So, I have achieved some semblance of a schedule with the babies. Our mornings operate like a well-oiled machine. They are up around 7:00, they play, eat oatmeal, take baths, nurse, and go down for a nap around 9:00am. The afternoon naps are still anybody's guess, but they have been slightly more predictable of late. The sleep training is also going quite well. On many occasions I can put the babies down awake and they go to sleep on their own. If they don't, it usually requires only minimal intervention on my part.
I am giving myself a mental pat-on-the-back as I type.
My only concern is this: What happens when very scheduled babies are suddenly taken off of their schedule? Sure, a schedule is great when you're at home, but we are heading to Disney World with my entire family in two weeks. There will be no rocking chairs, no cozy familiar cribs, no "schedule." I am afraid. Very afraid. Once, the babies were out at a restaurant past their bedtime, and they screamed inconsolably until I finally took them home. What am I going to do at the Hoop-De-Do Review (sp?), which will inevitably run past their bedtime? Any advice would be appreciated from my fellow Type A mommies.
You may not like my answer, but we pretty much stuck to their schedule, with the exception of the flight. Having a very set bedtime routine really helped us - and the order of things can be the same even when it's a new place. We did: supper, playtime while the dishes are put away, etc, then baths, then nursing, then a story on our laps, then gave lovies, sang the exact same song every night, always said "good night, sleep tight, see you in the morning light" before closing the door. Almost all of that was portable - maybe you could add some more portable elements to the routine before you go? My boys have always done surprisingly well while traveling, and it's always been totally exhausting anyway. I so want a vacation without the kids!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emmie. I know our bedtime routine will remain the same, but I also know we will be out PAST their bedtime, and that worries me. Also, during naptimes, I know we will be in the park. I'm hoping they just fall asleep in their stroller on schedule. Wishful thinking!
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