Kelly's Korner: Mom Poll #436

Monday, July 06, 2009

Mom Poll #436

Today has been a pretty eventful day. First of all - I spoke to Vivian's mom, Somer, on the phone today. Thank you so much for praying - she is truly a miracle. Somer previously was a nurse at Arkansas Children's where Vivian is and I think that is a huge blessing. If Vivian's fracture to her skull would have been even a few milimeters larger - she could have had significant brain damage but thankfully she is doing great and has been up today eating and playing and will get to go home tomorrow!!!

Harper and I left after lunch today to come to my parent's house to visit for a few days. Harper was so good and slept for the entire 3 hour trip. But when I when to get her out of the car - I noticed she had dried blood covering her lips. Of course I started freaking out. So I brought her inside and mom and I had a flashlight looking in her mouth and all over her body. We could not figure it out. Probably 30 minutes later after I fed her - I noticed her mouth was bleeding. I think I've been reading WAY too many blogs lately and hearing so many bad things that immediately I thought "she is spitting up blood or having internal bleeding and she probably has a tumor". So mom and I took her to the hospital to the ER. Of course it was packed and it was going to be HOURS before they could see her and it was already 6 p.m. A really nice nurse looked her over and he works at Children's Hospital and he reassured me and told me if it was his baby - he would take her home. Most likely she has a small cut in her mouth. She also is teething a top tooth now. THREE TEETH ALREADY? That girl really wants to get into some real food. So we are watching her closely but I have to admit I started tearing up after the nurse made me feel better.

So now for a little poll. I have 3 questions for you today and I'd love to hear your answers:

1. At what age did your children start sleeping through the night on a consistent basis?

(Harper is still getting up every 2-3 hours and I'm about to lose my mind so I'm just looking for a little light at the end of my tunnel. And I have all the books (Baby Wise, Sleep Habits, etc.......just no time or energy to read them). She has actually become SO much easier during the day and has been taking great naps - I just love EVERY minute with her - but night time is almost getting worse.

2. At what age did your children start sitting up?

Harper has been ahead on all of her milestones but she is not sitting up yet and I know it's okay but I'm just curious what the average age is for all of you. We are practicing, practicing, practicing.

3. I'm re-doing our family room. Pictures to come soon. We got new furniture (well new to us - we bought it from a couple who sold it to get new furniture) and I've ordered a new rug and now I'm planning to get bar stools. These are the ones I think I want to get. What do you think (without knowing how the room looks) - cute, ugly, a great neutral? ......Give it to me.

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday so Harper and I hope to enjoy celebrating with her! My parents live in the country and we were just looking out the window watching six deer hang out by my car in front of their house. So fun!

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490 comments:

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Hilary said...: I don't have any children of my own, but I have 5 nieces & nephews ages 1-8. My sister read a great book (unfortunately I don't know the title), but it was a Christian baby book & she had her 3 girls sleeping through the night by 4 months. And they didn't start sitting up till about 6 months!

I love the stools!; 7/08/2009 6:04 PM
The Pences said...: You have so many comments already -- I don't know if you'll get to this one! My second daughter is about Harper's age (born Jan 11th) so it's fun to sort of "compare" them as I read about your sweet family.
1. Here's my advice about sleeping through the night: she should be already. I'm a nursing momma, too and both my girls were sleeping through the night by this age. If Harper's still in your room, I would consider moving her out. My girls and I have never slept well in the same room together through the night -- I think we actually wake each other up. By "sleeping through the night" I mean a long stretch (6 hours or so?) -- obviously all kiddos are different. She should be sleeping longer stretches at night than she does during the day, though. You may also ask Harper's pediatrician for advice.
2. As far as the sitting goes, my older daughter was a very late sitter, in fact she ended up squatting instead. Her doc was actually a little concerned about it, but she corrected it on her own as she got older! My younger daughter will be 6 months old in a couple of days and isn't sitting yet, either. She holds her head up great, but I'm so looking forward to being able to sit her on the floor with some toys around her!
I really enjoy reading your blog -- thank you for sharing about your family. I was wondering, though, if it's possible to read some of your older posts... I've only been following your blog for a few months and I'd love to read about your little family from before. Sorry about this long rambling comment!
Jessica from Houston; 7/08/2009 6:08 PM
JJC said...: 1, my daughter was b-fed only and slept through the night at ~8 weeks. we moved her from the pack-n-play to her room at 4 months, too. she has always slept better in her crib than a pack-n-play--even now at 15 months. just a thought...if harper is napping well in her crib but not sleeping well in the pack-n-play, she may prefer the crib, too.

2. the night before she turned 6 months

3. love the barstools; 7/08/2009 6:10 PM
Kim said...: Kelly - it's going to take one good night of letting her scream it out. Seriously! If she has slept through a night already - which I'm sure you said she slept for many hours one night - she is ready to do it consistently! The first night she might scream it out for a.long.time. The next night it will only last 10 minutes. And the next night will be fabulous! It is hard, but you will be so glad you did it!; 7/08/2009 6:22 PM
Amelia said...: My daughter started consistently sleeping through the night at 3 months. That is, thanks to "On Becoming Babywise." Since you already have the book, I would urge you to read it! It saved my sanity and the sanity of many other mothers I know who also used it. Bella really sat up on her own at 6 months. I have a 7 month old niece who still doesn't sit up and there's nothing wrong with her!; 7/08/2009 6:29 PM
The Calhoun Clique said...: Ella started sleeping through the night at 3 months. She now sleeps from 10p.m. to 9:30a.m.(she just turned 6 months), it is such a blessing because I love my sleep. She is strictly breastfeed and I am not a believer in the cry it out method. It would break my heart to just let her cry.

She was able to sit unassisted at 5-1/2 months. Harper will get there, one day she will just decide to do it, especially since you have been working with her.

Cute barstools.; 7/08/2009 6:29 PM
The Uszenski's said...: My children slept through the night at about 8 weeks and both were only bf...

My oldest was sitting up between 6-7 months and my youngest is only 3 months old now...so nothing yet:)

Just stumbled upon your blog and felt the need to comment..

God Bless!; 7/08/2009 6:34 PM
Amy said...: My daughter wouldn't sleep... at all! During the day to nap or at night - she was up every few hours. At about 6 months, I let her cry it out (and yes, it is horrible - but all the books I read to help another way did NOTHING, and I was pretty desperate) for 45 minutes, knowing that she was physically fine - fed, changed and all that - she slept for almost 6 hours. The next night, she cried for 5 minutes and slept almost 10 hours. I can't say if that will work for your daughter, but it certainly worked for mine. She also slept better in her own room - away from us. If they can see or hear you close by, chances are they aren't going to be sleeping very well because they want to be with you. Now at 11 months, she's sleeping about 12 hours a night, and two 2+ hour naps a day. It is true what they say: good nights sleep=good naps the next day. Soon after she was consistently sleeping through the night, the napping fell right into place.

She also didn't sit up completely by herself until 9 months. She was way more interested in rolling around on the floor! For a long time she sat with the boppy behind her so she didn't fall over!

I love the bar stools! Very snazzy!; 7/08/2009 6:47 PM
Zach said...: Sleeping through the night- 9 months
Sitting Up- 5 Months

Amy; 7/08/2009 6:51 PM
Aaron, Lacey, Audrey and Elle said...: My baby girl started sleeping through the night the week she turned 2 months old. It was the 1st night we didn't swaddle her and we put her in her own room. I was so worried but she slept from 8pm-8am and has done it almost every night since then, and she's about to be 1 year old! Around 4-6 months she started waking up every now and then in the middle of the night, and just once a night. I read I few books myself and one of them suggested that at that age if they wake up in the middle of the night to just let them cry it out and go back to sleep on their own without going to them or feeding them. It was hard but she only cried for 10-15 min and then was back asleep. Around 6 months all of that stopped and she stared sleeping a solid 12-13 hours again. That's just what worked for us!

