Routine for Baby

My daughter was a month old before I discovered Save our Sleep by Tizzie Hall.
Being the first child, this book became my bible and what the book said I did. I followed the routine like I had no other option. Baby fed at 7, went down at 9, woke up at 11 and fed again. Went down again at 1, fed at 3 then had a nap in the bouncer before feeding again at 6.30 and going to bed by 7 and having a dreamfeed at 10.30pm.
The book said that this routine would ensure my baby would sleep well of a night and wake at 7am the next morning to begin the day.
First born however, preferred to wake at 6am. Bringing bedtime forward by 15 minutes didn't help. I learnt to live with a 6am riser. Still to this day I am woken by that same adorable child at 6am.

My son has been on this routine since he were a week old when the book dictated that our day would start at 7am.
Seems second child shares the same early riser gene as his sister and prefers a 6.15am start to his day.

So being the second child, i'm a little more relaxed with my routine. He still feeds at 7, 11, 3 and 6.30 but my little mans sleep times vary from day to day. Most days, he just can't keep his eyes open till 9am, the time when my bible says he should go down for his first sleep of the day. Keeping him awake till 9am is a hard task and more often then not, no matter how much noise his big sister is making, he will fall asleep. Some days he will sleep from the time I put him down (some days as early as 8am) through to 11am. Other times he will wake at 10am. Usually if he wakes before 10 I will try to resettle him with a few off-key songs and he tends to drift back to sleep until closer to 11.

Getting to 1pm for the second sleep is also a hard task. My happy boy crashes and burns at around 12.30 but he will generally sleep through till 3pm. Sometimes even longer.
Afternoon naps are rare but do happen occassionally.
Bed time is as close to 7pm as I can get and I will be woken from my slumber anywhere between 12am and 3am. I have tried the dreamfeed with no success so I figure if I can get to bed at 10, instead of waiting up to 10.30 to feed then I may as well get the extra 30 minutes sleep.

Going out and about with my daughter meant that she would sleep in either the pram, car seat or baby bjorn. If my daughter wouldn't sleep at home in her cot, I took her out.
My son on the other hand refuses to sleep anywhere but his cot (occassionally the vibrating bouncer - a must have baby item!!). Outings have to be strategically planned to fit into his awake time. Any cross-over into a sleep time means he misses out on that sleep. He doesn't cry, he just happily watches the world go by with a look of wonder.
So is routine really that important? By having set feed times I know when my son is crying because he may be due for a feed, but how do you stick to a routine when you have an older child, things to do, places to be and a baby who, try as you might, likes to create his own sleep times despite what the bloody book says.

I laugh now because I used to preach the words of Save our Sleep and made recommendations to everyone with a newborn or those who were having trouble with their baby sleeping.
2 years ago I would have picked Save our Sleep over Twilight or Fifty Shades.
Today, I realise that it's nice to have some help and guidance, It's nice to be given some idea on when to feed your baby and put them down to sleep when lets be honest, as a first time mum I had absolutely no idea. But really, someone telling me that every baby is capable of sleeping till 7am and that you should put your baby in a pram to get them to have an afternoon nap or that the darn dreamfeed will ensure they sleep through most of the night - get real. Thanks for your words of wisdom but this time i'm going to have to pass on the recommendations. Seems second child has his own agenda and I can handle that.
So thanks Tizzie, you helped me survive my first born but back on the bookshelf for you this time it seems.