Schedule vs. Routine

I guess one of the goals of being a parent is to grow and change in how you parent. Always learning more, aiming to not make the same mistakes, etc. In growing and changing, I'm learning hands-on that what works with one child doesn't necessarily work with every child. With Karys, I found out about the "Babywise" method of sleep-training. By 8 weeks she was sleeping through the night and eating at 3-hour intervals throughout the day. It was a perfect schedule. I thought it was flawless.

...And then came Zane. I really tried to set him on a schedule like I did with Karys. I REALLY did. By 8 weeks, when he was still getting up at 1, sometimes 2, times a night, I was discouraged. I kept hearing of friends with babies around his age (or younger) who were already sleeping such long hours at night. And I gotta say, I was envious. But still, I pressed on, attempting to follow the schedule I had set in my head. And then, one night when he was about 3 months, he slept...ALL NIGHT! And then he did it another night! And then...another night! It might've taken him an extra month from what it took his sister to start sleeping through the night, but he did it! And he might not eat at exactly the same time every day, but he does eat at approximate times. I've always followed the "Babywise" strategy of "Eat. Play. Sleep." in that order and so I'm learning that it's less important to follow what time it is as it is to set up a predicable routine. He does things in the same order every day...but not the same time. And it's working for us. He's a sweet boy who's really never fussy unless he's tired. He eats well (obviously!) and when he's sleeping, he's the most peaceful baby.

So this schedule-oriented mommy, who loves knowing what time things are going to happen has had to mellow out. Big time. But I can't become a better mommy unless I'm willing to bend when needed. Thank you, Zane, for teaching me how to adjust. :)