Category: Updates about Sylvia

Nov. 24: Sleep has been rough for my dear Sylvia.  My assessment of the situation is that she doesn’t want to miss the party.  She tends to go down for her naps alright, but then she wakes up after a half hour or an hour.  She wakes up crying, and while she can barely keep her eyes open, she wildly moves her body in an attempt to keep herself up.  I try nursing her back to sleep, rubbing her back, singing to her, shushing her, rocking her, etc.  No go.  I try leaving her to cry but checking on her every five minutes to soothe her.  No go.  I try leaving her to cry for a half hour straight.  No go.
She knows her mind, this girl.  And when she makes up her mind about something, she’s not one to be moved.  When she was little she didn’t like her car seat and had an extraordinary ability to make her disdain known…crying up to hours at a time.  I hold my breath when I think about how this determination may manifest itself in an 18-month old or a 2 1/2 year old!

In an ongoing attempt to find a sage who can help me lull my little girl into naptime dreamlands, I recently checked out about 10 sleep books from the library.  It’s amazing how much some of these authors oppose each other.  It’s like the Force vs. the Dark Side.  Attachment parenting vs. Sleep training.  It makes it a little daunting when they both threaten how ineffective and harmful the others’ approach can be.
For myself, I think I’ve developed a hybrid.

I think that new babies should get whatever they want.  If parenting is a dance, then those first couple or few months, I’ve been really happy letting my babies do the leading.  Then around three months through like six months, my little babies have seemed sturdier, and needs have started shifting to wants.  Rythems are established, and routines can start to be instituted.  It was around this point, that we started Andrew on his nighttime routine, which we keep to this day.  Then as the tiny baby gets older…up to a year or more…it seems like more and more of the leading of the parenting dance should be done by the parent.  When my babies get to decide too much, they end up not being very happy.  Being a good leader means paying a lot of attention to your partner, but you’re the one deciding where to go and when.  My kids do well when they know they don’t have to worry about who is in charge.  They know it’s me.  They can test me (oh, they test me!), but I think they are relieved to find that the boundries of their world are strong and consistent.

The sleep books talk about a lot of different sleep topics, like with sleeping through the night.  Sure I would LOVE to sleep through the night, but it really isn’t too big of a deal to me that Sylvia is still waking once or twice.  When she wakes three or more times, it’s a big deal.  If she’s still waking once or twice in three or four or five months, I may feel like it’s become unacceptable…but it’s a transition.  I like it best when it’s a smooth transition.

The main techniques that I’m picking up on from across all the books are:

• Consistency helps/is critical to sleeping success
• Having a widing-down routine is a really good thing
• Sleep begets sleep.  A baby who naps well will sleep better at night and will nap better the next day.
• Sleep is critical to growth and development.  Knowing that Syliva is chronically sleep-deprived, it pains me to read about all the long-term problems with sleep deprived babies: ADHD, depression, obesity, strongly depressed academic performance, hangnails, etc.
• Having the baby eat after waking up, having a period of wakefulness and then a nap (without nursing first) seems to be a common recommendation if you’re looking for longer naps.  I am.
• Whether following the clock, your baby’s cues, or a little of both, having a consistent routine helps

Yup, that’s it.  But nobody can really tell me what to do when Sylvia wakes up after a half hour nap screaming and won’t go back down.  Oh well.  She’ll grow out of it eventually!

So that’s my stream-of-consiousness brain dump on sleep.

Good night!

Nov. 23: Sylvia has been having a good time puckering up her lips and blowing “raspberries.” She loves it when we do it back at her. Here Bryan caught her (and Andrew) demonstrating this new trick on video.

Nov. 21:  I’ve been intending to post about some of the adorable things Sylvia has been doing, but she hasn’t been napping for much over a half hour recently.  That doesn’t give a mom much time to be on the computer:)  And it kinda makes for a grouchy, over-tired baby.  But enough of that!  She’s so sweet, so adorable, and growing so fast!  Here are some of the cute things that Sylvia has been doing these days that make us smile and melt our hearts.