My baby girl started sitting up on her own 5 months and crawling at 6, but all babies develop SO differently. I've known babies that started sitting up at 7 months.

The chairs are cute. I love the white cushion against the dark legs. I think the wicker almost makes them look like patio chairs, but very fancy patio chairs too so they would probably look great indoors. I'm no interior designer that's for sure! ;)

Take care, Harper is a doll!; 7/08/2009 7:06 PM
Jan said...: My 7 year old slept 12 hours (9-9) at 10 weeks. My youngest (13 mo) slept all night around 7 months. She would periodically sleep through starting at 4 mo, but she liked to wake her dad for a 3am bonding time. We never played or fed her in the night. (except when she was a real baby) Once we knew she was not in need of food in the night, we just cuddled her and put her back to bed.

Both my girls sat up at 6 months. They would sit for a few seconds and then right at the 6 mo mark they started truly sitting up. Now Jade took another couple months before she would sit herself up, but she could sit up all day if you put her in position. Jenna crawled at 6 mo and Jade at 8.5 months.

I love the stools. I think they will look nice with your kitchen.

Check out my blog: it's new, inspired in part by you, and I WANT some readers. :); 7/08/2009 7:13 PM
Finding Joy said...: OK, I have 4 kids and they were ALL different in when they slept through the night. But the most recent (because it is fresh in my mind) is my youngest who is almost 8 months. Did the every 2-3 hour thing for at least 3 months. Consistently slept through the night around 6 months, had a bump in the road for 2 weeks at 7+ months, and now we are back on track. Praise the Lord! I am no expert but I have heard that once babies are about 15 pounds they physically don't NEED to eat at night anymore, they are either doing it out of habit or for comfort. Just my 2 cents.

Sitting up...all of mine sat well right around 6 months...that little tripod thing where their hands/arms in between their legs to help prop them up. My youngest now still doesn't make a very graceful transistion from sitting to crawling (kind of topples over then situates himself...cute!)but he gets sturdier each week.

Love the barstools! You will like having stools with arms on them...one thing we didn't think about before we had kids but they come in handy!

Love, love, love your blog! It brightens my day! Blessings from Iowa!; 7/08/2009 7:18 PM
Angie said...: I got spoiled, my little boy slept through the night from the first month...HOWEVER, when he was about 4 months old he started waking every 2-3 hours. Our doctor told us it was probablly because at that age they start growing so much that and he was most likely hungry. So we had to start putting cereal in his bottle....he we put enough to make it a little thick, not super thick, but enought to really hold him over. Ever since then, he sleeps from 8 to 6 or 7 every morning. That advice was the best...the Doctor told us our baby would let us know when he was ready for stuff more so than the books would.

He also did everything early except sitting up. But literally, one day when he was 6 months old, he just sat up one day. It happened over night.

Love the bar stools!; 7/08/2009 7:20 PM
Karen said...: She slept through the night at 4 1/2 weeks (9 hours) and did it consistently after that. Sorry.; 7/08/2009 7:22 PM
Lori said...: In my experience, kids are on their own schedule to sleep through the night. I wouldn't expect a child Harper's age to sleep through the night yet. My daughter woke up every hour to two hours until she was 18 months old. She will be 2 in a few weeks and now she only wakes up once or twice a night. If it was me, I'd just give her time. Most of the stuff I've read (and I've read it all!), says that giving her cereal or other things may not help - I wouldn't try it. I'd just keep doing what you are doing. But I know sleep deprivation is tough - I'm still living it, too!; 7/08/2009 7:24 PM
Jenn@ You know... that Blog? said...: Both of my daughters slept through the night after about a week, although my second daughter went through a really exhausting period around 8 months where she'd wake up constantly. Fortunately it was short lived. Every baby is different, with their own internal clock. I breast fed both kids, and found it easier on everyone concerned to co-sleep for the first 6 months. Not everyone can do that (or would even want to for that matter!) but we did, and I got a lot more sleep that way. ;) They're 15 and 5 now, so it's been a while! If I can offer any advice, it would be to start minimizing naps during the day, and be firm about night time waking. I have another book for you, and it's more than awesome - it's called the Baby Whisperer, by Tracy Hogg, and even an old jaded mom like me found it useful and fascinating when we had our surprise second daughter ;) It's a great book, and a very entertaining read.

But I digress...

Sitting up - about 6 months for both kids. My nephew was much later than that though (and didn't walk until about 15 months, where my kids were up and at it by 10 months). Again, I've known kids who were several weeks older, and it was just fine.

The bar stool - LOVE the look, but the first thing that crossed my mind was that it would be prickly on a bare back, and legs where you'd touch below the cushion. And you know the white cushions won't be white too long with little ones around ;)

Hows that for an opinionated first visit to your blog?! haha; 7/08/2009 7:29 PM
Christina said...: My Daughter was up every 3 hours at night until she was a year and half old. Will be praying Harper will sleep all night alot sooner than our little one.; 7/08/2009 7:32 PM
Melanie said...: Hi Kelley-- Harper and My Zoe are just 2 days apart. They have been pretty much on the same advancement track. They are both very early at reaching milestones! Sadly, Zoe isn't sleeping though the night either. She slept 3 night straight a couple of weeks ago. But it didn't last. She gets up around 2, 5, and 8. I know how exhausted you are. If you find out the magic cure will you please send the info to me! As for the sitting up, Zoe is actually doing really well at that. Most kids I think start that between 6-8 months. Zoe can sit up for a while, but I am not where near letting her do it unsupervised. I just practice with her each day to help her build up those muscles. We are really working on crawling too. She is using rolling as her form of transportation. She rolls and rolls and rolls. She can go from one end of the room to the other. Well, I have just rambled on. I don't know if this helps you, but good luck! Oh yea, I like the bar stools!; 7/08/2009 7:44 PM
Katie said...: Hey Kelly! So sorry about the mouth scare with Harper. I would have freaked out, too! It's so scary when they can't talk yet and tell you what's wrong or what's going on. (Don't worry; then they get to the 2 year old stage my son is at, where they tell you everything even when you don't want to know! Ha!) To answer your questions:
1.) Holden started sleeping well and only getting up for one bottle, then going right back to sleep, around 7 months. I think this is a little late, but he was a preemie and tiny, so I think his tummy just couldn't get full enough to help him sleep all night until then. At 9 months, he slept through the entire night (around 8:30-9:00pm until 6:30am) and the first time he did it I woke up and rushed into his room thinking he must surely be unconcious! LOL! Once he did it once, he did it forevermore. It is HEAVEN and she will get to that point!!! Of course now I just crave more...wish he'd sleep in later.
2.) He sat up at 6 months but was still a bit top-heavy...sometimes he'd careen backwards and land with a thud, so we always had pillows behind him. :)
3.) I like the chair! Very neutral and I can picture it with all different color schemes, particularly those that included brown, black, white, or a combination.
Hope this helps! Just remember all babies are different and it can be hard not to compare, but they DO all eventually sleep. I've been there, girl. Some days you feel like you are the only mommy on the planet whose baby will never sleep all night. It will happen! I will pray sooner rather than later for you.; 7/08/2009 7:47 PM
Jennifer said...: 1) Both of mine starting sleeping through the night shortly after we moved them to their own rooms. I think the more comfortable crib, as opposed to the bassinet/pack-n-play, along with 'knowing Mommy wasn't there to pick me up instantly' helped tremendously. It was about a week to transition them both. One was in her room at 3 weeks (when she outgrew the bassinet) and the youngest not until 6 months, but she had/has health problems and had to be at our bedside.
2) Sitting up: the first was 4months and then second was 8 to 9 months. Each kiddo is different.
3) Barstools: very cute. We got rid of ours after our oldest climbed up on them, then onto the counter at 15 months. We've opted to keep the bar 'stool-less' for safety reasons. I'd recommend at least wait and see if you have a 'climber' or not.; 7/08/2009 7:47 PM
Meredith said...: So glad everything with your daughter looks to be okay!! I can imagine how scared you must have been!

