Cheese Wafers for Eddie!

It's great to be able to make things for your child/ren instead of buying store bought snacks.

It is convenient to buy snacks, but once in a while, if you prepare, you can have some alternative healthy snacks available too :)

Eddie likes Peppridge Farms Goldfish snacks:
They certainly are convenient, but they are not good to have on a daily basis. They are full of hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and sodium-to name a few bad ingredients.

What's so bad about hydrogenated oils?

"Hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fats. In short, trans fats are poisons, just like arsenic or cyanide. They interfere with the metabolic processes of life by taking the place of a natural substance that performs a critical function. And that is the definition of a poison. Your body has no defense against them, because they never even existed in our two billion years of evolution -- so we've never had the need or the opportunity to evolve a defense against them." 




Yeah, yeah! I know, let's not get too crazy about their diet. And you know what? I really don't get crazy about it. I understand that moderation is key.

But when you find something easy, simple and just as tasty, you've got to do it right?

I found a cool website online for recipes for healthy food for toddlers. I am so addicted to reading this site's recipes and watching their videos.

Today, I followed a recipe for "Cheese Wafers." They are made with real cheese, a bit of real butter and whole wheat flour. That's it.

Eddie ate about 5 of them. I had a taste and liked them. To me, they reminded me of the fish crackers, but without as much salt. I had dad taste them and he did not like them. But dad is a finicky eater.

Here is the video in case you are interested in the same recipe.




Thanks for checking on us!

Eddie is a blessing

I mean this with all of my heart. I love our son so much. He is just a pleasure to have him around.

I love watching him walk around and play. I love his serious face and concentrating moments, as he tries to put 2 toy pieces together. I love the way he stops to look at things at an angle. I love how he repeats sounds.
I love his curiosity. I love his random kisses. I love how he doesn't accept no for an answer and pushes obstacles out of the way. I love how he looks at me with sleepy eyes when he just wakes up. I love that his lips are always in a pouty "kissy" expression, just like his papa's lips.

I love that he walks around saying Mama. I love that he loves to play with his toys. I love that he does the "Happy Dance" when dad comes home or gets out of bed on weekends. I love that when he is sleepy; he comes up to me and asks me to hold him. I love that he knows he can use me as a table, as a rocking horse, as a napkin, as a bed, a latter, a tower from which to drop toys from, as a toy, as leverage to get up or down and many more uses. I love how he tries to make me laugh and then laughs with me.

I love it when he pretends to cry and close his eyes tight, and then opens them to check on my response. I love his complete and pure innocence. I love how he smiles at me with his baby teeth. I love how when he gets frustrated, his hands come in to describe the level of it.

I love that he is not afraid to walk alone in strange places and around strange people, but sometimes he still needs me to just carry him. I love his little tiny person body and how he is totally oblivious to how cute he looks as he runs and giggles. I love that he notices the out of the ordinary. I love that sometimes he can make a game out of non-toy objects.


I can go on and on.

I love our little Eddie. He is just so amazing, funny, loving, and active and I miss him when he is away from us.

Eddie is 15 months

Eddie is 15 months old today. I made an observation that in the past few days, there have been changes in him that are obvious to what is to come: He is becoming a two year old.

What I mean is, he is talking more (in his own language of course). Today, he made a funny face, and when I laughed, he did it again and again to make me laugh.
He completely understands words, even though he doesn't say much. I saw him listening to a song the other day. The song said "jumpy jump" it had no video to demonstrate what it was about, but Eddie was jumping while listening to it.

Eddie loves to run and he is getting better at it. He wants to climb on things and jump off high places. Of course, he can't yet, but he sure does try.

He likes to imitate sounds a lot more than usual. Like the other day, Dad said Hi! to him and then Eddie said HI!
I know this sounds typical for a toddler, but if you know Eddie, you know he doesn't talk much. He is very quiet and only gestures what he does or doesn't want.

Recently, he has been getting into things he shouldn't. When he is about to start his mischief, he turns around and looks at us with a little smirk, right before he is about to do it. We say "no" and he hovers his hands over the item he is not supposed to touch. It's a funny game. Dad and I try hard to hold back our laughter, but we do our best to discipline him.

His favorite little person continues to be his cousin, Penny. Why just the other day, we went to visit her and he was yelling at her mommy to put her down, as she was carrying her. They just stare at each other and smile or they touch each other's face :)

We recently bought a bathroom weight scale. The other day, I was getting Eddie ready for a bath and he jumped on the scale on his own :) That's how I know he weighs a little over 23 lbs. I also measured him and he is 32 1/4 inches tall. He has grown and inch and a half since last month. The month before that, he grew one inch. I noticed he pretty much has one molar on each side of his mouth.

