Another day of reworking things. Here is the original look of this doll, but since making it I learned so much from Mimi about how to embroider that the original face was no longer okay with me. Today I took out the embroidery on her face and gave her some new features along with a bit of brown wool felt hair peeking out from under her cap. I feel better about her now. Tomorrow she will be on her way to Magpie in Davis Square, Somerville, along with seven other pieces. I feel good knowing she is going off into the world with her eyes open.
Last night I went to hear Dr. Richard Ferber speak to the Wellesley Mother’s Forum. I know that Ferber sparks strong feelings in people and I hope you’ll forgive me when I say that I LOVE Ferber. Seriously. I may be his biggest fan. I got his book, Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems, when Roxanne was three months old. Actually, I ordered it from Amazon at 4:00 am after being up nursing and comforting her for the fourth time that night. When it arrived, I read chapter 5 and got right to work. That Friday night (we chose a Friday so that Charlie could be tired and not have to go to work the next day) we put her down for the night in her crib and when she woke up during the night we simply didn’t go in. She cried for about 20 minutes four different times during the night and woke up in the morning happy as a clam. And she never woke up at night again. That was it. 6:00 pm – 6:30 am. Through teething and learning to walk and weaning at a year. And it worked even though Roxanne was only 4 pounds at birth and not yet 12 pounds at three months.
Stella is a totally different child. Calm and even where Roxanne is anxious and worried. She crawls and is physically active when Roxanne just sat until 14 months. But I sleep trained her the same way, at three months, and it worked just the same. It took one night and she was golden. I sing her a song and put her in her crib at 6:00 pm and walk out of the room until 6:30 the next morning.
This method allowed me to rest, to be a better mother because I was well-rested, and to spend their nap time sewing instead of sleeping. It meant that Charlie and I could go out on a Saturday night and know that the sitter would never even meet the baby because she’d be asleep and stay asleep the whole time we were gone. It gave us the evening to have some time for ourselves.
Ferber was really low-key and scientific and even a bit funny in person. I am so thankful to him for figuring out how infants and children sleep and telling us about it. Like I said, I might be his biggest fan.
I hope I make it to Magpie in time:)
I’m with you with the sleep needs. It makes for a happier brighter child. Love the doll.
The doll is stupendous. Just darling. And Dr. Ferber doesn’t sound so bad himself!
Wow. That’s all I can say. I remember the original doll, and loved her then. Her new face gives her a completely different character. It’s why I’m so afriad of putting on faces, it can make or break a doll. Or in your case, make or make different.
I’m glad that the Ferber method worked so well for you! I wouldn’t say I have strong feelings about Dr. Ferber, but his method didn’t work for us despite valiant and dedicated tries. We eventually came up with a method that worked, and I’m definitely with you, a well-rested mama (via whatever method works for you and your child) makes a huge difference.
Fabulous doll! I love it.
I’m quite a Ferber fan myself! Saved by sanity with a 9 mo old who rarely slept more than 2 hrs in a row.
the little girl looks great! I love her face- she looks ready to face the world and Davis Sq.! Great fabric combinations too.
Ahhh, we did it Mother’s Day 2003. Best gift ever! I’ve never quite understood where the hatred of him comes from. He’s a saint in my book!
Oh yes, Big J never saw the babysitter until he was almost 3 years old. Sleep training was a lifesaver. =)
Cute little flapper girl.
we did sleep training with both of our girls. and thank goodness! they are still great sleepers at 5 and 7.
love the doll – she is so sweet!
What a sweet doll…gorgeous face. Looks like an heirloom. And HOORAY for sleeping babies! I sleep trained mine as well.
wow, she’s gorgeous! i was loving the kangaroo, now this too. lovely, personable work as usual. oh, and congratulations!
Congrats to you on your “Ferber-ing.” NOTHING is more important than sleep when it comes to dealing with children day in and day out…sleep for children and in turn sleep for parents!!!
I covet that doll!
What I have noticed repeatedly about anti-Ferberers is that they all have babies who will sleep using some other method. It’s always easiest to judge when one has not walked in another’s shoes. I pity my anti-sleep training friends with two year olds who still demand to be nursed all night long. Viva la Ferber!
The doll’s new face is amazing! It completely changes her – I think that the old face was cute whilst the new one is sassy – and flappers I am sure were sassy!
Beautiful doll! I’m so inspired by the work you do, and the embroidery on the face is just gorgeous.
And just to provide a little balance, I’m (like countless others) not a Ferber fan, and I’ll explain respectively why. Babies cry at night because they trust that someone will respond– when no one responds,(sleep training), they stop crying, but because the instinctive trust has been broken. Babies are quick learners. Of course parents need to sleep, but this is a comparatively unnatural way to achieve it when you realize that most of the world does not do this to their babies.
I went through a horrible period of sleep deprivation with my oldest- and was seriously tempted to ‘Ferberize’, but instead chose to cosleep, which helped a lot. There was still no sleeping through the night though, until he was 3, then it was smooth sailing. Just wanted to illustrate that not all of us non-Ferbers have perfect sleepers!
Not a criticism, just another perspective- I think all Mamas are superheroes and deserve support not negativity!
love the doll
my little guy started sleeping through the night at 11 weeks… he just got the night and day thing.