1 - Both my girls started sleeping through the night around 8 weeks. We put them down at 7:30 or 8 and they would sleep until 7:30 or 8 the next morning and are both still great sleepers! We did Babywise with both girls with our own little modifications. I know a lot of people are against it but it really works!!! You have to take it and modify it for what works best for you and your family but girl I would definitely give it a try!! You will be so much better to your husband and daughter if you are rested!! :)

2 - My oldest started sitting up around 6 months and my youngest started sitting up around 5 to 5 1/2 months. Every child is different. Don't stress about this!! I think the Bumbo helped my youngest daughter start sitting up as early as she did.

3 - Love the bar stools!!

Enjoy your visit with your parents. I hope your Mom has a Happy Birthday!!; 7/08/2009 7:48 PM
Haley said...: My daughter was 9 mos old before she slept all night. Sorry! Wish I could be more encouraging. I read every book and tried everything. I incorporated a lot of strategies, but ended up having to just let her cry more than I wanted to.

I think my daughter started sitting alone at 6 months on the nose. She still toppled over some for weeks after that.; 7/08/2009 8:21 PM
Marla said...: Hi Kelly! My daughter started sleeping 5-6 hrs straight at about 3 wks..then 11-12 hrs by the time she was 4 and a half months old...BUT...she did not nap very well! So they were LONG days! One thing I did, and I'm not sure if this is what did the trick or if it was because she was so tired from not napping...but when I got up with her in the night, I would not look at her and smile...and I only turned on the closet light with the door slightly open to change her diaper, then I fed her in the dark with no TV or anything on...I wanted her to know it was the night time..a time for sleeping.

And I also cute out the afternoon caffeine. I think it made a difference.

Good luck! You're a great mom and you are doing a wonderful job with he!; 7/08/2009 8:31 PM
Anonymous said...: Love the bar stools. Your little one is adorable. You are so blessed.

Blessings. Jean Stockdale; 7/08/2009 8:35 PM
Sheridith - mom to peeps said...: well.. I just had the girl...after 4 boys and I have to admit Chloe is MUCH easier than they were.. don' tknow why.. I freaked out when she started sleeping thru the night a couple of months ago.. like you, I NEVER slept that 1st year either. She also is the 1st to actually SLEEP in the cradle...I would say...be strong but to tell you the truth, I miss those middle of the night snuggles more than I can say.. those are just the sweetest moments.( I know, you are going...humpf...)but I really mean it... Chloe also NEVER gets a decent nap...not with all the little boys screaming all over the place so she's VERY tired by bedtime...

Mine have all sat up really well..as in no more tipping at all around 7-9 months.. Chloe is pretty good and I am TERRIBLE about using the Bunbo...

The Barstools are cute.. I am visioning a cute little Hawaii thing for some reason..hehe; 7/08/2009 8:43 PM
Mandy said...: Not sure if you still read these after 400+ comments but I have a 9 week old who is going 6 hours wakes up for a feeding and then back to sleep until morning. My first one slept that long around 8 weeks too. My pediatrician recommended no more night feedings at 4 months because he said they develop a habit of eating and that physically they do not need to eat. He told us to go in and soothe them or give a paci but not to feed.

My daughter is almost 3 and sat around 7 months which I think is a little later than usual. She didn't walk until 15months and we started her in physical therapy. The therapist said there was physically no reason she couldn't walk she just wasn't motivated. Each child is different.; 7/08/2009 8:43 PM
Wendy said...: Glad Harper's okay - unless she throws up blood, I wouldn't worry too much. My middle son's gums would bleed a little when he was teething so it could just be something as simple as that!!

As for sleeping, my two youngest started sleeping "through the night" as soon as we kicked them out of our bedroom! So, around 8 weeks old I guess. Now, don't get me wrong - through the night has a different meaning to different people....what I mean by through the night is sleeping for 7 or 8 hour stretches at a time. My 3-month-old usually gets up once a night at a maximum and that's usually around 5AM. Of course, I'm probably jinxing myself! Anyway, my pediatrician told me to get my youngest out of our room at around 2 months if we wanted to get some sleep - at that time he was waking every 2-3 hours. The doctor said it could be because he could HEAR us (my husband snores and I'm constantly telling him to roll over, stop snoring, etc.) and he could probably SMELL my milk! He was right - as soon as he was in his own room, he slept much better.

As far as sitting up, my middle son started sitting up the day he turned 6 months old (I can't speak for my oldest on these b/c we adopted him at 10 months and he was already sitting up, crawling and sleeping at least 11 hours a night). I think 6 months is around the average.

Love the bar stool....but toddlers love to pull those over on themselves so be careful!; 7/08/2009 8:46 PM
Summer said...: My daughter Kynli started sleeping through the night right at 6 months, pretty much the night I moved her into her crib in her own room. I really think that she would have slept through the night long before then, but I had her in the Pack 'n Play in our room and I truly believe that we kept each other up all night. She could hear me turn over and move and that would wake her up and visa versa. I am a full time working mom and so any little wimper from her, I would just go and pick her up and put her in bed with so that she would go back to sleep. She would toss and turn all night, and sometimes still fuss/cry, and neither of us were getting any sleep. After about 3 really bad nights in a row, I decided to put her in her room in her crib. Her nursery is upstairs and on the other side of the house, so that is what kept me from putting her up there earlier. She has pretty much been sleeping through the night (12-13 hours) since the first night I put her in there. She did have 1 or 2 nights in the first week where she woke up and cried, but I just left her and she went back to sleep after a few mintues. She started sleeping so much better, and so did I. I learned with her (she is my first) and I will definitely be putting our next children in their own cribs MUCH earlier!!! It sounds like she is waking out of habit, and I bet if you just let her cry it out for a night or two, she will be sleeping through the night in no time and both of you will be much happier!

And she started sitting up consistently up about 5 and 1/2 months.

Love the barstools too!!!; 7/08/2009 8:48 PM
Alli said...: If you mean sleeping 12 hours through the night, my oldest slept through at 10 weeks, middle son at 7 months, youngest son at 10-11 months (can't quite remember) and our daughter is 8 weeks and the last week or so she's been sleeping a long stretch of 6-7 hours. I expect that to change any day though. Every baby is different. I know you said you have all the books, but I swear by The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems. It's been a blessing for us through ALL of kids' babyhoods.

Sitting up consistently...? All my boys were pretty textbook, I think...about 6-7ish months.

Not a fan of the barstool, but I'm SO NOT qualified to give decorating advice!! I've seen pictures of your home and it's a TON cuter than mine! :); 7/08/2009 8:51 PM
A Boy, His Girls & A Big Dog said...: As for sleeping through the night...Avery (4M) JUST turned the corner, but it was brutal for a while, and like you said, it felt like it was getting worse. My Ped told me that once they reach the 6 month mark you can start to be "stern" with them, cut back on the feedings during the night (cut back the # of oz), let them fuss a little more than you did before, give them time to soothe themselves. Even if you can hold her off 30 minutes at a time from eating, each and every night it should get a little better, but it can be a slow process, just tune up those vocal chords and belt out a little Darius Rucker...because it really won't be like this for long, before you know it, you will be running into her room to wake her up because she is sleeping the day away and you want to play with her.

