Monday, January 7, 2008

Eating and sleeping

It's been a tiring start to the new year but we are making our way through it. I read somewhere that around 7 to 8 months old babies typically have some sleep disruptions because of their new developments, like crawling, pulling themselves up on things etc. And Sawyer is definitely doing all those things and more so it's not a surprise that his sleep has been erratic lately.

A little while ago when I was putting him to bed I was also praying for patience for yet another night of constant waking and maybe for an answer about what he was going through. Right away I felt the Lord remind me of what I already knew but just needed to hear again. Love him through it. And to take the opportunity to pray for him in those quiet still moments that are just between Sawyer and I. He started sleeping better after that and so did I.

About a week ago we decided to put him in his crib for the first time. He seemed to really like it and slept really well. His naps have increased and he's not waking as much at night either. It was a little hard for me to let him go because he's not a wee little baby anymore. But I'm finding I'm enjoying it too because the rocking chair is in his room and I can rock and nurse him to sleep better now.

As hard as it is getting up in the middle of the night to take care of him...I really, really love those moments. He will be sleeping through the night one day and I know I will miss those 2am snuggles.

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This is priceless. Ian grabbed Sawyer's giraffe from Christmas and climbed into the chair and announced that the giraffe was drinking! You can even see how he's lifting his shirt up. He was so intent and sat there for a good long time to make sure the giraffe got enough to eat.

I've never used a bottle with either of the boys so it's natural that he would assume this is how all babies are fed. And I have to say that it really makes me proud. I love that they will grow up knowing that breastfeeding is completely healthy and natural.

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More posts to come. I've been having a lot of fun with my new sewing machine and I can't wait to share!

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6 comments:

Bonnie and Fred said...

Andrea, what a beautiful picture of you and Sawyer! It sounds like you are adjusting well to being a mom. Your comments are really sweet! I like the one of Ian feeding the giraffe, how cute!!

Adam and Raechell said...

And I like that you've chosen to stay a brunette! :D Your eyes and skin tone look darker with it like that...very nice. ;)
And you are absolutely right. It's a season to be enjoyed...it's just so hard enjoying it when you are doing your best to survive it! Life is funny that way.:p
You guys are both doing a great job with your boys! :) Thanks for sharing.

Jeremy said...

Thanks Shelly! It's nice to have a color change every now and then.

Thank you both. It's amazing how 8 months of interrupted sleep really affects you. I'm trying to focus on each day...thankfully they both still take naps!

Karli Del Biondo said...

Hi Andrea, You're such a great mother to your boys. Juniper has been a better sleeper so far than Samuel was, but Samuel was so challenging as a baby. It wasn't until recently that he's had a few nights where he's made it all the way through. I remember he was still getting up 4 to 6 times a night when he was 18 months. He was very sensitive to developmental changes as well as teething. These things always affected his sleep patterns. We co-slept until he was almost 2, then got a twin bed for him that we could lay on with him when needed. You're doing a great job, Andrea. I felt for you, though, esp. in that picture of Sawyer around Christmastime playing at 4am around the presents.
Karli
P.S. When are you finding time to sew?

Jeremy said...

Oh Karli now that would be hard! I'm so glad Juniper is sleeping better for you. I'm definitely having to try different things with Sawyer than I did with Ian. But it's all about being a mom right? :-)

I'm sewing in the evenings when Ian is in bed and Jeremy plays with Sawyer. But I made most of the bag in one evening over the weekend so it really didn't take up much time.

Sarah@mommyinjapan said...

We didn't co-sleep with our kids but a lot of our Japanese friends do and I was wondering how you get them to eventually sleep on their own, especially when another baby is coming.