I want to be the best mom I can be. As a teacher, I have had plenty of examples of what not to do. As a daughter, I've had an awesome example of parenting from my own mom and dad. I've done tons of research, and I have my own ideas as well.
I am a firm believer in routines. Children like structure. So far, I've been so overwhelmed by, well, everything that I've neglected to actually start any routines with my son. We have "things we do," but we don't have a schedule. So as of tonight, I'm starting a bedtime routine.
So far, I've been really lucky. Alex is an awesome sleeper. Once he got off the bili-bed (which had Alex and me on a very strict 2-hour eat-and-sleep schedule), he instantly slept four hours at a time at night, and that time has increased gradually. By the time he was a month old, he was sleeping six hours, and by six weeks, he'd sleep from 9 pm to 5 am. As far as I'm concerned, that is "through the night," but I know babies need more sleep than that.
Up until now, Alex has started dozing around 7 pm, so I'm pushing bedtime up. Here was tonight's schedule:
6:15 pm -- Bath time, lotion, PJs (this part of the routine is also for me -- sometimes I procrastinate putting on the PJs, and I end up waking him up to do it. Not good.)
6:30 - 7 pm -- Quiet time and nursing in the recliner. Tonight it was just nursing and singing the alphabet, but once I get into the routine, I'll start reading to him as well.
7 pm -- Bedtime. I laid him down and said prayers, even though he was already mostly asleep, then kissed him goodnight, turned on his lullaby music and turned out the light. Unfortunately, it's still not very dark in the bedroom. Once I get the nursery finished, I need to make sure I have good, heavy shades on the windows.
He has been in there 45 minutes so far. He has woken up at least once, because I could hear him cooing to himself, but he never cried, and now he's asleep again. Tomorrow's update will tell how things went.
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