Thanks for all the kind words on Teddy’s arrival last week. We’re home now and settling into life as parents to a newborn again (anyone have tips for getting one to sleep between the hours of 10pm and 4am?), so we’ll definitely be on a lighter schedule, but one project that we rushed to check off the to-do list around 48 hours before Teddy was born was finally sealing our kitchen’s recently Ardexed counters.
We’ve shared a few other “how to seal” tutorials (like this one about de-hazing & sealing tile, this one about sealing grout, and this one about sealing cork) so here’s what we settled on for protecting our Ardex counters.
We read a bunch of the-sealing-step-could-make-or-break-them posts when it comes to Adrex, so we resisted the urge to rush into anything, and we used some of your input on our March 24th post to help select which sealers to research a little more and eventually track down (we had to order one from Amazon). In the end, our method of choice was two coats of 511 Impregnator Sealer which we bought from Amazon followed by three coats of Safecoat Acrylacq which we had on hand from ordering it previously (those are affiliate links).
The Impregnator’s job was to seal the concrete – against staining and moisture absorption – and it was very easy to apply. The water-like consistency made it easy to spread, so I poured a bit in a bowl and then brushed it onto the clean concrete surface liberally.
The instructions say to wipe off any excess after a few minutes, but I found most of mine absorbed into the concrete pretty quickly. But as a shameless rule follower, I wiped nonetheless. It looks darker and splotchier than it did after it dried in this picture (since it was mid application) but after it all soaked in it was pretty much back to its original color.
We applied that twice (24 hours apart) and then gave that last coat 24 hours to cure before moving on to the last step, which was top-sealing with the Acrylacq. The great thing about using Safecoat as a top-coat in a kitchen environment is that it’s non-toxic and 100% food-safe. This would also seal the counter against stains and moisture (liquid would bead up on the surface instead of absorbing and making rings) and create a nice polished look that’s protective against chipping or scratching. I went rogue with this stuff and just poured a small puddle onto the surface and spread that thinly across the counters with a brush.
We use Acrylacq a lot, so we’re familiar with it (I’m no longer alarmed by the blue-ish tint that it puts on the surface while it’s still wet).
We applied a second and then a third coat of the Acrylacq, just to be safe (letting it dry about 12 hours between each one). Then we let it cure for three full days before putting anything on it, even though it was dry to the touch much sooner than that. Although the Acrylacq was just a “satin” finish, it made the surface significantly glossier than the chalky finish the original Ardex had left. I realize that sounds like I was disappointed, but it’s great.
Not only does the glossier finish make it feel more like a shiny stone countertop (and less like a chalky DIY job) it also protects the counters much more from spills/stains. No longer do drips leave longstanding discolorations on the surface (picture water soaking into a concrete walkway outside and looking dark for hours). Now spills and splatters just bead up and can be wiped away without any trace.
We also read that some sealers show a lot of scratches, but so far we haven’t had any show up, even after cooking some big family meals and sliding some heavy dishes around to serve things. So it seems as if this mix of sealers yields a nice stone-like look that’s food-safe, scratch-resistant, and makes liquids bead up instead penetrating – at least so far.
My only complaint about our sealing results is that the glossier finish makes it slightly easier to see imperfections in the counter’s surface, namely areas where I should’ve sanded things a bit smoother during the Ardex application step (just like how glossy paint will accentuate imperfections in walls, this follows the same principle). Sherry is quicker to embrace these imperfections as par for the concrete counter course (“they’re supposed to look like that”) but the perfectionist in me just sees areas that I could have smoothed out a little more before sealing. Either way we’re both ecstatic to finally have everything back on our counters and be able to use our kitchen again like normal people. And it’s definitely a huge step up from the old yellow laminate that we had before.
Note: There have been people who’ve asked if we’d like to paint those bottom cabinets now that the counters are done, which is always a possibility, but for now we’re a lot more distracted by things like that faux brick linoleum flooring – so that’s at the top of our list.
