Great big baby steps
Since the doctor made her offhand comment about night-time feedings, I have noticed that Isabel is consistently feeding to sleep. Gah! The only exception is if I am wearing her in a wrap, in which case she will fall asleep from being walked around. But normally if she is sleepy, she tells me she wants some food, then she just eats for a minute
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It took me a while, but once I stopped feeling guilty about trying to entertain Malcolm all the time and learned to just sit back and do my thing with him in tow, things got easier (although definitely still difficult). Things are getting easier every day, though - especially as he is now able to sit up for about a minute on his own.
I have heard good things about the baby whisperer book, though. I think that's where the acronym EASY (eat, activity, sleep, you time) comes from. I tried to follow the acronym, but then just ended up feeling guilty about not being able to follow it (Malcolm is definitely an "eat to go to sleep"-er), so I mostly try my best not to worry about it.
Re: night feedings. Malcolm stopped night feeding for a bit when he was around 3 months old. He was sucking his fingers then and would wake up in the night then suck his fingers to get back to sleep. Then the craziness between 3 and 4 months happened. THEN he and I were both sick for 2 weeks. There is still no normal with him (e.g., he had a night feeding at 2 am last night, which is an odd time for him to wake up), but I think he is starting to follow a bit of a schedule now (and he'll be 5 months on Sunday). I'm just proud of myself this morning for putting him in his playpen for a nap (that's where he is right now), since I usually wimp out and let him sleep on me.
What a long comment. I hope the book helps!
Oh, and I find that getting out for walks at the mall helps a lot. Yesterday we went to an Ontario Early Years Centre for the first time too and it was AMAZING! What a great programme! We might go back this afternoon...
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The EASY acronym isn't working for me, either. I thought it would help Isabel learn to fall asleep without feeding first, but I am dubious that we will ever get there! Then again, even if we don't I can live with that. As long as I'm not damaging her health by overfeeding her.
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Oh yeah, re: stimulating baby - maybe it will help you to remember that baby needs downtime just like we do (perhaps even more so). AND that just watching things happen around her is stimulation enough. Now that I have Malcolm figured out a bit more, I can tell that even walking him around the mall in the stroller stimulates him and tires him out.
It sounds like you are doing perfectly!
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http://www.ontarioearlyyears.ca/
I'm not positive, but I think this was one of Bob Rae's incredible ideas!
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FYI - I am supposed to be trying to put Malcolm in his crib or playpen for naps this week (one of my personal goals), but he took most of his naps on me today while I watched Buffy Season 4. Yeah, I'm a suck, but he's still a happy boy who is progressing normally!
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