7 months

finally!

calvin turned 7 months on february 4th. here's his owl shots:

7 months       /       6 months

at 7 months cal:

-weighed 18.3 lbs

- out grew his 3-6 months clothes and is now in 9 months, or 6-12 months

- decided he doesn't like any baby food, and preferred nursing (every 3 hrs during the day)

- started sitting in the shopping cart instead of in his car seat

- still a pro-sitter

- will tolerate tummy time more, if we are there playing with him - no signs of crawling

- he blew out at stake conference, and i didn't bring a change of clothes so this is what he went home looking like:

- he still 'talks' alot, and it is funny to here him explore his voice:

- this babe has so much personality in his little body - it is so fun!

- he has started sitting up on his own in the bath (with me right next to him, of course)

(i just want to chew on those baby rolls)

the biggest thing that happened this month is...

drum roll...

sleep training.

you have probably noticed how hesitant i was about this..

i would be anti one day, then he'd have a horrible night and be determined to train him.

well, i finally made the plunge and it has been SO nice.

he goes to sleep on his own, in his crib, and sleeps all night with one feeding between 3-4.

i combined a few methods i read about to make it work for cal and i.

here's what we did:

- established a sleeptime routine: he kisses dad goodnight, we close his blinds and his curtains, i sing a few songs while i change his diaper and put on his jammies, if it is night time. then we turn off all the lights, turn on the sound machine (a necessity with all the construction), and he nurses on both sides. lastly, i lay him in his crib, give him his teddy, kiss him goodnight, and leave. all through out the routine i repeat, 'it's nite nite time.

- crying it out: at first i tried the let him cry, don't touch him, don't even go in the room method and after 2 hours, i knew it wasn't going to work for us. so, i started going in every 5 minutes, telling him it is nite nite time, handing him his teddy, and giving him his binkie. usually it only took one or two times, before he went to sleep. (and now it only takes 1 when he is overly tired - most of the time he goes down without even crying)
- the binkie: c loves his binkie and can't sleep with out it. often times, i lay a few around him in his crib so he can grab one in the middle of the night.

- transitional objects: in babywise it talks about avoiding sleep props - things that the baby gets hooked on, and can't sleep without, but in another book i read, it talked about transitional objects helping a baby go from sleeping with mom, to sleeping on their own. i felt like that is what c needed and chose a little teddy bear. i give it to him right before i leave the room and he snuggles up to it, distracting him just enough that he doesn't see me walk out of the room. he is also pretty attached to his taggie blankets too, and wont sleep with out one right by his face.

and that's how we did it!

i really think that there is no one way to sleep train your baby, and you often have to adapt methods to make it work for you and your baby. there are so many resources out there for new moms, i love it!

while the extra room in our bed is nice, sometimes i miss cuddling with my little man, and take him out to hold him close.

i'll love you forever,

i'll like you for always...