Whew! Four Posts in One Day!

Told you I was going to update and catch up soon. I am pretty much up-to-date with my videos. Yay! Now I need to do an update on my other blog. Will do sometime later. I might have to deal with an issue first that was brought to my attention. Someone maybe copying my information on my blog and using it on his/her blog as his/her own. Not cool at all. Anyway, I wanted post up a picture real quick because I think it tells how much Zakiah is becoming her own person:

Look at how she is calmly chilling on daddy. It was weird seeing her like that because she is usually bouncing around trying to see what is going on around her. But for this moment, she was truly chilling as if she really wanted to enjoy the quality time with daddy instead of moving all over the place. It was an adorable and special moment. Zakiah is starting to show different moods...how neat!

Oh and another thing. Zakiah still hates the pacifier but absolutely LOVES her fingers! First it was the fist, but now she loves sucking on her middle three fingers.


Does this mean she will find that thumb? And the suspense thickens...

Zakiah Finally Gets Her Crib!

So, on Sunday, my dad came up to bring Zakiah the crib he has been working on for months. I was so excited for several reasons.


For one, Zakiah's bassinet is designed to hold up to 15 pounds of weight. Zakiah weighed 14 pounds and 14 pounds at her appointment on Friday. Clearly, she maximized the use of the bassinet and was truly time to move up to her crib. Talk about good timing!

Second, I always felt that the crampiness of the bassinet as she got bigger was affecting her nighttime sleep. For a long while, she would wake up precisely 40 minutes after being put into the bassinet for the night. This was so frustrating because I tried different was to help her overcome this but was unsuccessful. Since she has been in her crib, she has slept through that 40 min blip. As a matter of fact, she slept 10 hours straight the first night in her crib and 11 hours the second night. I was shocked! I had to check on her to make sure she was ok. That girl was so knocked out. The switch to a crib was definitely the solution to that issue we were having. She naps well and sleeps much much better. She is still swaddled because the jerkiness of her limbs still wakes her up. I really want to wean her from the swaddle because I don't want to have to buy the large SwaddleMe blanket. However, I can't rush it. I will try again next month to see if she can fall asleep on her own without being swaddled.

Thank you bassinet for your critical service! You won't be forgotten and hopefully I will see you again 4-5 years down the line. In the meantime, you can serve for another purpose until you are broken down and put away:


Here is Zakiah's very first time in her crib:

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Week 18 Video

Here is a quick video slideshow I put together for week 18. It is shorter than normal because I did a separate video slideshow of her 4th month appointment, which occurred the same week. Also, I am in the process of putting together a slide show from Sunday when she got her crib.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baby Einstein is NOT So Smart After All!

My mom sent me a text earlier this week informing about the recall on the Baby Einstein DVDs. I was wondering what in the world could be wrong with the DVDs and decided to look it up on Google. Sure enough I found lots of web articles confirming the recall and stating that the Baby Einstein DVD collection has been shown to cause more intellectual harm than good. Several sources state that babies were not gaining anything much from watching the DVDs and years down the road may suffer from brain developmental issues and/or tv addiction.

I was starting to get upset because has been Zakiah watching Baby Einstein at least once a day (until I got my mom's text) although she has shown signs of getting bored with the DVD lately. Ugh, well, Zakiah has only been watching one of the DVDs for about a month. It has been recommended by the AAP that children under 2 years of age should not watch tv, which I did not know. I guess it is for a good reason because I have noticed that Zakiah turns her head towards the tv when it is off as if she is expecting to see something on it. Granted, I mainly have the tv on when watching the news or playing the Baby Einstein DVD, but still, I don't want Zakiah to fall into the tv addicting habit. No more tv, Zakiah!

Personally, I didn't buy the three Baby Einstein DVDs. They were given to me as gifts. But you better believe I will be sending these back to the company for a refund of $15.99 for each DVD as stated on the website. If you plan on returning your DVDs back, no receipt is necessary, but there is a May 2010 deadline.

