Let’s Talk About Sleep

Rylen’s been sleeping a lot better now, the night before she slept from 10.30pm to 6am!! I woke up at 5.4oam cos my breast wanted to explode, I sat for 15 minutes willing her to wake up, gave up and pumped then 5 mins later she’s whimpering, she wants milk. At least I got a decent amount to freeze and then she went back to sleep from 7am to 9.15am. Last night she went to bed at 10.45pm till 2.30am, woke up for a quick feed and then slept again till 7am and napped from 8.45 to 10am.

I think the trick is the forced afternoon nap (1.5 – 2 hours, none of the 20 minutes nonsense), we noticed that she stopped wanting her afternoon naps and it was driving me nuts! What a difference a nap makes.

We read a lot of information about sleep and what to do, what to try etc, now I can’t deal with the Sears method, I don’t have the patience plus I’ll be back to work in 2 months. The Ferber method, she’s too young and it’s a lil bit evil..what to do? We came up with our own method that works for now. 1. Train the Grandparents!! Stop picking her up all the time, let her fuss a little, letting her cry is not us being evil and for the love of a good nights sleep.. STOP CARRYING HER TO SLEEP. I know I know, I get that it sometimes happens, sometimes after a feed, she’s asleep, she’s burped and still zzzzzzz… I ain’t waking her up that’s for sure. For me it’s about independence, I need her to learn how to fall asleep herself, no major rocking, no pacifier (was going to delete that at 6 months but she hates the darn thing, yay!). 2. Set the mood – ac on, dimmed lights, music *heh*, swaddle  3. Some pats, well everyone needs some help to fall asleep right? So we’ve agreed to pat her for the first part (bout 15 minutes), help her fall asleep, she fuses, we pat, she whimpers, we pat, we stop once she kinda seems to be falling asleep and has that far away look, we hope that she won’t need the patting as she gets older. 4. Letting her cry, I know she’s not even 2 months!! It’s bloody awful to sit at her side and watch her cry but I think it it’s better than just leaving her. Usually for me, I sit behind her crib and check on her, make sure she’s okay, R sits right by her, letting her know he’s there. After the first major cry we check that she’s clean, make sure the last burp is out, she’s not too hot/cold and then let her cry (but never for more than 15 mins). I’m pleased to say that this afternoon, there was some fussing, lotsa talking, acting cute but no crying. Whew.

Now, I need to try to stop falling asleep in bed when I breast feed (the 6 or 7am feed) her because I don’t her wanting to sleep with us, I have to set alarms but sometimes it just happens.

Disclaimer: Every child is different, Rylen showed issues going to sleep even when it was obvious she was tired and she’s a lil sneaky and was getting spoilt. The crying method isn’t for everyone nor every child.

Ry’s Baptism

I know it took place a week ago but and it was a nice private affair followed by lunch. So thanks to everyone who turned up and made that event in her life just that little more special .

A few photos…. because I still look like a house and aiyoh the double chin, gag.

@ Church

In her Godma’s arms

Us

Miss Me?

Being blest with a baby who thinks that sleep is overrated… it’s been a hard week. Pictures soon, promise.

Happy Halloween All!

Fattyness

I have to join the gym cos I have no self control when it comes to food and it’s too bloody hot to use the binder thingie . I’m sick of looking 6 mths pregnant *wail*.The husband agrees, I need to get off my ass. Hmph! Anyways, Dr Khi gave me the go ahead to start exercising and even swimming, I’ll be bugging Ven soon.

Rylen’s first little party later, yay.

2nd

So today was our second anniversary and it’s a lot more sedate than last year that’s for sure but it was a different kinda nice and plus both of us are a whole new level of tired. It’s way better now because we do get an average of 5 hours of sleep. I guess we could get more sleep if we slept as soon as she did but … I think we both like at least an hour of complete silence.

Anyways, Happy Anniversary Husband!

10 Things

I did a list when I was 23 on the 10 things I needed to do before I turned 30 and althought I was a lil late I finished all of them. It was a fab list which included sky diving and finding a love that last (I was a few months late on that one but I was still 30 at that point). Anyways, right now and for the past few months the most important thing has been Rylen and frankly, I don’t, can’t, will not be one of those women. My life can’t revolve around my child, I can’t imagine being more wilted. So I’ve done a list of 10 things I want to do before I turn 40.

1. Climb a mountain
2. Learn Spanish
3. Skinny dipping
4. Complete a 10km run
5. Visit the Big Apple aka NY by the time Rylen is 6
6. Tour Italy
7. Get to the Tampines mountain bike trail
8. Take pole dancing lessons
9. Get my butt to Belize and dive dive dive (ok, this might stretch a little longer till Ry can dive too)
10. Learn how to drive (I hate Singapore drivers)

3 out of the 10 were things I wanted to do this year, I know my life is not my own any more hence I need more time but how fun.

