreciate it so much. It helps to know everyone is praying so hard when you feel so helpless as a parent.
And last thing. Do you have any "getting your kid to bed" ideas that don't involve letting him cry it out? This not putting him to bed until 11 thing is killer... especially because he's still getting up at least once a night, not including all the requisite wake-up butt pattings. I'm all about some cryin' it out, but it's not an option for him, because he will be rubbing his face and hurting himself in the process. Anyway, I'd love to hear if there was something that worked for you when your kid was his age.
Alright, I'm off to bed (but not really because Jonah is still awake, but I'm going to pretend.)
So, goodnight (but not really).
Monday, August 3, 2009
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85 comments:
I wish I had some good ideas for you regarding the sleeping thing, we always went with crying it out and by the time they were Jonah's age they knew it was pointless. Maybe try moving bedtime up by 15 minutes a day and making sure he doesn't nap late in the day?
I can totally relate to not knowing what to write. We have a 34 month old, a 16 month old and another one coming in the next few weeks(all boys), and while it never gets boring around here and it always seems like you're doing something, there are just not many things are particularly interesting to anyone else. And when I look back on my week I'm not really sure what I did all week, either :)
Don't stress out about being interesting- you have a great writing style and I think you're really funny and I enjoy just reading about boring old days with Jonah:)
We're praying for you.
Astrid
I LOVE Gimp. It's really not hard to learn at all, give yourself about 15 minutes or so and you'll be a total pro :)
Maybe try shortening his nap a little? I know they say never wake a sleeping baby but it might be worth a try. Unfortunately, my daughter is just "not a sleeper" so I am afraid I don't have much advice.
I don't have any sleep techniques to give you. I will ask around and see if any of my friends have anything to offer. And, don't worry about your blog content and don't worry about blogging everyday. If you want to blog then blog about the daily grind, or whatever's running through your head. We are here to pray for you and listen and just love on your family. Have a good week! Your little Jonah is in my prayers daily.
We have a four month old who doesn't sleep before 11 or 12 either and he still wakes to eat in the night. It is hard to break them of that, with my daughter we had to move her to her room at 5 months and let her cry it out to fall asleep and when she woke up for her feeding at 3am my husband would go in since I nursed her which only took a few nights to break her of that feeding. I think we will need to try the same with our son soon, though he is very stubborn. I wish you the best and I will be praying for Jonah and your family.
Jennifer R.
Photoshop does a HUGE discount for Military and Education people...(both Teachers and Students). Not suggesting you do anything dishonest, but I didn't know if you had a family member that was maybe a teacher that would want to buy you a gift :-) If you look on the Adobe website, it's in their "education store."
Saying an extra prayer for Jonah tonight for his 3 sore spots--that they will heal quickly and not cause him much pain...
As for getting him to sleep through the night--I believe I read before that your have a miracle blanket--or something similar. I have 4 children, and we never swaddled any of them to sleep until we have our fourth 8 months ago. At 6 weeks old he caught Pertussis (whooping cough) from me, and would have coughing fits literally 50 times a day--usually every 30 minutes I could expect a cough. Needless to say, this did not make our nights easy. Once he got out of the hospital for dehydration from vomiting when he coughed, and once the coughs slowed down to about once every hour at night--which was about 3 months--we bought our "knock off" miracle blanket at Target. Worked wonderful cuz the coughing would make his arms fly, and once they were wrapped he didn't do that, and in turn would not fully wake up from a coughing fit. He would just cough and fall back asleep.
One it started getting warmer and he started getting longer, we simply cut the bottom off so his feet weren't wrapped any more--just his arms. I know that that's a concern with Jonah since he is wrapped from his blisters, then adding the blanket to it, but cutting off the bottom might help.
Just something I thought I would share with you. I remember everything that went along with being a first time mom, and I love to offer advice that could help.
Good Luck and I hope you can find a solution soon!! It's hard to rum for months and months on broken up sleep.
Boy, you'd think after going through this a bunch of times I'd have some good sleeping advice for you. We did do the "cry-it-out" method for a couple of them, but I'm with you - I don't think it would be a good option for sweet Jonah, esp. if you're trying to minimize face-rubbing. I agree with some of the other posters - try shortening nap time, or at least not letting him nap later in the day (if you can help it.)
Life isn't always interesting, so your posts don't have to be interesting, either. That's what's so great about your blog- it's just real. Keep it up - we all love it!
And we love us some Jonah, too. Hope that you find a good editing program so you can post more pics soon!
Praying from TX - especially for the extra sore places.
Love,
Laura
LOL, Guess I should do spell check after I type instead of relying on the nice red line to appear!! Too bad the red line only exposes misspelled words and not mistyped words!!
Our first son LOVED the aquarium we got for the side of his crib. It played all sorts of music and lite up and the fish moved. We just stocked up on D batteries at Costco and he used it until he was almost 18 months old.