My Apologies for the Slack!

It has been a little too long since my last update. I have been busy learning more about using coupons effectively to snag really good deals at stores I frequently shop such as Walmart, Target, and Food Lion.

Last night, I did a quick run to Target with my internet coupons and bought $40 worth of stuff for only $9! I was stoked and vowed to never leave home without my coupons. I got things for free via coupons such as three bottles of contact solution and got two frozen dinners for 4 cents each after using coupons. Awesome!

I am now becoming a coupon momma.

Anyhoo, I will update soon with lots of stuff! :)

Fourth Month Appointment Slideshow

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Leaky Diaper Update

In a previous post, I mentioned that Zakiah was starting to leak through her diapers overnight. Well, Pattie, an employer of Pampers Customer Care Department, left a comment under my post in regard to what I can do to help rectify the leaky diaper situation. She suggested I use a size 2 diaper on Zakiah overnight since it is bigger and can hold more. I tried it last night and sure enough, there were no leaks this morning! Yay!

I want to thank Pattie for offering her help directly from the source. I love Swaddlers because they are really soft and are used in hospitals. Ha, considering that Zakiah is almost 15 pounds, she will soon be in size 2 diapers all day. I love how the tabs on the size 2 diapers are extra stretchy for a more secure fit.

Well, I wanted to give an update on this situation. I am still working on the slideshow of Zakiah's appointment on One True Media. I uploaded all the video clips and pictures I want to use but need to go edit and arrange them in the slideshow. After Zakiah woke up from her first nap since being back home from her appointment, she became very VERY fussy. I pampered her though, allowing her to nurse until she fell asleep. Too bad she was doing this every 2 hours. My nipples are sore...haha. Anyway, hopefully I will have that slideshow done by the end of the weekend at the latest along with Week 18 video.

Oh, and I am not sure if my parents are coming up tomorrow with the crib. :( I guess Zakiah truly maximized the use of the bassinet, which is made to hold up to 15 pounds. My parents will definitely be back up next weekend though with the crib. So excited!

Hanging Off...

Just a quick post showing you why it is important to strap a baby down in the swing:

This was taken after her short nap since coming back from her appointment. This was the first time she has done this. She goes and get her shots and come back doing grown baby stuff...haha.

She Survived!!! Another Round of Shots DONE.

This picture was captured soon after she received her shots, got dressed, and drank a little bit of breastmilk for comfort.

My, oh, my! Zakiah is a strong, healthy, and brave little girl. She was so alert this morning after I woke her up for her appointment. I gave her a dropper of infant Tylenol before we left to kind of get it working in her system in case a fever wants to pop up.

We got to the pediatrics office ten minutes late. As soon as we walked through the door, the receptionists were like "Here they are!" I'm quite flattered by the warm welcome.

Anyhoo, Zakiah was checked in and weighed. OMG, she weighs 14 pounds and 14 ounces! Woot!!! That's my big little girl. :) Her height came out to be 24.75 inches long. She is a tall one! She is in the 75th percentile for her weight and height. She is in the 60th percentile for her head circumference which came out to be 41.2 cm. It makes momma feel good that her milk is very much adequate and that breastfeeding is going so well between the two of us. Not all moms can say that so we are truly blessed to have come this far.

The doc said that Zakiah is perfectly healthy and can start solids in a month or so. He recommended rice cereal and yellow fruits and veggies such as bananas and squash. This is so exciting that we have the green light to move her to the next stage of eating! Don't know exactly how to go about this so I will be checking the Baby Whisperer forum to get advice on how to incorporate solids in her feeding routine.

For her shots, she got one orally and one injection in each thighs. She received one less shot than what she received during her 2 month appointment. Zakiah was about to start fussing as the nurse was giving her the oral vaccine. I was able to distract her by nodding my head from side to side and make silly noises. I got a smile out of her but not for too much longer. The nurse injected the first needle in her left thigh, and Zakiah let out this high pitched cry. Her face scrunched up hard and turned red instantly. Tears were coming down and her body tensed up. Poor Zakiah...she held on to mommy and daddy's fingers so tight. The nurse quickly gave her the second shot in her right thigh and put her bandages on. That was it!

