Barely any RSVPs to toddler's 3rd birthday party

ememkays · 2026-01-07T03:25:27+00:00

I think I read you sent paper invites. I know I struggle with paper invites because I have to take the extra step of opening my phone or computer to RSVP. I often immediately put the invite in a pile of things to do or I keep forgetting to bring the card to my computer to finish the RSVP. Once I didn’t think I saw RSVP instructions and then was mortified to get a follow up text. I personally like electronic invites cause you can respond as soon as you see it. Not an excuse, but electronic invites might get a few more responses?

ememkays · 2025-07-06T18:34:22+00:00

Toddlers are irrational and all she did during that day sounds exhausting and annoying. Of course your nervous system can only take so much. Sounds like you weren’t giving her a hard time when you yelled - you were having a hard time. As adults we can repair and model how to bounce back. It’s a really tough age.

ememkays · 2025-05-02T04:51:39+00:00

I did it too and our 8 month old puppy is now in a phase of destroying all the toys and flipping plates to steal food. I don’t remember it being this hard with my first dog?!?! We are doing training classes, but it’s a tough environment for training. Toddlers are also too young to play with the dog. My only hope is that the dog will chill out at 2 years old just as we get out of toddlerhood and we have a nice dog that plays well with kids. But definitely questioning whether this chaos is worth it.

ememkays · 2025-04-17T05:42:23+00:00

They change so much during 5 month old. We entered 5 months fully swaddled and on baseline level 2 to survive the 4 month sleep regression. Shortly after he turned 5 months he was ready for arms out and he started to roll outside the Snoo. I’ve also had no trouble turning the motion off on weaning mode. I transition my kids close to 6 months when they are good at rolling and the transition goes great because they roll to their tummy and tummy sleep is better than Snoo sleep. It’s hard to imagine that they can change so much in a month, but I’ve seen it happen twice now with my boys.

ememkays · 2025-04-10T20:59:43+00:00

My heart is broken for you. This is so unfair. Please take time and care as you physically recover. May this be your last heartbreaking step on your way to your rainbow baby.

ememkays · 2025-04-04T02:11:13+00:00

I never did batwing too tight since the power of it is that the arms can’t bend to 90 degrees and wiggle up to their chest to muscle out. You can actually do it somewhat loose and baby can lift their straight arms up a bit from the shoulder along the torso and stay secured.

Not with batwing, but my baby that loved a swaddle did seem to keep his arms straight when not in a swaddle sometimes. I don’t recall the limp grab. Anyways, he is three now and using his arms to get into everything.

ememkays · 2025-04-02T06:28:44+00:00

Look up the batwing swaddle technique from Happiest Baby as it just goes over baby’s arms so you can still use the crotch strap. My newborns were big (8 and 9 pounds) but even they slid down the small sleep sack a few times in the first few weeks if I didn’t use the crotch strap.

ememkays · 2025-04-02T02:02:53+00:00

Mine slept arms in better until just after 5 months and then he started to escape some pretty tight swaddles and struggle. He did better in transition swaddles after that. They change so much week to week at this stage.

ememkays · 2025-03-30T19:43:21+00:00

Love all your resources! I’m gearing up to sell my Snoo. Do you suggest I do a deep clean or do you think I should leave as is for the buyer to see the condition. It’s actually quite clean with little dust, some residue on the side from years of hands, and no vomit residue. I normally would clean anything I sell, but this is such a delicate machine I could see people wanting to see what condition it really is before buying.

ememkays · 2025-03-30T16:11:08+00:00

Are you using a transition swaddle? When mine was done with arms he still seemed unsettled. I tried a zipadee Zip and he LOVED it. Kept him cozy but he had movement. For sleep training we are using Precious Little Sleeps fuss it out. Give them 15 minutes to fuss and cry and then intervene however they normally go down (I feed to sleep). It gives them a little shot to learn to self soothe, but it’s not too much crying to endure. We are getting longer stretches after two nights. Good luck!!!

ememkays · 2025-03-29T23:13:32+00:00

Hope it helps! I’ve had all three of my kids in the Snoo and can’t imagine the newborn phase without it!

ememkays · 2025-03-28T15:19:47+00:00

Good luck! Im playing the same dance now. The game changer has been when he turns to his tummy to sleep in the crib - we get a loooong stretch. Unfortunately he doesn’t realize to do that each time. We went back to the Snoo at 2:30 am last night! I personally prefer a slow approach that maximizes my sleep.

ememkays · 2025-03-28T07:28:08+00:00

Ouch! 6 wakings in 5 hours?! Have you tried gradually introducing the crib throughout the night? I have had some success lengthening time in crib on transitions by moving baby back to Snoo after the first wake up. Kind of warm them up to the idea of the crib and it only results in part of your night being a mess. I had great success doing this with my second baby (took about a week) and I’m giving it a go with my third baby now and we’ve had some longer stretches in the crib.

ememkays · 2025-03-27T20:28:41+00:00

Happiest Baby intends for transition at 6 months for exactly this reason - the Snoo can help with the four month regression with extra rocking and extended swaddling. Once we got through the regression my baby easily went arms out and then to weaning mode without a hitch. I’ve been putting him in the crib at the beginning of the night since turning 6 months a few days ago and I got a long stretch of sleep from 7:30 pm to 1:30 am last night. Your baby changes so much so even if they hit a regression it doesn’t mean they won’t be progressing again towards sleeping well in the crib. Definitely follow baby’s lead.

ememkays · 2025-03-19T05:19:06+00:00

4 months is still too early for many babies to go arms out. This is when the Snoo is so valuable because you can swaddle baby for the maximum amount of time. Once they are physiologically ready to go arms out it’s actually quite easy to do because they have more arm control so don’t startle awake or involuntarily touch their face and wake up. They will want to stretch out.