I didn't have enough time to take his monthly picture because when we got home from work, he fell asleep in the car and has been asleep then. I usually like to take his picture by the growth chart we bought for him for Christmas. 

12 months

13 months

14 months

15 months

Our little guy is growing up way too fast. We'd better enjoy him as much as possible!

Why is it important to begin a schedule for toddlers?

There are TONS of articles about this topic. I have been reading and researching a lot to benefit Eddie.


Why is it important to begin a schedule for toddlers?

There are endless reasons why it is critical to begin a routine. Keep in mind, that when your infant turns 6 months old they should be already be on a routine. When they enter the toddler phase they will need to be "rescheduled". Your current schedule may need to be restructured. It will help out immensely if they were already on a set schedule as a baby.

My son was never on a schedule as an infant and it was rough. My next child, I will not make the same mistake twice. I realized how important it was for him, and his little body needed the consistency. You are doing your child an injustice by not putting them on a set schedule.

Why it is important to begin a schedule for toddlers:
Eliminates Tantrums.
Believe it or not yes. The number one cause for toddler tantrums is tiredness. Now a schedule does not solve all tantrums. You do want your child to be fully rested. As adults we can be grumpy when we are sleepy so can you imagine your little child? They feel the same way.

Helps Development.
Kids need a variety of elements throughout their day. Different activities, healthy snacks and meals. By creating a schedule for toddlers you are planning out their day. This is critical to their development.

Schedules Form Structure and Balance.
By being put on a schedule children learn structure and balance. Through quiet times and bedtime routines they will learn self control. A routine is the foundation to this crucial element.

Better Health.
Your toddler will be healthier. Eating, sleeping and exercise are key factors to successful healthy children. By being on a routine they will be getting the proper amount of each, which will be promoting good health.

Makes Better Parents
A schedule will help you as well parents. It gives you the "wind down" time to look forward to. We need this as well to be the best parents we can be. I am a big advocate for this. Especially if you are a Stay At Home Mom, Work From Home Mom and have multiple children at home. This helps your day as well.


A Schedule For Toddlers Is Important
Toddlers need a routine. A schedule for toddlers is necessary for them to stay rested, and reduce temper tantrums. A set routine will allow your child to cooperate with you because they will know what to expect next. Setting a schedule may not be as difficult as you think.

How to begin setting a schedule:

1.Watch your child, and build the schedule around them. Every toddler is different and will require different needs. For example, if you notice he's hungry each morning at 8 a.m., each afternoon at 12:30 p.m. and each evening at 6 p.m., feed her at these times every day. Be consistent with these times.

2.Establish a "settle down" routine for before naps and begin the routine at the same time each day. For example, if he has a nap each afternoon at 1 p.m., read him a story, give a snack beginning at 12:30 p.m. Have a similar bathing routine as well before bedtime at night.

3.Plan activities each day. Toddlers can grow bored easily. Allow them to get exercise and to explore. This also will do wonders to enhance their development.

4.Set aside at least a half an hour each day at the same time for "quiet time", such as reading or putting together a puzzle. It is important that your child learns the discipline to be still and quiet. There is a time for each.

5.Fit some time for yourself into your toddler's schedule. If you are a stay-at-home parent and need to get some work done around the house each day, enlist your toddler's help with sorting clothes or sweeping. These activities are fun for toddlers.

6.Create a night-time routine that is similar to the pre-nap routine and stick with it. Toddlers who have a consistent before-bed routine fall asleep easier and sleep longer than toddlers who don't. Start the routine after dinner time and begin the whole process of settle down time.


If your child is not on a schedule yet then it is not too late to begin. Children need the discipline and balance in their lives. You are giving them a great gift by using a schedule for toddlers. I wish you well and your child will thank you for this later in life. The benefits will be amazing!

Results-After a routine day (before)

Eddie woke up 2 times last night, 4-5 hours apart (as opposed to every hour.)

I slept better last night and I think dad did too.

I am going to continue experimenting with this routine today and this weekend. I hope this is what will cause a change in all of our lives; to sleep through the night, if not, I will settle for most of the night (as opposed to waking up every hour for 15-20 minutes.)