Best of luck...; 7/08/2009 9:15 PM
Ky said...: Hi Kelly! I don't have any advice for you b/c my 3 month old, Sophia, is still waking up every 2 to 3 hours at night. I'm back working full time and it's beginning to catch up with me...I'm exhausted! I'm exclusively breastfeeding and everyone talks about adding rice cereal, but I still feel like it's too early. I don't want to do Babywise, either. I just don't like the idea of such a strict schedule. So, we just put baby in our room and go with the flow. I feel your pain : )

The bar stools are super cute, by the way.

Ky in Texas; 7/08/2009 9:29 PM
CourtneyC said...: So glad to hear that precious Vivian is doing well. Will, continue to pray for her recovery.

I love the bar stool!!; 7/08/2009 9:43 PM
Allison said...: 1#. I have 3 girls and honestly each one is so different, my oldest slept for 8 hours at a time at 8 weeks. My middle one never slept longer then 1 hour and 45 min. for 15 months and my 3rd got up about 2 times a night. The last 2 got way better after I weaned both of them. But I nursed the middle one for 15 months and I nursed the 3rd one that long also.

2#. All three of my girls were right around 5 months when they started sitting up on their own and then they went straight to crawling. I had one that crawled at 6 months. Don't hope for and early crawler, they are so busy at that stage.

3#. I love the bare stools.; 7/08/2009 9:52 PM
Sherri said...: Oh my..I am so glad she is OK! I know that was so scary.

My little ones started sleeping through the night later than some. My son was easier but my daughter was very much harder. She was over a year. I'm not the encouraging one, am I? I can say now that I do know that they get into such a habit sometimes but Sophie used to get herself so worked up that she would throw up when she cried so hard and it was terrible. Just go with your instincts.

Both of my children started trying to sit by 6 months but didn't master it until closer to months.

I Love those bar stools!!! They are too cute. I can't wait to see new pics.

Hope you have a wonderful visit with your mom:); 7/08/2009 9:52 PM
Cara said...: Hey, I've been lurking for a while now but wanted to put you at ease a little more. I have my degree in child development and work with infants.

It's not uncommon for babies gums to bleed when they are teething, especially when they are getting their top two front teeth. Their little gums are just soo tender, so it's probably just Harper cutting teeth that is making her mouth bleed.

As far as sitting up goes, most babies have the muscle control to sit up for short periods of time when they can roll from front to back to front, etc, several times, which is usually around 6-7 months, and then after sitting up for very short periods of time for a couple weeks they get a lot stronger and can sit up for a long time. Their thinking skills also have to be developed enough to balance themselves until it becomes second nature. (Some babies have the muscle tone and can roll at three months but don't have the cognitive ability to hold themselves up to sit until they are five-six months old.

Hope this puts your new-mom worries at ease!; 7/08/2009 10:10 PM
Flip-flop Mama said...: When my children were babies they weren't great sleepers at night. . .BUT, after I stopped nursing them at around 14 mo they got better at laying down and falling asleep on their own all through the night. AND, THEY ALL TURNED INTO GREAT SLEEPERS!!! My oldest took 3 hr naps til she was almost 5, and sleeps all night. IT WILL EVENTUALLY GET BETTER! Just follow your heart, when you start getting advice from everyone :); 7/08/2009 10:28 PM
Kasey said...: 1)My son is 14 months old and is still not sleeping through the night. He does go about 6 hours straight now, though. The thing with breastfed babies is it's normal for them to wake up a lot during the night. When they have a growth spurt or have teething pain, they will regress a bit and wake up more often. Just hang in there. It will get better, I promise!

2)I think my son was 6 1/2 months when he sat up on his own.

3)I love the bar stool, but not the white cushion.; 7/08/2009 10:38 PM
erin said...: I am so glad that Harper is all good!!

My boys didn't sleep through the night on a regular basis until they were done nursing...Luke was right at 1 yr., Jack was 9mos. and Bowen was 1yr.

My boys were all pretty late sitters...Luke was crawling before he was sitting up good..he was ready to be on the move. He walked at 9mos.. Jack was almost 8mos. and Bowen was probably 7mos. I can't remember!?{Isn't that awful, they kinda run together!}

I really like the barstools! Very cute...I would totally get those!

love and blessings~ erin; 7/08/2009 10:45 PM
Sam said...: OH I love love love the bar stools! Where did you find them??? I have been looking all over for barstools that I like and have found very little.

My first time to your blog and I love it! I will definately be back.

Sara
www.ladybugsandlilypads.com; 7/09/2009 6:52 AM
Unknown said...: Love LOVE the barstools!

Nathan did not start sleeping through the night until we moved him out of our bedroom and into his own room at 7 months...he still wakes up occasionally but I'll take occasionally over always any day.; 7/09/2009 7:36 AM
Steph said...: My daughter started sitting up by herself at 4 months and started sleeping through the night at 5 months, but as soon when she was teething she would get up ever couple hours. At 7 months she started sleeping through the night again and has continued to sleep through the night since.

I love the chairs...they are going to look really cute!!!; 7/09/2009 8:11 AM
Connie said...: Hi Kelly!
1. My daughter is 8 months old and STILL wakes up every couple of hours to nurse. Sometimes we can go 4-5 hours in between feedings through the night but those are VERY rare! Hang in there, I know it's tough and I'm right there with you on losing my mind! But Emily is totally worth it!(We've been reading up on this quite a bit and most things say (exclusively)breastfed babies wake more often in the night for feedings. Breast milk doesn't have the "filler" that formula does and moves through their system faster resulting in more feedings.)
2. Emily was right at 5 months old sitting up.
3. The bar stools are fabulous! Great find!; 7/09/2009 8:17 AM
Amy said...: Read the books! Also putting her to sleep on her tummy will help if you aren't doing that already.; 7/09/2009 8:55 AM
Home of a Magnolia said...: Kelly,

I've been reading your blog for several months, but never posted. You have even inspired me to start blogging. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have several suggests for you issues w/sleeping thru the night and sitting up. I'm going to be very straight forward, but very honest.

1. She will probably continue to get up every few hours as long as you breastfeed. I think breastfeeding is wonderful if you can do it, but I'm not sold on the idea of it being the only way to go. Got to formula fed kids and they are very bright and hardly ever sick.
2. Allow her to sleep in her own room/bed and cry herself back to sleep. Three nights in a row should do it. It will be hard, but believe me it will work. Also-turn off the baby monitor.
3. Sitting up- lots of tummy time on the floor works wonders for building muscles needed to sit up.
4. Read John Rosemonds "Parenting by the Book". Christian based and has study questions at the end of each chapter. You and your husband should read it together.; 7/09/2009 8:59 AM
Julie said...: Hey Kelly, I thought I would write something since no one else has....ha, ha!
My son started sleeping through the night at 4 weeks. But I think the reason he started sleeping so good is because he was in his crib at 3 weeks old. Also, I started a schedule right away for his feedings and that really helped. I didn't follow Baby Wise, but I did something like it. We would give him his last feeding at 10 at night and he would sleep till the morning. Then around 5 months old I started putting him to bed around 7 and he slept till 6 (and still had 2 naps during the day). There were some tough nights, but I think letting him "cry it out" helped him to learn how to soothe himself back to sleep and helped him learn how to sleep through the night. He now sleep now sleeps about 10-11 hours at night and takes one 3 hour nap each day.
He started sitting up right when he turned 6 months old. Don't worry she will get there!
Oh and the barstools are really unique and cute. You should use them (even though I don't know what your room looks like!).
Have a good weekend!; 7/09/2009 9:03 AM
Lindsay Norsworthy said...: My little girl just started sleeping through the night at 10 1/2 months! She has always been beastfed too. It was hard not getting enough sleep, but it won't last for long. You can do it!; 7/09/2009 9:09 AM
Jana said...: I love your blog! I followed and what a miracle! WOW!!

My daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was 15 months old. Sleep deprivation almost kicked my butt! I was only getting 2-4 hours of sleep a night for 15 months! I thought I was loosing it! She still has rough nights sleeping at 21 months!

2. My daughter started sitting up at around 6 months I think.

3. Sounds cute!

Have a blessed day!!; 7/09/2009 9:33 AM
Libby said...: 1) Son #1 slept through the night from 2 1/2 months to 5 months, and then not again till 11 months. Son #2 slept through the night at 13 months, I think. Son #3 was around 9-10 months. My parenting motto has been--do what is working for you until you just don't find it working anymore. When you are really, really OVER getting up and nursing, then try letting her cry for a while. Until then, don't feel guilty that you're not doing something right. Enjoy the middle-of-the-night time with her and don't worry about it.

2) 4 1/2 months, 6 months (he has a really large head that kept making him fall over--I'm serious!), 5-ish months. Interesting that I'm most unclear about milestone timing for the child who went through it most recently!

3) Barstools are cute--do you know if the wicker is soft or rough?; 7/09/2009 9:46 AM
Erin said...: First off I am glad her mouth is ok and I hope the bleeding has stopped. Teething can be so tricky and cause so many small or big things with children!

My daughter started sleeping through the night at like 5 months but we had her sleeping with us.

She started sitting at I believe 4 or 5 months, I would have to go back into my blog and look, which i need to do because I don't have it listed on her 1st!!

I really like the bar stools, I think they are very cute and stylish!!

Hope your mom has a great birthday!; 7/09/2009 9:59 AM
Beth said...: My first started sleeping through the night @ about 6-8 weeks.
I thought I was going crazy when my second didn't do the same.

That's when I learned that my first was "abnormal", LOL. My second eventually slept through the night at almost 9 months.

One thing I learned about the sleep books is that THEY WILL MAKE YOU FEEL CRAZY! My second son did not fit into any of the "categories" of any of the sleepers, and I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. Then something clicked (with no help from me, my husband, or the books!) ~ and he figured out that sleep was a good thing all on his own :)

One thing that might possibly help is an earlier bedtime? When my boys went from 3 naps to 2(around 7-9 months), then we moved bedtime up to 7:30 PM instead of 8 or 9. They then started sleeping 11-12 hours @ night.

But again....every kid is different.

Hang in there, it WILL eventually get better!

Sitting up was around 7-8 months for both of my boys.

Blessings,
Beth; 7/09/2009 10:34 AM
The Haymans said...: I agree with letting them cry it out. I didn't do this until he was a year old...he was such a sick baby with reflux and tubes, but once all that was over i just made up my mind. First night he only cried 15 mins. Now at 18 months we say, "night, night" and he put his head on my shoulder. I agree with an earlier poster, they really do have to learn to self soothe. And it is AMAZING!!! Brody sleeps twelve hours with a 2-3 hour nap during the day. Our life has changed dramatically!!! YOu can do it!!!; 7/09/2009 10:54 AM
Southern Savvy said...: 1. Baby C starting sleeping through the night from about 8pm to around 6-6:30am at around 4-5 months once she really started eating more baby food. By 5 months she was already on stage 2 food and would sometimes eat two stage 2 foods at a time. She's a big girl and a good eater! By 6 months she was already on stage 3! I could tell she was ready for more food when she started having trouble sleeping through the night and only a bottle would satisfy her. So, maybe Harper is just hungry? Another trick my Doctor told me is that sometimes babies wake up in the middle of the night just out of habit. If you give the baby a bottle of water instead of milk they'll get the hint that it isn't worth waking up for. This worked a couple of times for me but like I said, more food was the trick! But, sometimes babies just wake up and cry and I would have to let C just cry for a little bit and she would calm herself down and go back to sleep. I have a video monitor so I'd make sure she was ok. She went in her crib around 8 weeks old even though that meant that I had to get up a couple of times each night b/c she wasn't sleeping through the night yet. I was terrified of turning into another one of my family members who has her son still sleeping in their room in their bed at almost 4 years old b/c his parents have never made him stay in his room! YIKES!

2. I think that baby C starting sitting up around 5-6 months or so? I'd have to look it up to get the exact time.; 7/09/2009 11:00 AM
Kate said...: My son was up almost every 3 hours until he turned a year old and then he slept through the night. We thought it would never happen. :-)

He started sitting up at around 8 mos unassisted. He was a preemie, though--so that correlates to 6 mos adjusted.; 7/09/2009 11:03 AM
Panamamama said...: Kelly-
Em didn't sleep through the night til she was 3 I think! The boys did right away. She was just so curious she didn't want to miss anything.
I would have to say "no" to the barstools even though they are adorable. Just thinking as a mom- the wicker is hard to get crumbs out of and the white seats would NEVER work with kids (think hot cocoa stains...); 7/09/2009 11:55 AM
Amy said...: 1) Both of my kids were sleeping through the night by 3 months.

2) I don't remember when they started sitting up.

3) Love the stools but I'm not crazy about the white pads.

As for the blood in Harper's mouth, I'm sure the nurse was right. Many times when my son was teeting he's have HUGE blood blisters around the spot where the teeth were coming in and they'd always tell me, "Don't be surprised if you see some blood." The other thing is that my daughter always poked herself in the nose and gave herself mini bloody noses and would end up with dried blood all over her face. If Harper has her hands in her mouth, she could have cut herself with her nail or somerhing.

:)

Amy; 7/09/2009 12:13 PM
Unknown said...: I have 2 kiddos. Jonathan who is 3--has slept through the night since he came home from his 55 day nicu stay.
Daniel-Who is about to celebrate his 1st birthday July 25th.- Still Wakes up between 3-5 am. He spent 30 hrs in the NICU. They both share a room.
Daniel LOVES to eat and has been doing the same eyeing of mommy's food. We have been trying table food...
As for sitting up... Jonathan sat up at about 10 months...Daniel it was closer to 5 or 6. He is pulling up to stand right now. Jonathan didn't do that until closer to 14 months.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!! and love your Bar stools...; 7/09/2009 12:32 PM
Michele said...: Thank God Harper is ok; I would panic, too!
Every baby is different, BUT, are you picking her up when she wakes up? Is she taking a pacifier? The trick is to put her to bed when she's starting to doze off, so she's still awake. She has to learn to put herself back to sleep when she wakes up.
I just did this with my 4 month old. Start by NOT feeding her when she wakes up. So, if you have to pick her up because she won't go back to sleep, just rock her until she starts to doze off again. Don't feed her! Once she gets used to not eating in the middle of the night, it will be easier for her to sleep. But, you have to try to just put her pacifier back in her mouth and not picking her up. Once she realizes she's going to be fed or picked up, she'll be more likely to calm herself down and put herself back to sleep.
This is my 3rd child; my oldest started sleeping through the night at 6 months, my second at 3 months. Now, #3 at 4 months. The toughest part is getting them to go through the night without eating; once that's down, the rest will be easier.
Hang in there! I promise, someday, she will sleep through the night, but start now!
Good luck!
For the sitting up, try sitting her up in her Boppy. You've got to let her fall over and try to sit up on her own without help (Bumbo). But, with all the new conveniences, it's hard!
Oh, and the stools are cool!; 7/09/2009 12:38 PM
Adam & Emily said...: Hi!
My name is Emily and I came to your site a little before Harper was born when I kept seeing your blog on my friends pages. It seems like you have MORE than enough input. Is it hard to keep caught up? But I will put my two cents in as my little boy Josiah is just slightly younger than Harper.

