Getting into the Groove

Xander turned a month old this last Friday! Time has really been flying even though the days seem pretty simple. Nurse, burp, rock to sleep and repeat. He is about 11 pounds now and is really starting to fill out and get some cute baby chub. We are trying to start a routine with Xander based on the principles of the books “Baby Whisperer” and “Baby Wise”, which recommend setting a predictable routine for your baby. That way he always knows what to expect and feels comforted. It was kind of difficult at first, especially because we tried to start it when Xander had a bought of colic, but that passed and now we seem to be getting into the groove, and it is working better every day. The routine is simple really; first baby eats, then plays, and then finally sleeps. In that order. Then you do that over and over again all day, and at night you eliminate playtime. It sounds so simple and yet at times, it seems so difficult. Like when Xander is falling asleep while nursing midday and I have to figure out how to keep him awake to finish eating. (Letting baby fall asleep on the breast is a big no-no.) Or when he falls asleep in his crib and seems content sleeping and then wakes up a thirty minutes later for no apparent reason and then won’t fall asleep again. So we try our best and I think it is paying off because now he can fall asleep in his crib by himself about half the time and is sleeping for good three and four hours periods at night. Of course everything is changing constantly and we have one good day followed by a bad day. Sometimes it feels like we take two steps forward and one step back. But that is how this parenting thing is supposed to go, right?