Big thanks to Halo for working together on this post!
BC is 8 weeks old now. EIGHT weeks! I can’t believe that it was just 6 weeks ago that he joined our family adding a beautiful dynamic to it. And it’s taken all of these weeks for us to get settled into our nighttime routine with him plus the other kids. Full disclosure: my home has been a bit crazy towards the end of pregnancy and I’ve really been looking forward to getting our bedtime routine back on track. I’m happy to share that we finally have.
Nighttime Snuggles
BC is my last baby and our nighttime snuggles are extended after the girls go to sleep. I’m a breastfeeding mama and this is it for me. I love playing with his little toes and letting his fingers curl around mine as he gets comfortable in his sleep. I love his beautiful curls on his head and the way that his big eyes look up at me sleepily before they close. He will probably be spoiled and I’m not going to make pretend to stop that. This is my last baby and I’m enjoying breathing in every last bit of him.
Incorporating A Newborn Into Your Bedtime Routine
Bringing home a baby to two little girls is like bringing him home to 2 mini moms. Both the girls want to be included in his care and take personal offense if they feel left out. One of the really important things to me is to make sure that both of my girls feel as though they are both needed and wanted in helping with the baby.
In incorporating BC into our pre-existing routines, my husband and I have shared some of the responsibilities in getting him ready for bed. Mini will undress him and read books to both ABC and BC. Not only does that make her feel like she’s a big help, it also helps her with her phonics. ABC is still so small and BC is growing pretty quickly so there are limits to what she helps with. She’s able to brush his hair and sing to him as I nurse him.
Our Bedtime Routine
One of the things that I’m learning daily is that the girls do better when we set the proper expectations for them. On our white board I write down what their routine is and it looks a little something like this:
Evening Chores
Shower (I give BC a bath)
Brush Teeth
Get Jammies on (BC gets put in his HALO SleepSack)
Read 2 books
Sing 2 songs
Go to Sleep!
Now sometimes (to be read as most times) it doesn’t go this smoothly but this is our goal!
What do your bedtime routines with infants look like?
Have questions about safe sleeping for newborns? Check out this resource here.