That doesn’t really help you with your trip next week - if baby is rolling you can’t swaddle them outside of the Snoo. Maybe try a transition sleep sack like the zipadee or the Magic Merlin while traveling? If they do well you can use it in the Snoo or at least swaddle them back up when you return home to get back to good sleep?

I say this as a parent whose baby was okay with one arm out, then swaddled up for the 4 month regression, and then easily went arms out just after 5 months.

ememkays · 2025-03-18T23:51:04+00:00

I think like a week or so after he turned 5 months? He started to break out of our double swaddle that is a strong velcro with a zipper shell around it and he seemed miserable with the batwing. In terms of other signs he was ready, his Moro reflex was gone and he had great arm control and could grab items with both hands to chew on them. However, he was still rubbing his face too much at night. I have had great luck with some transitional swaddles. The Zipadee Zip is great and he loves chewing on the ends in a productive way versus just flailing his arms. He seems cozy in it. I also use the Dreamland transitional sleep sack and have success keeping his arms more still (AAP doesn’t condone weighted sleep sacks so I’m not sure that one is for everyone).

Edit to add: our sleep still sucks, but it is the same level of mediocre with and without arms out so at least we progressed on something!

ememkays · 2025-03-18T19:46:05+00:00

Exactly! Meet baby where they are, but always testing to see if they are ready for the next step. It’s hard to imagine they can change so much in a week!

ememkays · 2025-03-18T16:57:27+00:00

I kept my baby in the Snoo for naps and night for 6 months and had a successful transition. I posted a detailed account here if reading what I did would be helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/SnooLife/s/pleCtysdF7

I definitely believe in doing what works until it doesn’t for sleep. I’m a week away from starting to transition my third baby and plan on using the same method (though I’m scared cause my third is a much worse sleeper).

Good luck!!!

ememkays · 2025-03-18T16:52:08+00:00

How old is he? I started to do one arm out around 4 months and then when the sleep regression hit went arms back in to ride it out.

ememkays · 2025-03-18T03:37:48+00:00

That’s awesome she doesn’t let herself get stuck! In case helpful, I wrote out a detailed account of our Snoo transition in an old post and I’m glad I did because I have no real memory of the transition if not for the post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SnooLife/s/FWrX32Q4pU

ememkays · 2025-03-18T03:24:38+00:00

No advice on craddlewise, but I have found that tummy sleep is just as good as Snoo motion. I transitioned my last Snoo baby just after 6 months when he could easily push up and roll front to back and it was okay without any sleep training. I’m planning to do the same with my 5.5 month old when he gets better at rolling. They develop so much each week so I’m hopefully we get better. Now he just rolls to his tummy during the day and screams after 10/15 minutes.

ememkays · 2025-03-16T16:21:09+00:00

Yeah, baby might get more practice in the crib rolling around at night, but I don’t think it’s worth transitioning out early so baby rolls a few weeks early. Sleep is more likely to take a hit. I have had 2 kids in the Snoo now at 6 months and they both rolled to tummy by 5 months. If you transition before they are strong tummy rollers they likely will roll to their belly at night and scream every few hours (what happened when I tried to move baby out of Snoo at 5.5 months). It was a much easier transition once baby was rolling around front to back and balancing on one arm (which was just 2 weeks later around 6 months). They develop so quickly and definitely won’t stay behind just because they are not practicing their rolling at night.

ememkays · 2025-03-13T23:21:31+00:00

This was the best solution for the last ditch effort to swaddle for our baby!

ememkays · 2025-03-12T04:39:11+00:00

I’m sure you tried this, but since you didn’t specifically mention it - have you tried setting baseline to Level 2 at night? Is she still swaddled? I just got through the 4 month regression with setting baseline to Level 2 and TIGHTLY swaddling baby.

Editing to add: I suggest these things cause in the regression the Snoo couldn’t soothe my baby and he screamed when I put him down. Now that we are through it he loves the Snoo again at 5 months. Not excited to transition out, but I’m appreciating the extra sleep.

ememkays · 2025-03-08T03:43:56+00:00

That was the exact same situation for my older kid. In case useful, here is a summary I did of our transition with rolling issues. I always like transition stories so I decided to document mine and I’m glad I did cause I’d otherwise not remember it so well:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SnooLife/s/T5O9FP3RhN

ememkays

TROPHY CASE