I softly picked up Zakiah who was still balling and crying her eyes out. She was crying so hard that she was just a drooling. She was not focused on swallowing anything. After some cuddling from mommy and daddy and a little comfort at the nipple, Zakiah cheered up as you can see in the picture above. We left the office and headed back home so daddy can drop us off and go to work. Zakiah fell asleep during the ride back home and napped a little while longer when she got back to the apartment. Now she is up in her swing hanging out with mommy as if nothing really happened. :)

Seeing her get her shots were a little harder this time. Josh and I both said that we never heard Zakiah cry the way she did before. It was definitely a cry of pain and my heart just sank. I didn't have any urge to cry with Zakiah or anything. My concern was to make sure she will be ok and comfort her the best way I can. Zakiah is a brave little girl. She survived another round of shots and is good until her 6 month appointment! I am so proud of her.

I am working on a little video of her appointment right now. Will post soon!

I Did It! I Told You I Was Going To Make A Tutu!

The tutu and the hair bow only took about 2 hours last night to complete (which was why I was very sleepy today). I want to glue on little purple rhinestones on the tutu to give it a little spunk. I got all the materials at Walmart because it's closer to me than Michael's, and I didn't have time to make that trip out that way. I bought a roll of purple tulle, two 50 cent spools of purple ribbon, and a pack of headbands. I like how it has turned out so far:
I put the tutu and headband on Zakiah to see if everything fits. The tutu is a little wide so I am debating whether to tighten it up or just wait til she grows into it next month. The headband fits but needs more detail in my opinion. I also think the bow is a little too big for her head. I don't know. I will play around with it some more. As you can see, she attacked and kept grabbing the material in her hands and rubbing it between her feet.

Haha. Not too sure if she's feeling the outfit. LOL. She spat up on it right after I took this picture. That probably explains the look on her face. :) She is still cute though!

I don't know if I will be using this for her fourth month pictures. If I was at Michael's, I probably would have gotten some other colored tulle such as orange, yellow, red, and brown to reflect the fall season. I kind of want her to have a vibrant theme for her picture instead of a pastel theme. We will see what we will do for her pictures, but I just wanted to show you all how the tutu is coming along.

Hi, Miss Marvelous! You Are Getting Bigger and Cuter!

So today, Zakiah turns 4 months old. She looks like a totally different little person from when she was first born. She smiles, laughs, coos, grunts, squeals, razzes, and so much more. I love that big gummy look she gives when she is all giddy and excited. That's my girl!

She is so mobile now. Granted, she has not rolled over from tummy to back for some time now but she now knows how to scoot her body backwards when she is on her tummy. She does mini push ups. She LOVES to stand and stump on my lap. She can sit unassisted by herself (only when she is leaning a little bit forward and touching her toes). I guess her head is still a little too heavy to sit straight back.

She loves when I nod my head side to side and make silly noises. She giggles when she is launched into the air. She loves to splash in the tub but really loves when mommy wraps her in her towel. She loves her Winnie the Pooh crunchy paper book/toy-a-ma-jiggy. She is wiggly at the changing table more than ever and rarely cries unless she is really sleepy.

Happy Four Months, Baby Boo!

I had to shout that out real quick. Will be back later to update...

Love you, Zakiah!

Zakiah's Third Month Picture

I forgot to post it but here it is. Her pictures keep getting better and better. I was SO glad the photographer caught Zakiah's pretty smile! I was very much pleased. Can't wait to see what will be captured for her fourth month picture...

On another note, four months ago, I was in the process of laboring with Zakiah...getting ready to bring her into the world. Ha, I was probably in the whirlpool around this time. Man, time flies. Zakiah will be four months tomorrow...at 5:28a to be exact. Feels like yesterday. Check out my labor and delivery slide show. ::tears::

Zakiah Reaches For Her Toes!

