Numbers don't lie {Carson's weight update}

Two weeks ago I found out that Carson (4.5 months old) was not even on the charts for his weight. After spending the last two weeks boosting my supply Carson has gained only 1.5 ounces, and for perspective's sake, only 7 ounces in the last 7 weeks.

Weight gain FAIL. 

Those numbers don't lie...but Carson's charming personality, gummy grim, and the fact that he's meeting all of his milestones, makes me wonder about those numbers.

Everyone who meets him thinks he looks as healthy as can be. One of my friends was surprised he was as slim as I said he was. Another said he looked heavier after just a few days of diligently boosting my supply. (I have very nice friends!) Today at our play date I expressed the concerns with Carson's weight gain and it seemed half of the parents had the same issue with their own child or knew someone who did. This was very reassuring!  

We do have a new plan to prove that he CAN gain weight. In addition to keeping up with the fenugreek and pumping, I will offer Carson a bottle after each nursing session. Breast milk until my freezer stash dwindles, then breast milk mixed with formula to eventually transition his tummy to formula bottles.  

Even with all the reassurance I have gotten from parents, I still can't help but wonder why my milk isn't helping Carson pack on the pounds. Unlike my nursing experience with Leila, nursing Carson has been a breeze.

Carson's next "weigh in" is Wednesday the 21st. I am trying not to go there with the "what ifs..." but of course I have a plan just in case.

The best words of assurance I have received thus far, "You will tackle this challenge like you do every other in your life." I told you I have awesome friends!

Care to share your tiny baby stories and what worked for you?

{Our big plan} Skipping a toddler nap

Nap time is sacred around here. Leila's nap occurs at the same time everyday. This girl loves her bed and is well-known for her over 3 hour marathon nap. I need my time, she needs hers.

Unfortunately, it takes place right smack in the middle of the day. Who wants to go out to lunch at 10:30? How about a beach day starting at 9:00? Well that's how we do it around here. All of our daytime adventures must be wrapped up by noon for Leila's 12:30 nap.

Until today's installment of the toddler summer bucket list, Leila had missed only one nap on purpose. (Like I said, nap time is sacred around here.)



Today we headed to Coronado on the ferry. This was Leila's first experience on a boat. She mostly just wanted to explore, climb, and sit on every chair.



The girls had a great time. It is adorable how Leila will mimic the little things Charlie does and vice versa. I love hearing them call out their friend's name.







After an exhausting morning the girls started to get tired. Our big plan was to push them in their stroller for a short nap and then continue our day. Their plan was to stay awake and wonder if the other was sleeping.

Their plan was more solid than ours.



Luckily they both made it all the way home without a meltdown!





I decided to put Leila in bed for a nap at 2:30 when we got home. I woke her up at 4:30 because certainly didn't want to mess with a later bedtime.

As for nap skipping...it didn't happen this time. It is great to know I can be a bit more flexible with her rigid nap schedule, if it seems necessary. (I don't want to miss out on MY time!)

Do you ever skip nap time? Any tips for special occasion nap skipping?

Toddler bedtime routine

Is it 7:30 yet?

Some days I find myself asking this as early as six o'clock, yet other days 7:30 sneaks up on us.



Leila's bedtime has been early since she was four months old. I remember rushing through dinner to be home from my parents' rental by 6:15 so Leila could be in bed by 6:30. Those days she was not sleeping through the night, so I was practically going to bed with her!

When she was seven months old Leila was taking two regular naps and also started sleeping through the night. We implemented a 7pm-7am sleep rule in our house after seeing it work successfully for other families we knew.

It's pretty simple.  Basically Leila would be in her crib from 7pm to 7am each night. Personally we have found many benefits to our sleep rule...the most valuable being Leila's ability to self-soothe herself (back) to sleep.

Now as a toddler, Leila has pretty amazing sleep habits. (I hate saying this aloud in fear of jinxing myself, but we all know that can't really happen, right?) This girl loves her crib!

Her bedtime routine begins between 7:00 and 7:30 by saying "night-night" to Mommy and her toys upstairs.

