He’s Baaaaack!
We had a GREAT weekend with Beanie and I owe a huge THANK YOU to all of you who commented last week offering suggestions on how to deal with my angry Bean. We have decided that Beanie was cranky in the evenings because he was so tired from the over-stimulation of daycare and that last weekend when he had his major meltdown, it was because we weren’t sticking to his daycare schedule. You all also suggested that he might be teething and when I checked his little gums, the bottom ones were a pale white-ish.
YOU GUYS ARE TOO DARN SMART!
So, this past week we increased his food and adjusted his evening schedule. Now, he takes 6 ounce bottles like a big boy and he even has his own bedtime. We give him a bottle right when we get home from daycare around 6:00 PM. Then we play for about an hour and at 7:00 we have bathtime. Beanie loves baths, so that usually takes us a while. And then by 7:30 or 7:45, we are in clean jammies and ready for bed.
My mom suggested that we do a “moonlight feeding” around 10 or 11:00 just to help Bean get through the night. She said to go into his room and give him a bottle without waking him up. Just put the bottle in his mouth and let him eat in his sleep. I thought she was crazy. Who isn’t going to wake up when they’re eating?
Apparently, my Bean isn’t.
He never moves a muscle. He just takes another 4 ounces around 10:30 and then he’s good to go until about 5:00 the next morning. Its the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t even open his eyes!
Maybe that’s what’s happening to my love handles! Someone is breaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night and feeding me Oreos! No? You’re not buying it? Shoot.
One reader suggested last week the stretching game when Beanie starts crying. She said to just gently pull his arms and legs and stretch him out a little. HE LOVES IT! Its his new favorite thing to do. We stretch him out and then pull him up into a sitting position and then lower him back down and stretch again. He laughs the entire time! These pictures are so darn blurry because he was moving and laughing so much, we couldn’t get the camera to focus, but check out that happy little smile!
This weekend we decided to just take it easy. We stuck to Beanie’s daycare schedule and I couldn’t believe what a difference it made. Sure, Chris and I had to get up at 6:00 both mornings (ugh!). Sure, not being able to get out and about whenever we wanted was a little inconvenient. But it made such a difference in Bean. He laughed and babbled and played all weekend long. And the few errands we did run were great. We’ll stick with this strict schedule for the next couple weekends until Beanie is adjusted to his routine, but then I think we’ll be able to adapt his weekend schedule to our home life a little easier. For now, we’re working on his schedule though and it makes him such a happy baby!
Its so great to have my happy Beanie back!
23 Comments
Jenn
Those eyes in the last photo! gorgeous!
Sarah
Aww. I’m glad the Bean is happier. That’s too funny about the unconscious feedings.
Christina
This makes me so happy!! How wonderful that you two are such dedicated and loving parents that you will make these sacrifices for your little man. He’s such a cutie.
And I’m totally buying the Oreo story. Or maybe I’m just buying the Oreos. Dang. It was a good theory, though.
(Just to let you know how my brain is operating these days, I just tried to submit this comment without filling in ANY of the required fields. Right. Get off computer, go to bed.)
Chloe
He’s happy again! YAY!
I’m so glad your happy Bean is back!!
Betsy
Jackson does the same thing during his 1030pm feedings, doesn’t even open his eyes for a second!!! He started waking up at 500am but lately that bottle has been holding him over till 7am and one day it was 8am. So hopefully in a few weeks maybe the bean will be doing the same thing, even though when we were in college 8 am was “too early.”
Kristin
Does that mean he is no longer for sale?
Sue V.
Hooray for a happy Bean! Thanks for the “Big Stretches” pictures, I miss those days.
Heather
Yippee!!! It’s so interesting what babies find funny. we went to my MIL for dinner and they have dogs (we don’t). for some reason this time, k bear found one of the dogs hilarous. every time he would look at her she would crack up laughing, which in turn made us crack up laughing. it’s hard to remember sometimes that everything is so new to them…
Lauren
It’s funny how him being happy just makes the rest of your life so much better… All of a sudden the sun is shining and the birds are singing and life is wonderful again, just because you have a happy baby. I love it. They make our lives so enjoyable when they’re happy, but BOY when those little guys are upset, it seems like nothing can go right.