There are still some things I’d like to improve about my Ardex-ing technique (namely sanding more smoothly) but generally I’m really happy with how it all turned out. Especially how the sealing step turned it into a much more finished feeling surface.
Aside from a few the-family-is-in-town-to-meet-a-new-baby meals, we haven’t used the kitchen like crazy yet, so we’ll definitely keep you posted on how it wears. Whether stains get through and we get scratches galore, or things stay pretty darn similar to how they look now, we’ll definitely share some updated detail shots in a few months time.
UPDATE: We shared how the counters are holding up here for ya!
Has anyone else used the same mix of sealers? Or had good (or bad) luck with another combo? Feel free to share those details here for anyone who might be tackling this soon. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a photo comparison that a bunch of you guys have requested. Here’s Teddy at four days old:
And here’s Clara’s when she was around three weeks old in the same pose. They seem to have identical (extra long) fingers and toes, the same invisible blonde eyebrows, and the same tiny little chin – but Clara had a lot less hair. This Clara picture and this Teddy picture are probably the closest comparison so far (in real life we think they look related – but not quite like twins).
Now about those tips for getting a newborn to sleep between the hours of 10pm and 4am. We’re all ears…
JennP says
We were lucky with our first. She just fell into a natural day/night schedule. Our second was not like that at all. It wasn’t even that she had it backwards. She just didn’t sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time for several weeks. I don’t think it’s really worth stressing over a schedule until there is one noticeably longer stretch of sleep, then keep them awake long enough to nudge it towards the middle of the night. Both of my kids were sleeping 10-12 hours through the night by 6 months, but it happened much more easily for our first than our second!
Kati says
All these tips are great! I will add one: Pray! Can’t not help to ask the man upstairs for some properly-timed sleep dust. :-)
I love the counter tops- especially in combo with the dark cabinets. Good job!
So the Acrylac dries clear? I sanded and painted our previously poop-brown dining table to a nice, glossy white. Even though the paint guy said it was wipeable, I don’t really think the paint we got was up for the job – stains set quickly and I’ve had to bleach it to get it back to white. (Maybe it’s really for cabinetry, not table tops?) I’m thinking of bleaching it, putting a final coat of paint on it, and then sealing with the acrylac so it’s stain-proof and wipeable – would you go that route? I’m praying for a speedy recovery for you, $herdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I wouldn’t go super thick with it (thin and even coats = the best) – it could get a little cloudy if it’s too thick. But three thin and even coats seems to be our favorite MO which works well for us.
xo
s
Jill says
Looks fantastic!!
Don’t let me be the Debbie downer, but I have a 15 month old who still does not sleep. Ever. She wakes up 3-4 times a night. My husband and I work full time, I haven’t slept in almost two years. Lol.
I do also recommend the fisher price rock n play. My daughter did actually sleep in that for long stretches of time, though I had to stop using it when she was mobile. Around five months old. Man, I miss that thing. Sigh, lemme get a tissue for my tears. Lol.
Nicola Blake says
Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle and also warm baths before bed. This worked for our baby 8 years ago!
Rochelle says
First, congratulations! He’s adorable! What a special time for your sweet family. :-)
About that sleeping…
1. Keep all lights and stimulation to a minimum at night. Eventually he’ll get it.
2. Does Teddy like movement? Some babies just do. (We have 3 kids, and some just need that movement like when they were inside Mom.) we loved the Mamaroo swing. Spendy, but sure to re-sell for a good price. It has a white noise machine built in! Plus, this swing is rated for newborns and can be reclined enough to accommodate their floppy necks.
