One thing I wasn't at all prepared for was the enormous amount of guesswork that is involved with parenting. Before Henry was born, in those blissful daydreams of one day having a family I imagined myself with a crying baby on my hands and somehow just knowing what to do about it. "Oh, he's hungry" or "Oh, he's tired." While some level of that is true, more often than not you have to go through the laundry list of possibilities before hitting the nail on the head. Many times the ailment is not even on your laundry list and that's when you need to get creative, which leads me to the thoughts of this post.
Humor me.
1) The latest theory revolves around what I'm told Henry could hear in utero. They say, "they" being the experts on child development, that Henry was able to hear certain tones while in the womb. This leads experts to hypothesize why a newborn baby will instantly react to his parent's voices, having heard them already for many months. However, I'm inclined to think that somehow the sound of the dogs clinking dog tags did not make it through the barrier of amniotic fluid because I swear that sound is piercing to Henry's baby ears. He will sleep through the dogs barking their heads off, but should the dogs shake their head causing a jingle bell effect anywhere near his sleeping head, game over. Sweet naptime is cut short. Solution: tag silencers (yes, they sell these) for the dogs, maybe?
2) Finding the perfect sleep temperature and sleeping outfit. Last night Henry slept like crap and I'm inclined to think it might be because I had him in a fleece shirt and fleece swaddle. I want to believe all that fleece was just too hot for him, because this morning during our bleary eyed first morning diaper change I noticed his hands were clammy. Sorry baby! Tonight we'll do less fleece, more cotton.
3) Bath time equals awesome napping. For the last two days Henry and I have done a mid day bath, as a result of Henry no longer screaming bloody murder during his dunk (thank you GOD!) Yesterday we just had a soak in warm water, no soap, because I don't want to dry out his skin. I swear the "spa treatment" resulted both days in a monster afternoon nap.
I'm going to keep adding to this list as I discover new theories, because I'm sure it will be hysterical to look back on them months from now and laugh at what a dough brain I was for thinking them. Should I theorize about something that might be detrimental to my son's health, please speak up, okay? Sleep deprivation makes one think funny sometimes.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
My love is like a tight swaddle
Last night as I was nursing Henry I was thinking about the things we use every day, without fail. The SwaddleMe®
is so much a part of our day-to-day living I equate them with diapers, you just need them on hand.
Often I'll hear of moms who say their child just didn't like to be swaddled. I'm willing to bet if I had my hands on that child I could get him/her to love it. After watching Dr. Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block (DVD)
(Another product recommendation, especially for those very first few weeks) I came to understand swaddles are supposed to be TIGHT. Tighter than you, as a new parent might feel comfortable with, but believe me it was tight in that old uterus of yours and the swaddle is like a return to the familiar for your babe.
So wrap him or her up like an overstuffed bean burrito and know it does a baby good.
is so much a part of our day-to-day living I equate them with diapers, you just need them on hand.Often I'll hear of moms who say their child just didn't like to be swaddled. I'm willing to bet if I had my hands on that child I could get him/her to love it. After watching Dr. Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block (DVD)
(Another product recommendation, especially for those very first few weeks) I came to understand swaddles are supposed to be TIGHT. Tighter than you, as a new parent might feel comfortable with, but believe me it was tight in that old uterus of yours and the swaddle is like a return to the familiar for your babe.So wrap him or her up like an overstuffed bean burrito and know it does a baby good.
broke the golden rule
I should have known better, I really should have. In yesterday's post I was bragging about how predictable Henry is with his first sleeping stretch. I broke the golden rule of motherhood, "Thou shall not speak of your child's sleep habits." Payback is that he was up at 10pm (which is totally unusual for him)....and 1:15, and 3:30, and 5:15 and 6:30. Rockstar.
Quite honestly Henry has been a total pill since Christmas Eve. I think the holiday threw him for a loop either that or he's going through a growth spurt. The latter hypothesis elicits a smirk from my husband who says, "It seems like he's always going through a growth spurt." Its true. When you can't figure it out, blame growing. Damn growing, I shake my fist at you.
Even as I type this, for the last hour and a half Henry has been cranking every 5-10 minutes making me into a jack-in-the-box trying to soothe him. Well at least the constant up and down is a good leg workout. See? There is ALWAYS a silver lining.