This change is very important to Eddie's, Gerardo's and my health. We need sleep to recover, to perform better at work, to have a healthy heart and good health overall, to keep a friendly, loving relationship between dad and I-What I mean is, I don't want to feel too tired to even HUG Gerardo. I find myself feeling sleepy as I drive. I find myself zoning out and not really understanding what I see or hear. I am forgetful and clumsy all day. I am looking for a solution and I think I may have found it!

Here are a few improvements I noticed:

1) Eddie didn't wake up upset.

2) He fell asleep faster, when it was bed time and he didn't nurse. He slept better all night and in his crib from 8:30 pm to about 4 am.

3) Was more cooperative with the schedule, such as time to eat. Usually, he cries when I put him in the high chair, because he prefers to nurse. But I told him it was time to eat and he just sat there waiting for his food.

4) He predicted what was next! When it was time for bath, I sang the bath time song. He went to the bathroom, even before I did. I was in his room getting his stuff ready. He went and turned on the mini heater for me-Something I do every time it's bath time :)

5) When I dropped him off at grandma's, he was not anxious to see me go. He seemed happy to be there and to see grandma. That is such a relief for me. I love to go to work, knowing he is happy :) I left to work and I did not hear him cry.


I feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest. I hope this is the answer. I hope this is the key. I am holding on to it. :)

Thanks for all of your advice. I have been taking bits and pieces and applying them.

Thanks for checking on us.

Eddie sleeping night 12

Today was a better day. I picked him up at 12:30 and left for home right away. While in the car, on the way home, I turned on AOL radio lullabies on the iPhone. I turned the volume down low and proceeded to drive slowly.

Here's some sample music:

He fell asleep in the car at about 12:37 (about 30 minutes over his regular nap time) 

When we got home, I put him in his crib and he slept until 2:30 pm-his regular middle of the day 2 hour nap! YAY!

I was in the living room when he woke up. I was watching a video about recipes for toddlers when suddenly, I hear from his room a little music playing. I walk over and there is Eddie standing up in his crib smiling at me. He had turned on his musical toy in his crib to let me know he woke up. HOORAY! He didn't wake up grumpy. He didn't cry. So far, so good. 

When he was up, he wanted to nurse. Then, I took him over to his high chair and prepared a little snack-a recipe I was inspired to create by the video I had just watched. What I did is I took brown rice, tomatoes tiny- diced, baby spinach leaves, and mozzarella cheese. I cooked the tomatoes and spinach for a few minutes, then added the pre cooked brown rice, then brought them all out into a bowl to mix them and topped them with grated mozzarella cheese. Mixed everything up until it was of a spreadable consistency and spread it on a whole wheat flour tortilla. Wrapped up the tortilla and then cut it up into little pieces. He almost ate the entire thing!

(I started this blog in the afternoon, but finished it at night.)

We followed the schedule  for the rest of the night. It went very well, snack time, dinner time, play time, bath time etc. Dad and Eddie watched a Thomas the Tank music show before bed.

Right after this show, at 8 pm, Eddie wanted to go to sleep. So, we started singing the good night Eddie song. He knew it was bed time. I took him to the crib. 

Long story short; he cried but he fell asleep in 30 minutes. 

This schedule is pretty awesome and Eddie is catching on quickly. He was in a pretty happy mood all day too. I have noticed a huge difference. Like some of you said, it is "boring" to do a routine, because you can't do new things or fun social things for YOURSELF. But it's a sacrifice I am willing to make for all of our happiness. 

As a matter of fact, I have a cousin who asked to come over this weekend. She said she wanted to come at 2 pm. I asked her if she could make it at noon, because that was Eddie's nap time and he would not be fighting her for my attention. 

You see? I am learning to respect his schedule :) 

I promise to reduce the change of schedule and keep consistency in his life. 

Thanks for checking on us. 

Eddie sleeping night 11

Yesterday, Eddie skipped his noon nap again. I picked him at noon and we went home. I thought he was going to fall asleep in the car and then when we got home, I would carry him inside and he would continue his nap. But no, he was wide awake in the car. When we got home, he wanted to play.

This was the original planned schedule:

12:00 Naptime preparation (Eddie gets a fresh diaper, Eddie gathers his naptime blanket and settles down for nap with help from me as needed)
1:30-2 pm Wake up time
Check fresh diaper
2 pm Snack time
2:15 – 4:50 Free play
4:50 Clean up
5:00 – 5:30 Dinner time
6-7 pm bath time.
7 -8 pm free play time
8 pm bed time (story, singing etc)

The day ACTUALLY went like this:
1 pm arrived home. I wrapped him in a blanket and tried to rock him to sleep. He refused. He wanted out, but he wanted me to carry him and NOT LET GO.