3. Try a tight swaddle. Happiest Baby on the Block was our saving grace.
Good luck and hang in there! Time seems to accelerate even more with the arrival of #2!
xoxo
Heather says
Congrats on the new addition! He is adorable! So, if I remember correctly with Clara I think you started her in her crib right away. My daughter was a preemie and the docs told us they wanted us to have her in our room within arms reach for the beginning, so we started her in a bassinett, but she still wasn’t sleeping much. I was completely against co-sleeping in the beginning, but I got desperate and, what do you know, it worked like a charm. I think it literally taught her how to sleep because I would see her mimicing my eyes closing. I was terrified it would mean she would be sleeping in our bed for years, but at 4 months we transitioned her into her crib in her own room and she is doing great in there now (5 months old this week)! Hopefully that at least gives you another idea to consider, good luck! http://mommyandmephotoproject.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/week-6-never-say-never/
Nickie says
I know there is a lot of controversy, but our LO would only sleep on his tummy. We tried and tried to get him to sleep on his back, but he just WOULD NOT do it! We had a bassinet in our bedroom where he slept beside us. And our nurses told us he had really great head control, so we went with it. Our daughter was similar. IF that makes you too nervous-maybe try co sleeping for the early weeks – and then make the transition to the crib! Good luck! He is adorable!
Meredith says
I have 4 daughters, all who are champion sleepers. My best advice is to put the newborn “to bed” when you go to bed. Don’t put them down for the night at 7 or 8. That’s nuts. I never understand that. Now is time for sanity, not a “it’s a school night” schedule. We have the best memories of chilling on the couch watching letterman while snuggling a baby. So if you get them to bed at 11 or so, then they wake around 2-3. This 11-3 ish stretch eventually becomes 11-4 and as this stretch gets longer move bedtime earlier. By 6-8 weeks all my babies were sleeping 10ish-5ish, wake once to eat, then back to sleep until 8 it so. By 12-14 weeks or so they are sleeping 10 hours. I am 4 for 4 doing this. This is my experience I’ve never read a sleep book but it makes sense to me. Now because this has worked so well I don’t mind the newborn wake ups early on because it is such a tender time to love and nurture your baby. But I also know it’s temporary. If I was still getting up all night for months or even years I might lose it. My other great advice? I’m the one nursing. So Steve can go get the baby. When I hear the cry in the monitor (why does he not hear??) I kick him and he pops up and gets the baby. When I’m done I kick him again and he takes her back to bed. It’s a perfect system. :-)
Olivia says
DARN it!
Let him stay at the breast and dream feed all evening. Set yourself up with water, remotes, laptop, snacks and camp on the couch. He will be more likely to go longer stretches. See kellymom.com for more tip regarding cluster feeding.
-happiest baby has great tips re: swaddling etc.
-keep him near you at night. I know you had great success with Clara in the crib from early on, but different strokes for different folks. He may take longer to transition to crib. Not the end of the world. ;)
-most importantly, be kind to yourselves. It’s a new gig wrangling 2 kiddos. You’re doing great!
Xx Olivia
Constance says
This – yes, Olivia! Love the “different strokes” and “be kind to yourselves”
Marissa says
Oh man. I wish I had some sleeping tips. My two and a half year old JUST started sleeping through the night. But in those early days, this book was a HUGE HELP. My son actually followed this pattern for his first 18 months or so:
http://www.amazon.com/The-90-Minute-Baby-Sleep-Program/dp/0761143114
In a nutshell, new babies have a natural 90 minute sleep cycle, and are ready to sleep after 90 minutes of wake time (as they get older, they can stay up for 2 sleep cycles, i.e. 3 hours) and a well-rested baby sleeps better at night.
Now about that newborn… I wish my computer was scratch and sniff so I could smell his sweet newborn scent! He’s just perfect. Congratulations on making another beautiful, healthy baby!
Angie says
From a non-cosleeping perspective (nothing against it, we just don’t do it!) I would do down a list. I would nurse and if that didn’t do the trick, I would walk the darkened hall up and down, then I would *try* the swaddle but he really mostly just hated it from day one, and then I would repeat. Eventually one of those things worked, usually nursing, and usually within about 30-45 minutes. By the time he was three weeks old (he is six months now), it was between 5-10 minutes. He doesn’t need any of that now other than nursing and he is an amazing sleeper! In his crib between 8:30-9 and sleeping until around twelve hours with brief waking to nurse about 3-4 times a night. I am a rare but well slept mama. :) Congrats on your sweet boy!