Jeff brings her down to her room and gets her ready for bed (pajamas, overnight diaper, sleep-sack, and teeth brushed). Then he carries Leila around her room to say goodnight to her things, something that we started from the beginning.  Jeff reads her a few books, puts her in her crib with her stuffed animals and pacifiers, says "I love you", and closes the door.

That's it...short, sweet, and simple.

Since we implemented the 7pm-7am sleep rule we haven't had to go check on her at all. Not once.

Until last night.

Either teething or nap skipping was the culprit. I blame them both.



At 9:00 Leila was still awake in her crib playing, whining, crying, and finally sobbing. Jeff went in to check on her and although she didn't want to see him leave, she eventually feel asleep peacefully.

And guess what? She slept in today to make up for the hours she missed last night.

I love it when life works out like that!

The 7pm- 7am sleep rule has worked for us.  Share your success story! 

What has worked for you and your family?

Our {toddler} days

After a lot of trial and error, I have found a daily routine that works for us. I also happen to LOVE it.

I realize it won't last forever, so here's a peek into what goes on around here!

Lazy wake up
Some days Leila wakes up at seven, other days it's eight. I love the mornings that I wake up before Leila does. Although it rarely happens, those few minutes with my coffee and computer really make me happy. I wonder if I will ever purposely wake up before her?! I'll never say never.

Jeff is up and out the door by 7:30, but is lucky to have a flexible work start time. His mornings are not quite as lazy as he'd like.

Milk and cuddles
Just like it sounds, most days. Other days it's straight in the highchair for breakfast so we can get out the door earlier.

Breakfast
I cook, we eat. She makes messes, I clean up. Rinse and repeat.

Get dressed
Some days I get ready before Leila wakes up, other days she hangs out and watches. We always wait to get dressed until after breakfast. You just never know.


Out the door for "adventure time"
We've expanded our short list of favorite activities. I still love lazy days at the park, and make it a priority to go every Friday. On Tuesdays we play and learn with Teacher Lee, and the local library has toddler programs on most Thursdays. That leaves Mondays and Wednesdays open for whatever we feel like doing. I try to keep this time all about Leila but some days we just have to run an errand or two.

Snack

Lunch
Some days we eat at home, other days we pack a picnic lunch. Can you guess which one I prefer? Picnic all the way. More prep, less clean up.

12:30 Nap time
Notice that this is one of the few things I mentioned the time? That's because no day is the same, or that predictable. But, the one thing that I watch the clock for is sleep! Leila is a great sleeper and I credit the sleep schedule she has been on for over a year. Don't mess with nap time!

Lazy nap wake up
Some days Leila naps for two and half hours, other days it's over three hours long. Either way...I love, need, cherish, and look forward to this break. It allows me to exercise, shower, do some daily chores, blog, email, bake, prep dinner, etc. Not ALL of these things everyday! More like three, maybe four things get done, hopefully.

Milk and cuddles

Snack

Afternoon play
Since the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer I'm trying to get us out more in the afternoons (yes, this time errands count!).

Leila likes playing at home too. We listen to music, play with her toys, build with blocks, read, take a bath, watch a show, dance, or even do some arts and crafts.

Eventually I have to start dinner. This is what Leila does...


Everything ends up everywhere.

Dinner
After Jeff comes home and settles in, he plays with Leila and I cook dinner. I aim to get the food on the table by 6:30. Some days we go out for dinner (Friday night pizza, anyone?). Most days I make Leila-friendly meals and she eats them, other days she gets pb & j.

7:30 Bed time routine
Jeff puts Leila to bed on most nights. They read, say good-night to things around the room, and then into the crib she goes with her pacifiers and stuffed animals. Leila loves her crib (which means I love it too)!

Once dinner is cleaned up, coffee is ready for the morning, and I've marked enough things off my list for the day...

I grab a second glass of wine (some days it's the third) and relax.

Cheers to another day!

Wondering how our days have changed over the last few months? Check out a similar post I wrote when Leila was sixteen months old.

I'm linking up again this week with Mama G over at Growing up Geeky. This weeks's topic is A Day in the Life. Link up here...