I've been having a harder and harder time getting Evie down for naps lately. I know that this is most likely a "me" problem, not an "Evie" problem. We did Ferber right around 6 months for nighttime sleep. I don't think it worked the way it was supposed to. Things kept coming up that made it impossible for us to stick to the routine, like ear infections, teething, me not wanting to let her cry anymore.... For a while, I felt like she had just been crying in her crib from the beginning of January to the middle of March.
I gave up. In the meantime, our daycare person managed to start getting Evie to nap. She let her cry, but never for more than 20 minutes. It took a few weeks, but she was napping better. She had never been a good napper before. I will take most of the blame for that. I didn't have a very good nap routine when I was home with her on my maternity leave. Our first daycare provider never really got her into a routine either. It's a really long, boring story, but in the end we left that daycare mostly because of the "nap problem."
Around Mid-June/early July, Evie finally started sleeping through the night. We didn't do Ferber/CIO, it just sort of happened when I cut out her night time feeding. I think she was just ready for it. That was also when she started napping poorly. I don't know if they are connected or not...but I really like sleeping all night after not sleeping all night for 11 months. The naive side of me thinks that maybe she'll just start napping better when she's ready, but I know that probably not the case.
I will admit that I still rock her to sleep before I put her down. I feel like if I don't, it's the beginning of World War III, and the nap definitely won't happen then. I've tried to let her cry it out, but it's never worked. She works herself into a frenzy, and how could anyone sleep after that? (I'm talking about 45 minutes of screaming/crying. I had to vacuum to get myself through it. I couldn't stand to listen to her.) I'm really nervous about going back to school at the end of August. I'm worried that our daycare person will have a horrible time with her, and Evie will suffer through crying most of the day while I'm gone.
Side note: I know many people would recommend a new daycare, but she does a great job overall. She is very caring with Evie, but she takes care of three other kids as well, and Evie can't monopolize her time.
Has anyone tried Ferber/CIO for naps? What were your results? Did your little one get themselves so worked up? Any other tips???
Evie had her 12 month check up today and I talked to the pediatrician about it. He gave some non-specific information, and basically said that she'll start napping better when I start "tough love," meaning I should let her cry. I just don't know if I can do it.
On a high note, Evie no longer has a milk allergy! The doctor removed the diagnosis because she eats cheese and yogurt without any problems. I also have her height and weight update.
Weight: 19 lbs. 3 oz. (a little on the small side. She's my peanut!)
Height: 29 inches (right at the 50th percentile)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wordless Wednesday - A Year in Pictures
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| 3 days old |
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| First smiles - 6ish weeks old |
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| Halloween - 3 months old |
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| Thanksgiving - 4 months old |
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| Christmas - 5 months old |
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| Playing with the kitchen - 7ish months old |
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| 1st Brewer Game - 9 months old |
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| Playing in the park - 10 1/2 months old |
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| Being Goofy - Last week |
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
My boobs are worth what!?!?!?
By my estimates, somewhere between $1,800 and $2,880!!!
Because I'm slowly weaning Evie, I've been thinking about the money we've saved because I was able to breastfeed for a year without having to supplement with formula. So, I sat down and crunched the numbers. Evie was diagnosed with a milk allergy when she was a month old, and my pediatrician gave me a sample can of Similac Alimentum "just in case," so that's the brand I used to figure everything out.
Here is where things get a little math-y and technical: on Amazon.com, a six pack of cans that would make 108 bottles costs about $120. At the height of Evie's breastfeeding (from about 4 months to about 7 months), at daycare, she was eating three 6 ounce bottles each day, and I was nursing her 3 - 4 times at home. I assume that she was probably eating as much when I nursed her, but I don't really have any way to know for sure.
This all means that from about December 1 to mid-February, she would have probably taken about 42 bottles a week, and we would have had to buy 4.6 of the $120 six packs of cans of formula. Grand total - $600. (I'll round to 5. You can't use 0.6 packs...) I was amazed when I realized that was just for 2 and a half months!!!
Things get a little fuzzy when I try to figure out the total cost for 12 months. I really have no idea how much Evie was eating before I went back to school around Thanksgiving. After she really got into solids in mid-February, she wasn't taking as many bottles at daycare, and I really don't know how much she was getting when she was nursing. To be generous, I assumed that prior to December 1 and after February 14, she ate as much as during those 12 weeks. That's how I got $1800. In reality, she most likely ate more than that both before and after.
If I assume that we would have had to spend $600 every 2.5 months, the total jumps to $2880!!!!!!