Don't feel pressure about blogging anything exciting, you can probably talk about what you ate and how many times you went to the bathroom that day and I would still be interested...you are always so funny. About the sleeping thing, my kids have always been pretty good about going to sleep. I know you have dressings to deal with but try starting is routine about 15 minutes earlier every day and then gradually, start 15 minutes earlier until you get him to the time you want him to go to bed. Another thing, is soon as he is tired, put him down (maybe try a little softie blankie that he goes to bed with). Just some thoughts, I am sure you will get tons of emails with other ideas.
I wish I had some great advice for you on the sleeping. When P was Jonah's age, he was napping 3 times a day at 10, 2, and 5. The nap at 5 was always a short brief cat nap, usually about 45 minutes. And then his bedtime routine was bath at 7:30, night night music and the ceiling projection during his massage and jammies, bottle, sometimes a book ( depending on how tired , and then we would rock him to sleep in his room that was only lit with a night light. And he would normally sleep till 7ish the next morning. I wish you and Matt lots of luck on the sleeping front, I know how exhausting it can be. We are praying for you and sweet little Jonah.
Stephanie
Patrice, it is great that Jonah is so stable that there is so little drama at your house these days. If you don't feel you have anything you feel like blogging, don't blog. We are all okay with that. Just enjoy the humdrum boring days. Once Jonah starts rolling, crawling, walking...!!! You may find yourself wishing for humdrum boring days!!
I was Never able to let my girls cry it out. I was fortunate that I didn't have to work, so their schedule was my schedule and I didn't worry about it. My own personal parenting philosophy included making choices whenever possible to allow my babies to feel safe, secure and to know that they could count on me to be there for them, even if all I could do was hold them while they cried.
You have very valid reasons for not letting Jonah cry it out. Shortening his nap, moving nap time earlier, playing "hard enough" to wear him out, or feeding him some solids closer to bedtime (rice cereal?) are the only ideas I can come up with. Or, nap when he naps!!!
We will keep praying, for sleep, and the healing of blisters.
I am still out here in blog wonderland and still pray for all of you. I haven't posted in a while, but just wanted you to know that Jonah is just precious. I hope this doesn't sound wrong, but he could totally scratch up his entire little face and still be the cutest baby I have ever seen. AND I HAVE 3 OF MY OWN!! I just thought you should know! Love and prayers! Missy
Although I did do some "crying it out" with my boys, I didn't do much. I have a 2 and a 5 year old, and they are both excellent sleepers (bedtime is 8:00 for both of them). You probably already do this, but I thought I would suggest it anyway. I do a little routine with them every night. It sounds crazy, but it really works. My 2 year old has rarely ever cried at bedtime because he just knows it's time. I'll tell you our routine, just in case it could possibly help:
-get ready for bed (jammies, teeth, face wash, bath, whatever)
-read a book in the rocking chair, holding baby, with them facing forward (I started this when each of them could hold his head up)
-say a prayer in the rocking chair, baby still facing forward(practice folding hands, closing eyes, etc.)
-turn baby around for a song or 2 or 3 (rock and sing)
-walk over to crib and whisper sweet nothings to your baby ("time to go night-night, mommy loves you, sleep tight", all that good stuff)
-place baby in crib
-sing one more song
-say "it's time to go night-night. i love you."
-turn around and walk out of the room without making any more eye contact
Now obviously, with my 5 year old, this routine has changed a little bit. We still do most of this, but we are both laying in his bed, and we have added a nightly devotion to his routine. This may not help at all, but no one else had said this, so I thought I would offer it up.
Good luck! I love reading about Jonah no matter how much or how little you have to say!
Check out the baby whisperer, she has some great ideas!
One of my daughters didn't require much sleep as a baby and still doesn't. We finally took turns since we both worked - even at 1 year she was only sleeping 9-10 hours a day including a 1 hour nap. She rarely went more than 5 hours without a bottle. I rarely got two goods nights sleep in a row but I knew on my night, I was in bed early. When she was up, we held her b/c crying it out wasn't an option for our family. I more or less ignored her while she was on my lap which was completely different than any other time of day. Around 9 months old, she finally slept and/or stayed in her crib from about 10 - 4 consistently and we felt blessed! She's ten now and is always the last one to bed and the first one up. She's an A student but we joke that if she slept more, she wouldn't be so short!!
Okay, and so while I was typing my novel, someone else suggested a routine, but anyway, you get the idea. It really works if you stick with it. He probably won't get the message the first night, but eventually he will.
If you don't want to blog about your day to day, I'd love to hear your thoughts on headlines of the day or things like that.
As for sleep, I have to agree with the others about cutting his naptime short. Hopefully you wouldn't have to do it for long and he'll fall into a new schedule quickly.
Don't worry about having something "interesting" to write. I'm sure I'm not the only one who came here for Jonah but enjoys sticking around because of you and your witty posts! Well, your witty posts and your cute little guy...