Trains

Rylen and myself took the MRT for the first time yesterday to Raffles City. I admit I was nervous but the whole 20 minutes on the train she just looked, cooed and smiled at me. Met Angie & Chris and had HANDBURGER for lunch, Ry fussed for a bit, carried her for 5 mins and she was back in her stroller and sleeping. BTW, the nursing rooms on B1 at the mall are new, clean and nice. She was an angel, even when I left her with Angie for 15 minutes while I got my brows groomed. Then… 10 minutes before the husband was supposed to pick us up, she started to fuss but I just feed her for 20 minutes earlier and didn’t think she’d be hungry just yet (yes, it wasn’t a full feed but I was going to feed her in the car). I wanted to get some meat etc for a pasta dinner and if she could speak this is how it would go…

Scene – Jason’s Supermarket

Ry: Mom, I’m hungry

Me: You just ate, you can wait for a bit right sweetie

Ry: Mooooom… I’m really hungry…

Me: I can’t remember, was I suppose to get pork or beef…hmmm

Ry: MOM, I’m STARVING

Me: Just 10 minutes, please shhhhhh

Ry: Woman, I’m bloody starving….. get it? S.T.A.R.V.I.N.G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: oh crap…

And for some reason I found myself at the milk aisle debating if I should just pop a boob to stop her from screaming. Angie finds me and tells me to just go to the nursing room and I’m not the first woman with an EVIL BABY (ok, she didn’t quite say that). So I run outta Jason’s to the nursing room, so many eyes on me and some still going “aww, so cute”!! *rolls eyes* but bless them.

15 minutes later, Angie has my pork, R’s waiting for me and the greedy baby has been fed and all angel like again. Apparently, Rylen doesn’t believe in small meals, sigh.

Checkup

Brought Ry for her first shot of 6 in 1 vaccine and despite a delayed wail, she’s all good. She’s a little over a month and already 4.45kg and 55cm, like a sack of rice and she’s already heavier than Axl!

Anyways a few photos we’ve taken in the past 2 weeks..

Bath Time… good times

Sleepy Baby….

and shortly after… wait I want MILK!

P/S: The husband rocked today, I was uber tired, she woke up more often last night so after her 7am feed, he changed her diaper, played with her and put her back to sleep. She and I got an additional 2 hours of sleep. Love.

First Month

I know this is wayyy overdue but new moms get lotsa free passes. So the whole of September was a trippy ride, the surge of love, baby blues, sheer exhaustion, trying to find some sort of footing, adjustments adjustments.

In general, the dogs have adjusted the best, they just go crazy playing when Rylen starts screaming when we take too long to change or bathe her, we believe it’s in a bid to drown her out. Stomper (who we were worried about; jealousy issues) loves her (or so it seems), she always comes over to lick Rylen’s feet. When Rylen cries, Stomper’s the first to get to the room and she just sits and waits for me to get there and they (Axl & Stomper) pretty much ignore us (meaning myself & Rylen) at night. On our part we (R & I) do our best to walk them at least once, usually twice a day.

I still not sure if I want to do these monthly updates as a letter to her or just as another update…

Dear Rylen,

FYI, when you’re 16, we’re grounding you for everyday you made me wake up at 2, 5 and 7 ish, because frankly when you add in the 1 hour of feeding, I’ve had too little sleep and I know, that it’s just not fair, you are only a baby, you have no control it’s just instincts but life’s not fair.

By the way, your nickname (between your Daddy and I) is Evil Baby, we use it with as much love as we can muster. Firstly, you love to poo on your Daddy, just when he’s pleased he’s succeed in getting you to quieten, he realises it’s only because you’re busy taking a dump. Often, there’s overflow, it usually makes me laugh. I don’t laugh so much when I take a little too long to get you from your bed to my boob, cos you bite with your tiny gums and cause quite a bit of pain. Be thankful that I have a high pain threshold, believe boobs are best and if you get fat on formula, your Dad will blame me.

We’ll keep this between us that your first report card said Sucks Well, I’m sorry but it’s just a wee bit funny. If we’re lucky you’ll be a total nerd and won’t see the humour at all but they weren’t kidding, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a kid chug a bottle down so quick and my sore nipples are proof.

We can’t wait for you to get more interesting and I think you’re getting there, on Sunday when you hit your first month, you gave me your first gummy smile when I was telling you how we’re going shopping with Auntie Angie soon. It was the first time we went out without your Daddy and oh my goodness, he’s such a nag sometimes. I think we enjoyed ourself, you even got to hang with Tasha and Auntie Marianne, you won’t see them too often because they’ll be going back to NZ soon but it was a nice KC girl hook-up with the new generation in tow and how appropriately at Parkway. ahahaha.

Anyways, I’m going to lie down now and 5 bucks says you’ll wake up within the next 30 minutes. [5 bucks someone]

Kisses,

Mommy.

Just The Two of Us

Finally taking the husband out for dinner, late birthday celebrations. Part of me can’t wait to go and the other part is like…. wahlau damn sian… because the thought of having to shave my legs, do my hair, remove the smell of milk, find something that fits, etc etc is sooo very tiring… but I’m not sorry to say, I love love LOVE the “just us” time. I shall have one lil drink because, damn it, I miss my Mojito very very much.