Age = 5 months 7 days

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

Last week Linus rolled over (tummy to back) three times in quick succession with no help, so I think the action is programmed in now. He hasn’t done it much since, but seems much more squirmy and frustrated during tummy time, as if he knows he’s moved before, but can’t work out how.

Shot

Linus had his five-month immunisations today, and seemed absolutely fine just like the last two times. He cried of course, but a cuddle and a feed afterwards and he’d forgotten all about them. I guess we’re lucky; some babies get fevers, and I think a friend’s baby vomited the night of her shots.

Age = 5 months (!)

Just a couple of days ago Linus started something else new: when he’s lying down (e.g. on his changing mat) or lying back (e.g. in his carseat), he strains towards sitting up. He doesn’t get anywhere yet (and even if he did it wouldn’t be any use because he can’t sit up unsupported), but he must be working out those abs!

Update: Speaking of sitting up unsupported, a few minutes ago I sat him on the floor supported (I thought!) between my legs while I did something. Turns out he wasn’t supported, so he did a forward faceplant into the floor. He cried � Poor baba!

Age = 4 months 25 days

Well as feared the success with the new bedtime routine was beginners’ luck. The subsequent two nights went nowhere near as smoothly. On the first it took well over two hours to get him down so that he ended up falling asleep at – you guessed it! – 11pm. Last night was a slight improvement in that he went down at about 9pm, but he awoke again after about 45 minutes and took another 45 minutes to get back to sleep.

He’s also extremely not in the mood for the book part of the routine (even though at other times of the day he quite enjoys “reading”), so we’ll have to change that to a bit of playing and singing when he’s stroppy.

The other slight alteration is that I think he’ll sometimes need a feed straight after he gets his PJs on, depending on how hungry he is.

We’re not deterred. We’re all learning, and changing bedtime by three hours is a pretty big adjustment. The last three nights we’ve started the process between 8pm and 9pm, and once we seem relatively successful with that we’ll move it back even further.

Age = 4 months 24 days

Linus has been so cute over the past three or four days: he’s discovered his tongue! He sits around with it sticking out all the time. Unfortunately he hasn’t worked out that we’re mimicking him when we stick ours out, so there aren’t any mirroring games happening yet. (Or maybe that’s just what he wants us to think?!)

Age = 4 months 22 days

Bedtimes Now

We’ve decided that it’s time to start getting Linus down to sleep earlier in the evening. He’s been going to sleep at 11pm on the dot every night. It feels like it’s his decision, but it’s probably really directed by me, because it’s easiest for me to put him down when I’m going to bed anyway.

This bedtime may be too late for him, but the main reason we’d like to put him to bed earlier is to give us some more time together. Hopefully having a very regular routine will make getting Linus to sleep quicker, easier, and more enjoyable for all of us.

I’ve used a lot of the ideas from The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley to work out how to go about this. It’s a good book!

New Routine

If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but we’re going to start a new routine and spend a couple weeks working towards getting Linus in bed by 8pm.

The routine will be:

1. Change into PJs and quiet play/chat
2. Read one or two books
3. Change into night nappy
4. Wrap
5. Feed
6. Wind and sing lullabies
7. Put in cot for sleep

All of this will take place in the bedroom with a dim light. I imagine that Daddy will take care of steps 1 to 4 and I’ll do the rest, but we might try mixing it up a little so it’s not too much of a shock when one of us can’t make it (i.e. when Daddy’s working late!).

First Try

I tried the new routine tonight at 8:50pm, and at 9:30 Linus went to sleep in his cot. He awoke 40 minutes later, but a quick cuddle and lullaby (during which he got up a little wind) and he went back to sleep, and that’s where he is now (11pm). We hadn’t intended to change bedtime by so much at first, but he was very tired. I guess we’ll see what happens tomorrow night.