Update Goal #4

Goal #4 Update:

By October 2010 I will have a set routine for my daily life with little man, this will include getting up in the morning and going to sleep by 10:30 -11:00 every night.

I am going back over my four goals and looking at deadlines.  One of the first goals that needs to be accomplished or re-evaluated is goal number four.  I didn’t think this would be a hard goal, and it hasn’t been overly difficult, but sometimes I just don’t feel like doing things.

I came up with a morning schedule. In my morning schedule I would get up by 6 am and do a thirty minute work out.  After my workout I would make a smoothie for myself and let Little Man have part of his breakfast.  After we had eaten our breakfast then I would go and shower.  Little man would be with big brother if big brother was home or he would be in the bathroom with me whilst I showered and did my hair and makeup.  So the schedule went something like this…. Exercise, smoothie, shower, wash face, brush teeth, get dressed, hair, makeup, get little man ready for school, ensure that big brother was ready to go and then out the door for us (this would be true if I had a job, but school starts next week, and I think I should be good!!).

I also came up with my evening schedule.  At night I would shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, get my pajamas on, take pills and vitamins, and read or write for 15 minutes.  Those things have been going well. It helps to have a routine in place for after I put Little Man to bed because often I feel like my whole world is only about Little Man and that should not be the case.  I will admit that he should be a large part of my life, but I should still be able to have me time.  So it’s nice to have a routine in place that is just about me!!

With that being said I have determined that there are some changes that need to be made.  One showering twice a day is too much, my skin was getting dried out and I am not in the habit of washing my hair every day.  So I have decided that I will shower in the mornings, then every other night so I can wash my hair.  The other thing I determined is that the trying to fit everything in an hour and a half is doable but I can extend the time if I need to.  I have the ability to be flexible. 

So with a little tweaking in the next little bit I will be able to have a working routine for my life as I prepare to return to the working world.  I have been working on this routine for two weeks now.  Week one was an amazing success, week two not so much, but week three is starting out better.  I have two more weeks to go and then I will be well established with my routine, it should be a habit by then!!

Routines routines routines

Today marks the beginning of my 21 day "let's make a routine a habit".  I have set myself up with morning and evening routines that I must follow for the next 21 days.  I have certain things I must do when I get up and when I go to bed.  These things include showering, exercising, brushing and flossing, make up breakfast, BCP, just regular stuff really, but things that need to be done.  I have also included in there 15 minutes of me time at night, 15 minutes for me to read or write or both, but just 15 minutes for me to do what I want before going to bed. 

Let's see how the next 21 days go to see if I can turn these routines into habits, that way I will have met another one of my goals.  Soon it will be time to re-evaluate my goals and come up with new goals or restructure the old so I can experience success in these goals.

That budget goal is now going to drive me crazy, but I think I may have it licked.... just got to put some stuff down to paper to work it out and then I think I will have it!!

Hiccups in Goal #4

So I have been trying hard to go to sleep at the same time every night with the intention of getting my full 8 hours of sleep then getting up and starting my day at a normal hour.  However, Little Man does not think I need, nor deserve 8 hours of sleep.  He has gotten into some otherworldly routine where he does not want to sleep in his own bed at night.  It's becoming a problems.

I haven't even written out my ideal bedtime routine because he's been such a little monster.  But I guess I can't blame him, and I should do my routine around him regardless.  I have a basic routine just not a set routine, which I feel I need to make this goal successful. I believe it's just my need to follow a schedule that has me set on creating this to see success, becasue without I am more whimsical and to make changes being whimsical is not going to help me.

Little Man's problems stem from not wanting to be put in his crib.  He has this inate sense when I am putting him in his crib, he wakes up, tenses his little body and starts to cry.  I try to soothe him but it's not use, he just cries, so then I let him cry.  I am trying to let him cry it out, but after an hour, I've heard enough.  So I go and get him and cuddle with him in my bed until he's asleep then I put him back in his crib.  Usually he will stay asleep then, but not always.  He has also attempted to give up napping as well. 

We have ended the midnight feedings and things were going well.  Then Little Man got sick and he started to wake up in the middle night and won't go back to sleep.  So now I have a sick child who is waking up at 1:30 and not going back to sleep until close to 4.  Then he's up again at 6 and that's when I take him into bed with me.  I would love to be up at 7 and getting ready for my day, but apparently my son has other plans for me.

I am not sure what to do, but I am open to suggestions, because I am coming to the end of my rope.  What do you do when your baby just cries and cries??  How do you get them into a good night time routine where they sleep for 8-12 hours??