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.