Hmmm, I’ve learned that parenthood sure can point out those glaring character flaws.  Ya know that old selfishness flaw, yeah apparently I have that in spades.  John has so nicely pointed it out.

During the night, John takes 3-3.5 ounces at almost every feeding and then sleeps 3 hours (an ounce an hour, right?).   In the middle of the night, I thought I’d try interesting him in an extra ounce so I could get maybe an extra hour of sleep.  Yeah, ah that ended in me wearing about 2 ounces of spit-up because the little guy’s belly doesn’t hold 4.5 ounces yet.  Selfishness.

And then there was the time he awoke at 10:30PM, way to early in my mind for a feeding so I repeatedly leaned over and put his pacifier in his mouth thinking I could get just a couple more minutes of sleep.   When I finally just gave up and got up at 11, I picked him up only to discover the poor guy had wet through his diaper, his clothes and his bedding.  Yeah, that didn’t make me feel like a heel or anything… Selfishness rearing it’s ugly head again.

So lesson hopefully learned.  When doing something for my own selfish convenience or desires, think again of John (or others…).

So for John’s first 6 weeks Dave and I totally let John set the schedule.  In our minds there was no sense trying to impose a schedule on the little fellow being so new to the world and all.  The only thing we did was keep it dark at night and light during the day to help him get the feel for the fact that night time would be a great time to sleep.  We were really blessed in that John never had any long awake periods during the night.  He just woke frequently for feedings and would go right back to sleep.

After six weeks without a daytime schedule though and then three straight days when John didn’t take a nap longer than 15 minutes and having to hold him continuously I was starting to worry.  I called my dear friend Deborah who has six children and asked what on earth to do to help John get on a schedule.  Apparently, all I had to do was complain though because all of a sudden I started to see a pattern to John’s day.  We are now FOUR DAYS into an actually beginning of a schedule for our days!!  I’m feeling so human again, it’s amazing.

So Monday night and each night since John has gone to bed between 7:30-8:00PM, awakened around midnight for a feeding, around 2:30 for a feeding, around 5:30 for a feeding and then awakened for the morning between 7-7:45AM.  Then he’s taken a morning nap around 9-10:30 and another nap around 1-5PM.  Then been awake for the evening until his new bedtime.  Today is the first time I’ve been able to either lay him down by himself for a nap or not slept with him though.  If he stays asleep I might actually tend to a few household chores quietly downstairs!!!!!!!!

Dave and I wanted John to take the lead showing us his schedule and it worked!  And this week I’ve been able to do things to make sure he sticks to that schedule and it sure has made a difference in how I feel.  I’m feeling more rested and alert again.