I’m so glad to hear that it was a good weekend and that you have your happy baby back. Enjoy!
Tressa
Happy Bean = Happy parents!!
Happy to hear your weekend was better.
Michelle Uhlfelder
SO GLAD you are feeling better! Gosh, Henry cried for the first 12 weeks at the SAME TIME everyday too- around 6pm-8pm. We have Henry pretty much on the same schedule. He wakes at 7am and has a few naps through the day. We do nursing at 6pm. Bath at 7pm (“daddy bath time”- my husband baths with him in the bathtub- it’s so cute and a great bonding experience for the two). Bottle at 7:45 (another 4-6 ounces). Bed at 8pm. He’s ALMOST sleeping through the night. We tried an 11pm feeding with Henry- but we would wake up and think the “buffet” was open alllll night- feeding every 2 hours. Maybe I should try it again though…hummm. Idea!
I did want to say that with the whole teething thing- I bought this little thing online- the Raspberry. Henry LOVES IT. It really helps him work at his gums. It will probably be worth gold to me in a few months. http://www.amazon.com/Razbaby-009-RT-RaZ-Berry-Silicone-Teether/dp/B000JWSO9I
Good luck!!!
Jess F.
Thanks for post and all the great comments from your readers. I like to say I am “preparing for the idea of a baby” and it helps to read your blog and hear the ups and downs. Go, Katie!
naomi
awww. he looks so content!
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Oh good. I love it when there’s and “easy” fix. Getting up early is worth it to avoid all day frustration.
My husband and I have a system we call “designated parent.” We would take turns sleeping in on weekends. The non-sleeper was the “designated parent” until 8:00 a.m. and then we’d switch and the early riser got to go back to bed for a bit.
erin
So glad you have your happy baby back! And isn’t it nice when you can turn them from sad into happy?
I was looking through the comments on the other post and noticed no one had mentioned “mental” growth spurts. I got a wonderful book called “Wonder Weeks” that discusses this and it seems to be right on with The Kiddo (TK). Apparently this is when babies learn to do things, lots of them, all at once. For example right about this time (with the Bean), TK was learning about her tongue – that she had one, she could control it, that it could be used to make bubbles and blow raspberries. Hence the copious amounts of drool from her (she’s not teething yet). She is also learning about her voice right now and becoming quite the noisy kiddo. Apparently they gow through these mental growth spurts and because they are learning to do new things, their world is changing and it is distressing to them, so babies are clingy and cranky during these periods.
Not that it will change how he behaves… but maybe help you handle it better, knowing what is happening in his mind. Is all. 🙂
Kate
That’s so great! How awesome to have people that you don’t even know help you out 🙂 Can’t wait to have the same kind of sounding board once me and my husband get preggo.
TeamHaynes
Glad to see things are better! I love when people are so willing to help, and it actually works! BTW, I really like those gold earrings! I have some like those but they’re pearl 🙂 He’s growing up to be a handsome little guy! Looking forward to pictures with those teeth!
Margaret B
I don’t have my 10 weeker in daycare, so I can’t speak to the schedule thing – but the midnight feedings… I breastfeed and in the middle of the night I will take my baby out of his bassinet, plop him on the boob and we BOTH fall back asleep. He doesn’t fully wake up for ANY of his night time feedings. So it definitely happens. =) Saved me a LOT of sleep once I caught on that we didn’t need to get up and turn on the lights and do the diaper thing EVERY time. =) Congrats on figuring out a schedule!
Liz, JM, and Leo
Glad to hear your happy guy is back! Excellent!
maureen
Tee hee. Oreos. 🙂
Nona
I am so happy for you all! He is a keeper I guess!! Enjoy this time he will grow so fast and then its mom can I watch TV in the Mna Cave?!! HAhahaha
Laura
Yippee! This is wonderful news, and I’m so happy to hear you’re back to a happy Bean!
Emily Marie
Yay! I’m glad you guys got it figured out and that it wasn’t the dreaded colic!