1. He began sleeping about 8 hours a night at 8 weeks. I NEED sleep. I just don't function well at all without a full nights sleep. So from the VERY beginning I made this my goal and tried to teach him how to be able to put himself to sleep and not need me or need to be rocked to sleep or anything. So around 6 weeks I was getting anxious! as he still was waking up by about 3 or 4 in the AM. I started him off straight from the hospital only letting him sleep about 2 hours. I would wake him if he was still asleep and feed him. I did this to keep him from getting too much sleep in the day so he would be tired at night. Then about the last two feedings before bed I would "cluster" feed or feed him every two hours instead of three to get his belly nice and full. (I can't breast feed so he is on formula) When he would wake up in the night after a short time when I knew he could go longer, I would do everything I could EXCEPT feed him. If I couldn't console him after about 45 min. I would feed him. THat was a tiring couple of weeks but he just started going longer and longer. Sometimes feeding a baby as soon as they wake up makes a baby expect food and will just keep waking every few hours because they know it is there and not necessarily because they need the calories. It was HARD but it worked. He then started waking up a few times in the night when he got a little older because he was too dependent on his pacifier. Every time it came out he would need me to put it back in. Just this last weekend we weaned him from the paci. We went cold turkey and it took about 3 days. He is back to sleeping 10 hours a night which had been his normal for about the last 2 months. I don't know if Harper is in her crib but I know that that HELPS a lot. I moved Josiah to his crib at about 3 weeks but during those weeks he was in our room, it kept me up all night as I would hear his every sound and jump up. when I first moved him to his crib, I slept in his room for a few weeks. I did this partly so my husband could get more sleep and partly because it was nice to be close and put his paci back in before he got too upset. (I would handle the paci differently if I could do it over)When I moved back to our bed and left Josiah alone it was so hard! We got a video monitor so I could see him, even if I put the volume on low. This reassured me. I think it was more for me than for him:).I read the book the Baby Whisperer and it helped so much. I would recommend it to any mom. Remember, do what you think is best for Harper and what is right for your family. Every family is different and every mom wants different things. As long as you are comfortable with your routine and Harper is healthy, you are great! I have lot of friends with babies and many of us do things completely different but we all have happy babies. Don't feel like you are doing things wrong if your routine doesn't look like any one else's that has posted. I was so overwhelmed being a new mother as everyone would give me their advice for the "right" way to do things and all the advice was SO DIFFERENT.

2. Josiah is about 5.5 months and can't sit up on his own yet. I also wanted to say, Harper getting so many teeth so quickly and early probably contributes to her waking in the night. We obviously aren't there yet, but they say teething changes everything.

3. Love the chair:)

Emily Williams and Josiah; 7/09/2009 12:48 PM
The Smith's said...: My son (who was exclusively breastfed) started sleeping through the night at about 9 - 10 months. Until then everytime he would wake up during the night I would just put him in the bed with me and nurse him laying down. I would fall asleep during the feeding and wake up shortly after he was done and put him back in his bed. From about 6 months to 9 months he would wake up once, maybe twice during the night to nurse. I think he started sleeping better when I put him in his crib at about 5 months. They have more room to move around and I think the mattress is a lot more comfortable than the bassinet/pack-n-play. I think breastfed babies wake up during the night mainly just because they know that mom will come running and they can nurse. If you put Harper in her crib and don't run to get her right at the first whimper, she might just go back to sleep...But maybe not!

My daughter sat up at 5 months and my son sat up at 4 1/2 months. The average age is about 6 months though. They say head control at 3 months, sitting up at 6 months, crawling at 9 months, and walking at 12 months. At least that is kind of a good estimate...all babies are different!; 7/09/2009 1:01 PM
Barnes Fam said...: Hi! I know you talked about Babywise and not having the time but I just have to tell you, I have a 3 week old daughter and she already does a 5 hour stretch at night. There are summaries at the end of each of the babywise chapters so I encourage you to at least have a look. It's not that you have to follow a "method" so much as you just need to work on getting her good full feedings which means she may need to cry it out a little to get onto a schedule. Good luck and I hope you get some rest soon!!; 7/09/2009 1:22 PM
Becky said...: My daughter slept all night at 9 months. Sat up at 5ish months.
Hang in there it gets easier..and then harder in other ways:) Just wait and you'll be chasing her everywhere and wishing she was a newborn so you could SIT for even a second! Enjoy every stage; 7/09/2009 1:27 PM
Kirsten said...: I have commented a few times a love your blog! Such a great way to spread the good news!

My daughter Payton slept through the night around 3 months but this is with a night feeding before we headed to bed and her getting up at 6 or 7am. I basically put her on a schedule of two naps a day but wouldnt let her sleep past 4 ish and then she would go down around 7 or8 and then wake her for night feeding around 11. Eventually we stopped the 11 and now she sleeps from 7-7 at 15 months! I think the nap schedule helps too.

As well Payton started sitting up around 6 or 7 months.

Love the chairs, they look comfy with the backs to them!; 7/09/2009 1:51 PM
Kelly said...: #1--Mine slept thru the night at 9 and 10 weeks, respectively. But, when they are teething, they can be up all night. My 20 month old was awake from 2a on the other night. So, just b/c they sleep thru the night doesn't mean its all roses from then on.
#2--About 6 months was when they sat up on their own. My first even crawled before she sat up by herself. Robbed me of the "they can sit, but can't go anywhere" days.
#3--Love the chair.; 7/09/2009 2:14 PM
waiting said...: 1) I have a 3 1/2 month old and an 8 year old. I have just recently started letting the 3 1/2 month old cry it out. He slept one night through the night a couple of weeks ago, so I knew he could do it. He weighs nearly 17 pounds, so I knew he didn't need more formula. He is eating 7 oz. per feeding. So, this week has been our sleep training week. He has only cried for about 20 minutes for the past 3 nights. He has been sleeping from about 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. (minus the crying) I am praying that tonight will be the night he "gets it". I did the same thing with my 8 year old son, and he is a MARVELOUS sleeper. He sleeps 10 hours easily every night. I agree with the other posters that she needs to get out of your room. I read somewhere (in one of my various books) that babies sleep much better in their own rooms and in their own cribs. I bought the Angelcare Monitor for this new baby because he has been a stomach sleeper since he was born. He has been in his own room since about 7 or 8 weeks old. The monitor has given me great peace and comfort. I agree that you should read Baby Wise. I read it when he was about 5-6 weeks old and read the whole book in about 1 hour. I think the scheduling is KEY as well.

2) My eight year old sat up right before he turned 6 months old.

3) I love the bar stools!; 7/09/2009 2:33 PM
Carry Grace said...: Hey Kelly, Harper is such a cutie!

1. I used Babywise and Cade was sleeping through the night at 12 wks. He is still a great sleeper. I know you don't think you have time to read it, but it will be such a help to you.
2. He started sitting up at 5 months.
3. Great bar stools.; 7/09/2009 3:07 PM
The Thornton Family said...: Glad Harper is okay.
The mouth bleeds ALOT, but heals FAST - so I'm sure whatever it was is all healed up by now.

I have two boys. The oldest is 11yrs and didn't start sleeping through the night until he was about 2, but stopped taking a bottle during the night around 6 or 7 months. We lived with my parents and i think he was just waking cus he knew I was in the room.
My youngest is 18 months and has been sleeping all night off and on sinc ehe was about 6 months and stopped feeding during the night at about the same time. He still wakes up evey now and then - sleeps all night more than he wakes. We're on 6 days straight of sleeping all night (and sleeping a bit later)!

