daily rhythms

One of the aspects of child rearing I am a bit hopeless at is routines.  I guess after so long just thinking about myself it has turned my world upside down trying to be organised for a little one.  We always ate late after a long early evening walk with the dogs, especially in Summer.  I would often spend what seemed like hours lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, in my past life.

Of course with moving and re settling it has taken us a little while to get some rhythm in our days.  With Che still  waking almost hourly still after midnight, waking up and getting on with the day at times takes all the postivity that I can muster.

We have now been having a morning activity to attend to which  now tires him out for a midday sleep.  But it was getting that way  the evening would see him have this hyperactive burst of activity and it would takes me sometimes 3 hours to get him  down to sleep and then  he would be awake an hour later.  I was feeling a bit desperate.

Now I have worked hard at getting the late afternoon more organised.  It now goes as follows:-

4pm Walk the dogs and baby
5 -5.30 pm Dinner
Accompanied by some lovely calming music
6-6.30   Clean away all toys and paraphenalia and get ready for bath,  still with music, no TV and lights all dimmed.
6.30 pm Bath time and then straight into  his room.
6.45-7.15 pm Massage and body creaming,  (now has eczema for some reason), some booby and reading 3 books
We are currently loving all baby books by Mem Fox, "Hello Baby", "Where is the Green Sheep" and "Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes"
Then final top up of Booby.

Am now trying to get Che off the nipple before falling asleep.  This has been the greatest challenge.
Into the cot with  sleeping bag.   And then try to settle.  Now he is falling off straight away when putting him in his sleeping bag.

All hopefully asleep by 7.30-8pm.

Phew,  I still am working on the many frequent night wakings and He still is in our bed at some time later .  But am now getting 3-4 hours of continued sleep at this earlier part of the night.

What bedtime routine do you find works for you?? Would be interested to hear.

PS. thank goodness for daddies or I don't think I would be so good now with bedtime XXXX