Our first son was a horrible sleeper. He never slept throught the night until he was 14 months old. However, we could get a good 4 to 6 hour stretch in with the fish aquarium. He loved the music. the music worked great. crying it out was not an option for us and sleeping in bed with us wasn't up for debate either. there was a time for about 4 months where he slept in the pack n play in our room so we could quickly hit the button on the music when he started to stir. he is 6 years old now, and is a really great sleeper now. He still needs some down time and usually a nap every day. you might try a instrumental praise cd that you can put on repeat in his room to play softly through out the night. something like the music from the praise baby collections. there are also some cd's out there that are lullabys of scripture. I can't think of anything better than having scriptures sung over your baby all night. (and you get to sleep while it happens)
Im sure you've already done this, but pray and ask God to show you specifically what to do to help him sleep.
I feel your pain sister! Our son wouldn't sleep more than a 2 hour stretch until he was 8 months old. Although swaddling seemed to help, I don't know if that is an option for Jonah. The thing that worked the best was his motorized swing. Although we went through a gazillion batteries, it was worth 6 hours of sleep in a row!
SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE GOTTEN SOME GOOD ADVICE FROM NEWER MOTHERS THAN ME. IT ALL SOUNDS WORKABLE AND IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE TIME:(
I AGREE 100% WHEN HE TAKES A NAP YOU TAKE ONE TOO.WHEN YOU GET REST AND MATT GETS REST THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE FOR JONAH TOO.
BLOG WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT. WE MIGHT NEED WEANING! THOUGH I WOULD MISS IT. MUCH LIKE A SOAP OPERA, THEY ARE ONLY ON 5 DAYS A WEEK.
PRAYERS FOR BLISTERS AND FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP.
PRAYERS ALWAYS
2SHOES
Try Photoshop Elements. I think it is about $100. Or maybe a wee bit more.
here's the deal:
i have never been great at schedules with my kiddos (i have three) until they were over a year, at least. things got better, even great, then, but not until then. so i have nothing for you there, except keep trying, and eventually (i know it seems like forever) you'll fall into it. oh, and sleep whenever you can.
i'm sure you've got that by this point, too.
GIMP, though, is MY BEST FRIEND, when i find the time to use it. You can find tutorials on google, and even youtube.com for the specific things you want to do. the first time i tried something, it literally took me most of the day, but once i found that tutorial on youtube i was like "HEY!" my smartie hubby taught me how to use photoshop years ago but we don't have it any more, and yes, it's different, but not that bad.
email me anytime if you have a specific question...if i can't figure it out, he can :)
~Caryl~
p.s. and I'm normally a TOTALLY SILENT, but sometimes anonymous reader, just HAD to share my thoughts on GIMP.
For some reason EB babies and kids don't like to sleep! And crying it out will cause more airway issues so that is defiantly not an option. When Sami was a baby we used a small fan for background noise and played soft music at bed time. She loved to have her head or back rubbed so we did that. When she woke up we'd turn the music back on again and rub her head/back a little more and then go back to bed. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. She had a late bedtime too because I worked till 11pm at night and the later she went to bed the later she (and I) slept in! Our course we pay for it now because she is always the last one in bed on a non-school night and still fights us on school nights! She also didn't sleep through the night till she was 3, I know not what you want to hear, but it seems to be common in EB babies. I wish there was some magic potion or something but I know ALL EB parents struggle with this.
Your blogs are always wonderful. I am so excited about the everyday things that you post. Especially the squash!
My son never wanted to sleep. In fact, he never napped for more than 30 minutes until he was about 5 months old. What time of day do you do Jonah's bath and dressing change? My suggestion would be to do this at the same time every evening. Wear him out. Give him his bottle. And then hopefully get him to sleep at a decent time.
Can you just snuggle with him till he falls asleep. Not sure of the do's and don't with an EB baby but as cute as Jonah is I would just hold him close to me and snuggle with him,thats what I do with other peoples little ones till they fall alseep by rocking them in my arms and rubbing their back. tho my arms feel like they are going to break,i still hold them for awhile before laying them down. Prayers for Jonah.~Darlene
praying for sweet jonah and the extra sore spots. oor little guy. he's such a trouper so to know he is crying in pain with these new sores is extra sad. praying for you al.
i wish i had sleeping advice for you. i nursed and rocked my babies while their daddy read and played his guitar and sang to them. i am embarassed to say that we didn't put a lot of thought into it.
but here is something . . . is he taking a late afternoon nap? perhaps not letting him sleep until it is bedtime? just a thought. i'm so sorry i don't have more insight into this.
we got our jonah magnet and i have it on my car!! i love it.
blessings, mari
I use Picasa 3 to edit my photos. It's free and from google. It is so easy to use and has quite a few fun elements to it.
