As I posted earlier this week, we have moved Ella into her own crib to sleep.  She is clearly showing signs of independence, and Mommy and Daddy need their space!  In any case, Night 2 statistics are as follows: Down at 7:00; crying and yelling at 7:25 so I continued nursing and she went down again at 7:50; backyard neighbor started playing piccolo between 8-10pm off-and-on and my poor child had several random outcries but self-soothed; 2 minutes of loud fussing at 9:45 but then back to sleep until 2:40am when I nursed and rocked; down again until 5:00am when I nursed and rocked; Ella was up with a smile at 7:30am :-)  I don't know how to count the 8-10pm area, so I will say she slept 12 hours with four wakings, during two of which she was fed.

Night 3 statistics: Down at 8:15pm; 2 minutes of crying at 8:50pm but self-soothed; 12:00am nursed and rocked; 5:00am nursed and rocked; 6:30am up with a smile :-)  Total: 10 hours sleep, three wakings, two of which were feedings.

Night 4 statistics so far: Down at 8:40pm, one peep at 12:25am...

After babysitting and nannying for more than 25 years, I felt confident in my ability to put kids and babies to bed.  When I had my own baby girl just over seven months ago, I realized I had much to learn about my own choices.  As a babysitter, I basically followed instructions; my little one came with no such direction.  Other Mamas from my Awesome Breast-Feeding Support Group at Falmouth Hospital shared parenting ideas Tuesday after Tuesday at 10am all winter and spring...I soon found myself co-sleeping and breast-feeding on demand every night.  I was going to give my daughter the "Fourth Trimester" experience The Happiest Baby on the Block promotes.  Those three months went by and my husband innocently asked, "It is time for her crib?"  After a few "failed" attempts, Ella remained with us and I justified this experience saying, "It won't be long before she is leaving the house saying 'See ya bitches!'"  My daughter has a co-sleeper attached to the bed which only acts as a safety net were she to fall from the plush, king-sized Temper-pedic bed.  She has been far too cool to sleep in co-sleeper, which we gladly purchased second-hand.  All summer I have been listening to my friends struggle with transitioning their babies from co-sleeping to their own cribs.  Finally, in the last seven to 10 days, Ella hasn't been the nicest bed-sharer.  She kicks, she squirms, she grabs, she twists whatever she grabs, and she won't even let me get up to pee without crying out thus waking my husband and the dog.  My husband took himself and the dog to the guest room for a few nights, and I continued to go to bed with her around 7:30pm and was basically held prisoner until about 6:30am.  Yesterday, I woke up on a tear...something had to give.  Maybe my child is actually as sleep-deprived as we are.  Yes, I said it--I am tired!  I want to eat my dinner sitting down and help with the clean-up!  I started by lowering her crib mattress to the very bottom as she is quite the climber/stander now.  I changed the sheet and reattached the bumper.  I then moved the glider and stool from our room to hers.  I positioned the the lamps for reading and rocking.  I checked the nightlight.  At 8:00pm we started our new bedtime routine: bath, three books, rock and nurse to sleep.  At 8:55pm, I placed her in her crib and she stayed asleep.  At 9:59pm, she awoke.  We let her fuss for 10 minutes but it was escalating so my husband went in to rock her.  Part of our plan is to not let her cry.  He had trouble putting her down without her waking up again, so I went in after 10 minutes, rocked her, put her down, and did the famous Shelley strikes to her tailbone--it worked!  She slept until 1:10am at which point I nursed her for five minutes then got her down again.  She awoke again at 2:48am and I nursed the other side for five minutes and got her down again!  I'm thinking I am really on a roll!  I was so excited that I laid awake from 3-4am reading...poor me as she awoke at 4:20am! I went in, nursed for five minutes, and declared that would be the final nighttime feeding.  She cried out three or four times in the 10 minutes following, then slept until 7:15am!  She went 10 hours with only waking at 10, 1, 3, and 4!  I then thought we would do some nursing and cuddling in our bed like old times, and after five minutes she fell asleep for another hour!  At 8:15am, Ella awoke making cute baby noises and smiling and rocking on all fours!  I think she had the most sleep of anyone in the house, except maybe the dog.  If I add that sleep in, she went over 11 hours with five wakings.  Nursing took place for five minutes at four of the wakings.  Let's see what happens tonight!  My dream is for her to wake for one feeding tonight, and be down to zero for the weekend :-)

I am only a few chapters into the book, but Dr. Fuhrman is rearranging the molecules in my brain!  I know that breastmilk is better than formula; I know that home-made baby food is better than jarred; but I didn't know just how costly my diet is to my baby!  Molecules of everything I eat get passed to Ella through my breastmilk; everything she sees me eat and wants a taste of gets passed more directly.  If she sees me eating, she wants to try!  Food issues run through her  genetic paternity and maternity; Dr. Fuhrman's direct-approach to eating might be able to save her (and the rest of us).  He basically says that so-called "kid's food" is all garbage and that kids are sicker when they eat it.  He has four children who would take vegetables for snack and wonder why the other parents don't love their children enough to feed them healthy.  A funny aside, my best friend is a veternarian who is constantly reminding clients not to give "people-food" to their dogs; these people claim to love their dogs, but they let them become obese and unhealthy.  Don't mistake laziness for love!  There are so many ways to love your kids without giving in to brightly-colored packaging and sugar!  Kids do not understand nutrition but we can!  I have to attend to my whiney baby now...ttys!