I think she has truly recognized she has feet...or maybe it is that I have just recognized that she recognizes her feet. LOL, confusing huh? I know...don't mind that sentence. For awhile now, she had been rubbing her feet together. My dad would call it "happy feet", and my mom would call it "tickling herself". I call it restless leg syndrome...haha. Just kidding, I wouldn't put that on her. But she is truly a mover...I guess most babies her age are.

Anyhoo, I managed to capture a shot of her reaching for her toes. She is starting to play with them more and before I know it, her toes will be in her mouth! ::rolls eyes::

Oh my, she is really developing fast. I guess once they get past the third month, they transform exponentially!

Praise Report!

This doesn't directly deal with Zakiah, but I just had to share how good God is! First of all, He is good for finding me worthy enough to wake me up this morning. Only by His grace and mercy am I here today. Secondly, God knows how tight I am on money right now.

For awhile, I have not been able to locate my mailbox key, which was mysteriously missing after Josh drove my car for a few days (this was where I kept my key at the time). I was not getting important mail because I could not really afford to pay for a replacement key.

Fortunately for a couple of times, I have been able to use the master key at the management office (as long as I traded off my license or keys for collateral). However, I did not want to abuse this and decided to scrap up some money for a replacement key. But being the provider of all things, today God blessed me to get a new mailbox key without having to pay the $25 replacement fee! Praise Him! I mean, it was not like I was grudging to pay for the key today because I knew it was something I needed to do and God provided me the cash to buy one. I was very willing. But God was so good to surprise me with this blessing!

While this may be a small thing to some, it means a lot to me! It shows that with an open and willing heart and a trust for God, He will do above what I think, imagine, or ask for...Ephesians 3:20. I hope that Zakiah will learn of God's goodness at a very early age and not nearly as late as I did around my early 20s when my life was so chaotic.

Anyway, thank You, Father! Giving You the praise and honor and sharing Your goodness to the world. :) Now, I am off to work on being a "Good Steward" of what God has given me...a day of life!

Like Clockwork!

Zakiah yawns one hour after being awake EVERYTIME! This is amazing. I don't go by that yawn as being a sleepy cue because she hasn't been up long enough to truly be tired. I am trying to keep her up for 2 hours at a time before she naps. I wait until she gets very antsy and before she gets fussy to put her down for her naps. Now this bedtime thing, we are still trying to work on because she wakes up 40min-1hr after being put to bed about 98% of the time. Frustrating because I don't know how to help her sleep through this point. I fed her at 11:30 last night and she didn't eat again until she got up around 7:30 this morning. I am starting to wonder if she really needs that 4-5am feed or is she waking up because of habit. I don't know...still observing and learning...

A Mommy Tip #2

Make those onesies stretch!

Zakiah is growing out of her 3-6 month onesies by Gerber, which seems to run small. To stretch out the onesies, I cut off the bottom half of them to turn them into t-shirts Zakiah can wear around the apartment.

Now she can get another month out of those onesies!

OMG, I Am So Going To Make A Tutu!

I am seeing more tutus floating around on blogs, costume magazines, websites, and etc. They are SO cute. Being the crafty momma I am, I am determined more than ever to make a tutu for Zakiah! I did a google search to see how to make one and clearly it is so simple!

Here are the first two sites I glanced at:
Make Your Own Stuff: Baby Tutus
Our Little Peapod: Baby Tutus

I need to schedule Zakiah's fourth month pictures sometime this week. She will turn 4 months on the 22nd...woohoo! I am going to try to get out tomorrow to go find the materials to make a tutu to possibly use in Zakiah's photo session.

Leaky Diapers?

For the past week or so, I have noticed that Zakiah's diapers have been a little leaky in the morning when she gets up. She is currently using Pampers Swaddlers Size 1-2. Is this the beginning of bed wetting?

