New Bedtime

In preparation of Mommy going back to work next week, I am experimenting with a new bedtime for Bennett & Kendyll. Technically since they are developmentally less than one week old (and really only almost 8 weeks old) it is sort of too soon to put them on a real schedule. They eat every four hours (which I'd LOVE to adjust the times they eat, but I'm lucky to have them going every four hours so I'm not going to get greedy) and other than that there is no real schedule for their awake / sleep times. However, for the most part they have slept on & off between their 7p & 11p feedings and we have kept them near us, either sleeping in their boppy pillow or in their swing (or in our arms) during this time. For their next feeding at 11p we'd move them up to the nursery, play some lovely alternative rock while we feed them, put them in their cribs and wait for one or the other (or if we're really lucky BOTH) to be super fussy & awake between the 11p & 3a feedings (which most times I handled since I didn't have to get up to go to work the next day). They then would normally sleep solid between 3a & 7a and then solid again between 7a & 11a. Mommy would try to get some catch-up sleep in that last block, but since Mommy will now be at work during that time she thought it might be wiser to try to shift the sleeping pattern up a bit. I really don't mind if they are fussy & having a hard time falling asleep between 7p & 11p as long as they then sleep solid between all other feedings through the night (we're still dreaming of the day when they'll space out the night feedings even more, but I have a feeling that is still a ways off). And since Nanny Becca will be here at 8a every day, it also makes sense to have them awake (or at least up & out of their cribs) when she gets here. In theory, by waking them earlier (and not letting them sleep until 10:30a) it will hopefully help them settle down and sleep better at night.

So last night I was all proud of myself because I put them in their cribs and they fell right asleep after the 7p feeding and slept pretty much until 10:30p. Mommy practiced her new skill of feeding both at 11p (actually, at all of their feedings last night) and then put them back down hoping they would fall right back to sleep, however I was totally prepared for Miss High Maintenance Kendyll to be fussy. It was actually Mr. Laidback Bennett who was fussy last night and didn't go back down to sleep until 1:45a!!! It is one thing to leave him awake in his crib just chilling, but the poor little guy was upset about something and was only content if Mommy was holding him (I think he was missing his Daddy).

So far we're off to the same start tonight . . . they went down right after the 7p feeding and I'm trying to remain optimistic that we'll have a better outcome tonight. "Aunt" Leslie (one of my many savior cousins!) is on her way over tonight to provide some reinforcement. Hopefully I won't have to bug her too much, but it is nice to have another person around for support just in case.

On another note, Bennett & Kendyll took their first overnight trip to Nana & Papa's house this past weekend. They had a lovely time and came home in super cute new outfits. Enjoy!


I had to include this one, too, -- Tim snapped a picture of Bennett, deep in thought.