Cathy says
Sorry, but that precious baby distracted me from the countertops. After 3 kids I’ve learned to refrain from offering tips, because as soon as I would make some public declaration of what works (based on our experience with one child) the next would thumb his/her nose at that technique. Pride cometh before the fall. But I can definitely say with confidence that you WILL sleep again! Congrats on your beautiful baby boy!
Rachel says
My second son would only sleep on me the first several nights, so I slept propped up with pillows on the sofa with him on my chest. After a couple of nights I would put him in his swing (we have a small travel swing) but still sleep on the sofa in case. It took a couple of weeks, but he did eventually sleep in his crib. (Up until the last couple of weeks – he’s just turned one – he was a big time mama’s boy, so I think he just wanted to be snuggled close to me and not in a big cold crib.)
Teri says
Counters look great! My neighbor has been wanting to do this, so I just sent her the link.
Teddy is so cute!! When my son was a baby, we had a terrible time sleeping. I don’t know is this is proven or not, but I always found that adding some background noise at night time helped my kiddos sleep. For my son, we used a sweet lullaby CD set for constant repeat. For my daughter, a fan turned away from her. My theory is that the baby is used to the internal sounds of momma all day and night. Once they come out, I imagine it is extremely quiet for them. Adding a little noise maker or mood setting sleep music may help (or may not). I think it did the trick for us.
Kristen Brown says
Teddy is so adorable! Love all the hair! I’m so glad everything went smoothly this time around. I’ve worked with several families with twins to help them sleep through the night. My two go-to items are a sound machine (preferably with different noises) and a swaddle (miracle blanket is my favorite). The hardest thing for a baby is helping them know the difference between day and night. I usually communicate this multiple ways.
1. Wrapping their arms in the swaddle at night only. This is assuming that the baby enjoys it. I would keep the arms out during the day.
2. I would play different noises on the sound machine for night and day. Ocean at night and birds chirping during the day. Those are examples of course. Each sound machine is different.
3. I would talk and sing a lot to them during and between feedings during the day. In general be very interactive. At night I would try to only use a small night light to get around and try not to engage too much.
Of course every baby is different. Hopefully he’ll start sleeping better soon!
Kate says
You guys are NOT helping my resolve to wait for another year before we try for #2…. lol.
Anyway… We took shifts sleeping the first week and a half. Our little one refused to sleep at night if one of us wasn’t holding her, so I would stay up as late as I could (usually 3 or 4 am) and then I’d wake my husband up to stay with her. It got better after that and she started sleeping (swaddled, in the “newborn napper” of the pack n play) for a an hour or two at a time.
E.D.R. says
I love the counters! And I love the baby pictures. So cute. My son was born with tons of black hair, and when he was a bit older, it all fell out and blonde peach fuzz grew in. It was funny in the beginning because you couldn’t really see the blonde hair, and there were just a few long, black hairs that crossed his head and made it look like he had a terrible combover. Enjoy your baby time! And, after 3 I have no hints for sleeping, sorry.
Stevie @ Ask Your Dad Blog says
I’m sure others have said it, but inclines. My son (now 18 months) had pretty bad acid reflux; later diagnosed with GIRD which is awesome to say. So we found a lot of his waking was from an upset belly.
As an in-a-few-months tip, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a ‘sit and stand’ stroller. Our two are pretty close in age difference as yours and that thing has been a life saver. It allows the boy to sit comfortably and our daughter can hop in and out as she pleases without us having to get her and in and out every time.
PS – love the counters! I wish I had the home-improvement guts you guys have. But as you’ve mentioned before, you’re not exactly rookies at this point :)
Sarah @ Sarah's Daybook says
I just saw one of your pendants in Real Simple today!!