It is understandable that her diapers are starting to leak a little because I usually don't change her diaper at night once she is in bed. I usually give her a bath, rub on some desitin cream to protect her buns overnight, and put her in her fresh diaper for the night. She is ideally in bed around 8ish and doesn't get up for good til 8ish in the morning. According to the Baby Whisperer, I have Zakiah on a 12 hour day and 12 hour night cycle. So yes, she is in the same diaper for 12 hours. On top of that, she is still being swaddled so I don't like having to unswaddle her and change her because of the fear that she will be wide awake in the middle of the night and I have to try to put her back to sleep. Currently, she wakes anywhere between 1-5 in the morning to eat and sometimes it can be once a night or twice a night. Most times, I just feed her and she falls asleep at the breast. So I just go ahead and put her back in her bed and go about my business.

I guess it will be easier to change her when she is weaned from the swaddle hopefully by the end of next month. Her grandparents are supposed to bring her crib either this weekend or next. I think I am going to wait til she is in her crib to start weaning because the bassinet is getting a little crampy to wean her now. I tried a few times and all she would do most times was get upset because she can't stretch out her arms without touching the sides of the bassinet. But she has fallen asleep twice on her back UNSWADDLED in the bassinet ON HER OWN so I know she is capable of doing so when she gets her crib. For now, we are just going to have to make due.

Anyway, just thought I would mention the era of the leaky diapers has begun...yippee!

Week 17 Video

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A Mommy Tip #1

I learned a new way to use my grocery bags besides using them as trash bags for the bin in my bathroom! I ran out of diaper sacks a few weeks ago, and Josh suggested that we use the gazillion grocery bags stored in my pantry as disposable sacks for Zakiah's dirty diapers. Works like a charm and doesn't leak out the smell either. If she had done a blow out, I would wrap the diaper in two or three grocery bags to really keep in the odor. This new trick is also helping me use all those unsightly grocery bags I have stuffed in my pantry.

Hmmm, I am learning to be a practical mom!

Some Random Photos From the Week

I haven't posted any pictures in a few days. Yes, I am still taking pictures on an almost daily basis. I probably have not missed more more than 7 days of taking pictures. I literally have hundreds of pictures stored on my blackberry. Anyhoo. here are a few from this week:

Look at that perfectly crooked yawn! :)

Waking up from her nap. She wasn't too happy about it either!

Aw, you are so cute!

Whatcha looking at?

Stretched out like a little person! She has come such a long way from being in that fetal balled up position. Wow...(sorry so blurry...taken early this morning)

Blah, blah...

I am at a blah as to what to talk about. It is funny how I think of so many things to blog about when I am NOT at the computer, but when I get to the computer, my thoughts are just jumble mumble (lol).

Zakiah is beautiful as usual. I thank God for her. Although it is so hard, I would not trade it for the world. No, I may not be finished with graduate school, no, I may not have a job, no, I am not married (yet), no, I don't know how my future will shape up. But I do know that someway, somehow, God has been providing our way through all our craziness. I truly give Him all the glory because I am not where I am without His grace and mercy. Thank you, Father, because it could be SO much worse than what it is. I am truly thankful.

I am at a standstill with what I really want to do career wise. Regardless, I must finish up my thesis so I can defend this thing and get done with this school business. I been in graduate school way too long and wasted enough money on school to give up now. It is how the saying goes...God has brought me too far to leave me now. Ugh, God, please give me that boost of energy I need to push through and get things done. I have to...for Zakiah's sake also. I have this beautiful gift God has given me the responsibility to take care of. She is a motivation to me. She makes me want to do better things. Things will get better! I trust God. I read in my copy of "Power for Today" how a young boy told his mom that God trusted us first to trust Him. Now that is deep. God trusts me? Wow, it really shows that God loves His children that much! I guess it is the same between me and Zakiah. I trust her first to trust me because I love her so much.