Love to bar stools!

Good luck with the sleeping. I know you think of a million things you can/should be doing when she does nap during the day, but it might help if you rested during that time.

Stacey in Missippi; 7/09/2009 3:31 PM
Tera said...: Both of my girls started sitting right at 4 months, but this is early. Average is 6 months.

My oldest started sleeping through the night at 6.5 mo and the other at 10-11 months. BUT, I am very strict about breastfeeding and I wanted to keep my supply up so I never let them go more than 6 hours at night until they were at least 6 mo. old. I am about sure that if Harper was sleeping in her own room, you would both sleep better. I'm guessing there are times that she simply whimpers a little and you pick her up...if she was in her room, you might sleep through it or let her go for a few minutes. My suggestion...look at the clock when you hear her cry. Wait 5 minutes, if she's still crying, pick her up. She needs to learn to self-sooth a little.

oh- and I love the bar stools!; 7/09/2009 3:48 PM
Mrs. Shelton said...: Sorry I am just responding. Lilly is now 2 months. She was a horrible sleeper during the day until 4 week when we got a new swing and I started tucking her arms down like she was swaddled. She will now sleep for naps in the swing 2-3 hours. She has always done okay at night. She is now 2 months and sleeping from 8:30-5:00ish. I recommend Mom's on Call. They have example schedules. They will tell you she can do it b/c that is what they told me. We have been working on putting her to bed drowsy and allowig her to soothe herself to sleep (with a paci) and she is doing great. Good luck! You really do need your sleep at night. You will feel more tired for a while because you aren't used to it, but it is nice now! I love the bar stools. Where are they from?; 7/09/2009 3:51 PM
Stephanie said...: I read your blog all the time, but have never commented before. I'd love to answer your questions from my own experiences.

Sleeping through the night? My first born? At 6 months. He was still getting up one time at the exact same time, and he was quite a chunk, so I realized it was probably habit, not a nutrition need. I didn't get him in the middle of the night or two, and that was it. He no longer woke up.

The second boy - 11 weeks!!!! Thanks to Babywise. We took the Prep for Parenting class (Christian version of Babywise) before having our second, and I got the gist of what I needed to do this time. Set wake time, guiding them into a 2.5-3 hr schedule within the first couple of weeks, focusing on full feedings (not "snacking"), and then working on consistent times for naps. Having that set waketime in the morning helps them organize their sleep - discerning daytime from nighttime. By the time our second child slept through the night (11 weeks), he was eating every 3 hours (7,10,1,4,7, and 10pm). I dropped the 10 pm feeding around 3-4 months and started stretching him gradually to 3.5-4 hours around 4-5 months.

Healthy Habits is a good book, too. Good information about sleep, but I think Babywise does a better job focusing on stabilizing their metabolism as well as sleep habits.

Sitting up - I think both were by around 7 months. My second born took a little longer.; 7/09/2009 4:08 PM
Barrett said...: You sure are brave asking for everyone's advice!! Sleeping is a big issue when it comes to babies. I have three daughters and all were a little different. The best advice I have is to establish her a routine that evolves around her being independent. I know we all want our babies to need us and to not grow up so quickly. Just don't ever teach her to tie her shoes!! Then she will need you forever!

Do you feed her until she falls asleep and then put her in the bed? (naps and at night) If so, she is in the habit of needing you to get to sleep. When she wakes up during the night she needs to know how to get back to sleep on her own without you. Put her down awake so she will learn it is bedtime. Do you give her some time on her own or do you go to her right a way? Listening to her cry would be hard, but she will survive. You can do it slowly, not cold turkey. If you do eventually go in to sooth her try not to pick her up or talk to her and make it quick. When I would have to go in a check on mine, I would go through the bedtime routine of rubbing them very softly and then whispering, "night-night time" and then leave the room.

Is she still in your room? I know it is hard to cut that string but she would probably benefit from her own routine and her own space. Right now she knows you are right there, only a cry away.

Listen, I am in the same boat. I have to cut some strings of my own. I will dropping another baby off at college in five short weeks. That's when a whole new sort of sleeping problems will begin. I will be the one crying myself to sleep. HA!; 7/09/2009 4:53 PM
Debbie said...: I know how easy it is to get scared when you see something that is not suppose to be there, thankfully it was nothing. Between my three girls, they were all different. My first was sleeping all night at 2 weeks, my second, it was 9 months, my third, was 2 months. They are all different. When she does, you will wake up and immediately go check on her because she did not wake you up, perfectly natural...lol....so in saying that, it will happen when she wants to. Not a very good answer, I know, sorry.

And on the stools, I love them. Can't wait to see the change. Debbie; 7/09/2009 5:29 PM
Dawn said...: I don't have any children yet myself but I have a lot of friends who do!

I know my friend's first daughter was really restless and never really slept through the night--she still doesn't and she's 3.5 years old!

Her youngest who is around Harper's age now (She was born Jan 26) sleeps now from around 10:30 until 6:00am and sleeps peacefully through the day without a fuss. She is a premie too.

So from this what I gather is that each child is unique and there is really no general rule. You may just have a bundle of energy, a restless baby Harper. That may translate into a restless toddler later on. Good luck!

and the Barstool is excellent though I would be worried about the white cushion. Perhaps a chocolate brown cushion cover could be made (washable) and would satisfy your love of all things brown!; 7/09/2009 5:50 PM
Heidi said...: My little Ansley slept through the night at 6 weeks on! She was exclusively bf and I put her on a strick schedule, only allowing to nurse evey three hours. She would eat at 8 PM and then I would put her down and since I am a night owl I would wake her around 11-12 and feed her and then she would sleep until 5-7! I read baby wise and yes at about 4 months I had to do the turn off the monitor and shut the door and go downstairs and cry it out thing but b/c of that I have a better baby. Ansley is now 16 months and when she is ready for bed she will tell you by going to her room and pointing at her bed and saying night night!

She sat up at 4 months; 7/09/2009 5:55 PM
Aimee said...: Oh, the worries that go along with motherhood are sometimes overwhelming. I have one son who is three years. It took over five years for him to come into our lives and I guess I am a little uh......neurotic!!! Hahaha. I see other mothers who are so calm and I wish sometimes I could be like that. But, he is my one and only and from the moment he was born, I realized what a precious gift I had been given and that I was going to treasure him greatly. So, I guess that means being a little neurotic to keep him protected. I have walked out of our pediatrician's office many times teary eyed and my husband will say "but that was a good visit" and I just cannot help myself. I love him so darn much. So, don't feel badly about crying. As a lovely nurse said to me in the hospital after my son was born "I'd be more concerned about a mother who didn't worry than a mother who worried too much". I had been expressing to her how the instant your child is born it is amazing how much worry comes into your life. But, I see that as they get older, they get stronger and the 104.7 degree temperature doesn't worry you as much as it did when they were very little.

Your daughter is beautiful and I have so enjoyed reading your blog. I have only begun reading blogs. I read your blog as well as the "Like Merchant Ships" blog. I love your prayer section and have prayed for the two little girls you most recently requested prayers. I am so happy to hear that little Vivian is going to be fine. I have made sure to have my son wear his helmut and I passed along the story to my neighbor who also made sure her son had his helmut on. A very good lesson learned.

Well, keep on enjoying all the beautiful moments with Harper. THey only get BETTER!!!!

Sincerely, Aimee from NYC; 7/09/2009 7:11 PM
{Bellamere Cottage} said...: Nothing is scarier than baby worries....it would be so much easier if they could tell us what's up..

1. 3 years old.....she got up in the middle of the night every single, solitary night until then.