• Sharing food:  In the last week, Sylvia has discovered the great fun of sharing her food.  She offers up a bit of cracker or mushed fruit or whatever happens to be on her tray.  If I lean in and nibble at it, saying, “Mmmmm!!!  So goooood!” she grins hugely, gets all squirmy, and chuckles with delight.  Then my insides get all mushy because Sylvia’s chuckle is just so life-affirming:)
• Sylvia has had a soft pink blanket-dog that she’s been sleeping with since she was tiny.  When she was really little, she loved to have it draped over her face while she slept (she wasn’t so in to the SIDS recommendations of avoiding soft items in the crib).  In recent weeks, “poodle nose” has gone from being something we hand her to help her fall asleep to becoming something she is really attached to.  She grabs for it when she wakes up, its familiar presence helps her fall asleep, and these days when she wakes up happy (a rarity), she holds up Poodle Nose to me to greet.  It’s like, “Hey, Mom, give Poodle Nose a kiss too!”  Andrew never really developed an affection for a toy, so this is kind of fun and new for me!
• Tubby time is Sylvia’s favorite part of the day.  She loves it.  She vibrates with excitement.  When I took a shower this morning, she spent the whole time screeching at me and trying to work her way through the shower curtain so she could get in too.
  When we say that it’s tubby time, she crawls after us into the bathroom.  Then she pulls herself up on the edge of the tub and talks animatedly about how she can’t wait to get in the water.  Bryan discovered that undressing her while she’s standing there means that there is no crying, and it’s so cute the way that she helps us take her clothes off.   This little 9-month-old girl is stepping out out of her pants when we pull them down.  Seeing her tiny little feel pull up out of the pant legs, one after the other, is so very very adorable.  I took a video:)
  When she’s in the tub, much laughter and splashing ensues.  Especially if Big Brother joins her.  She loves those nights.  She hasn’t ever minded getting water on her face, and she’s blowing bubbles in the water all on her own.  It makes her quite happy.
  These days, we get her in her PJs, read her two stories, and nurse her before laying her down for bed.  For the most part, she goes right to sleep.
• No description of Sylvia’s activities would be complete without mentioning The Screech.  It’s loud.  And she does it a lot.  A Lot.  It’s like a police whistle.  Piercing.  Sustained.  Numbing all other thought.  I believe that it’s decreasing in its frequency.  At this point she mostly screeches during meals (when she wants more, is all done, isn’t thrilled with the menu or the service or the ambiance) or when Andrew is preventing her from doing something she wants.
• I’m a little worried about our plane trip next week.  Andrew was such a mellow, well, person.  So travel with him has been pretty easy.  There were times developmentally when he’s been harder or easier, but in general, you show him books, feed him, or bring a few toys and he is all set.  With Sylvia, I’m thinking…not so much…  She really isn’t too into toys.  Books make her mad.  What she likes to do is interact with people, crawl around, pull things out (that’s a really big developmental stage she’s in right now), interact with people, crawl around, etc.  I’m hoping that peek-a-boo can entertain her for a long time.  She LOVES that game.  Hoping that we don’t end up with a lot of screeching.  And/or that the “fasten seatbelt” sign is not illuminated for a good stretch of the flight.  As we learned on our train trip, she really enjoys having me walk her up and down the aisle.
  On the other hand, if she doesn’t do well, that’s fine too.  It’s not that long of a flight!

So that’s a snapshot of some of Sylvia’s activities these days.  I can’t wait to go to Texas to share her fun-ness with Bryan’s family!

