Help! Starting EASY with 5 month old...

[Slalomgirl]

DD is our second born.  She's an angel baby followed closely by text book. She was 4 weeks early yet slept 10 hours at night by 6 weeks.  Ate every 3 hrs during day and 4 hours at night from 0-6 weeks. She is now 5 months old and still ebf. She often goes days with no more than a whine and is a happpppy baby. My first kiddo is 3.5 and was an angel baby too. Slept 10 hrs by 8 weeks. We were baby wise believers with him. This time around we have not followed any routine other than eat wake sleep but now I really want to get DD on some kind of routine. Challenges...
3.5 yr old in preschool from 9-12 and I take and pick up.
Baby girl goes to sleep in the car 9 times out of 10
My kids r late risers... 3.5 yo by 7:30/8 and DD around 830.

How do I get on a routine? Many mornings I'm waking baby girl up and putting Herr straight in caraway to drop off brother at school then feeding her in pk lot before running errands or feeding her once we get back home. She is awake for a bit and then sleeps depending on our activity. If we are in the car she is tough to keep awake. At home she'll stay awake for hours if you are interacting with her although she is also quick to fall asleep. Both kids are usually in bed for the night at 8 unless we are at church or small group and then oldest is in bed at 9ish and baby girl falls asleep in my arms between 8 and 9 while we are in small group or choir. She transitions well to car seat asleep and then to bed at home.  Problem is when anyone else tries to put her to bed other than me she freaks out!  I usually nurse her, burp her, change diaper, swaddle then rock for a few minutes till drowsy then lay in crib awake and rub her head for a minute or so and then walk out. Seamless and smooth. If she's tired she wants mommy and quickly escalates to screaming without much consoling. This makes bed time a bear for sitters and even daddy at times. I think maybe it's due to being overtired and I'm hoping implementing more of a routine will help. 

What should our daily routine look like?  On a typical day she wakes at 830 and nurses between 830 and 930, again between 1230 and 130, again between 330 and 430 and a final time at 8ish. Sometimes she wants to cluster feed in the afternoons eating around 3 then 6 and 8. 

Some days she eats at 830 and then again at 11 then 3 and so forth.  The redskins are based on what I have going on, not her asking for food. She rarely fussed even when hungry.

Bottom line, I need routine and can't figure out how to do this with 2 and a very active lifestyle. Help!

[Jiinx]

Hi there!
 Can you show us what your day looks like with your daughter? I know you've said when your eats and sleeps are generally, but to have it listed would be easier
E- when she feeds
A- how long her activities are...eyes open to eyes closed
S- how long she sleeps for..

Have you seen the links that may have helped?
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=186622.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164253.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164029.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=80827.0

[Slalomgirl]

I wish I could put it into a schedule that was typical! I really do!!! We have just had a rough time with some family issues (extended family) for the last 5 months... Yep all her life... And it's consumed us! Horrible. But we are coming out from under a cloud now so hopefully I can get this little girl on an easy schedule! I'll do my best to give you a few snapshots of the last couple days.

Sunday
Wake 830am
Eat 845am ebf
A until 10 when She fell asleep in my arms at doc office.
S 10-1030
E 1030 before we leave doc headed to church ebf
A till 1055
S 1055 in the car
A 1110-wake at church
S 1200 asleep in car
E 1 ebf
A until 230
S 230-630 when I woke her up as we headed to dinner
A 630-745 as we ate she was playing, talking, super happy so I waited to feed.
E 745 ebf
A until 815
S 815 in Ergo while I grocery shopped
A 1030-11 Driving home and bringing groceries in
E 11 ebf
S 1115. Now she would likely sleep until at least 1030 am however I have to leave for preschool at 845

That was an unusual day... On to a more regular day

A 830 into carseat
E 915 when home from  dropping of brother at preschool.
A 1045/11 tummy time, floor play, blanket time.
S 1045/11 until 1145 when we leave to get brother from school.
A 1145
E 1230/1
A 1-145
S 145
E 345
A 345
S 630
A 7 bath or book time with brother getting ready for bed
E 745
A 745-815 burping eating etc.
S 815p some nights sleeps with no resettling, other nights needs paci a few times. Does not eat again until next morning.

On mornings when my friend takes my son to school it looks more like this.
E 830
A 830 -  1130 tummy time, floor time, go outside, etc.
S 1130-130
E  130
A 130-3
S 3- 345
A until 530.
E  530
A 530-6
S 630- 730
A 730-830 play, bath, , eat, diaper, etc
E 8 before bed
S 830 pm until next am

As you can see, it's really screwed up!  Help!  

[Jiinx]

Hi there,
 I can't even imagine how difficult it must be with two little ones. I would have her wake up a bit earlier...feed her and then time it so she falls asleep in the car while you drop off your son. She's 5 months, so she gets about 2-2.25 hours of A time.

* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85130.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64158.msg476652#msg476652

I don't think you're far off at all. I think there just needs to be some consistency in her A times, esp after a good nap of 1.5 hours or more - she could definitely do more than 2 hours of A time.

sarah