13+ months

Life is good here.  Little update for myself more than anything:

-Pipsqueak is sleeping 7pm-5am straight almost every night (I'd love to have her sleep later but I can't argue with 10 hours straight!).

- Still nursing - 2-6 times a day depending on what's going on.  Some days I love that I am still breast-feeding and other days I feel done.  So far so good, I don't see us completely stopping anytime soon.

-She is eating solid food 4-5 times a day.  She LOVES squeezable pouches of fruits and veggies, not such a big fan of fresh produce.  I bought some reusable pouches to make some homemade purees - I hope she likes them!  She also loves yogurt, hummus, cheerios, deli ham, teddy grahams, cheese, shredded beef, sweet potatoes, puffs and bites of whatever Mommy and Daddy are having.

- She is taking her iron like a champ.  We make sure to brush her teeth right after (it can stain teeth brown) and she can't have milk 30 mis before and after.

-She says the following words consistently - kitty, mama, dada, again, and her first sentence - "BYE BYE DADA!" accompanied with waving both hands.  She says it all day long LOL.

-She RUNS - started walking at 9.5 months and seems to be very ahead with physical development.  This makes me inordinately proud.  I know I have nothing to do with it.

-I have debated swimming or gymnastics lessons but haven't started either.  We have become regulars at the weekly baby (9-18 month) read-in at the local library.  Just recently she has started sitting through entire books and bringing me books to read.  I am so excited - I love reading and really want her to love it as well.

Having a toddler is much more fun than having a baby I think.  Easier and harder in different ways but just more FUN!

Anemic

Has anyone else dealt with their 1 year old testing low on iron? Hgb of 9.6 and we started her on iron supplementation today. Just wondering what dose and when you had to follow up? Thanks!

It worked again

One night of sleep training and she is back! The night in question involved a 12:45am wake-up - I went in twice to calm her down but didn't pick her up, and she cried for 15-20 minutes before lying down and going back to sleep. Every night since she's slept 9-12 hours straight. This morning until 5:40 even! I'm so proud :-)

I hate coming up with blog titles.  Anyone else?

Hubby is taking Fertilaid - who knows if it really helps at all or not but it can't hurt.  We still need to make an appt with the urologist but haven't gotten around to it.  Seeing as I am still breastfeeding quite a bit I'd be surprised if I am even ovulating so we are not in a super big hurry.

Holidays were good - we travelled for 2 weeks to see DH's family, then my family came to us for a week.  Truthfully the holidays are just stressful with all the travel required.  I LOVE seeing family but I would love to just celebrate Christmas in my own house.  Unfortunately both of our families are in different states so that is not feasible.

Pipsqueak got a bad cold/cough which is still lingering - the snot is finally clear though, yipee!  A few days there she was up for hours overnight hacking.  Her ped said it was viral and went ahead with all of her 12 month immunizations including the 2nd flu shot.  Her stats were good - weight was 21 lbs 7 oz I think, 2 months ago it was 20 lbs 14 oz.  I was concerned at first but I guess it is normal for weight to slow down or even decrease at age one.  She is still 50th percentile in weight and head and her height has gone to 70th percentile (30 in.).  Tall girl!

Her sleep habits SUCK right now.  When we stayed at my in-laws in December she was in a crib in our guest room - she is a light sleeper so every time we coughed or snored she would wake up crying and end up in bed with us - where she would sleep fitfully hooked to my nipple.  When we got home her cold and cough started and she was waking up covered in snot and coughing MULTIPLE times a night.  Now as her cold is wearing off she is waking 1-3 times a night crying - and nursing much to my chagrin.  Not that I mind the nursing I just know that feeding her in the night may make it harder to break the bad sleep habits.  SO I've decided tonight is the night.  My plan (devised from me and Pipsqueak's history and frantic middle of the night google searches of 'my toddler keeps waking up at night what do I do?') to retrain the princess is:

1. Naps aplenty today.  Well rested baby = better sleeping baby at night. A few days ago I tried out a one nap day and it backfired for 48 hours of fussiness.  I've learned my baby still needs 2-3 naps a day even if the afternoon one is quite short.  So far today she woke at 4:50am, napped 7-7:30am, and napped from 11:20am-still asleep now (an hour and 45 minutes in).

2. Bedtime as early as she wants it.  Usually she is ready to go down between 6-7.  Sometimes though she gives us the cues that she is ready for bed around 5 and we usually push her through until at least 6.  Again, overtired baby is not good.

3. Bedtime ritual can include nursing, rocking etc. but put baby into crib not fully asleep.  We usually do good with this one.

4. If when she wakes up in the middle of the night go comfort her by patting her butt, inserting the paci, making 'shhh' noises, but no light, no eye contact, no talking.  Leave the room when she settles (or at least partially settles) and close the door.  If when she begins wailing again wait 5 minutes to re-enter and attempt to calm her again.  Wait 10 minutes the next time, then 15 (GOD help me if it takes this many tries).  Continue until baby asleep/calm or baby reaches freak out/apocalypse mode.  Then rock baby but DO not offer breast (BE STRONG WOMAN!).

Oh I hope this works and that it only takes a night or two to get back my sleeps 11-12 hours a night child!!  Last night she went to bed at 6:30 (cried herself to sleep after I rocked her, nursed her and did everything in my power to soothe her - she kept screaming as soon as I put her in the crib.  I think she was over tired because she napped like shit yesterday- it only took like 8 minutes of light crying but it killed me).  She then was screaming at 11:30 and DH rocked her back to sleep, she woke at 3:30 and I nursed her back to sleep, then she was awake at 4:50 for the day.  NOT OKAY!!!!!  I really am used to getting up early so I can live with a 4:30/5am wake up but that's got to be after some straight sleep.

Man I didn't mean to have a post dedicated to sleep AGAIN but isn't funny how when you're exhausted that is all that matters?