Nov. 14: Sylvia is getting more advanced by the day.  She’s pulling up to standing on anything she can reach,and she reaches waaaay up to try to find things to pull down (on top of herself).  At her 9-month doctor’s appointment this week, she weighed in at 18 lbs, 1 oz and measured 28″ long.  That put her in the 30th percentile for weight and the 70th percentile for height.  She’s a long-limbed girl right now!
One of her most defining characteristics this past month has been her screech.  She does it all the time.  LOUDLY.  Like a police whistle.  It stops conversations in crowded rooms.  She does it when she’s unhappy, she does it when she’s glad, she does it constantly when in her high chair.  I say over and over and over “Sylvia, that’s Too Loud.”  Then I try to show her the baby sign language for what I think she wants (up, down, more, all done, take-my-bother’s-toy, etc.)  I’m hoping it’s a phase.  Maybe when she learns how to talk, the screeching will decrease in frequency or volume.  There’s always hope!
I’m hoping to get a video soon of one of Sylvia’s new tricks – blowing raspberries.  She puckers her mouth up and blows.  And she loves it when I do it back at her.  Such a fun girl!
In other news, she’ll now let me read 2-3 pages of a book to her.  We’re working it into the bedtime routine, and the book reading is now seeming to be accepted!
OK, I’m off to pick up Andrew from preschool.  Have a great weekend!

Nov. 4: I know this is going to deeply call into question my standards and parenting morals, but I couldn’t resist sharing this clip of Sylvia.

I can just hear her in 10 years:
“Mother, I CANNOT believe that you let me eat dirt.”
“I cannot believe that you took pictures of me eating dirt instead of stopping me as any sane mother would do.”
“I cannot believe that you published photos and VIDEO of me eating dirt to the internet for all the world to see.”
“If I run for elected office in 20 years, you just know that this is going to surface and incite a scandal.”

Me:
“Aaawww, but Sylvie, just looks at what a cute dirt eater you were!”

A mama’s gotta share all that good baby-dirt-mouth love!

Besides, maybe your affinity for dirt keeps you healthy!
http://medjournalwatch.blogspot.com/2007/05/dirt-is-good-for-your-child.html

Nov. 2: Sylvia loves, loves LOVES taking a bath. She laughs, she splashes, she delights in all the water. Amazingly (as compared to her brother), she even thinks that having a cup of water dumped over her head is great fun. She blows bubbles all on her own (she came up with the idea herself), and even when she slips and gets a face full of water she doesn’t seem that perturbed. It’s so fun to watch her take a bath!
If you need a little happy therapy, come on over for Sylvie’s bath time!

Oct. 31: Sylvia has been waving for about a month. Here’s a video Bryan took on Oct. 5 that shows her doing some waving, and I think you can even hear a little “dadada.” All the other noises are Andrew:)

Oct. 30: On October 9, Terry, Andrew, Sylvia, and I went to West Towne Mall together to get some supplies for my new iPod. While we were there, we had some ice cream, and Sylvia joined in – her first ice cream experience!

Oct. 24: Things are so much better.  SO MUCH BETTER!  Sylvia is over her ear infection.  I took her in to the doctor on Tuesday, and they declared her ears healed.  No fluid behind the ear drum.  And both those new teeth have cut through the gums.  So she has been feeling so much better.  She’s been happier, smilier…she’s even laughing again.  But the big news, the news that has rocked my world…she’s sleeping again.  She’s taking naps that last about two hours.  Regularly.   After about 20 minutes, I listen and brace myself, but she sleeps on and on.

Here’s the kicker – last night she didn’t wake to nurse all night.  I fed her at 11pm and then at 6am.  I don’t remember getting that much continuous sleep.  It may have happened since she was born, but I don’t recall such a miraculous event.  Oh bliss.  Even if it was a one-time thing, I’m happy!  And so is my rested girl.  And that’s what matters most:)

Oct. 14: Sylvia’s third tooth is on it’s way in.  A corner appeared yesterday.  Looks like she’s going to have four teeth on the bottom before she gets any on the top.  Tooth #3 is the left bottom guy.  She seems like she’s doing alright.  No drooling, but lots of chomping on her finger.
In other news, Sylvia said “mama” when she saw me two times recently.  She’s continuing to say “dada” about a lot of things, but notably about Bryan.  And when I asked her if she was all done with her food, she repeated “ahhhdah.”  Speech is coming to this young girl!
She does however appreciate the power of a well-placed yell.
In other news, Heather did a really nice post about our trip to DC in August.  She said some awfully nice things about my kiddos.  Thanks, Heather.  My spirit is always buoyed when I read sweet things about my kids.  I’m glad you enjoy them so much too.