scheduling with a baby

For my Huggies post today, I’m going to be talking about schedules.

When I was pregnant with Hudson, I really didn’t make any plans for what I was going to actually do when he arrived. I didn’t read any books about babies. I didn’t read anything about scheduling methods or feeding methods. I read plenty of pregnancy books and I sure as heck read a lot of baby name books.

So when Hudson arrived, I really relied on the nurses to help me know when to feed him and what exactly to do with him. I chose to let him stay in the nursery during the night, but he was with us all day during the day. The nurses would bring him to me every three hours to eat–or more often if he was cranky and seemed ready to eat.

Their involvement helped me establish a schedule with Hudson where he was eating every three hours. He was sleeping constantly, so I wasn’t really sure yet how often he should sleep. I’m pretty sure he slept 21 hours a day.

When we got home from the hospital, I created a little form so I could keep track of his feedings. I know there are plenty of phone apps now, but I am still a pen-and-paper kind of girl and I loved my form. I printed off a sheet for every day and kept them in a little three-ring notebook. The benefit there was that I could look back on the previous day and try to recreate the schedule.

We were tracking the number of dirty and wet diapers, number of ounces per feeding, and number of minutes he was asleep. I know a lot of new moms don’t really want to do a schedule, but it was important to me. I wanted to be able to have an idea of what to expect, and I wanted a bit of routine for my day, as well as my baby’s day.

With Hudson, we ended up following the BabyWise method and their “eat-wake-sleep” plan. It worked out great, and by 12 weeks he was sleeping through the night. The BabyWise method didn’t work out as well for Hayes, so we used the Moms on Call method for him and it was a lifesaver. I’m thankful that both of my boys are great sleepers and that I could plan my day and our outings around their feeding and napping times.

With both boys, it was important for me to have an idea of what their routine was for that day. If I had to run an errand or had an appointment and needed a babysitter, I’d ask the sitter to fill out the form as well. Our family members helped us with this, too.

If it was a Sunday and we were out at church, I usually just let the schedule go. I didn’t expect the nursery workers to maintain his schedule. If we were on vacation, I knew we’d have to be flexible and just plan to adapt. And thankfully, we have two very adaptable children who will nap on the go.

Did you establish a schedule for your baby? What did you find that works best for you? What challenges did you run into?

Check out the Huggies Mommy Answers Facebook app and find more posts from bloggers sharing their experiences of motherhood on the Huggies page on BlogHer.com.

our first week of summer

We drove up to Greenville this weekend to celebrate the precious miracle of Anne’s daughter, Mary Brooks’s life. It was so much fun to see so many good friends and so sweet to meet little Miss Mary Brooks. And all of our kids are finally noticing each other, so they just ran and played. We love any excuse to go to Greenville, but we love Anne’s family and loved being there for such a special celebration.

AnneLyndsey, Megan and me

Posting will be a little light this week. My brother is here visiting and Hudson and Hayes are absolutely loving having their Uncle Walker here. Walker has been so great to have here. When Todd is at work he has been so great about playing with the boys. And I just enjoy his company.

We’re just enjoying a lazy week with nothing on the calendar except fun play dates in the backyard with friends and swim lessons early in the morning.

We went to my friend Anna’s house today. Her girls are the same age as Hudson and Hayes, so we always have a  great time with them. Hayes did a lot of toddling around the yard.

The kids enjoyed popsicles. This was actually Hayes’s first popsicle to feed himself and it’s safe to say he loved it! We were able to get all the kids to sit on their bottoms to eat the popsicles, so I got a rare photo of Hudson and Hayes together.

Hudson and Gracie hopped in the Jeep Power Wheels and it looked like a flash forward to their first date in 15 years. So cute! We just can’t show this picture to Gracie’s dad!

We’re enjoying the lazy days and the slower pace. This is exactly what I hoped for this summer. We’re only a few days in, but I’ve loved the extra cuddles and the fun, creative ways we’re finding to pass the time and be lazy.

I even went so far as to let my huge frizzy hair air dry today because I just didn’t really care and didn’t want to spend an extra thirty minutes drying my hair. Hudson and I cuddled up in his bed tonight and read more books than we normally do.

We had a long dance party in the living room to Moves Like Jagger and some Disney tunes. We ate sandwiches for lunch and leftovers for supper. I keep remembering that the days are long, but the years are short. And this summer may seem long at times. I may be Googling “preschool activities” some days to look for ways to keep Hudson challenged and happy.

But right now I’m loving the low key days. The mornings spent in the sunshine and the afternoons spent cuddled up on the couch. I hope your summers are off to a great start!

Bridier Baubles Giveaway

You all know by now that I’m a big fan of Bridier Baubles. First of all, I absolutely love the jewelry. It is so pretty and the styles can be worn with so many different looks. I love that I can wear one of the Boca necklaces to run errands or I can wear them to dinner with my husband.

Second of all, I love supporting a fellow blogger. I met Kerry through blogging years ago and I am just so excited that she is selling such gorgeous baubles. She has amazing customer service. She is responsive and makes sure to let you know when she gets jewelry back in stock. She listens to her customers and aims to please.

The “Chic Geek” bracelet is my latest favorite from Bridier Baubles. I love how substantial it is. It’s perfect!

Kerry so generously offered to give away one $50 gift certificate to Bridier Baubles to one lucky Blue-Eyed Bride reader.

All you have to do to enter is “like” Bridier Baubles on Facebook then come back and leave a comment here.

Good luck! Happy shopping!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...