“I woke up like this …FLAWLESS”

“I woke up like this, I woke up like this..FLAWLESS, ladies tell ‘em, I look so good tonight..”yeah yeah..just sitting here in my cot singing a little tune. It’s 3 am in the morning and I woke up feeling like I had to belt out a tune, just had to share my vocals with the world, who cares about sleep anyway, it’s over-rated I think. By the way where is everyone, I shouldn’t be left all alone, I’m just a wee tiny baby. Oh wait my room door opens and in waddles Dad, looks likes it’s his turn to check up on me. Hey Dad so I was just singing a song would you like to join, I’ll be Beyonce and you be Jay-Z and we’ll start our own Summer Tour..wait till they see us “On the Run”. Single ladies eat your heart out!..Mum’s voice comes in through the baby monitor “Check his diaper”. Just Dad flexes the muscles in his face with intense effort and props open one eyelid, grabs my bottom and has a sniff..I SAY…totally uncalled for Just Dad..nope my diaper’s all clean..sheesh! What kinda of a person do you think I am to sit in my own poo. Mum and I have special signals for situations like that, I do a screeching cry if I’ve pooped, a more mellow deep murmur if I have to be burped, a sudden intermittent yelp if I’m missing Teddy..yeah we’re got it down, Mum and I.…wait..what’s happened to Just Dad, he’s collapsed on the chair and is suddenly emitting little sharp noises…are they cries for help. Okay Okay Dad, if we go on the World Tour you be Beyonce and I’ll be Jay-Z..even though my booty shake dance is much better than yours…just STOP with the growling noises.

Five seconds in and a whole load of car reverberator noises been emitted from Dad, Mum barges in. “You’re snoring again she goes, go to bed I’ll deal with Baby”. WHAT! WAIT! They were snores, Dad was snoring..those earth shattering, tsunami causing noises were snores.  Sheesh and here I was thinking something medically severe had happened to our Just Dad and I was in the process of dialing emergency services on my TOMY phone.  Dad scoots off to his bed before Mum can change her mind. YES, its 3.am and its just Mum and me..YAHOOOO..Mum eyes me up and down..”Hey Mum, did you wake up like that..you look FLAWLESS!”

Why does your baby wake up at night?

Don't be surprised if your sound sleeper suddenly becomes a night owl or has a hard time falling asleep at this age. Why? Sleep disturbances often go hand-in-hand with reaching major milestones in cognitive and motor development and with separation anxiety.At 9 to 12 months, your baby's likely to be crawling, pulling up, and learning to walk. And because she's refining and expanding on these skills, she may wake up at night to practice or be too excited to fall asleep. If she can't soothe herself back to sleep, she'll end up crying for you. Separation anxiety could also be the cause of your baby's wake-up calls. Waking up and finding you not there may cause some distress. But she'll probably calm down as soon as you enter the room and greet her.

How can you establish healthy sleeping habits?

- Stick to a consistent bedtime routine.
You and your baby will both benefit from a nightly bedtime ritual. You can opt for the tried-and-true – giving her a bath, reading her a bedtime story, and tucking her in – or add a quiet game into the mix.

- Make sure your baby has a regular schedule.
Bedtime may go more smoothly if you make an effort to keep the rest of your baby's daily schedule consistent, too. If she naps, eats, plays, and gets ready for bed at about the same time every day, she'll be much more likely to fall asleep without a struggle.

- Give your child plenty of chances to fall asleep on her own.
If you want your baby to sleep independently, she needs opportunities to practice this important skill. Instead of nursing or rocking her to sleep, let her practice falling asleep on her own by putting her in bed when she's relaxed and drowsy.

Babies “cries” and what they mean

Neh – The "neh" sound in the secret language of newborn basics means "I'm hungry". Apparently as a baby's sucking reflex kicks in and the tongue is pushed to the roof of the mouth the sound that comes out is a "neh" sound.

Owh – The "owh" sound is made in the reflex of a yawn which means,  "I'm sleepy".

Heh – the "heh" sounds means discomfort. This particular of the newborn cries is to let you know that the baby is uncomfortable – cold, itchy, need a new diaper, need a new position in which to lie, etc.

Eair – The "eair" sound means lower gas. It's a deeper sound that comes from the abdomen. It is a bit more difficult to distinguish than the rest but is usually accompanied by a newborn pulling his/her knees up or pushing down and out with his/her legs.

Eh – The "eh" sound means that a baby needs to burp. When you hear, "Eh, ehhhhh" your newborn is telling you "Burp me, please".

By Mayuri Jayasinghe