The Key To Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Our baby boy has been sleeping through the night as early as 2 months (by sleeping through the night, I mean 8 hours straight without waking up to eat)! We read a few parenting books and Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo taught us about having set baby schedules. Although we do not practice word for word, we did follow a few tips that helped us especially as new parents. We practice a mix of attachment parenting, with baby wise parenting and it has worked like a charm! So what has been the key to help our baby sleep through the night? Have a bedtime routine! We started Caleb on his bedtime routine when he was 5 weeks old and he slept an hour more week by week. At 2 months he slept 8 hours and at 3 1/2 months he slept 11-12 hours! He currently continues to sleep 11-12 hours straight. This is our bedtime routine.
- 8.30PM Bath time
- 8.45PM Massage, PJs, daddy time (interacts with his dad)
- 9PM Set the night time mood & feeding time (see below)
- 9.30PM Baby falls asleep. Put down in crib
Feeding time
- Turn off lights. Babies need to learn to associate light with day and darkness with night. This is not innate, it must be learned.
- Have a nightlight or TV on (I like to have the TV on so that it’s not totally quiet that way he gets used to sleeping around slight noise).
- Do NOT interact with baby. Sleep time is not play time. If you talk to your baby, they may think it’s time to play.
- Make sure your baby is full. This is most likely the key for a baby to sleep entirely. A hungry baby WILL wake up every 3 hours. Newborns will be able to hold more food as weeks pass by. Usually when they are 5 weeks old, it’s believed that they will be able to sleep 5 hours, and at 6 weeks, 6 hours, and so forth.
- If you are nursing, nurse for at least 25-30 mins. The ultimate goal for newborns is 20 min. on each breast. Babies easily get comfortable in their mother’s arms while nursing, hence they may fall asleep quickly. In order to prevent your newborn from falling asleep, gently touch his or her feet until you feel suction again.
A baby that sleeps through the night is a happy baby and also has happy parents! Caleb is the happiest baby – he only cries when he is hungry, needs a clean diaper, or is overtired. Having a bedtime routine for our baby was the best thing for him and for us because we are all able to sleep through the night. And who doesn’t appreciate a good night’s rest?
There are exceptions when we have not been able to proceed with his routine for instance, the holidays. He continued to sleep through the night however not as long as usual. Also keep in mind, every baby is different. What worked for us may not work for others.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a comment or email us at hello@ARaadStory.com. We’d love to hear from you!
10 Things I Love About My Husband!
My husband’s birthday is approaching and he deserves the best! Sometimes, we forget to acknowledge and point out why our spouses are amazing. It’s important to verbally express it frequently. I remember once when we were courting, I surprised him with 101 handwritten reasons of why I loved him. So today, I wanted to share with you only 10 things I love about my husband (in no particular order):
- A man of faith. Through prayer and faith, we see God fulfill miracles after miracles in our life.
- His noble heart. He is an unconditional friend. He gives without expecting anything in return.
- He’s not easily angered. He never raises his voice. If ever we have a disagreement, he keeps calm. Everyone knows that it’s easy to get upset, but he always holds his composure no matter what.
- He always speaks words of love. Our goal as a family is to never speak hurtful words to one another and to always tell each other words of love and encouragement. (Side note: It is so important to express love to your spouse with your words!)
- He’s the BEST in everything! Sports, music, you name it! I guess you can say, I am and always will be his number one fan. A husband’s number one fan should always be his wife.
- He’s my personal chauffeur. No matter how tired he is, (like those long 4 hour drives back from Orlando to South Florida) he will never tell me to take over the wheel. The main reason is because he’s a gentleman and would rather me rest or keep him awake by talking up a storm the whole drive home.
- He always surprises me! It’s honestly his thing, and he’s pretty darn good at it – since our courtship to when he proposed by flying us to NY and popped the question at Bow Bridge. Whether it’s a bouquet of flowers or a Hallmark card filled with heartfelt words, he continues to surprise me even now.
- He’s my greatest supporter. I know I can achieve anything I set my heart on primarily because he’s my supporter and motivator.
- His joyful spirit always makes me laugh. I could never stay mad at him because he retaliates with his charm and jokes. Plus, I love to laugh and he never fails at turning my frown upside down.
- He’s the best father. Seeing him in a new light as a father makes my heart grow fonder of him. Words can’t describe the happiness I feel when I see him and our baby boy interacting.
- BONUS: How handsome he is. He will always be my handsome groom and I strive to always be his lovely bride. A wife should always feel physically attracted to her husband, no matter how long you’ve been married and vice versa. Many times we dress our best for everyone else, however we should always aim to look gorgeous for ourselves and above all – our husbands.
Spread love and share the 10 things YOU love about your husband. Feel free to use the hashtag #10thingsaboutmyhusband. Your husband will be ecstatic and you will make his day. Go on! Try it and thank me later. 🙂
Part of My Wedding Vows – All of Me by John Legend
3 Easy Hairstyles for the Busy Mom
Motherhood is the busiest “hoods” in the world! It can take a toll on keeping up with personal appearance due to lack of time. You can get away with unpolished nails and no makeup, but hair is a factor that will transform your appearance dramatically. A cute hairstyle can take you from looking a hot mess to a hot momma in a matter of minutes. Check out these 3 easy-to-do hairstyles for a busy woman.
- Ponytail. A ponytail is a classic hairstyle that is and always will be timeless. When you are in a rush, all you need is a hair-tie and voila! Plus, it helps keep your locks away from your baby’s hands. If your baby is like mine (who happens to love to pull on hair!) this is the best way to go.
- High + loose bun. Several moms LOVE the high bun which made a comeback this past year. If you are breastfeeding, a bun keeps your hair from getting in the way and also makes you less irritated and hot. Besides it being extremely comfortable, it is cute! I love seeing women with high, loose buns.
- Hair down. This is the most practical hairstyles. Let go and let your hair down. Work the “long hair don’t care” look! If you are blessed with wash-n’-go hair (the kind of hair that does not need a blow dryer nor flat iron), ROCK it everyday! However, if you have frizzy hair like me, blow dry it and go.
Another easy alternative is a simple threefold braid. Each hairstyle takes a matter of minutes and there is no need to go to a hair salon. Try a different look each day to change it up.