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/organized-home-00100000102660/page8.html
Sarah
http://www.sarahsdaybook.wordpress.com
YoungHouseLove says
So cool! Thanks for sharing the link Sarah!
xo
s
Andrea B says
Welcome to the world, little man!
Sometimes the only thing that would work for our son was to swaddle him snuggly, grab a paci (once we let him use one), go into the bathroom, turn off the lights (except for a nightlight, if no light seeps through the door), and gently sway/bounce with the shower turned on full force and hum.
Full disclosure: we didn’t discover this trick until he was about 2 months-old, so I don’t know if would have worked on him right off the bat or not.
We’re still battling sleep at almost 4 months … I feel your pain!
Joules (from Pocketful of Joules) says
For sleeping tips, I just followed my son’s cues. If he wanted to sleep in his tilted bouncy chair… then cool, I put it next to my side of the bed. If he preferred sleeping on my tummy on the couch… fine, we both went to sleep. He transitioned into a crib fine and is now a happy 2 year old who will sleep for 13 hour nights with no problems. =)
Emmy says
When I read this line: “The Impregnator’s job was to seal the concrete…” I totally thought it was a reference to John! I guess I was just skimming the actual blog post. I had to go back and read more carefully, but it totally cracked me up! Congrats on the new little one!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Carrie K says
I thought the same….:)
Erika says
As a labor and postpartum doula as well as a mama to a 8 month old that doesn’t like sleep, here is my advice: make peace with his schedule and be good with resting and nourishing yourself. All else can wait.
Seriously. don’t fight the sleep. I think it’s the mental struggle of trying to bend them to OUR schedule that is more exhausting than just going with the flow. Babies didn’t get the memo on when they’re supposed to sleep. They’ll get there.
Aside from that… Nurse.nurse.nurse.nurse
So much love to you. Postpartum is a sacred time and should be respected so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be “normal”. Be kind to yourself. You are doing amazing <3
Sabrina says
Congrats on the new baby, he’s very sweet! I have a 4 1/2 month old whose been sleeping through the night (for the most part) since 9 weeks old, 8pm to 7am. We read a book called 12 hours sleep by 12 weeks old but Suzy Giordano. Its a short little book that we listed to, book on tape, and it changed everything for us! There are lots of reviews about it, some negative, but our pediatrician didn’t see any problems with it, especially since it was working. Hope it helps :)
P.S The swaddleme blankets were also a lifesaver!
Jessica Erin says
Our son was a comfort nurser from Day 1–it was the only way to get him to sleep. It was great for our breastfeeding relationship but terrible for Mama’s sleep! The Arm’s Reach co-sleeper was a lifesaver. Never before did 4 hours of sleep feel so glorious! Hope you figure out what works for your family, and soon. Until then, stay away from the power tools. ;)
Trisha says
1. You’re insane to be answering these comments already. You must be sleepy!
2. The counter tops are a HUGE improvement.
3. Does having concrete counter tops give that feeling of chalkboard when you touch them? That’s what I’ve always thought, but with the glossy top coat maybe they feel like normal counters?
4. He’s still mixed up his days and nights. Theoretically it’ll get better soon. In the mean time, elevate the head in case it’s reflux. Swaddle nice and tight. And buy a white noise machine.
YoungHouseLove says
The counters feel like legit stone (maybe like granite if you close your eyes). I don’t think you could tell a difference after the sealer sets in – although I’m sure it depends on the type of sealer.
xo
s
JEB says
Counters look great.
As for baby sleeping, my SIL had the rock and play and it didn’t help with her baby at all – he honestly just wanted to sleep in arms all the time.
I know you had hoped to keep Teddy in his crib from day 1. But with my 2 kids, they really liked to be close to me, so we used a co-sleeper and it really helped me to get good stretches of sleep. You’ll still be tired, but it made a big difference.