Becoming a mother has really opened my eyes to how great God's love is for me. Thank you!

I caved in this morning and brought Zakiah to bed with me when she began fussing around 5am. Usually, either Josh or I would calm her down, which sometimes can take up to one hour to accomplish. I was not in the mood to hear her fuss and cry plus I was longing for her to sleep in bed with me for a while. Sometimes I ponder with the idea of whether to co-sleep or continue to let her sleep in her bassinet, which is too small for her now. I need to call my dad to see if the crib will be ready to be brought up from SC this weekend when my parents come up. Anyway, it felt so great to have her so close to me. I didn't mind that she was nipping away at my breast til she fell asleep. Tears are in my eyes right now because there will eventually come that day when she will no longer be breastfed. I think I am going to really miss it when it is all said and done. It is amazing what a woman's body can do. For almost 4 months, Zakiah's nourishment came from me and me only. This is so remarkable! She looks and depends on me to feed her ever growing little body. Nothing but smiles coming from me as I think about that statement!

Ugh, I really have to get my life together. I want the best for Zakiah. I don't want her to see momma struggling. I don't ever want her to wonder if she will have food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over her head. Kristal, get it together. I can't speak for Josh because he is his own person but I do hope that as Zakiah's parents, we can get what we need done done so we can provide a secure future for Zakiah (with God's help, of course!).

I still have a lot on my mind, but I think I am going to stop here. I have some things I want to get done before Zakiah wakes up from her nap. Or maybe I will take a power nap. Seems like there is not enough time in the day, but then it seems like I waste some precious hours during the day not doing enough productive activities. Thank God I am under construction. That means God is still working on building me up to be a stronger, wiser, and more faithful Christian servant.

If this post seems like a ramble, my apologies. Well, scratch that. I am not apologizing. This is my blog and these are my thoughts as they come to my head.

Until later...

Oh How I Miss...

...all those random naps Zakiah and I had in the early days where there was no routine. Just eat and nap, following Zakiah's lead. "Nap when the baby naps" was the main advice given to me as a new mom from many of the more seasoned mothers. Man, we would just sneak in a nap here or there for an hour (or two)! I particularly miss those days because I would allow Zakiah to nap on my chest since she was soooo tiny and she slept longer and better that way.

Now my itty bitty girl is falling to sleep on her own in her bassinet 95% of the time. She is becoming more independent as the days go by...::sighs::

Bittersweet!

I might sneak one of those on the chest naps in one day soon for old times sake! hehe

The Week of Coos and Squeals

There was a point during month 2 when Zakiah was doing lots of cooing and then that stopped for a good while until this week. Now, she even squeals sometimes when she first gets up from her naps! How cute! She squeals and coos as if she is really having a great convo with mommy, daddy, and even herself. I think she loves hearing herself. I love hearing her, no matter how high pitched she may get!

How Soon Do Babies Start Desiring More Than Milk?

I ask because I declare for the past few weeks now, Zakiah has been staring down me and daddy while we are eating or really trying to grab food from our plates/hands! It is hilarious but at the same time, she seems to get upset or frustrated because she can't have what we are having. Plus, she has been really distracted during breastfeeding. She punches, slaps, pulls, pushes mommy all the time during feeding. The ONLY time there is no struggle is when she is swaddled and half sleep at night. I will definitely be bringing up solids/rice cereal at Zakiah's 4th month appointment the Friday after next!

Here's her attacking a cup daddy decided to give her to see what she would do. Good thing the lid was on that thing! haha...cute!

Fam Came Up for the Weekend

I didn't get to take many pictures but here are the two I liked:

Look how grandma is holding her! I never held her that way before. Looks uncomfortable but when I tried it today, it wasn't so bad...LOL. Aw, look how big she is!


She looked so cute sleeping on daddy. Her little booty was poked out!

Last night was a Disaster!

