Sleep schedules

We’ve been pretty lucky in not having many issues with sleep, besides difficulty with daytime naps until River started to walk. But every so often, River's schedule changes a bit and we wonder, Is this normal?

For a long time now, he’s been going to bed at 8/8:30 and getting up between 7:30 and 8. But recently, he’s been happily chatting to himself in bed for up to two hours after we put him down. And sometimes he’s getting up as early as 6:30.

Several friends who have experienced sleep problems with their children recommended the SleepyPlanet website for guidance and assistance. In the process of passing on those suggestions to a sleep-deprived friend and parent of a 4-month old, I found this sleep schedule on their site. It's pretty much in line with what we’ve experienced, especially at night, and I think the sleep has been a big factor in his generally cheerful, easy-going disposition.

It’s interesting to see that going forward, we should prepare ourselves for earlier wakeups (in the 6:30-7 range). And that perhaps we should make more of an effort to have him in bed by 8 (it’s often 8:30, especially when he has napped 3 hours until 6 p.m.).

I was also glad to see the recommendation that children not be moved from a crib to a bed before age 3, unless they are climbing out of the crib. My instinct was to keep him in the crib as long as possible. For me, the main reason to move him will be when he is capable of pulling down his pants and going potty on his own. At that point, I wouldn’t want to prevent him being able to go. But until then, I think the crib provides safety, security and comfort, and minimizes distractions and entertainment that could detract from sleep.

Little trooper

Yesterday I had the bright idea of taking River on a hike with me. I recently bought a book of local hikes and selected one that was 1.2 miles through the woods. The description said it was appropriate for all ages, but it also said that jogging strollers can’t pass, due to tree roots and a stream crossing.

I waited until later in the evening, until the temperature got down to 95 or so. Upon arrival, I saw that the path was closed due to construction. There was a detour sign, which we followed and we soon found ourselves in the woods.

River is very cautious physically (he didn’t take his first unassisted step up or down stairs until 2.5), so I thought the experience of walking up and down hills, over roots and fallen trees, etc. was good practice for him. Within a matter of minutes I noticed increased confidence. He was also taken by all the details of nature – the leaves, nuts, fallen fruits, insects and trees. It started out great.

As we continued on and followed the arrows, I realized I had no idea how long this “detour” was. He is only 2. I had no stroller or carrier. I’m four months pregnant. And night was approaching. So while I tried to remain calm for his sake, walking quietly behind him and responding calmly to his inquiries, my heart was pounding with worry about what I’d do if we ran into a psycho in the empty woods, how far his little legs could do, how far I could carry him, and what we would do if darkness fell.

Eventually, the path came to a road that I recognized and I knew we’d be able to get out. According to my pedometer, we walked a total of over 1.5 miles (it would have been a bit longer, but towards the end, we jumped a few barriers). This included a substantial hill at the end. While his pace slowed a bit, my little trooper did not complain once. He didn’t ask me to carry him, he didn’t ask me to stop, he didn’t ask me how much further we had to go. He started to sweat first at the nape of his neck. By the end of the walk, his hair was soaked, making his thick mane look like a thin, wet comb-over. He had sweat dripping down his face. But his little legs kept on moving. He continued to smile and to point out sights of interest.

Mark calls my hikes “death marches.” I counter that they are “health marches” since long walks can only do good things for your health. I think Mark would have been complaining on this one. I was so proud of my little toddler for covering such a distance in the woods without complaint. I may just have a future (and current) hiking buddy.

Infant self-stimulation update

According to Google Analytics, by far the most popular search term that brings people to my blog is infant and/or toddler self-stimulation. I’m going to hope these are other parents wondering if what they are seeing in their children is normal and not perverts. So for anyone that comes to the blog based on the post I wrote about that subject way back when, I thought I’d provide an update.

While we occasionally see a little self-comfort stimulation, it’s really not an issue anymore. We did nothing and it eventually went away. Not worrying about it seemed to be the right thing to do.

Blueberry picking

Today was a first for both me and River – we both had our first experience blueberry picking. I enjoyed seeing where blueberries come from, seeing the difference between the green berries, the pink and the blue. I enjoyed learning how to pick more efficiently, and of course, snacking a little in the process.

River liked eating them, and that’s about it. I thought he might put some in the bucket once his stomach was full. No. When I put some in his bucket to show him how it’s done, he promptly removed them and put them in his mouth. When he finally did become full, he sat down on the ground and waited for me.

Until, of course, he heard the tractor coming by. Then it was, “c’mon mama.”
The only thing that troubled me was the clearly visible residue of pesticides on the berries. Unlike apples I purchase there, that I can wipe off on my shirt, I had no way of cleaning off the berries before he ate them.

I have no idea if it had anything to do with the berries, but he did develop a runny nose and frequent sneeze while at the farm. By the time he woke up from his nap, his eyes were puffy. He was clearly having a reaction to something in a way he hadn’t before. There were all kinds of grasses, weeds, plants, flowers and animals there, so it could be anything. But I do feel better about my child snacking on things that are not covered in white residue. I found an organic berry farm a bit further away. When I called, I learned they were already out of blueberries this year. But perhaps next year we’ll go there instead.

An unexpected invitation to a party

We went to visit a friend with a 5-week old baby today and took a walk to a small park by her house. Though it was only 9:30 a.m. and threatening rain, there were several children there playing already.

When we arrived, a woman approached River and asked if he’d like a birthday hat.
“He’s not a member of your party,” Mark said.

“That’s OK,” she said. “We don’t want him to feel left out.”

So he played on his own while wearing a colorful cone hat. When the rain seemed imminent, we decided to leave. The party-goers also left, to a table set up under the awning of an old train station, where they had cupcakes and train-shaped cakes. Mark tried to lead River off the main sidewalk so that we wouldn’t pass so close to the cake, so that it wouldn’t be such a temptation.

But the same lady who offered him the hat approached again. “Would you like to join us for cake and cupcakes and to sing happy birthday?” she asked.

So River stood in the group of strangers and sang happy birthday to a child he didn’t know. I don’t think it mattered to him that he didn’t know anyone. For him, the birthday song and birthday cake is probably one of the most anticipation-filled moments in his life. Then he walked away with a train-shaped cake, chocolate licorice, Kit-Kats and a goody bag.

I was very surprised, though pleasantly so, at how these strangers welcomed him into the celebration. I suppose we won’t need to worry about birthday party in park protocol. With two December birthdays, it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever have a party outdoors. But for those who celebrate in summer, what do you do when you celebrate in a public space? Is it common to welcome children who happen to be nearby? Or was this lady exceptionally nice?

Big Boy

Everyone is saying it – myself, my husband, caregivers, family. “River, you are so big now.”

“No, soy pequeno, por favor,” is his typical answer.

He is only a pound more than he has been for the past year or so, but he must be taller, because he looks large, slender, and mature. People have been commenting that he looks older and more mature than a 2.5-year-old.

He’s had a bit of a temperature for the past two days and hasn’t been eating much. Today I noticed that his legs are truly slender. The rolls of fat are long gone, and the little chubbiness also seems to be disappearing. He’s turning into a boy, on his way to becoming a man.

When I tell him that, he says no - he’s a nino, he’s pequeno, and thank you very much.

Maybe I should listen to him and treasure his smallness while I can. Because I can tell it’s not going to last long. He’s already looking like a big brother.