I know another blogger that uses GIMP and loves it. I love Piknik, but I'm gonna check our Gimp soon!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. My kids were TERRIBLE sleepers and this book really helped me a lot to understand sleep patterns and helping them sleep. It does NOT advocate crying it out like Baby Wise or anything.
as far as his poor open skin and the painful bathes...i grew up with severe eczema (not that same, i realize). mom used to slather the open spots with vaseline, making a protective barrier. that way, the skin didn't burn when it hit the water - somehow, by the end of the bath, the vaseline was off, but i guess it soaked off gradually or some other weird scientific explaination...but rarely was there any burning.
i'm not sure if vaseline is an option for jonah, but maybe this info will help?
hope the little guy continues to do well!!!
heather
Please don't feel that you "have to" come up with something to blog about. Just put down your thoughts from the day and maybe what Jonah has been doing. You can have the blog printed out when Jonah is older and it can be a scrapbook/babybook for him.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
I've heard that Aviary.com is good for photo editing, but I haven't tried it.
I have no tips for the sleeping thing as we're going through it here, too, with my 6 month old....our first child never did this so I'm at a loss!
I'm against crying it out for infants, personally, as are most of the moms I socialize with, and the book that comes up most often as a big sleep helper is the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Good luck! I imagine that in addition to face-rubbing, it wouldn't be very good for Jonah to spend all that energy on screaming for hours that he should be spending on healing. I hope you'll be well-rested soon. :)
http://www.amazon.com/No-Cry-Sleep-Solution-Gentle-Through/dp/0071381392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249390172&sr=8-1
chalk me up as another happy Gimp user. I don't use nearly all of the features, but it's great. My only complaint is it takes a while to open on my laptop. Nothing major, mind you - but I don't close it if there's even a remote possibility I'll be using it again!
I also used one of the musical boxes that attaches to the side of the crib. My son loved looking at it and listening to the music. It really helped him sleep. It was a lifesaver! Here's an example of one: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2674699
Wow- you have a lot of readers. I'm a friend of LeeAnn Taylor's that moved to Texas- I read about Jonah first thing when I get to work in the morning. Anyway- Gimp is good- and if you're familiar with photoshop it should be easy for you. BUT- a really easy and time saving program is photoscape 3.3. It's free- offers crops, cool edges, batch editing, picture collages, and anything else you could need for general pictures- no tricky names for things or anything. I use it at work all the time and then open the image in gimp if I've got something a little more "technical" to do. You'll love it-
I don't know much about Gimp, but I use Picasa and Paint.net! They work great!! Just google them! Praying for Jonah!
I'm so glad to hear he's doing so well! Hmmm...Jule had such severe reflux that we couldn't let him cry it out either, AND he would stay up late like Jonah. What we did is keep him awake anytime after 3 PM. Believe me, it's torture because they're so crabby, but within days, we were able to get him to bed between 7 & 8. It's a matter of imposing "your" schedule on them. I hope you get some earlier bedtimes soon!
Hi Patrice,
I remember when my daughter was five a neighbor complained that she did not leave when they started to eat their dinner sitting in their driveway... I told him she's five, how did she know that your driveway had become your formal dining room instead of where she rode her bike, you have to tell her!
Crazy story, but the point being you will have to create the routine that lets Jonah know something has changed and it's time for bed. As others suggested a quiet time routine of taking him to his room, rocking him, singing songs and then ending with Jonah in his crib will eventually signal night time for Jonah. I am praying that the sores will heal and that his pain will stop. He has such life in those bright blue eyes, I can't wait to watch you try to keep up with all of the Jonah adventures on your blog!
Love to you all,
Robin in TX
Getting a kid to go to sleep without crying is hard! :) We had the same issue, though, because we couldn't let Eli get too worked up with crying because he would throw up GALLONS and also it was bad for his lungs and took a him a long time to recover (he was on oxygen). I think the best thing we did was change his schedule a little. NO NAPS after 3pm so that by the time 7pm rolls around he was exhausted and really ready for sleep. And then we had the same routine every night- bath, books, bottle, sound machine, bed. If he started fussing we would go in there and soothe him (I imagine like your "butt-patting") but wouldn't get him up out of bed. He got the hang of it pretty quickly, especially because he was so tired by bed time with no nap in the late afternoon. Good luck!!!
We let our first cry it out, but I just don't have the heart to do that this time around. So, we spend a lot of time rocking, and I have found singing will at least calm him down, even if it doesn't lull him to sleep. I am able to put him in his crib on his back when he is awake and wind up the crib mobile and sometimes he will just fall asleep on his own. Sometimes he screams his head off and I end up going in to get him and rocking him some more.
As far as getting him to sleep earlier. I hate to say it but you might need to start waking him up from naps. Trust me, I totally get that naptime=sanity time for mom and frankly there are days where I wish both kids would nap ALL DAY LONG! But, babies have a certain number of hours of sleep that they require (some require more, some require less). If he is getting his set # of hours then you might need to cut down on his naps a little so he will get more of his sleep at night. This is something we are struggling with Anthony right now. He is almost 10 months old and naps for probably 5 hours a day, which is great for my sanity, but not so great for his night time sleep.
Also, does Jonah have a lovey? You kind of have to train your kids to have one, but sleep props definitely help signal to baby that it is time to go to sleep.
