Consistency During the Holidays

What I’m about to say might shock you. So, brace yourself.

Things have been kinda freakin crazy around here lately.

I know, I know… welcome to the Holly Jolly Holidays, right?

Noob Daddy is taking his vacay time now, which is awe.some! Except, it does put a little spin on our usual routine here at home. The whole I-stare-at-Noob-Baby-and-she-stares-back-at-me-who’s-gonna-blink-first-till-7-pm-cycle is going to be on hold for the next few weeks.

Now, she gets to go Christmas shopping, play with Daddy at 6 am (score!), visit Grandma lots, and party like it’s 1999!

Well, the problem is this new “party” schedule makes for a fussy Noob come nap and bedtime. In fact, when I put her to bed at 7 pm, she’s still on the one passenger party train till about 9 pm.

Me: Check baby monitor at 7 pm.
Noob Baby: Party in the crib ya’ll! Bottle pong. My place.
Me: Umm…. pray that was a hallucination. Press baby monitor off. Check again at 7:30 pm.
Noob Baby: Kegstand on the crib rails. Weeeeeee!
Me: ZOMG. Why won’t she sleeeeeep?!
Noob Baby: 8 pm. Chug! Chug! Chug! Go Baby. It’s your birthday!
Me: There is no freakin way she’s still awake. It’s 9 pm.
Noob Baby: Holla! My milkshake is betta than yours…

Ok, so I’m slightly exaggerating. But I’m sure there are parents out there totally feeling me right now with all this holiday chaos.

So, I thought it was time for a little reminder about the importance of consistency during the holidays. Baby will thank you for it.

• Try to preserve naptime as much as possible. If you’re planning to run errands, try to set out after baby gets her big nap in. Then let her take her shorter naps in the stroller while you’re out. One good nap is better than none.

• Resist the temptation to stay out late. Last night, I got suckered into staying late at the grandparent’s house. Of course they wanted just a few more minutes playing with the fabulous Noob Baby. At the time, she seemed pretty happy with all the attention. By the time we got home, she was wired. It took a long time for her to fall asleep.

• If you get home late, consider shortening or cutting out the bedtime ritual. No Twinkle, Twinkle encores please.

• With family over for the holidays and siblings on break, your little one is getting a lot more attention and stimulation. So, keep an eye out for baby’s physical cues. She’ll probably get overstimulated and tired sooner than usual.

• When spending the night at family’s or friend’s, consider bringing a travel crib. Or, try to “recreate” normal sleeping conditions for the little one. If you have a portable sound machine, take it with you. I know it gets ridiculously loud at my parent’s house when we’re all hanging out. If you happen to have an iPhone, I’ve seen applications that play white noise and lullabies. Great for traveling (Tip: keep the phone in Airplane Mode so phone calls don’t give baby a heart attack). And don’t forget the loveys and other comfort items.

• Try not to start any sleep training when you know you’re going to have company over or a super unpredictable schedule in the following weeks. It’ll be frustrating for baby, and you may just end up back where you started.

• It’s ok to break the rules on occassion. In Gary Ezzo’s book, On Becoming Baby Wise: Book Two, he reminds parents that it’s ok to nurse/feed baby if he wakes up in the middle of the night crying and you’re staying overnight at a friend’s. Or, if you have to feed baby sooner than usual (if you’re on a plane, for example) do it! Don’t be a stickler when there are innocent bystanders around waiting to strangle you.

• Lastly, don’t be a total noob and forget the essentials (say, when you’re running out of the house with arms full of gifts). Throw an “emergency” diaper bag in the car filled with diapers, formula, bottles, baby food, binkys, blankets, toys, etc. Because when you’re a Noob like Moi, you WILL forget to refill the diaper bag

I apologize if these may seem obvious to you, but I definitely needed to remind myself. Got a tip? Then, please leave a comment.