Tag Archives: sleeping

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Counting chickens

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Saturday, 31 May 2014; One Year and Sixty Two Days Old.

Ayla has officially “slept through” two nights in a row now, but I’m not counting my chickens just yet.

While I haven’t actually had to get up to Ayla during the night, she’s still woken at least once which technically isn’t sleeping through, but it’s certainly an improvement!

Instead of Ayla’s usual midnight cries that require my attention, Ayla’s been making more of a moaning, unsettled sound the last two nights, that sound like she might even been dreaming.

As I write this I realise how bad it sounds to say “I heard my poor baby moaning in the middle of night but I just left her coz she wasn’t crying” but in reality Ayla makes a monotone moaning sound most nights as she drifts off to sleep (my mum has a theory that it’s Ayla’s version of humming to herself, but whatever the reason it seems to settle her.)

Anyway, today I realised that Ayla’s full night’s sleep is probably, unfortunately, attributed to a new illness because today she’s had a mild temperature and been clingy and whingey all day.

I hope it doesn’t develop – my goodness we’ve had our fair share of viruses this past year – but for now it looks like a headache and sore throat which is certainly not fun for anyone.

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Rockabye Daddy

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Friday, 21 February 2014: Three Hundred and Twenty Eight Days Old.

For the last few nights Ayla has refused to go to sleep unless her Daddy’s put her down.

It’s been a huge change for us and one that proves Baby Ayla is growing up all to fast, but as much as its made me feel a bit obsolete it’s also brought a new feeling of freedom.

While I still give Ayla her bedtime feed instead of backing that up with rocking and singing until she falls asleep the routine is now a family affair that Hubby and I share equally.

Plus, knowing that Ayla can go to to sleep at night in her Daddy’s arms means that we’re another step closer to being able to hire a baby sitter and have a baby-free night out!

It also makes me proud to see that Baby Ayla is gaining her independence and starting to make decisions about what makes her feel happy and content, not just what she likes and doesn’t like.

Growing up certainly happens fast, far faster than anyone can explain. I never thought I’d be using the word independent to describe a ten month old baby and I can hardly believe that in a blink of an eye she won’t need me at all.

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The best kind of smile

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Wednesday, 19 February 2014: Three Hundred and Twenty Four Days Old.

Ayla’s top teeth have been trying to make their presence known for the past week, relentlessly pushing and pulling their way through her gums.

But in true Ayla style she’s handled it exceptionally well, even better than with her first two teeth I think, although day today she was making fish faces and sucking on her tongue so I knew Tooth Number Three wasn’t far away.

The only difference I’ve seen in Ayla with teething this time around has been her reluctance to nap in her bed during the last couple of afternoons, instead preferring to be held and cuddled against my chest.

So today I decided to embrace having a teething baby and instead of the usual “feed-rock-put down-and-repeat” process I chose to sit in the big comfy arm chair in Ayla’s room and cradled her while she slept.

It was the stillest, calmest and quietest I have been in a very long time. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I just sat with no phone, no TV and no thoughts of what I should be doing instead yelling at me from inside my head.

Ayla slept so peacefully for well over an hour in my arms and I couldn’t take my eyes off her the whole time, committing to memory every tiny detail I could.

Ayla’s face was so relaxed and the long dark lashes that rested on her ivory cheeks would flicker occasionally as she dreamt. Ayla’s bright pink lips were ever so slightly apart and every now and then Ayla’s blonde eyebrows would raise up as if asking a dreamy question.

And, just moments before she woke, a gorgeous sleeping smile spread across Ayla’s face; the best kind of smile I’ve ever seen.

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Tummy sleeper

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Sleeping on her tummy

Sunday, 13 October 2013: One Hundred and Ninety Six Days Old.

Ayla is a tummy sleeper, just like me.

At first it freaked me out when I saw her roll from her side to her stomach at night, particularly because of all the information out there from SIDS and Kids about safe sleeping.