Now, don't get me wrong. Breastfeeding has costs too. I have a breast pump. I bought milk storage bags several times. I had to buy nursing pads for the first six weeks or so. I bought a plethora of nursing tank tops and bras (which are never on sale, ever! They don't have to be because you need them...I could rant for hours!). My generous estimate for the total cost of breastfeeding supplies is no more than $600 (including the $280 breast pump).
Saving money was not my motivation to breastfeed. If we had formula fed, I'm sure we would have found better deals, and we would have been smarter about the money. I love that I have been able to give my daughter something so natural and that we share something that is just between us. I consider myself fortunate that breastfeeding worked for us.
Because I'm slowly weaning Evie, I've been thinking about the money we've saved because I was able to breastfeed for a year without having to supplement with formula. So, I sat down and crunched the numbers. Evie was diagnosed with a milk allergy when she was a month old, and my pediatrician gave me a sample can of Similac Alimentum "just in case," so that's the brand I used to figure everything out.
Here is where things get a little math-y and technical: on Amazon.com, a six pack of cans that would make 108 bottles costs about $120. At the height of Evie's breastfeeding (from about 4 months to about 7 months), at daycare, she was eating three 6 ounce bottles each day, and I was nursing her 3 - 4 times at home. I assume that she was probably eating as much when I nursed her, but I don't really have any way to know for sure.
This all means that from about December 1 to mid-February, she would have probably taken about 42 bottles a week, and we would have had to buy 4.6 of the $120 six packs of cans of formula. Grand total - $600. (I'll round to 5. You can't use 0.6 packs...) I was amazed when I realized that was just for 2 and a half months!!!
Things get a little fuzzy when I try to figure out the total cost for 12 months. I really have no idea how much Evie was eating before I went back to school around Thanksgiving. After she really got into solids in mid-February, she wasn't taking as many bottles at daycare, and I really don't know how much she was getting when she was nursing. To be generous, I assumed that prior to December 1 and after February 14, she ate as much as during those 12 weeks. That's how I got $1800. In reality, she most likely ate more than that both before and after.
If I assume that we would have had to spend $600 every 2.5 months, the total jumps to $2880!!!!!!
Now, don't get me wrong. Breastfeeding has costs too. I have a breast pump. I bought milk storage bags several times. I had to buy nursing pads for the first six weeks or so. I bought a plethora of nursing tank tops and bras (which are never on sale, ever! They don't have to be because you need them...I could rant for hours!). My generous estimate for the total cost of breastfeeding supplies is no more than $600 (including the $280 breast pump).
Saving money was not my motivation to breastfeed. If we had formula fed, I'm sure we would have found better deals, and we would have been smarter about the money. I love that I have been able to give my daughter something so natural and that we share something that is just between us. I consider myself fortunate that breastfeeding worked for us.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Toddle Along Tuesday
Welcome Toddle Along Tuesday blog hoppers!! Please feel free to look around and read all about my family, M, me, and our beautiful one year old baby girl, Evie (her birthday was Sunday!). Also, make sure to leave your blog address in the comments because I love to follow back!
If you'd like to sign up for the blog hop, head over to Growing Up Geeky or Our Growing Garden.
I look forward to meeting more mommy bloggers!!
Evie's Birthday Party
Evie's birthday party was a smashing success! Most of my family was able to be there. My youngest sister, who lives four hours away, wasn't able to be here. My parents and grandparents drove almost 3 hours to be here, and my sister and husband (who live nearby) were here. M's whole family was here, including his oldest brother and his three kids. They are currently Evie's only cousins, so I always like it when they get to hang out.
Evie received many wonderful gifts, but the standout was a laughing baby that my parents gave her. It's incredibly annoying, but Evie is in love with it, so I'll overlook the obnoxiousness. She ate cake, opened gifts, played with the water table that my sister gave her, and took a long nap after everyone left. I think it was a great first birthday!
Evie received many wonderful gifts, but the standout was a laughing baby that my parents gave her. It's incredibly annoying, but Evie is in love with it, so I'll overlook the obnoxiousness. She ate cake, opened gifts, played with the water table that my sister gave her, and took a long nap after everyone left. I think it was a great first birthday!
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| Yay! Presents!! |
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| Book from her aunt |
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| Carriage with Lego people from aunt, uncle, and cousins |
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| The beginning of the birthday cake. She likes the icing, just like her mom! |
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| The water table from her aunt |
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| Family picture, taken by Evie's 5 year old cousin. I think it's that each of us has a completely different look on our face, but this picture cracks me up! |
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