At about 1:30-1:45 pm, I was finally able to let go and get some lunch for me.

He played until 4 pm, then he fell asleep. (4 hours later than his original nap time)

5 pm he woke up and I gave him a snack. (A snack after a nap, as per the original plan)

6 pm, he wanted dinner. (1 hour later than originally planned)

6:30 pm, bath time (we caught up!)

8 pm I took him to his crib and started the routine. (Right on time)

Did it work? No. It went really bad this time. He immediately began to cry, and was not sleepy at all. Well, why should he be? He had only been awake 3 hours. He is used to being awake for at least 6-7 hours before he gets sleepy again :(

Long story short, he played until 10 pm, when I went to bed AND he had a hard time falling asleep. It took him about an hour and a half. He was restless and moving around a lot! Also, he woke up every hour all night, was extremely restless, moving aroud, kicking and crying angrily.

(By the way, when I say "moving around", I mean literally turning from one end of the bed to the other, moving from my left side and climbing over me to my right, trying to climb over my head, trying to get up and WALK off of the bed! I have to be at least 50% alert or else some serious danger can happen)

At 3:30 am, I got out of bed and put him in his crib after he fell asleep. I don't know when he woke up, but at 6 am, he woke me up and he was back in bed with us.

One thing that I am noticing is that when he skips his noon nap, his whole sleep schedule messes up and he doesn't sleep well all night.

I am going to expiriment with this theory today. I will let him take his noon nap before leaving with him and see if this helps.

Thanks for checking on us. 

Any advice is always accepted and taken into consideration.

Eddie's Nino/Godfather

Eddie's Godfather is our nephew, Adrian;who is one of the best young adults we know. He may also be the youngest Nino's we know.

The other day, Eddie went on some trips with grandma, including a visit to his Nino's house.
Adrian takes good care of Eddie-He walks next to him to ensure his safety, plays with him and just watches him play.

Here they are playing with a cup, Eddie's all time favorite "toy", and then playing chase in the drive way :)

These are mobile phone photos.

I can't wait until Eddie is old enough to understand that this is his Nino :)

Thanks for checking on us!

Uncle Isai came to visit

Isai is my brother. He came to live with us, a few years after my mom passed away. He lived with us for I think about 2 years? After that, he moved out.

He recently, started wanting to come back to see us. He also wanted to come and spend time with Eddie.

Here they are, taking a walk in our neighborhood and visiting Zero. Isai just kind of stood back and let Eddie do his thing. He tried to grab Eddie's hand, but Eddie highly values his independence :)

(Eddie had on one of those pocket bibs, because I filled the pocket with his snacks. So, he was walking around munching :)

Thanks for checking on us :)

Eddie sleeping night 10

Again, Eddie skipped his 12 pm nap, it was pushed to 4 pm. This threw off his sleeping schedule at home and he didn't fall asleep until about 9:30 pm.

I did however, stick to the routine of getting his dinner at 5 pm, when we came home, he had free play, just as I had scheduled. At 8 pm, I took him to his crib, again as part of his schedule. (No bath as he took one at grandma's earlier in the day.)

It was the same routine, except that I walked away a few times, leaving him alone in the room. He was ok, but suddenly he started to cry emotionally. I went to get him and then literally 2 minutes later, he fell asleep in my arms. I took him to his crib, put him down, walked away. As soon as I closed the door a bit, he woke up crying as if I was leaving forever. He has never cried so emotionally at bed time. I went to pick him up and he was breathing with emotion in his chest. I hugged him and kissed him. He started to fall asleep. I put him in his crib. He stayed there this time and fell asleep completely.

Tomorrow, I get out early, I can't wait to start a routine with him. Let's hope this helps.

Good night. Thank you for checking on us.

Eddie sleeping night 9

Eddie skipped his 12 pm nap yesterday. He didn't nap until about 4 pm, so his schedule was thrown off.

I gave him a bath and got him ready for bed at about 8 pm.
He had a very difficult time going to bed last night. He didn't get sleepy until about 10 pm.

I was very sleepy and tired and wanted to go to bed, but I had so much to do to prepare for the next day. So, I had to wait for him to get sleepy before I could step away to do my work.

Needless to say, we didn't do very well last night.

