We're big routine people. We don't do our routines around a clock really, but more in the way that this follows this and this follows this - - it gives Philip consistency and it has taught me from VERY early on to recognize the difference between his hungry yells and tired yells etc, as we both knew what was coming next. We're not psychotic about it, and we are flexible (SO NOT Gina Ford) - - but we are following most of the principles from the Baby Whisperer book. Like with every book you have to read it, decide what you want to do and what youthink is crap - but there were only a few things about that book that I thought were crap. We followed the EASY routine when he was first born (Meaning Eat, Activity, and Sleep - in other words there is a gap, even if only a minute or two, between eating and sleeping so they don't learn to need a bottle/breast to sleep) - - and it worked a CHARM for us. Philip has slept through the night since very early on, and loves LOVES a routine. I don't run my life around it, it isn't the end of the world when we "mess it up"... but still. We stick with it for the most part and if it is nap time and he is tired he will go to bed and fall asleep in his crib on his own. Same time every day though, give or take a wee bit.
Right now:
6:00 wake up
6:30 breakfast
8:00 nap #1
11:00 lunch
12:00 nap #2
3:00 dinner
5:00 dinner #2 (small, usually just bottle)
6:00 bed
Sleeps 12 hours a night.
With exceptions, like now, when the house is in turmoil, all 3 of us have colds, and everyone is sleeping on the floor.
Am I rambling enough?
