October 30, 2010
Sleep Training!!!!

I'm feeling MUCH better this week.  I think I'm just about done with first trimester nausea and the worst of last week's cold has passed.  It makes such a HUGE difference.  I was much better with Amelia today and she seemed to appreciate it.

I'm also getting more sleep because sleep training with Amelia worked like magic.  I was a little nervous about how difficult it was going to be, but I just followed the instructions in the book and, like so many other moms have told me, it made all the difference.  The sleep training works like this.  When Amelia wakes up in the night, you are not supposed to go to her immediately.  The book recommended that we wait five minutes, then check on her for one minute (not taking her out of her crib, but only laying her back down and talking to her in a soothing tone), then leave again for five minutes and repeat until she falls asleep.  The book said that this cycle could repeat for as much as an hour the first night, but should get better, and should have Amelia sleeping through the night by the end of the week.

On the first night, we altered the system a little by deciding to only let her cry for only three minute cycles (instead of five).  She woke at about 1:30 am and Bill and I took turns checking on her every three minutes (suffering some very angry screaming in between).  Just as the book predicted, it took about an hour for her to finally settle down and go to sleep.  That night, she woke again at 4:00 am, and we had another cycle of about 45 minutes of 3 minute/1 minute cry/soothe sessions. 

On the second night, she woke only once around 4am, and this time we stretched the crying part for four minutes in between checks.  After about 45 minutes, she gave it up and went to sleep. 

I was prepared to do this again a few times, but after that, Amelia stopped crying out when she woke up.  A couple of times I heard her stirring on the monitor, but instead of standing up and crying out for us, she would just roll over and go back to sleep.  Every night since that second night, she has slept from around 7:30 pm until after 6am.   Ahhhhhhh . . . . . I'm a believer.  Sleep training really works.

The weather is finally cooling off here in Austin.  We had our first nippy morning.  Amelia and I enjoyed a walk with our friend Teresa and her two kiddos -- Isaac and Joe.  We had to keep it short because of the cool temps, but it was nice to catch up with Teresa.  Mr. Isaac was one month old today.

Not a lot else going on.  Just happy to be feeling better and getting some sleep.  Stay tuned next week for some Halloween photos.  The KalaSPOOKAs are making the family debut this year.

I'm Not so Sure About My New Winter Hat

What?  It's got bunny ears?

TOO Funny!

Return to Kalahurka Family Home Page