When Eddie started showing signs of sleepines, I carried him to his crib. He was crying in his crib pretty bad. Then, when he was almost asleep at about 10:30 pm, he wanted out of the crib to walk.

:(

So, I let him out and went to sit in the living room. I was too tired to do anything else.

He came to me and asked to be nursed on the sofa. He was crying. So, I nursed him. I really didn't want to be awake anymore. He fell asleep in about 10 minutes and I took him to the crib. Then, I got my stuff ready for the next day and went to bed.

He was very restless last night and pretty much woke up every HOUR until 6 am.

I have been reading about this issue that Eddie is having and the problem is that Eddie's schedule is very unstable. It's not the same every day. He has very little predictability, consistency and routine.
Here's what I keep reading online:
"Toddlers need routines in their lives to help them feel secure and understand what to expect next. Establishing simple routines can help your toddler to create order."

I am going to start adding routines to his day. I thought, previously, that doing the same things every day would cause him to be stuck in a rut. But actually, it's better for him to have one because he will feel confident in knowing what to expect. I think if I add a routine from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, perhaps this will help Eddie sleep better. I received a lot of advice from mother's who's children sleept well through the night, but I realized those mothers offered something I don't offer Eddie:  a routine-predictability all day. Usually, stay at home mom's can offer this.
I am so sorry for not having one in place for Eddie before.

Here is a sample routine I am going to follow when I have Eddie with me:


Wake up, change diaper and clothes
Morning free play with toys

8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast

9:25 – 9:30 Clean up time
I will encourage Eddie to help in the clean up of materials from morning free play.

9:30 Learning time
I will sit Eddie down and have him listen to stories, sing songs, or participate in finger plays,
and other motor activities. I am also going to aim for recycling some songs, and stories to promote memorization.

9:45 – 10:10 Fresh diaper time

10:00 Free play
A variety of activities and materials to promote fine and gross motor skills,
creativity, and social skills. This may include going to a park, playing outside, or taking a walk in the neighoborhood.

11:30 Lunch
Another structured time of day. Wash his hands and change his diaper if needed, then
have Eddie sit in his high chair next to mom  for a family style meal.

11:45 am Free play outside
12:00 Naptime preparation (Eddie gets a fresh diaper, Eddie gathers his naptime blanket and settles down for nap with help from me as needed)

1:30-2 pm  Wake up time
Check fresh diaper

2 pm Snack time

2:15 – 4:50 Free play

4:50 Clean up

5:00 – 5:30 Dinner time

6-7 pm bath time.

7 -8 pm free play time

8 pm bed time (story, singing etc)

Trouble is, I can't do this every day. Only certain days. But I will stick to it as much as I can.

Thanks for checking on us.

Eddie sleeping Night 8

We started a little late because we went out tonight. It was already close to 9 pm and Eddie was still playing around. Shortly after I wrote the previous blog, Eddie was playing with a ball, ran and fell down. He landed wrong and bumped his head. He actually has a bump on his forehead now. We picked him up and started comforting him. He was ready to play again. We let him play for a couple of minutes until he got over his fall. Then it was time for bed.

Dad and I both started singing the song that I sing to Eddie when it's time for bed: It's sung to the song "It's time to say goodnight"-I think? I don't even remember where I heard that song. It goes: Good night, Eddie. Good night, Eddie. Good night, Eddie. It's time to say goodnight.

He smiled at us like wow, you both know that song!

Dad picked him up and put him in his crib.  About 10 minutes later, I could hear that Eddie was still playing. So, I went over there and offered to take over. From 9:40 until about 10 pm, it was a struggle. At the end, Eddie was sobbing with frustration, tears and a red face. I scooped him up and nursed him a little-About 1 minute literally. I couldn't help it :( I calmed him down.

After that, it was smooth sailing; I put him in the crib, sang night night Eddie and he stayed there. About 5 minutes later, he closed his eyes and he was out.

Consistency is key, but making him wail is not on the agenda. We aren't in a rush to get to our goal, but still are moving forward (I think)

Thanks for checking on us.

Eddie sleeping Night 7

The one thing that I did that was different, is I did not do a revolving door. I didn't pick him up and put him back in. Instead, I let him stand, and then put him back down. We did everything else the same: Soft singing, whispered puppet show, and light tickling. He did cry a little and I did have to pick him up once to hug him and kiss him, but I quickly put him back in. 

It took about 40 minutes and he was out. 

Last night was successful. Let's see tonight. It's almost his bed time.

