we are sleeping better!!!!

Almost everyone knows that Carter has had a very hard time sleeping for the past year. He was waking up about 5-6 times every night, and for a while there, would not go back to sleep for about an hour and a half. I was at the end of my rope, just barley hanging on to the knot. Anyway, I have been reading the book "What to Expect the First Year" which has every situation or question that someone might have about their baby. There was a question in there about helping your child sleep through the night without making them "cry it out". Which I have never liked that method. But a lot of people do, and it works great for them.

But I had to find something else. It suggests to lay them down while still awake, and leave. Come back in 5 min, just to lay them back down and give them kissies etc. and then leave again. Come back in 10 min, then 15, then 20, then start over at 5 again. It was a long process, especially doing it in the middle of the night. But Devin was a trooper and would help me and get up with him. Carter was used to us rocking him to sleep, so while we were doing this routine, we would put Carter on his tummy and he would tuck in his knees and rock and back and forth. For a couple days, to comfort him, we would keep our hand on his lower back so he would know we were there. He has a beany baby ducky that is about the same weight as our hand, so we would replace our hand with the ducky and leave. It worked wonderfully!

So, it took about a week, and we can now, even during nap time, just lay him down in his crib and he will rock himself back to sleep. We have also got him on a nap schedule, 2 naps a day for about 1 1/2 hours each. He was only taking one nap a day, for about an hour, but I was noticing how tired he was acting all the time. So he now goes to bed around 8 and wakes up around 12:00am but goes right back to sleep and sleeps till 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes!!! The past 3 mornings I have woke up at 6, and couldn't believe that I have been able to sleep straight for 6 HOURS! WOW Way to go Carter! He is much happier, and is learning and growing so fast.

He used to sleep like this with the bear and all. The bear made him think he was sleeping next to me, and helped him for a little while. But now he has a new crib and sleeps wonderfully! I think we have tried everything to help him learn. But I hope and pray that from now on, it will just continue to get better.






Here is also a little update on what else is going on in Carters little life. He can say bye bye, doggy, kitty and tries to immitate everything that we say. He can wave bye bye, and blow kisses, and he knows what a monkey says. He is trying so hard to walk and is getting better and better everyday. Eating is also getting better. He knows how to blow on his food to cool it off, and he is trying to use a spoon. For a while there, the would not let me feed him anything. He had to do it by himself. Which was very frustrating. But he is leaning how to try different things and let me feed him.

We are loving our new apartment and ward. The ward especially is awesome! They are very welcoming and we have already made some very good friends. Its too bad that houses are so expensive in this area, we will never be able to buy a house. Oh well, we can just rent the rest of our lives. Ha Ha. Nannying is going good, the kids are super cute, and Carter LOVES playing with them. Other then that, we are doing awesome!