Sleep, Naps and New Foods

The sleep issues continue. We have good nights and bad nights. And good naps and bad naps. I am a big fan of reading various articles and advice on the Internet and I keep getting two messages:

1. This is totally normal.
2.  It's time to let them cry it out. (oh how I dread this)

I've made progress the last three nights and I've been able to put both girls, awake, into cribs at night and they've fallen asleep without any rocking. Granted, I stay in the room and replace pacifiers for a few minutes, but they actually do pretty well. I tried the same thing for naps - Brooklyn does fine but Bailey still needs to be rocked sometimes. We are having a problem with the girls only napping for 20 minutes. Usually they will take at least one longer nap (seems to be the same at the babysitter's or at home). I've tried adding additional layers (right now they are sleeping/napping in a onesies, footed sleepers, and fleece sleep sacks without arms swaddled.)

Bailey is still struggling in her crib. For night time, she usually falls asleep in there but then wakes up about twenty minutes later for a pacifier replacement. And then continues waking up every twenty minutes until we switch her to the rock n play. I tried elevating her crib to see that would help but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I found a really awesome website that's been helpful: http://www.troublesometots.com/

On the advice of this website, I am going to try putting them down and leaving the room instead of sitting in the rocking chair next to them. I think I might bring one of the swings into the nursery too for nap time. Somehow we will conquer this! Because I am tired. Though, Bailey slept from 11 pm till 7 am this morning without one wake up (in the rock n play of course). So she does have nights where there are no problems, and these wonderful nights allow me to catch up on much needed sleep.

They are doing really well with solids and we are up to two feedings a day. I stopped doing rice cereal since Bailey didn't seem to get along with it. Everything else has bee fine. So far they've eaten sweet potatoes, avocado, pears, apples and zucchini. I also made peas and squash for their next foods. I've also been giving them one ounce of apple juice a day which seems to help them poop better.

We took them this weekend to the Botanical Gardens. Which they both loved. Their little baby minds were blown away looking at all the Christmas lights and the plants. Nice little family trip before we enter survival mode after Darren's shoulder surgery on Wednesday.