Eddie Sleeping Night 6

Tonight, per my cousin's suggestion, I asked Gerardo to put Eddie to sleep.

Today was a busy day for Eddie and I. By 6:30 pm, he was sleepy. But I kept him busy. By the time it was 7:30 pm, he had not taken a bath yet. I usually try to get him in the bath by 6-7 pm.

At about 8:10 pm, Eddie was starting to do his sleepy dance routine: Rubbing his eyes, complaining about everything, walking around aimlessly, getting into things he shouldn't. I warned Gerardo that in a few minutes, Eddie was going to want me to hold him to help him go to sleep.

Dad picked Eddie up and took him to his crib. As soon as they walked in the room, I could hear Eddie's voice echo "Mama!" Dad let him go, he came toward me, but ended up in the living room playing. Dad picked him back up and took him back to the crib.

At about 8:50 pm, almost 40 minutes later, dad came out of the room. Eddie was asleep.

I asked dad what he did. He said same thing I did.

He put him in the crib, played relaxing games, sang to him. I asked dad, "Did he ever want out?" He said Eddie just didn't want dad to be far away. At one point, Eddie grabbed dad and dad picked him up to walk him around. Eddie wanted down. Dad put him in the crib, Eddie cried because he wanted down on the floor.

G noticed when Eddie would play in the crib he would fall down and just lay there comfortably. And dad would touch him and talk to him as Eddie lay there. G turned the music down on his musical toy. Eddie was very tired. G grabbed him and had him sitting up as dad carried him. G was singing to him. G felt Eddie's head lay heavy on G's shoulder, and  then Eddie grabbed dad's nose. G knew that was it matter of seconds before he would be asleep. G rocked Eddie as he put his head on his shoulder. G tilted him onto his back and waited for him to fall asleep and then put him in the crib.

I know this was not the way we planned, but we're trying. We're aiming to help Eddie fall asleep without any help (no rocking, no bottles, no nursing) But this is what worked tonight.  Let's see what tomorrow night brings.

Rocket ship box

Maybe it's because I am an 80's kid, but I wanted to build this rocket ship out of a box. When I was growing up, we used to have so much fun building things like this. It was the way life was. We played outside, made things and invented games :P

 I was going to throw this box away anyway. It took me about 20 minutes to turn it into a rocket ship. The best part? He can get tired of it, break it or take it apart and it would not matter :) 

I put Eddie in it, took a strip of box tape, and pulled Eddie around the house. His face was serious, but he was not crying-which means, he was having fun :) 

And by the way, don't worry, it's not that we can't afford to buy him a real rocket ship, it was just something to show him a little bit of creativity.  :) 

Thanks for checking on us!

One step forward, two steps back-Sleeping night 5

Well, last night was a toughy!

Eddie came to me at about 7:45 pm and wanted "up"-A word, I think he learned from his cousins, Penny and Sofia LOL! He suddenly started to say it. But he says it: PUPUP. Funny.

Anyway, I picked him up and carried him to his crib. I knew he was sleepy. I put him in the crib. He wanted out right away. I did the revolving door for about 10 minutes (picking him up, only to put him back in.) It worked. Suddenly, he wanted DOWN. I put him down, he walked to the living room, where he proceeded to cry non-stop. Nothing I did made things ok. So, I scooped him up and took him back to his crib.

This time, his cries turned up louder. Uh oh. I picked him up and tried to do the revolving door, he held on to me. He was on to me and my tricks. After that, things went downhill. His cries were real now and he was emotional about this.

My goal is not to make him cry hysterically while he is learning to sleep alone. I don't want him to associate sleeping alone with feeling alone, scared, anxious or desperate. So, I picked him up. I took him to dad and asked dad to rock him, but that only pissed off Eddie even more. By now, Eddie's face was red, his tears were pouring, dad and mom were frustrated and angry-not knowing what was right or wrong.

So....I gave in. I nursed him and in literally 1 minute, he was out. :(

We shall try again tonight. I hope that by night 14, there will be SOME improvement.
********************************************************************
Dad was a little confused about my goal and I guess I haven't been too clear about it.

My goal is to take baby steps toward helping  Eddie sleep alone. Each step may take weeks or months. The way I see it, the baby steps should look like this:

Step 1: Fall asleep on his own, without any help (ie rocking, bottle, or nursing)

Step 2: When he wakes up at night to nurse, I will nurse him, but I should start putting him back in his crib.

Step 3: Not nursing him as often during the day. Distracting him with an activity or offering him something else to eat or drink.

