Sweet Dreams

When Mila was just a few months old, we developed a pretty strict schedule, particularly around bedtime.  We hoped that the consistency and push for a routine would help her recognize when it was time to settle down for the night.  She’s been a terrible sleeper from the very beginning, so enforcing this was beyond necessary for mommy’s sanity! Now that my baby girl is almost 9 months, she is very aware of when bedtime is near.  What used to be a stressful and complicated process, has turned into my favorite part of each day. 

The snuggles, the lullabies, the stories… I don’t think it could get much better! I treasure every second and look forward to our little routine that we’ve become so accustomed to. Here’s what a night in our house looks like:

7:30pm-  We head upstairs and get ready for the bath.  I turn on the heater in her nursery so it’s nice and toasty when she gets out.  Mila sits in her bouncy chair while I fill up the tub and get everything together.  She adores bathtime. Her little legs go crazy as soon as she sees me turn the water on!  My angel has the sweetest curls and so because of this, I try my best to wash them just once a week.  I’ve learned that curls need more natural moisture, and shampooing too much can dry them out. So when it’s not a hair day, we simply wash up, rinse off the suds, and do lots and lots of splashing!  Once she’s all clean and wrapped warm in her towel, we sing our after bath song:

Tee dee dee, dee dee, dee dee

I love you, and you love me,

Tee dee dee, dee deeeeeeee

We’ll typically sing it twice… The first time, we are very quiet and rock slowly back and forth while she laughs at herself in the mirror. Then we get a little louder and sing much faster, turning our slow rock into a fun dance! I grew up singing this song with my mom, so I really love sharing it with my Mila too.

8pm-  Once bath time is finished, we make our way back into the nursery.  I lay her on the changing table where she is lathered up in lotion and then put into jammies.  As Mila plays on the floor and mommy gets things ready for bed, we listen to our favorite album, “Sleep, Baby, Sleep,” by Nicolette Larson.  I played these songs for her throughout my entire pregnancy and have continued to ever since. Before we choose our bedtime stories, I’ll nurse Mila to fill her belly up one more time before the day is over.

8:15pm- Now that her tummy is full, it’s time to decide what we are going to read. For Christmas, Mila’s Mimi surprised us and wrapped a bunch of my favorite childhood books that she’s kept hidden over the years, in case one day I wanted to share them with children of my own. No matter which we choose, we always finish with “My Goodnight Book,” by Eloise Wilkin. I place them beside the rocking chair and before snuggling up, I dim the lights, turn on the humidifier and close the curtains. (Black out shades are a game changer!)

8:25pm-  Once we are finished reading, I turn on the noise machine and get Mila in her sleep sack.  (I also highly recommend white noise…even before my daughter was born, I couldn’t sleep without it!)  We then go over to the night light projector in the corner of her room and turn it on together. Although you can choose from an assortment of colors to shine across the ceiling, I usually stick to the blue and green setting because I find it to be the most calming. The dimmed lights are turned all the way down before we head back over to the rocking chair. Her little hand holds onto my face as she closes her eyes, and I quietly whisper the lullaby we wrote when she was first born:

I love you, Mila Rose, 

I love you from your head to your toes 

Do do do doooo, do do dooo,

Do do do doooo, do do dooo

You’re a beauty and a cutie, 

You’re my dream come true

Do do do doooo, do do dooo,

Do do do doooo, do do dooo

I love you,

And I’m so lucky to be,

Thank you for choosing me

Within minutes, she is sound asleep and I transition her from my arms, into the crib.  She immediately rolls onto her side, making herself comfy cozy.

As a new mommy, I am constantly learning and there are always improvements to be made.  I do know that most would say it’s probably not smart to let her fall asleep in my arms as she needs to learn to do this on her own, but I’m just not ready to give up those end of the night snuggles yet! (Within the next few weeks, this is something we will be working on!) The process of getting her to bed has become so effortless, however getting her to stay asleep is another story.

I value these moments because I know she won’t be little forever. Our routine, our silly little songs, story time… it’s all so special.  When I originally decided we would follow a schedule, it was only because mama was exhausted from being up with a baby who refused to sleep. As she’s gotten older, and our routine has changed a bit, it’s become a time I truly appreciate.  Her nursery brings me so much comfort. ..It’s a calm, anxiety and stress free place for the two of us to go and escape the craziness of the world.