1. Lucy sleeps in bed with us. Not all night, though I would be fine with it if she did. From the first night home Lucy has been the littlest spoon in the bed and we would not have it any other way. I love the feel of her little belly on my side and her hand on my chest. I love waking up with her smiling at me and being able to cuddle her as one of the first moments of my day. When she's 12, I bet she won't so for now I'll take every night with her. It hasn't interrupted my sleep, it hasn't negatively affected Jameson and I, I haven't rolled over on my baby and, now, sometimes she likes to sleep on her own.
2. I don't let Lucy cry it out. I never really understood the concept of crying it out, especially before three months. Obviously, if they are crying they are telling you they need something. Maybe its to be held, which as a stay at home mom I consider one of my major responsibilities. When Lucy was new I would rock her to sleep then lay her in her crib for her nap. I think as a parent you know when your baby is sleepy and I liked knowing I could rock her and she could go to sleep peacefully instead of screaming until she passed out. Now, most nights when we see she is ready for bed, we lay her in her bassinet and she goes to sleep without a peep.
3. I never have enforced a strict schedule. I understand this is a huge luxury and a perk of being home with her. I also realize as we have more kids I probably will have to set some specifics but for now I am loving the flexibility we have. Some days Lucy wakes up at 7:30, some days at 9. Our day unfolds from there. I don't get bent out of shape if she isn't ready for her morning nap at 10 sharp. Without me imposing a schedule on her, she has begun developing one on her own. This goes part in parcel with the no crying it out in my opinion.
4. I let her nurse to sleep. Again, she won't do it when she's 12. I figure I have at most one year of this special bond with her and if it can relax her and let her drift to sleep peacefully I am all for it. Not to be confused with me being a human pacifier. Once she is out, she is off.
5. Forget tummy time. It was horrible, for both of us. Sure I tried it when the books said to start and she would be fine for about 15 seconds. Then the screaming would start. The way I saw it, I probably wouldn't like being face down to a blanket either with no way to get it out of my face. We skipped it. Was her development delayed? I think no.
For now, this is what works for us. We are happy, with each other and Lucy. Lucy is happy, with herself, us, and our family. We are loving parenting. We really don't want time away from Lucy. We are a family and that is how we spend our time, together.
"Remind yourself that you are doing the most important job in the whole world. You are nurturing a new life. Your baby will not be a baby for long, but the way you care for her now will help her become the loving, caring person you want her to be someday." Dr. Sears
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