Step 4: Not nursing anymore during the day, and sometimes at night.

Step 5: No more day or night nursing.

I want to nurse him for as long as he wants, but dad and mom need sleep and he is nurses a great amount at night. He is actually DRINKING a lot. His nursing pattern is like this:

8 pm sleep + nurse

10 pm wakes up crying + nurse
12 am wakes up crying + nurse

1 am wakes up crying + nurse

2 am wakes up crying + nurse

3-4:30 am wakes up crying + nurse

6:30 am wakes up crying + nurse

6:45 am falls asleep (that's when I have to get up to go to work)

From what I understand, this type of pattern is for a newborn. Eddie should not be nursing like this at night. And during the day, he will ask for it MAYBE 2-3 times. So, it's a night habit.

The challenge is breaking it. I need my sleep and in order to help him break it, I have to stay up. Last night, I was imagining myself taking time off from work to break this pattern. I know I could, but is it silly of me? I would lose a lot. My work would pile up on me. It's just me in the office-no help. They would not hire anyone to help either. :(


Sorry this blog is so long. I am just stuck.

Sleeping Night 4

Eddie threw me a curve ball last night.

It was 7 pm (1 hour before his bed time) He was playing with his toys in the living room, when suddenly, he wanted me to hold him. I picked him up, held him and nursed him. Two minutes later, I looked at his face and he was asleep!  Totally not expecting THAT!

I carried him to his crib and he stayed asleep.

Woops! Well, we shall try again tonight.

We paid the price though. He woke up an hour earlier this morning :S

Eddie sleeping Night 3

Last night, Eddie was up playing until about 9:00 pm. He wanted to eat grapes, so I put him on his high chair. At about 9:15, he was falling asleep while eating. I picked him up, took him to his crib and turned off the lights. He turned on his little musical toy that hangs from his crib. He was in there for about 1 minute and then he wanted out. I did the routine of carrying him but this time, I did not rock him. I made one change: I put him back in the crib right away and swooshed him down like an airplane, which made him laugh.

Once he was in the crib, we played peekaboo. I sang songs to him and tickled him with the bear.

When I saw that his eyes were closing slowly, I began to sing some of his favorite songs and rhymes, softly:
"Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow wow", "Elmo's song", "Twinkle Twinkle", "Pat-a-cake."

He wanted out about 5 times, during the singing.  I picked him up and quickly put him back in, just like a revolving door.

Suddenly, he stood up to climb out one last time, but he let himself fall over to the other side of the crib and he did not get up from there. He was exhausted.

2 minutes after that, he was out like a light.

This time, it took me about 30 minutes, rather than the hour from the night before.

Going to try this again tonight!

PS: He woke up at about midnight to come to bed with us. He still wakes up in the middle of the night. He woke up again at 4:30 am, I think. But at least now, he is falling asleep without me for 2 nights. (Baby steps.)

Hiding and chasing

Eddie loves to be chased. He especially loves it when I get down to his level and start chasing him. I like to squat down and hide behind things to jump out and "scare"him-He loves it when I do this. Eddie doesn't have any kids to play with and mostly, he plays by himself. So, having me play with him is great fun for him. On the other hand, he doesn't always want to play with me. He loves his alone time.

Tonight was the first night he started to squat down and hide from me, behind things.  It was very funny. Especially, because he doesn't do this kind of stuff. Like I said, he is a solo player, not a social one.

I got a couple of pictures of him squatting down and "hiding" from me as I searched for him.

What a workout it is for me too! I love that he is doing this!!!! :)

Thanks for checking on us.

Eddie sleeping night 2

Last night, I tried to do the crib routine, but I was so sleepy and Eddie had more energy than I did. I was too tired to sing or do a puppet show.

Because I was so sleepy and tired, I wanted to be in bed by 8 pm, but he was running around. I ended up going to bed with him next to me at about 9 pm. Of course, this made it more difficult to distract him from nursing, so I gave in. I was seriously VERY sleepy and I know I fell asleep within 2 minutes of hitting the bed. I haven't been sleeping well because he continues to wake up in the middle of the night to nurse.

Not sleeping has affected my general energy, my job, my driving, and my attitude. I am just quiet, confused, clumsy and exhausted most of the time.  I day dream of going home to sleep.

I hope I can do this again tonight and get him to fall asleep in his crib by himself.

Eddie had a small success tonight (Night 1)

I apologize for all of the blogs lately. We had to post some promised pictures, which were the main attraction. Gerardo is working on the Venice beach blog, so expect that one soon.