Oh, and when rocking Anthony to sleep, if the process of just rocking him in the chair doesn't work, I will stand up and pretty dramatically sway from side to side (with a pretty wide, swinging motion...not gently). The moment I start doing that his eyes will usually start to close uncontrollably. It is a pretty intense workout for me, but when all else fails that sometimes helps.
Sorry this is so long. Good luck, and know that we are praying for you!
~Amy
Hi Patrice,
Caroline is still particularly hard to get to sleep sometimes - she's a sleep fighting champion! What works best for her is turning off the TV, pretty much all of the lights (except a lamp), and turn on some soft lullaby music (about 6 songs I picked off iTunes). And we sit in the rocker, she sits in my lap and sucks her paci. Eventally she starts falls asleep - It's pretty relaxing for me too. Every baby is different - this didn't work so good for Carston...
(yeah, he just slept in the bad with us - I don't recommend that!)
Take care!
Andrea Hauser
We really used our swing and it's 20 lb. capacity until we reached the max use. It really made the difficult nights easier.
As for GIMP I think that it is comparable to Photoshop and I love it. I am NOT a pro and have watched many tutorials. There is a huge learning curve (same with PS) but not as many training/books/tutorials as PS.
I did create my own header for my blog that I was pretty excited about even if it is plain compared to many I have seen. :)
I use gimp and it's pretty much about feeling your way through it and discovering new things every day. Now I've gotten pretty good at it (by my non-tech savvy novice standards that is) and it's super fun to edit pictures and do fun things. I made my blog header with it and use it to crop and touch up many of my pictures.
As for getting to bed, I'm afraid my son doesn't much like going to sleep early either. I've had some luck with a new routine that I've been using where I take him into bed with me, turn off all the lights (except a night light) and put his favorite song on repeat (and pretty loud). Usually after about 45 minutes of trying to crawl, stand, wiggle, turn, etc, with me gently coaxing him back down each time, he calms down and finally falls asleep. The problem is that this routine puts me to sleep as well! Good luck!!!
The only thing I can think of is letting him sleep less during the day. But, what will those changes mean for him? Will he rub his face and eyes out of exhaustion? He can't do that. I'm a mom to eight. My youngest had blisters (poison ivy) last week. I can't imagine what you and Jonah go through daily. And we still use swaddling for our three year old around his arms some nights that he's restless. Not sure if that would cause problems with jonah though. I'm praying for you all. Blessings to your family.
Hi! I had sleep problems with my oldest and tried "The No Cry Sleep Solution" with her. It was wonderful! I bought the book online for really cheap. A very delicate and sweet way to help your baby fall asleep. Good luck! I love keeping up with your blog and little Jonah - he's so incredibly cute!
Don't worry about posting something "exciting". We come hear to read about Jonah and see how that handsome little boy is doing (and his mom and dad too of course :) Those of us praying for you actually pray for more "ho-hum" days than "drama" days anyway! Other than the crying it out technique, I can't help much in the getting them to sleep dep't other than what the other commenters have mentioned.
Hey Patrice,
Long time reader, first time commenter.
Wanted to let you know about the free download Paint.NET. Its basically a stripped down version of Photoshop and its relatively easy to use. I just started tooling around on mine and have made some pretty neat stuff.
You can download it at downloads.com.
I'm praying for you, Matt and Jonah.
All my love,
Megan
The "Baby Whisperer" (Hogg is her last name) has a pick up/put down method of sleep training that is non cry-it-out. It doesn't look like a simple solution by any means, but it might be worth a try. It is detailed in the book "The Baby Whisperer Solves all Your Problems." I have a 4 months old - Some of her stuff seems a bit odd to me, but some of it has been very helpful. Like most parenting books, you take some and leave some. Praying for Jonah's sore spots today. I really enjoy your blog.
We purchased a book called the "no cry sleep solution" it is co-authored or edited by Dr. Sears, but I can't remember the actual author. It is available at B&N.
We tended to co-sleep at about 10 months and I know that isn't an option for you. At 22 months Mason is now in his own bed after falling asleep in ours till about 7:30 when he comes into our room for snuggles.
Best of luck. The first night it does happen, you will wake wondering what is wrong. ha.
Melissa
Hey Patrice, when things are going great you can just post that things are going great! For all the praying about specific problems it's nice to be reminded to pray just to thank God for the blessing that is a boring day! I love hearing that Jonah's doing well.
I for one am looking forward to the posts about Jonah's first day of school, the first science fair project, his acceptance to Harvard, and all the other normal, boring things, because given his beginning 'normal' is never boring. It's a gift to share in the miracle that is his survival. Plus, with all the horrible crap going on in the world, logging on to see that a very loved little boy is having an undramatic week is great.