2. I wish I could remember....she's 38 now and my memory's pretty foggy.

3. I like it....

Blessings,
Spencer; 7/09/2009 7:16 PM
Stacy said...: Both of mine started sleeping through the night at around 8 weeks, we decided early on they were going to be good sleepers and they are!; 7/09/2009 7:54 PM
Brandy said...: So glad to hear Harper's mouth is ok. That would freak me out as well!
1. Our son has always been a great sleeper. When he was first born, while we were still in the hospital, he would sleep 3-4 hours at a time. He started sleeping through the night at 2-3 months. It was great and I promise, it will happen soon!

2. Our son just turned 10 months and he started sitting up at 9 months. We thought he would never sit up, but he finally did and we were so excited for him.

3. Love the barstools. I'm sure they will look great in your new room.; 7/09/2009 8:34 PM
Unknown said...: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE BARSTOOL -- WHERE ARE THEY FROM? THEY LOOK LIKE POTTERY BARN!!!

MY FIRSTBORN - ELIJAH - SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT (12 HOURS) AT 8 WEEKS!

MY YOUNGEST - JOHN DANIEL - SLEPT 12 HOURS A NIGHT AT 11 WEEKS!

ELIJAH IS ALMOST 4 AND STILL SLEEPS 12 HOURS NIGHT AND TAKES A 1.5 - 2 HR NAP EACH DAY
JOHN DANIEL - 12 HOURS A NIGHT -- 2 - 2HOUR NAPS EACH DAY

I FOLLOWED THE BABYWISE SCHEDULE -- I LET MY BOYS CRY THEMSELVES TO SLEEP (ONLY IF I KNEW THEY WERE DRY, FULL, ETC) -- NEITHER ONE CRIED MORE THAN 45 MIN AND THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST NIGHT -- IT ONLY TOOK 3 TIMES EACH WITH BOTH BOYS!!
{YES, ITS HARD TO HEAR THEM CRY -- BUT, SLEEPING IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR)

I BREASTFED BOTH MY BOYS!
(I DON'T AGREE W/EVERYTHING ABOUT BABYWISE -- BUT, THERE TIPS & SCHEDULES SAVED MY LIFE B/C I NEED NEED NEED MY SLEEP!!!; 7/09/2009 9:59 PM
Jenny said...: How scary that her mouth was bleeding! I'm glad she's ok.

1. My daughter slept 8 hours straight at 8 weeks. She was never much of a napper though. She has always been a good night sleeper. (Thank goodness, because the days are so long when your kid doesn't nap!)

2. About 7 months.

3. I like the chair!

I'm so happy to hear that little Vivian is ok.; 7/09/2009 11:05 PM
Nancy Bane said...: Not that you really need another comment, but...both my boys starting sleeping through the night (10 hours straight) at 8 weeks old. It's when I went back to work, and for their last bottle of the night I would mix breast milk with rice cereal to keep their tummies full thru the night. Worked great.

I can't remember when my first son starting to sit on his own, but my second son is 9 months and he still cannot sit up yet.

And the bar stools are super cute. :); 7/09/2009 11:28 PM
Karen said...: my daughter just turned 6 months old this week. She started sitting up unassisted during her 6 month photos in the front yard. Overnight it just happened.; 7/10/2009 1:44 PM
peter marie said...: I'm a first time commenter. Your blog is so great! I started reading your blog when you first had Harper and it caught my attention because I was about to have a girl and name her Harper too and I hadn't heard that name before. I love it! :) Mine is Harper Bloom (my maiden name)

Anyways. Sleep. My son, Henry, was 6 months before he slept through the night. He actually did pretty well when he first came home from the hospital, but gradually woke up more and more, so we eventually had to make him cry. It just took a couple of nights and when he finally slept through the night he started taking longer naps too. It all clicked at once!
My Harper is such a better sleeper. She is 3 1/2 months and sleeps through the night a few times a week, but will get up once or twice every now and then too. She loves sleeping on her tummy. So did Henry.

Sitting. Around 6-6/12 months.

Love the stools. Your house is gorgeous!!; 7/10/2009 2:09 PM
Laura said...: 1) We sleep trained our first son using the Weissbluth method at 8 months old. We both work full time and the exhaustion was too much for us. In retrospect, having since read the research on the damage this does to a child's psyche, I wish we had not done this. Even if you sleep train at this stage, there is always going to be another tooth, or an ear infection etc that upsets their sleep again. Around 18 months, my son was a good sleeper save for teething or ear infections - he got his last molar at 2.5 years old and was getting up about 5 times in the night with it - it was like having a newborn again.

With our second son, who is currently 13 months old, we have not sleep trained at all. He will sleep through the night very occasionally - right now he is in a patter of sleeping till around 3am to nurse and then is down till around 5 or 6am, quick nurse and asleep till around 7am. I can take that - I know that teeth will upset this and eventually he will sleep longer and through the night more often as he gets older.

2) First first son sat up around about 5 months old. Taran was almost 7 months old before he sat up on his own.

3) Really like the chair - think it will go with your house very nicely!; 7/10/2009 2:44 PM
Ashley Wilkerson said...: Oh Kelly,
How I sympathize with you about sleeping through the night. My 2 1/2 year old didn't start sleeping through the night until he was 5 1/2 months old. He was up every 2-3 hours too, and it really wore me down. I finally decided that he had to sleep, so I made him cry it out. The first night it took about 30 minutes, the 2nd 20 minutes, and the 3rd 10 minutes. He's the best sleeper ever now. I'm due with a girl in a couple of weeks, and she is going to have no choice but to sleep, b/c I cannot go through that again! Good Luck.; 7/10/2009 4:31 PM
Jeanice said...: Love the barstools, where did you find them?????; 7/10/2009 7:16 PM
Sugar and Spice said...: Well our girls are exactly the same age! Emma was born on Jan. 16 also. She has been sleeping through the night since she was about 2 months old, but I don't think that is normal. Recently, she has started waking up at night. She just started teething so I'm guessing that is what's to blame. She is still not sitting up, but is wanting to....REALLY bad! Love the stools. Very neutral and I think they would look great in any room!; 7/10/2009 9:13 PM
Molly W. said...: My daughter was 2 months early so that matters a bit but anyhow, she started sleeping thru the night at 4 months. And if my memory serves me she was sitting up around 8 months.; 7/11/2009 1:14 AM
Mommy Attorney said...: 1. My daughter slept through the night at 7 months. She was eating 3 meals of solid food and 5 bottles (I weaned her around 5 months). You will get to sleep again. I say increase her food during the day if you can, and try to soothe her back to sleep without feeding her (or have DH do it since she will want to nurse if it's you). I've read a LOT of really bad things about Babywise. I know a lot of folks are recommending it, but at the end of the day, follow your own instinct. You aren't spoiling her. She will learn to sleep.

2. 6 months.

3. Love them!; 7/11/2009 3:15 PM
mn said...: My daughter slept through the night at about 14 weeks. For me, I found formula at the last feeding was helpful (I'd have done almost anything for some night-time rest). And I have to agree with the reader who commented that putting her in her own room could be helfpul- I know it was for us!

She sat up at about 6 1/2 months on her own. She didn't care for the bumbo chair, and so I figured she'd just sit up when she was ready, and she did.; 7/13/2009 5:40 PM
Monica said...: a little late but wanted to put in my 2 cents ;)

1. Our daughter really started sleeping through the night at about 13 months old but she still has her nights that are rough. Hang in there

2. She started sitting at about 6 months but just for seconds, really sitting at about 7.

3. cute chair

(on the bleeding, at about 13 months old, our daugthers mouth started bleeding, not sure why but it happens. Maybe one of her teeth cut her mouth, that happened just the other day to our little girl)

Good luck!!; 7/13/2009 9:54 PM

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