Stat!

So... I love statistics. I like to be able to collect information over time, and see how patterns emerge. I never would have thought I'd like something like that, but at a macro level, seeing as how I like to be able to control things - or rather, how I don't like chaos and so I try to control my environment to minimize chaos - you had to know that eventually I'd find a product that allowed me to track Jackson's data. Poops, peeps, sleep, awake, boobie snax, pumping, freezer inventory... oh my! www.trixietracker.com

They have a free service that tracks diapers only. I'm currently taking advantage of their free trial, but when you pay for 6 months in advance the cost comes out to $4 a month. There's another one I tried that's free (www.babybix.com), but their charts and ability to print out reports for your pediatrician aren't as robust as trixietracker.

The best part of the Trixie Tracker is the charting feature. You can look at sleep patterns in a probability chart and also in a scatter plot. Over larger periods of time, patterns will (or rather, should) emerge, so you can better predict when your baby will take naps or go to sleep...

As you can see from the scatter plot, right now, Jackson's daily naps are not predictable. If they were, you'd see a lot of dots clustered together. I'm hoping that by tracking the data over time, some semblance of a pattern will emerge, and I'll be able to better standardize his morning and afternoon naps. Then, I'll be able to better plan times to go places, because I'll be able to schedule our travel around Jackson's naps. Right now, it's a crap shoot. In part, I think he's not sure of his own schedule - he sleeps when he's tired. Already though I've seen a slight pattern - when he naps, he does so for about 45 minutes to an hour, and there is about a 2 hour span between naps. I can't set my watch to this though... Not like his bedtime when like clockwork he's asleep between 7:00 and 7:30pm.

Why would a parent want this, besides the neat-o factor of statistics? Well, I'm hoping that besides nap regulation, I'll also be able to see if he has a bathroom habits pattern... I'm hoping that knowing his peeps and poops schedule, I'll be able to better predict when he needs to go potty - hopefully that will come in handy when it's time to potty train.

Wanna see what's going on with Jackson in real time? Do you really want to see information about all of his poops and peeps diapers? How about a scatter plot with the past few days' worth of sleep schedules? Want to know which boobie he ate from before bedtime?? I don't want to be one of those parents that gives friends too much information via my facebook status, but if you really do want that information, you can log on and see how Jackson's doing, and if he had a blowout poop today. Visit http://go.trixietracker.com/site/jacksonfrancis. The guest password is "stowaway"