Sarah
Patrice- one thing that works really great for my 3: I got the Veggie Tales "Rock-a-Bye Veggie" cd- which has 15 songs, then those same 15 songs in just instrumental. I put the 15 instrumental songs on REPEAT and let them play all night softly while they sleep. The biggest advantage is Pavlovian. When they hear that music, whether they are in bed or in the car, they start to get sleepy- so much so that my middle child (who is 3) says "no no no, I don't want to sleep!" when he hears it. But he gives in!
Just a thought to add to the mix. It's not an immediate solution, but over time, if Jonah associates it with sleep, it could help him fall asleep and go back to sleep when he wakes up.
You might want to take a look at this message board, they have a section on night time parenting where crying it out is not advocated. It's called Gentle Christian Mothers and it's a great site!
http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/
I have 2 boys ages 5 and 2. The first was a great night sleeper horrible napper. The second, well we're still working on him. It takes a busy day, earlish 1.5 hr nap, a good bedtime routine and all the stars to be properly aligned to get him to sleep through the night! I am also one of the "don't let them cry it out" group. Partially because even as an adult I have trouble feeling safe as I am falling asleep even though I have a very safe environment and I think it has a lot to do with my parents CIO methods, but I digress.
Jonah is still really young to be sleeping "through the night",which means something different to everyone, I believe the AAP says it like 6 hrs of sleep or something,personally I'd like them to sleep from 9pm-morning, as in after 7a.m. but I'm not that lucky lol. I do agree with the posters about watching his napping. He might be ready to have just one a.m nap and then an afternoon nap that's not too late in the day. It is totally normal for him to wake up 1-3 times at night at this age. Hang in there mama and really it does help to sleep when the sleep, just like everyone tells you.
A free alternative to photoshop that is REALLY EASY to work (i'm technically challenged) is photoscape. you can download it free. Just google Photoscape and it should open right up. :)
Let me know if you like it! I just edited some pics using it and posted them on my blog. check it out: www.makerminute.blogspot.com
I use Gimp and really like it. For Windows go to: http://tinyurl.com/lwxmu4. I'm not a hard-core photo editor, but I've used it to create graphics, retouch graphics (and some photos), etc. It's pretty versatile and free's good! :)
I don't have any good suggestions for getting a kid to sleep. I was diagnosed clinically sleep deprived when my youngest 2 were infant/toddler. The only way to get my son to sleep as a toddler was to sit with my arm through the crib bars until he went to sleep and then crawl across the floor hoping he'd stay asleep. Only to do this all again every time he woke up during the night.... Praying you find something that works!!
I am GLAD to hear that life is "normal," and don't ever worry about not posting! You have a life, and the blog is not top priority!
I'm so sorry to hear about his blisters and will definitely pray for relief from those.
Crying it out was what eventually worked for us in terms of bedtime. What we did, though, (on suggestion of a parenting book published by the American Academy of Pediatrics) was slightly different from just putting N. down and leaving him. We'd put him down, leave him for 5 minutes--go in and pat him (trying not to pick him up) and say soothing things--then try to wait a little longer (10 minutes, but maybe you could start with smaller increments?) and do it again. It basically let N. know we were there but we weren't going to bring him downstairs to hang out more. I'm not sure if this is still not feasible for y'all, but just wanted to throw it out there!
Patrice, I can't offer a lot of help regarding editing photos. I do have a great friend in San Diego who uses Picasa all the time, and I know it's free, so at least the price can't be beat.
I am no expert at getting a baby to go to bed earlier. You might just try to put Jonah to bed ten or fifteen minutes earlier, then once he gets accustomed to that, try another ten or fifteen minutes earlier, etc. Bedtimes are like habits, and it takes a little while to change. Nightly routines (rocking, reading a story, maybe some soft music) are helpful too.
However, regarding your blog posts, most of us have become so accustomed to learning about Jonah's life, that we panic a bit when there's no post. We fee like we are a part of his development. However, you might use your posts as a means by which to testify regarding your thoughts about God, your daily devotions, the things you pray about, etc. You have a wonderful way with words, and your thoughts, however random, could be a blessing to someone. I think about the way Angie Smith blogs at times, or Mckmama, or any number of other authors. If something you write makes even one person go "hmmmmm...that was special..." then maybe that's your ministry.
Just a thought.
Sandy W.
This is something I wish I had when my son was a baby. "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. Start at the section that is the age of Jonah - don't start at the beginning!
I had never heard of Picnik until this post and I LOVE IT!!! THanks so much!
I am reading your blog from the U.K. and was wondering if you shipped the Jonah magnets overseas? Just know that people are praying for you little Jonah all the way around the world.
Jaime Owens
Patrice - get GIMP! I love it! It's free and it does all the important stuff! It's easy to use! I made my background/header using it - check it out at http://gracelikerain-laura-ann.blogspot.com
Don't spend the money on photoshop.
I haven't read your other comments so maybe someone already suggested this...but if I were you I'd try to have more awake & active time during the day (letting him only sleep 2 hours at a time during the day) so he is tired earlier than 11pm.
