My baby is growing up! Just went to the doctor on Friday and she is growing GOOD:
Weight: 14 lbs 13.5 oz 80%
Height: 25.25 90%
Doctor says if she keeps this up she will be 5'-8"!! Lots taller than Mom! I guess we will see!
We were told to start letting her put herself to sleep, and if she wakes up at night just to let her fuss herself back to sleep. MAN. . . it's been hard for me to let her cry to sleep! But I don't know if it's been harder on me or Matt. He is soo cute . . . He has been going in there every ten minutes and lays by her and sings to her. He says, "It's not cheating if I don't pick her up!" Even though last night we did end up picking her up and rocking her a bit more! Hahaha . . . Hopefully she can learn soon! I don't know how much more our hearts can take!
You know I don't think it's right to let them stay in there alone if they are crying. We learned this method called the "shush pat." Its where you go in after they have been whining for a while and you just pick them up and pat their back and shush. Don't bounce or rock or move. just hold them for 60 second or two minutes and shush pat. Then lay them down and see how it works. It's supposed to help them learn how to calm themselves down. There's no way I could let Jenny cry herself to sleep at 4 months. She doesn't know what's going on, but at the same time I don't rush in at the first sound. I never had to shush pat more than twice before she was out. So I think it works.
As hard as it is to leave her there, it is important for her to learn how to soothe herself so she can go to sleep. She cries becasue she's tired not because anything's wrong. That's a different cry that I'm sure you know well. If you keep picking her up, she will struggle to stay awake when what she really needs is sleep. No one wants We don't want little "Angel Baby" to be unhappy. She really isn't.
Mama Jean