LOL...Lesson Learned: Never put Z down for a catnap later than 6pm. Otherwise, she will NOT be tired enough to go to bed at 8:30. Lord, it took me over an hour after putting her down to bed to get her to fall asleep just for her to wake up again after a few minutes. I was starving and had to really use the restroom. I looked at Josh and told him that he can try putting her down to rest. After about 15 minutes, Josh came out of her room and she was asleep for a few hours.

I also feel like baths are a little too stimulating for her. She gets excited and likes to splash in the water with her feet. She loves drying off for she gets all giddy. I am going to have to see if bathing her at 7 will help her settle better for bed. Ha, it is very much trial and error with her routine.

Today, I decided to put her into her bassinet VERY much awake but tired and not do any patting or shushing to help her off to sleep period. I know yesterday I pretty much did away with the patting unless she was really fussy and just shushed for a little bit until she was getting heavy eyed. Today, no shushing. I just put her in bed and stood next to her bassinet out of her sight. Two out of her three naps, she was asleep all by herself within 5 minutes. Her second nap of the day, she was real fussy...I don't know what was going on there. When putting her down to sleep for the night, she was fussy for a minute, but all was quiet after that. Ah, this sleep thing is getting better and better. Hopefully things won't regress too much. I know a lot is ahead of us such as teething and reaching milestones. But we will take it one day at a time.

Once she has gotten a good grasp of falling asleep on her own for a few days, I am going to work on transitioning her from a 3 hr feeding routine to a 3.5 hr routine. I am wondering if her being on a 3 hr routine is causing her to wake up more especially after 40 minutes of sleeping. I don't know yet but will be lurking around the babywhisperer forums to see how to proceed with this. Also, at her 4 month appointment, I am going to see if she would be ready to transition to solids (or rice cereal) and a 4 hr feeding routine.

I haven't posted a pic in a little while. Here is her tonight. She just LOVES those fingers! :)

Naps are so much better now!

Yesterday and today, Zakiah has been napping much better than usual. I have been really working with her to help get her through those crazy jolts that usually wake her up after the 40 min mark of her nap time. I go in and stand by her bassinet after she has been asleep for 35 minutes. I watch her and when she starts moving, I apply pressure to her arms and legs to prevent them from jerking so much that she wakes up. By getting her through the jolts, I am training her to get from one sleep cycle to another without waking up. Hopefully after the next few days, she will jerk less in her sleep and sleep through her naps without my assistance.

Another thing is helping with her naps is being really consistent with the nap time routine, which simply consists of turning on the sound box to the sound of the ocean waves and swaddling her. She has been responding so well to this that I have basically eliminated the need to pat her on the back after swaddling her to calm her down. If she is not overtired, all I have to do is swaddle her, tell her I love her, and place her down in the bassinet while awake. Within 5 minutes with little to no fuss and a little bit of shushing (if necessary), she is off to dreamland. So awesome! NO more rocking, bouncing, swaying, nursing, or walking her to sleep. Woohoo Zakiah! Our training has not been in vain.

Hopefully our success will continue in the long run. Now only if we can sleep longer than 6 hours at a time at night. I know it will come in time. She has done 8 hour stretches before so I know she can do it again.

Week 15 Video Part 1

She is Fully Back in the Swaddle

So last week, I said I was going to start weaning Zakiah from the swaddle little by little. Ha! Was that a joke! I think a big part of her waking herself back up is that she is outgrowing the bassinet. I don't know how much she weighs now but at her 2 month check up, she was over 11.5 pounds. She has to be at least 13 pounds now and her bassinet only goes up to 15 pounds. I tried for two nights to put her on her tummy to sleep but I don't think that would be wise in helping her transition from the bassinet to her crib later on this month. I think I will keep her swaddled until she is comfortable in her crib and then I will restart the weaning process.

She is getting stronger though. I did a youtube search on swaddling techniques and there are some awesome techniques out there. I currently have Zakiah double swaddled to help keep her hands inside the swaddle. So far, so good. We will see...

The Ultra Swaddle (so cute...and she is good!)