Natalie says
Give a small extra feeding right before “bedtime”. Even if it’s just an oz. or two. Worked for my little one. We would put her down around 10. The extra full belly helped her sleep a full night sleep, with only one wake up in the middle of the night (to eat) and then would go right back down until 6-7am. Eventually she was able to go through the entire night without a mid-night snack!
alex says
I’m assuming you’re BF-ing so, my lactation consultant was a big advocate of ADAMANTLY feeding on the dot every 2-3 hours during the day, waking them up and everything (depending on your schedule, most likely every 2 hours) and not doing on-demand…then by night time after a while, they are usually so tired from eating all day and not sleeping in long stretches, they will adjust to night time…I did this and my month old is now sleeping in 5-6 hour stretches from 9pm-3/4am, waking, eating and right back to bed. It’s what worked for us, good luck!
Katie says
Ha! I totally thought you were calling yourself the “Impregnator” — I missed the part where the product is called that. Oops! Congrats on the new addition!
Amanda says
The counters look great! Thinking about do that in our grill/deck area for a little bar.
The boppy pillow worked for my son. I would cradle him with it under my arm and slowly move him into the center. The warmth of my body on the pillow kept him asleep while I moved him slowly over. We even put in in our bed for naps and he would sleep 5-6 hours in it. Congrats on baby Teddy! He is beautiful!
Jackie says
No impregnator jokes? Y’all must be exhausted! :)
Congrats on the little one! My daughter’s birthday is three days before Clara’s – can’t believe we’ll have a 4-year-old in a few weeks!
Janet says
He. Is. SO. CUTE. Stop making me want another one! :)
As for newborn sleep, the Happiest Baby On the Block book by Dr. Karp is a godsend. The 5 S’s: Swaddle, Sway, Suck, Shush, Side… But swaddling our little girl as tight as possible, holding her on her side, shushing loudly into her ear while she sucked on a pacifier, and bouncing up and down on a yoga ball or swaying always calmed her down and sent her to sleep. Well, 95% of the time. The other 5% we just prayed our apartment neighbors were understanding folk.
Good luck!!
Stacy says
Those counters are gorgeous. I am thinking about suggesting that to my parents who are in need of a serious kitchen reno but can’t afford it.
He is only a few days old so he may just be trying to figure things out. My first wasn’t up as much at night as my 2nd and after reading some of these comments I wish I had known about that rock and play. Good luck!
Beth says
My babies were good sleepers but I don’t know if it was anything I did. I just have to second an above poster who said to make night boring. For night time feedings, I didn’t turn on any lights. Just pick them up, plop into the chair next to the crib, feed, and lay back down. No light, no play, no sound, nothing stimulating.
Laura H says
I will say what everyone else seems to be saying…SWADDLE!!
Or as my husband would say — Baby Burrito! (goes with Bean, Barnacle, Bun, Burger….)
Ranna says
I love the counters! I’m so impressed that you were able to finish them with a newborn…there were days when I couldn’t remember if I brushed my teeth.
I too love the white noise machine. It worked wonders then, and he still uses it every night, (he’s 9 now!)
Thank you for sharing the pictures, and thank you for giving us an update that everyone was okay on his birthday. I’m sure I can speak for many when I say that this is our baby too :-)
Vickie says
Ok here are my tips that worked for me (but who knows how they will work for the next one). They say those first two weeks or so their night/day is flipped so go outside on walks during the daytime in the sun light(which knowing you guys I am sure you already do) to help reset his cycles (who knows if that one actually worked but it made me feel like I was actually doing something to help which helped me mentally ;P). The biggest help for me (as I tried to let it go one day and noticed a big difference that night) was not to let my little one go for more than three hours or so between nursing, even if it meant waking her up. That way she started to save her longer stretches of sleep for the night time.
Hope that helps as I know every baby is different and I am sure you are trying things that worked for Clara too. Sending positive vibes and sleepy night time vibes to Teddy :)
And BTW, the countertops look great but not as great as Teddy of course! :)
Julee Shaffer says
We have a 6 mo old that didn’t like to sleep at night. We found that I had to stop breast milk because it made her belly upset(that broke my heart) and pump orchestra music at night. After that she has slept like an angel. Hope you have good luck soon!! Its the pits when they don’t sleep!