Anyway, I have been noticing that Eddie is nursing to soothe himself now. He is not always actually drinking. I know, this is a good time to start working on teaching Eddie to fall asleep without me.

This is what I did:

At 8 pm, I walked him over to dad and told him to kiss dad good night-This is happens every night.

I took Eddie to his crib and tickled him as I put him down. He laughed all the way down and when he was on his back, I tickled him some more. He was enjoying this so much, the huge smile on his face proved it.

Suddenly, with out crying, he stood up in the crib, he wanted out. I picked him up,  hugged him and sang to him as he rested his head on my shoulder. Again, I tickled him on the way down to the crib. When he was in there, he turned on his musical toy that hangs from the crib.

Then, he stood up and wanted out and also wanted to be put down on the floor. So, I let him out. He walked around the bedroom for a bit and then to the living room and then to dad.

I let him walk until he got tired and wanted me to carry him.

I picked him up and put him in the crib. This made him smile.

For the next 30 minutes, it went on: I put him back in the crib and as soon as he wanted out, I picked him up. I got a good work out.

When he was in the crib within those 30 minutes, I tickled him with a super soft teddy bear he has in his crib. I also had the teddy bear hide behind a blanket and play peek a boo with him. Eddie was having a ball and giggling so loud at my silly teddy bear puppet show.

I kind of felt like I was doing the wrong thing by exciting him too much, so I started toning the volume from my voice, down. I turned the tickle play to song singing. I sang some of his favorite songs to him in whisper singing. He stayed in the crib a lot longer now.

He asked for me to pick him up one more time and I did. I held him, rocked him and sang to him, but just for about 5 seconds, and then I put him back down.

This time, he slowly closed his eyes and fell to sleep.

Altogether it took me ONE hour to put him to sleep, instead of the usual 5 minutes when I nurse him when he is sleepy.

I hope this can be our routine and that it will shorten every night-meaning that he will fall asleep faster and on his own. I think it's important not to stress him out when he is going to sleep. As some of you know, we tried other methods, including the cry it out method, which we could not follow through with and therefore; did not work for us.

Picture taken, with my iPhone, of Eddie sleeping in the dark:

He fell asleep peacefully, smiling and without anxiety. It was a lot of work, but worth it.



Thanks for checking on us.

Bakersfield Trip

This weekend we drove up to Bakersfield to visit Iris’ family.  We haven’t seen a close cousin of hers for many months and she got in a car accident recently.  She was physically OK but we thought it would be nice to drop by.  It just so happened that it was also the day they were celebrating the birthday of Iris’ first cousin once removed, Sarah.  So you will see photos of that event included here as well.

Unfortunately they weren’t able to come down for his first birthday party because of the dangerous Winter driving conditions but they did have some gifts for Eddie when we arrived which was a pleasant surprise.  He really enjoyed them.

Eddie’s second cousins were enthusiastic to show him how they worked.

He really liked them both but he took a special liking to this crocodile.

It was a subdued but fun party.    

Kids were being silly.

Kids being kids.

Time to blow out the candles.

Daniel trying to sneak in a wish.

Dina & Sam trying to capture the event for FacePhone.


Sarah blowing out the candles.


Iris and Eddie watching patiently waiting for their slice.

Isai was standing behind me avoiding the camera, Iris looks back at him.


Sarah was in very good spirits.


Sarah posing for the camera.

Surprise tea set.

On the way up from its hiding place the box bonked Deborah on the head.


Kids find adult pain hilarious.

We gave her a couple of dolls.




Have we told you that Eddie likes cups?
 
The “ruined” surprise was still enjoyed.
 
Anthony here went to great lengths to bring this gift out of its hiding place only to say the word “dollhouse” at the last possible minute.  We all found it pretty funny as you can tell by Iris back there.  Eddie didn’t care much.  He liked the dog outside.

A different perspective.

Horseplay is popular in Bakersfield.

Bakersfield Chem trails?


You know you’re an OK guy when Eddie gives you a “tope.”  (Head-butt)


Isai gets a hug and a prayer from Tia Theresa.


Whenever we leave we get quite the send off.


Cousins don’t hug.


Girls have no problem with affection though.

Anthony jumps in for a picture.


They ran to the nearest corner to send us off.
 

Joyful goodbye.


Anthony raced us down the street.

Brighton means family.


The girls give chase.

Every year they go farther.

Goodbye Bakersfield, see you next time!