All of this is great in theory, though I need to take my own advice! :) My 8 week old doesn't go to sleep until midnight or so regardless of how much she's awake during the day! :)
Also, check out The No Cry Sleep Solution book. It may have some good tips!
First of all, I've missed reading your blog for the last few days. For medical reasons, I've been unable to get to the computer. It will sure be nice once I can get a laptop.
As for sleeping, the only suggestion I can make is to start a pre-bedtime ritual, doing it the same way every night and at as near the same time as possible. With this procedure, Jonah will soon learn that these things mean bedtime, sleep time, and Mommy needs some rest time.
Also, some softly played music might help. If you can stand it, repeating the same song over and over doesn't seem to wake little ones once they do get to sleep. For my kids, classical music, that had no great loud segments seemed to work the best. Anything instrumental is great. No words, no wakey.
Still praying and love you all to Heaven and back,
Mimmy
I read through most of the comments before I started typing so I won't repeat. I do like the idea of moving things back by 15 mins each night so he progressively gets "started" earlier. Crying it out is not a good option right now. Going to sleep in a different room from you might be. It worked miracles for one of ours. Something on the side of the crib to entertain might work too. I had one who would wake at night and play by himself and then go back to sleep. I lay listening in my bed on the monitor but did not have to climb out of bed.... Also, don't worry about "performing' on posts. Be yourself. Share what you want to. If it was just the same old day then that is fine. It's also okay to skip a day (I might have withdrawal sypmtoms but that is okay too!) and do something else with your spare time! You are a special family coping with lots of special circumstances. Glad to help when I can but I feel like I learn more than I teach..... Jennifer in Southeastern, NC (yes, I was gone on vacation and had to wait to have a JONAH FIX!)
just wanted to let you know i am reading this in TN and praying hard for Jonah.
on a fun note--Our daughter did something similar when she was little (with the mouth noise). When she was about 18 months old she was "helping" her dad eat a candy apple. She saw a dog on TV and started making a panting noise (which is what our dog always did) and my honey thought she was choking LOL Scared him to death
dont worry about posting every day--this is supposed to be fun, Enjoy your little man and post when you can..... OH and you dont know me I am just a radom lurker
I've read through some of the other comments and I agree that a bedtime routine has been really helpful. We have a naptime routine too (which was easier to do once our son was older) Aslo, we used the acquarium that others have mentioned. (The one that plays music, has a moving fish and soft lights)
Since crying it out isn't an option (which we had to do with our son) I'll tell you what a friend of ours does. They have something special over the windows to make sure the baby's room is completely dark, they have a soft instrumental CD going and a white noise machine. When we travel we use a white noise machine with our son (who is 18 months now) because it helps him sleep.
I had one other thought. I didn't do this with my son because I didn't have to, but could you commit a week or how ever long it takes to sleep in Jonah's room (or wherever he sleeps)? It would kind of be like a modified "crying it out". That way every time he starts to fuss, you're right there to soothe him (like the butt patting) so he doesn't get to the point of hurting himself but he can still learn to fall asleep. Hopefully he would eventually not need you there to soothe him. I totally don't know if this would work, but know that I'm praying about the situation.
Just wanted to say that you are an amazing mom! I think it's great that you blog about your great days and your not-so great ones. Being a mom is incredibly tough (and amazing!) and you are facing added challenges. May God give you all of the peace and strength you need each day!
Also, with my boys, I found that the earlier I put them to bed, the better they slept! I got the idea from "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." When they had trouble sleeping as babies and waking up in the night, I moved their bedtime up by 15 min each night and the problems went away. Believe it or not, people thought I was crazy but both of them went to bed at 5:30pm for awhile (starting around 4 mos) because they really really wanted to. They slept incredibly well~13 hours a night! I pray sweet rest on Jonah tonight. And you, too!
Heidi
my sister read a SWEARS by the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. Her daughter goes to bed at 7 pm and most of the time sleeps in til 9 or 10 am. You might give it a try..
I wish I had the miracle idea for sleep, but "all" I can do on this one is pray for you!!
Praying for Jonah's blisters..bless his heart! The only suggestion I might have for the sleeping. Have you tried putting one of your t-shirts/nightgowns in bed with Jonah when he sleeps? Our 3rd child kept getting up at night (not for long...just waking up and wanting to nurse just for a few minutes). One night, after all else failed and she had a hold of my nightgown, when I layed her in bed and she kept a grip on it, I just slipped it off and let her hold it in bed. For a few weeks after that, I would wear one of my old/soft t-shirts in the evenings and then when she went to bed...so did the t-shirt! It worked like a charm. She might still get up to eat....but not stay up or wake up "just because". And I agree...no comments for the bumper pads and/or blankets! (or t-shirts) :) You are such a great mother. We all enjoy your posts so much.
Did anyone comment on that beautiful painting on the wall! I love it! :-)
You're a wonderful mother. Please know that. The people who commented just don't know what you're going through to protect your little man. And you need to protect him, and love him as best you can. That's your job, right?
