Routine

I don't normally like to give parenting advice, because I don't want to seem like a know-it-all, but one thing that I would strongly recommend (if anyone happened to ask) is setting a night time routine. We have had a pretty set bed time routine since Rory was about 6 months old or so. And it's the best thin we could have done! Usually when you are pregnant with your first child you read everything possible about babies so you know exactly what to do in every possible situation.. I didn't do that. I researched information about being pregnant, but as far as babies came, I just wanted to go with the flow of things. I didn't want a book or website to tell me how to raise my child, I wanted to do it all on my own. I think it was a new-young-mother, too-proud-to-take-any-sort-of-help type of thing. Marley slept with us, she nursed when she wanted, for as long as she wanted. We never heard her cry until she was about 3 months because every time she squirmed the tiniest bit, or looked like she might whine, she got a boob in her mouth! She was held constantly, and up until she was one year old she was rocked or bounced to sleep and held through out her entire nap. Her naps were sporadic and her bed time was never at the same time each night. We attempted getting her into her own bed, which worked for a few weeks, while I was pregnant with Rory, but it never stuck. When Rory came along I was determined to get her on a schedule and I started working with her as soon as she was born. It changed a little throughout the months but it's basically been the same. Dinner, bath, brush teeth, ice in a sippy cup, say night night, bed. She NEEDS it! And now Marley is finally on the same schedule as her little sister lol. She loves me carrying her down stairs to put ice in her cup and hearing a story before bed. She whines a bit before falling asleep, but nothing too hectic. I'm working on getting Zackary on the same schedule, but I'm not pushing it too much. He still sleeps all day. I have, though, been waking him up if he does fall asleep nursing and letting him fall back asleep on his own with a paci and white noise. I think it will really help him teach himself to fall asleep on his own when he is a little older and not depend so much on me.

:) ok now some cute pictures.