Mija Ryer says
My advice:
By the time he is 15 he will be wanting to sleep until noon and ignore you. Find time to enjoy the sleep deprivation; life only gets more normal from here on out.
xo
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Love all the tips guys :)
xo
s
Leona says
Sadly, no tips for sleeping babies, but I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only sharing your homes with us but your babies too! They are both so beautiful! Congratulations!
Danielle says
My little girl had “colic”, and my husband worked the midnight shift, so I was left to deal with her at night.
My tips…she slept best in her car seat. So I would put it next to my bed and when she would fuss, I would rock the car seat. Worked pretty well and it was the only way I could get more than 2 hours sleep a night.
Good luck guys!!
rachel says
Baby is almost asleep in the afternoon… Quick change your clocks to 10pm
Aspen@little green orchids says
A few tips I’m remembering from newborn days:
try to make the nighttime routine different from daytime naps. (Swaddle at night, add white noise, maybe some lavender essential oil on the swaddle, keep the lights as low as humanly possible during night feedings, and no talking to thbaby during night feeldings.) At night try to behave as if it’s the middle of the night. Quiet, dark, and efficient. Not play time. :) and the opposite during the day. My little one had a completely backwards schedule when she was born but within about two weeks we had it corrected. :) establishing a bedtime routine from the start is really helpful. A little warm water on a washcloth, a lullaby, saying goodnight, pitch black room, white noise, etc. Even a baby just a few weeks old can start to see a pattern there. Congratulations! He’s just beautiful.
Tara says
Both of my kids sleep 12-15 hours. My daughter is 7months, breastfed, and started sleeping thru the night (9+hrs) at around 3 months. My son was on a super tight schedule. He was a nicu baby and came home with it. He started STTN at about 3 months as well. Ive realized its really about teaching them day vs night and making sure they get full feedings. With my daughter, to give myself a morning break early on i would pump and give her a bottle. That lasted for about 2ish weeks.
Carol says
We are about to do our own Ardex concrete countertops and are currently looking into different avenues for sealer and stain! Did you use Ardex Feather Finish for yours? I love the fact that your sealer is non toxic and 100% food safe. Do you know if they have a version that doesn’t make it so shiny?
Thanks! And good luck with the lil guy :) As you already know, they grow entirely TOO fast!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we used Feather Finish on ours, and I do think Safecoat might make a flat/matte version. Maybe google it to see if you can find it?
xo
s
Erin K. says
I’ve been waiting for this post! I can’t wait to do my counters. I keep telling people about the concept, but I want to give it a try myself just to see how it works.
All of my hinges are now ORB, so with your suggestions, my little house is on it’s way to looking better.
Teddy is very cute. It was good to hear his birth was not as scary as Clara’s. I know you were worried…heck I was worried. Keep up the good work!
Sarah Kate says
My 2nd baby had her days and nights mixed up at first and would take lovely long naps during the day but was up all night. We parked her in the bouncy seat in front of a sunny window during the day and made sure to wake her up often to eat, and soon, she start getting the message to take those long naps at night! Well, “long” for a newborn, so like 2-3 hours ;) Good luck and congrats!!
Joanna @ thenestbook says
Hi! I’m so glad to see that you went with a very similar sealing process to mine just for the fact that my counters have held up so well for 4+ months now! With no staining still! Good call on the Safecoat. I may use that when I re-seal. They look amazing. Enjoy them! And enjoy your sweet little man!
http://www.thenestbook.com/2014/03/25/diy-idea-concrete-kitchen-counters/
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds awesome!
xo
s
Nikki says
OMG I just love the picture comparision. It’s spot on. I hope ya’ll enjoy your family time and I stalk your instagram at least twice a day in hopes of pictures of Clara and now Teddy. SO sweet.