On a lighter note...I can't wait to hear how the avocado went today! Is he a fan?
Hi girl--I noticed you disabled comments on the last two posts--can't say that I blame you! Just wanted to say--PLEASE don't stop writing! I've been following your blog ever since baby Jonah was born and would be so sad if I didn't have updates! My 3-yr-old prays for "baby Jonah" every night before bed!
I know you turned off your comments in the latest two posts but I just wanted to let you know that it's your perogative if you want those bumpers and blankets on. You are so absolutely right, no one knows YOU and what YOU have to deal with. I've kept the bumpers and blankets in all 3 of my sons cribs because I wanted them there and they are fine.
My youngest son - who is 21 months old sleeps in our bed every night, now that he's learned to climb out of his crib and because I've missed him so very very much I keep him there despite the fact that it's a bad thing.
So what I'm trying to say is, WHO CARES what those criticizing people say about your choices. You're here to share, not to be condemned.
I hope you continue to share your life with us. You've taught us all so much already.
I know you turned off your comments in the latest two posts but I just wanted to let you know that it's your perogative if you want those bumpers and blankets on. You are so absolutely right, no one knows YOU and what YOU have to deal with. I've kept the bumpers and blankets in all 3 of my sons cribs because I wanted them there and they are fine.
My youngest son - who is 21 months old sleeps in our bed every night, now that he's learned to climb out of his crib and because I've missed him so very very much I keep him there despite the fact that it's a bad thing.
So what I'm trying to say is, WHO CARES what those criticizing people say about your choices. You're here to share, not to be condemned.
I hope you continue to share your life with us. You've taught us all so much already.
All 3 of my children have slept with bumpers, blankets, or in my bed. SIDS is not cured by removing bumpers and blankets people! Parents do what is best for THEIR children.
Patrice, don't stop sharing Jonah's life. You are an inspiration to so many people! Hoping for another good night for you and Jonah. Each milestone is so sweet and sometimes so sad.
I just wanted to let you know that I don't think what you are doing with the bumper is a bad idea.
Our daughter decided she would only sleep on her tummy at 2 months old. We picked up a motion sensor monitor and tested it like crazy til I was confident in it. I tested it every night when we put her down.
That was the best purchase we ever made, our daughter was able to get a full nights sleep and so was I.
You know what is best for your child. Don't listen to what anyone has to say that is negative. Only you, the Mom or Dad, knows what is right for your child.
You should have seen some of the looks I got when I told people she only slept on her tummy, you would have thought I said I put a pillow over her head. LOL.
In 12 days my little girl will be 6 months old. I know what I did was the right thing for her. Every baby is different.
Keep up the good work.
Patrice - I know you disabled comments but I had to scroll down and just let you know that you are an awesome momma and I am so thankful that you are sharing your life with Jonah with us! I always enjoy reading and I usually always get a good laugh at your humor and writing! God is working in and through you and I know it must be frustrating to get blasted on your own blog. Anyway, in regards to the stupid bumper controversy...try to shake it off. I think that you are resting in the Sovereignty of God and you are doing what you think is best for you child. Good job!
Have you thought about getting a video monitor?? We have the angel care anda video monitor. I dont know how'd live without it. It works in completele darkness. It zooms and moves all around the room. its amazing!!!!!
Even though I don't comment often, I love getting on here and checking on Jonah. I've been praying for him since he was a newborn.
Seeing the "praying for Jonah" button reminds me each day to lift him and you all up in prayer.
I think you are doing a wonderful job and he is simply adorable!
When my son was born over 28 years ago my best friend made the most comfy bumper pads. And, I always had a blanket in my kids' crib. I haven't been around babies in a while, but just assumed every baby bed had them.
Don't let the negative comment get you down.
You are doing what's best for Jonah.
God bless you!
Valerie
Patrice, I am SO sorry that you have to deal with negativity at all! Life has dealt you enough of it without the people who feel the need to add to it. Please don't stop blogging! I don't know what I would do without my Jonah updates! I really care about that little boy and your family, and I feel like I NEED to know how you guys are. When you don't post for a couple of days, I start to get worried. No matter what you say or do, there are always going to be people out there who try to bring you down. I am sure you noticed, but Mckmama has apparently been recently attacked too. Her post about living in glass houses or something refers to it. Please don't let it get you down. Apparently some people just don't have anything better to do, but sit around and come up with ways to make other people's lives miserable. In hind sight, none of us should have ever really said ANYTHING about the bumper pads. You said "no comments," but I and apparently many others thought we were being encouraging by praising your bumper pads. I think all it did was add fuel to the fire of the no bumper pad fans. For that, I would personally like to apologize for any part that I may have had in starting the conversation in the first place. Regardless of where the conversation started and where is ended up, PLEASE don't stop blogging! I NEED to know how the avocado went and how the 2nd night goes/went. You have many more defenders than you do offenders, and we can't wait to hear what you have to say next!
Thinking about you and praying for you often,
Melanie
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