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I thought once I had Trace I was going to forget all the essential baby stuff.
Feeding:
How did I get my older boys to sleep through the night almost 7 and 9 years ago??
Back then, I read a book (that wasn't NEARLY as controversial as it is now) called BabyWise.
I lived by that book! I took the eat, wake, sleep schedule they had and implemented it with the boys and they were both sleeping 8 hours by 7 and 8 weeks old.
So with Trace, I went back to that book. It was what I knew.
But I kept seeing all these people talking about this course called Taking Cara Babies that they were raving about. (code Brandi gets you 10% off)
I didn't need that. I was a BabyWise mom and I intended to do the same for Trace.
Then Cara reached out to me and wanted to gift me her newborn course (before Trace was even born). I looked into her blog and read what she had to say and was loving all the information I was getting, so I accepted.
I didn't take the course until I was in labor with Trace. They are in video form in small clips, like 10-15 minutes at most.
So I watched the videos in between my contractions.
When Trace was born, I immediately started to implement her tips as best as you can with a newborn, very loosely.
But when he turned 4 weeks old I was able to really start the course.
It took a week of consistency and he was sleeping 8 hours at night.
This is without interruptions, without waking up to feed at night, without waking up with a dirty diaper. I'm talking 8 solid hours of peaceful sleep.
So what did I do??
I followed Cara's tips, and I stuck with a regimented ROUTINE.
I am a BIG BELIEVER that routine trumps all.
I give him a bath every night. No, he's not dirty every night, he's a baby, but it's part of our routine.
Bath. - I stretch this out as long as possible.
Lotion. - we talk and play and I rub his lotion on and get him in his pjs.
Bottle. - last bottle of the day I will get him to eat 6-8 ounces.
Rock. - I was adamant on still being able to rock my babies. I love it and I'll never give it up. I rock him until he's sleepy, then I put him in his crib, drowsy, in his Merlins Sleep Suit.
A few things to note:
-Trace has been bottle fed since day 1. I did not breastfeed at all.
-He was swaddled at night until 10 weeks old, when we switched to the Merlin's Magic Sleep Suit.
-His room is DARK. We have blackout curtains that help a ton!
-He is my 3rd baby so things are much more laid back- I know every sound isn't cause for alarm, I'm not worried about every little thing, etc. I am much more relaxed with him than I was with my older two. I think there's a lot of factors that go into that as well. Age being a big one. :)
Here is what our typical schedule looks like at 3 months old:
8:30am Trace wakes up. He's been sleeping all night in his crib, upstairs in his room.
8:30am Trace eats 6-8 ounces.
8:40-10:00am we play. Tummy time, Fisher Price Sit me Up seat, etc.
10:00am Trace is sleepy. I rock him, in his room, in the dark.
10:00am-1:00pm Trace naps. (I usually work/workout)
1:00pm- Trace wakes up and eats.
1:00-3:00pm we play. Tummy time, Fisher Price Sit Me Up seat, etc.
3:00pm-5:00pm Trace naps. (last nap of the day)
5:00pm he eats. We have lots of play time.
7:30pm bathtime. I stretch this out as long as possible. Playing in the tub, splashing, etc.
8:00pm lotion, pjs routine.
8:30pm he eats. Rock and bedtime.
I am a big believer in keeping a consistent routine.
I also highly recommend sleep training ASAP.
If you decide to try out Taking Cara Babies, use this link for 10% off!
I HIGHLY recommend TCB over Baby Wise. I would have done TCB if I knew about it with my older boys.
Plus, it's in video form which helps with examples, etc. She shows you examples and visuals, versus with Baby Wise it's just a book. The video examples really help!
And here are a few of my favorite baby items. With my 3rd I really decluttered. I had no baby things from my older two, as we got rid of everything, so I had to start over completely.
I also know that it's just STUFF. You'll have your few key items that you LOVE, but there's not a huge need for all the little stuff.
Baby Brezza -worth it's weight in gold. We've formula fed from day one and this has been a LIFESAVER! It's like a Keurig for formula!
Tommee Tippee bottles
Baby Gear:
Rock n Play- he slept in this for the first 3 weeks of his life, before we switched him to the crib. He liked this over any other swing.
Britax B Safe Stroller/Car Seat
Angel Care Bath Seat
Ubbi Diaper Pail- doesn't need special trash bags!
Infantino Carrier
Infant Optics Baby Monitor
Fisher Price Sit Me Up Seat
Nursery Door Silencer
Boppy Lounger
Sleeping:
Blackout curtains
Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle
Sheep White Noise/Sound Machine
Merlin's Magic Sleep Suit
