2-3-4 isn’t the latest social media fad where you take 2 selfies every 3 minutes and post them to 4 social media sites. I think the only people who can actually accomplish this are the KARDASHIANS!!!
2-3-4 is a baby schedule that helps us manage awake and sleep time for Niko. I will attempt to explain how it works.
Let’s say that Niko wakes-up at 7am. His first nap will be 2 hours after 7am. When we take Niko out, we tend to do it so he can sleep in the car for his 1st nap. It takes time for him to fall asleep in the car and we often find ourselves driving around and trying to waste time while he sleeping or we sit in the parked car at our destination and take 2 selfies every 3 minutes and post them to 4 social media sites!!!
After he wakes up from his 1st nap, his next nap is 3 hours after.
After he wakes up from his 2nd nap, his bedtime is 4 hours after. If everything is aligned in the world that day, his bedtime should be 12 hours from his wake-up.
He often shows signs of tiredness a few minutes before 3 and 4 hours so I just pick him up and walk around the house (or wherever we may be) because he likes that and it calms him down. He gets a bath every night before bedtime and I really think that helps relax him. It’s fun to see him naked and splashing and peeing and pooping!!! Hey, clean-up is easy when he pees or poos!!
I know it sounds easy, but it is challenging because Niko isn’t the best sleeper in the world. I am mainly talking about naps because in the evening, he only gets up a few times with the 1st being around midnight (and we put him down around 7ish). That midnight feeding is special for me since I give him a bottle and I really enjoy that. As soon as I get up for work around 6am, he wakes up also for work (sometimes, I wake-up earlier because he is awake). We are working on trying to find a way for him to sleep at least until 7 or 8.
Sometimes he goes right down and sometimes it takes time!!! For all of these naps, he is in the crib. If he wakes up before an hour is up, we leave him in there for an hour (sometimes he wills himself back asleep and sometimes he just cries)…this is called crib hour. 2-3-4 and crib hour isn’t something Nina and I made up, it is real things that a lot of parents are doing. If you don’t believe me, Google it (after you finish reading this)!!
It is really hard for me to watch and hear him when he is crying in the crib because I know I can go in and cuddle him in my arms or lay down in the bed with him (yes, he likes us now) for a few minutes. That always seems to calm him down and then I can gently put him in the crib for more sleep.
On Sunday, for his 2nd nap, he went right to sleep and I wanted to nap also. I snuck into the bedroom a few minutes after he was sleeping and I took a well-deserved nap. Exactly one hour later, the baby was crying and I wasn’t ready to be awake and I knew the baby needed more time, so I grabbed Niko and we slept together for another hour. Yes, I am MAGIC MARK, but I will only be stripping for my wife!!!
A few weeks ago, I put the side of the crib back on (it was off because we attached the crib to our bed for easy baby access). So, basically, I don’t have to sit in his bedroom and wait for him to sleep anymore. I can go downstairs and monitor him while I tend to my needs (and my wife’s needs). I know he is safe in the crib and can’t crawl to bad places like our bed.
During his wake times, Niko gets mommy milk, real food twice a day (for the past few days, he has eaten peas), he gets to play in the baby jail, he gets to bounce in his bouncer, he goes for a walk (not by himself), he gets his diaper and or clothes changed many many many times a day, he gets lots of cuddles from us, and he likes to express his voice with loud happy shrieks (he does clearly say mama and dada). He has a very nice life and 2 awesome parents who adore and love him so much. Even when he is crying, I can always get a smile out of him. Man, I love being a dad!!!
One my least favorite foods that I can’t stand is PEAS! So, I am glad Niko enjoys them because later on, I can give him all of my peas!!! After he eats peas, he smells like peas and I find myself picking them off the floor and his clothes!!! I even find peas in his pants and shirt!!! Yes, I did force myself to eat one in front of him and I was like YUCK!!!!
That was “Peasy” good.