Everett the sleep thief (& what is finally working)

Ahhhh. Nothing is quite as humbling as parenting.

I’ve made no secret about struggling with my little guy. He’s the polar opposite infant than my caroline was. He’s restless. He cries. He doesn’t go back to sleep. He’s up every hour. He wants to be held. He fights the swaddle. He hates the car seat. He hates the stroller. He wants to eat all the time. He is, in a word, exhausting.

By seven weeks, she was giving me regular six or seven hour stretches of sleep at this age. This guy? We’re celebrating two nights of four hours straight sleep. It’s the little things. Which brings me to every new mom’s struggle…is it me? What am I doing wrong? I am trying to let go of the guilt. Maybe it’s me. But maybe it’s just him. Maybe he’s just a tough baby. He’s brought me to tears more times than I’d like to count, mostly from sleep deprivation, but still. This job is tough & sometimes it takes a village. All my mommy friends have kept me sane the last few weeks. Meals. Support. Hugs. Thank you. Thank you all for the encouragement. Lord knows, we all need a little help sometimes. :)

& sometimes, we don’t know where to look for that help. Books? Other moms? The pediatrician? We’ll try anything. (I’ll try ANYTHING to get this kid to sleep.) So far I’ve cut out chocolate, onions, peppers & garlic from my diet with decent success–as the one thing he will do is EAT. But I was so at the end of my rope this week that I finally gave my friend Jessica, of Eat Sleep Love, a call. I’ve known her for years, but never reached out for her expertise. She is a certified sleep coach (among many other things) and a lactation support counselor. She is FULL of great ideas (and shares them on her facebook wall) & I now credit her with my longest stretch of sleep in over two months. In our 20 minute phone consultation she offered me a dozen ideas to try & just some general support. What I am doing that is good. What I could be doing better. Our secret so far? A later bedtime. Go figure.  I was forcing the little dude on Caroline’s schedule, but then he was sleeping when I wasn’t–not good for anyone. So later bedtime it was. That, combined with trying to keep him awake no longer than 90 minutes during the day has also helped. We’re not quite on the perfect babywise eat-wake-sleep routine like last time, but we’re making it work for him. Every baby is sooooo different. :)

But how about some pictures?! I have hundreds sitting on my computer from his newborn days. I can’t wait to share them. But he’s so awake and alert and has been pretty happy since he’s started sleeping a bit more. So happy Everett gets some blog love. I’ll get to the others later. But this is what he looks like right now. Finally a kiddo that looks like he belongs to me! We share the same eyes. I love him to pieces. Meet my sweet baby boy, through the lens on my fancy camera…finally!

Happy Monday!!

(I love this boy!!)

Hi! Hello! I am Shawna, the founder of Styleberry Blog. This creative corner of the internet has become a learning haven for moms and creatives, offering a warm and encouraging nudge to those who wish to be better and do better, but often don't know where to start. From Decorating to DIY to Diapers and Paleo-ish Dishes, I strive to make the complicated simple and empower women to take action beyond their personal comfort zone. I subscribe to the Shine Theory & so strongly believe that we shine when the women around us shine and mutual support—lifting up instead of tearing down--will always be the culture here. Are you in? I hope so! Beyond the computer, I run Styleberry Creative where I work with clients to create low fuss, high function spaces that are pretty and practical in San Antonio, Texas and beyond. I LOVE making a house a home. My own studs out renovation is now complete and I am now back to working with clients. Please don't hesitate to drop me a line if you'd like to work together! I hope you’ll join me on this fun new adventure! Xo.

Read More...

Archives