Comments on: Lyla is five weeks old…or is she?

By: Cristi

Cristi — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:34:27 +0000

Soak it all in and enjoy every moment — even the unenjoyable times! It goes by in a flash — really! Oh my, they grow up way too fast.

By: Marlayna

Marlayna — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:10:33 +0000

I remember letting the kids cry it out. I would sit outside their bedroom door on the floor, leaned up against the wall and cry right along with them. It is pure hell. I say let her cry for a minute or two or 5 and them come to her and every month extend it a few minutes or whatever, only you know what you can handle. If she doesn't htink you are going to come running at her every wimper she may learn to entertain herself with her mobile, toys, bumper pad, etc.

By: D.L. White

D.L. White — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:53:17 +0000

Your Princess Bride reference made me smile. Thanks for the update on life at the Olbinski house. It sounds like Lyla is in good hands! Keep up the good work.

By: Mike Olbinski

Mike Olbinski — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:31:01 +0000

Thanks for all those comments! We use the Baby Bliss stuff now, but for some reason, I'd rather not use it that much just so we can get a good idea of how fussy she actually IS.

By: Mike Olbinski

Mike Olbinski — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:47:20 +0000

We are already doing the diaper change first, then feed her thing…seems to work well.

Thanks for all this advice, it's very helpful!

By: Michelle S.

Michelle S. — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:42:58 +0000

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Regarding colic, when nothing else works, I recommend gripe water. The original was Baby's Bliss brand, but you can get generics at CVS or Walgreens or even at some grocery stores now. It's made of three things that settle the stomach naturally: ginger, fennel, and sodium bicarbonate, and moms all over the world have used it for ages — you can google it. My logic was that it wouldn't hurt, it might help, and it makes Mom & Dad feel better to do SOMEthing!

Anyway, take it or leave it! Lyla is lucky to have two parents who love her like you and Jina do. You'll figure out what works for you and her, and she'll grow into some new stage soon anyway! Enjoy it!

By: Michelle S.

Michelle S. — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:42:00 +0000

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We did put him in his crib for almost all sleeping (though I admit I fell asleep holding him/nursing on occasion). I've just heard too many horror stories about not getting them OUT of your bed once they're used to sleeping there. Still, I think there are real joys to sharing those moments, so you just have to weigh it out and decide what's right for you (this is true for ALL baby advice you have and will receive).

At night, I changed him and THEN nursed him, all with the lights very dim or just by the light from the hallway — sort of a visual cue that it was night time. Changing him first worked well because he was fully recovered from the diaper change by the time I put him down. Either way, though, with pracitce you get better at changing diapers in a non-traumatic way. Now I can do it without even waking Cael up!

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By: Michelle S.

Michelle S. — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:41:03 +0000

OK, so here's my unsolicited (and very long) two cents. With Cael, we let him cry one minute for every month of age. That would not be very long for little Lyla. The time period was arbitrary, but it helped me to be able to wait it out when I knew there was a specific point it would end. And as time progressed, I got better at waiting it out, even as the wait time got longer.

Then again, a lot of times, I didn't put him down until he was asleep. It wasn't until he was a little older that we really started introducing the "self-soothing" thing to him, putting him down while he was awake. And even then, he was clearly on his way out when we put him down. He's been a very good sleeper for us.

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