What worried me most was that Ayla sleeps in her ergo cocoon so her arms are held in close to her body to minimise nighttime waking.
But I’ve watched Ayla move about while she’s sleeping and I’m confident she’s ok.

Her head and neck control is excellent; I’ve seen her lift her head and move it around while she’s on her tummy.

I’ve also seen Ayla roll from her front to her back while wearing the cocoon, which is now quite stretched and allows her to push up using her arms if she needs to.

I know that tummy sleeping is not ideal, at any age, but if Ayla’s happy and sleeping peacefully then I am too.

I also think she looks pretty cute wrapped up like a pink caterpillar with her li’l bubble-butt in the air.

<<This post is also part of a weekly photo challenge I’ve been invited to join. This week’s challenge is “sleeping”.>>

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F.O.M.O.

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Wednesday, 2 October 2013: One Hundred and Eighty Four Days Old.

A friend diagnosed Ayla with a FOMO today.

FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out.

The diagnosis came today during a working bee at our unit.

Ayla had been late to bed the night before, and up early with us to get started on reno’s.

So understandably she was tired.

But when nap time came I put her in her cocoon, fed her, and put her to sleep in her bassinet in the bedroom, complete with a mummy-smelling blanket, just like always.

But uh-ah, Ayla refused. She could hear all the activity and excitement going on in the house and she wanted to be a part of it.

Even when I tried to rock her to sleep in my arms Ayla lifted her neck and fixed her eyes on something, anything, to keep her eyes open and sleep at bay.

Ayla was happiest in her bouncer, playing with her toys and joining in the conversation.

But if we accidentally changed rooms without taking her, even if only for a moment, she’d let us know!

The poor darling must have been so tired but Baby Ayla didn’t complain.

To her, it seemed tiredness was a small price to pay for a fun and interesting day.

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In my arms

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Monday, 16 September 2013: Twenty Four Weeks Old.

One of my most precious times with Ayla is when she falls asleep in my arms.

As she lay with me this afternoon, naked with a full belly of milk, it was like time stood still.

I ran my fingers gently over her skin and through her hair, I brushed her cheek with the back of my hand and I drank in her delicious baby smell.

I realised that Ayla is so vulnerable and helpless, but to look at her sleeping you’d never know… She’s a picture of pure serenity with no fear or concept of her fragility.

In my arms, Ayla feels safe and protected and she can sleep soundly knowing that I would do anything for her.

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Well done Sir!

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Wednesday 11 September 2013: One Hundred and Sixty Three Days Old

Hubby has managed to get Ayla to sleep two nights in a row… Well done Sir!

It’s a big deal because Ayla’s been super clingy and unpredictably difficult when it’s come to sleep and bedtime lately and it’s been starting to get me down.

Some nights Ayla’s goes to sleep easily, other nights she fights tooth and nail. Some nights she sleeps ten hours, other nights she wakes every two hours. Some days Ayla naps for hours, other days she doesn’t nap at all.

It’s been tough phase for all three of us, and Hubby and I have found ourself questioning our methods, our capability, our reasoning.

True to form, I’ve researched as much as I can about babies and sleep in the hope of finding a solution but instead I’ve ended up more confused, frustrated and overwhelmed than when I started.

Then tonight Hubby pointed out that there’s not one other person in the world who’s the same as Ayla.

And of course, he’s right! It was like a light suddenly came on and I felt a big weight lift of my shoulders.

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Bedtime fight

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Friday, 6 September 2013: One Hundred and Fifty Nine Days Old

Ayla and I had our first bedtime fight last night, and it was a doozy!

We were in a battle of wits, Ayla and I. She wanted to sleep in my arms and I wanted her in her bed.

Every time I put her down she’d start crying. I tried every trick in the book and I even googled “getting a five month old baby to sleep” but there was no new information to help me.

The 20 minute cry-cuddle-go down-cry fiasco continued over and over… For three hours.

It’s seems it may have just been once off though (touch wood) because its 8 o’clock and she’s out for the count.