In efforts to not lose my mind I'm always trying to think of what can be adjusted to make improvements. I swear as long as I feel like I'm being proactive I won't lose all hope. I mean, he HAS to sleep through the night sometime, right?
Anyways, the new theory that is striking a chord with me is Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep , Stay Asleep, And Wake Up Happy. Kim West, the Sleep Lady, seems to have devised a plan that is a kinder, gentler "cry it out." Basically Henry has turned to nursing as his preferred method of soothing himself and I, the nervous first time mother have enabled this. As a result, Henry can't put himself back to sleep and I've done nothing to teach him how to do it. Kim West assures me that Henry will not starve to death if I let him go 4-5 hours overnight (especially at this age) which was music to my ears. So starting tonight I'm going to soothe him crib-side (but NOT pick him up!) if he wakes before he's due to eat. It probably won't be a good first night, these things take time, but we're hoping that by New Years we'll have a new sleeper on our hands. Pray for me people...and send me strength.
Quite honestly Henry has been a total pill since Christmas Eve. I think the holiday threw him for a loop either that or he's going through a growth spurt. The latter hypothesis elicits a smirk from my husband who says, "It seems like he's always going through a growth spurt." Its true. When you can't figure it out, blame growing. Damn growing, I shake my fist at you.
Even as I type this, for the last hour and a half Henry has been cranking every 5-10 minutes making me into a jack-in-the-box trying to soothe him. Well at least the constant up and down is a good leg workout. See? There is ALWAYS a silver lining.
In efforts to not lose my mind I'm always trying to think of what can be adjusted to make improvements. I swear as long as I feel like I'm being proactive I won't lose all hope. I mean, he HAS to sleep through the night sometime, right?
Anyways, the new theory that is striking a chord with me is Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep , Stay Asleep, And Wake Up Happy. Kim West, the Sleep Lady, seems to have devised a plan that is a kinder, gentler "cry it out." Basically Henry has turned to nursing as his preferred method of soothing himself and I, the nervous first time mother have enabled this. As a result, Henry can't put himself back to sleep and I've done nothing to teach him how to do it. Kim West assures me that Henry will not starve to death if I let him go 4-5 hours overnight (especially at this age) which was music to my ears. So starting tonight I'm going to soothe him crib-side (but NOT pick him up!) if he wakes before he's due to eat. It probably won't be a good first night, these things take time, but we're hoping that by New Years we'll have a new sleeper on our hands. Pray for me people...and send me strength.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
mixed bag of updates
I have a headache. I think the headache is partly due to caloric withdrawal as I'm back on the wagon, the day after Christmas in efforts to drop the baby weight. The headache is probably because my body is expecting thousands of calories of cookies, pumpkin pie and chocolate to be ingested, as that seemed to be the norm the past few days. Dieting is the worst.
I do think I've tapped into something though. Originally I tried to go back to Weight Watchers because I've had some luck with that in the past but attending meetings with the little man proved to be quite difficult so I abandoned ship. I was down, but not out. I thought about joining weightwatchers.com but couldn't bring myself to pay for the service without the benefit of some little old lady weighing me in, making me feel like crap if I gained (I'm serious that's about 90% of the reason that silly plan works for me.) But upon a friend's recommendation I found www.sparkpeople.com which seems to offer all the same things as weightwatchers.com but its free, and that friends means the price is right. So I'm giving that a go. Before Christmas I lost about 4lbs using it for only a few days, then gained 2 back with the holiday gorging, but I'm back on point. Send me strength. This mommy has some baby belly to drop.
As for the sleep situation - still no sign of sleeping through the night, but I do need to continue to give Henry credit where its due. The boy is consistent. He goes to bed really easily around 7pm (knock on wood, jinx, jinx, jinx) and seems to be able to sleep for a good 5 hours. After that he manages 3 or 4 hour stretches, which aren't bad. Really. Its the 60-90 minute stretches that make me want to put a gun to my head. Three hours is a full REM cycle, which is pretty much the equivalent to a full night sleep in mommy jargon.
On the subject of sleep a bit of advice to any mom out there - ignore your friends when it comes to discussing sleep. A lot of my friends with babies Henry's age have had the delirious pleasure of a full night (as in 11 hours) of sleep. It is wonderful, sincerely it is. But it is only when I think about them and wonder about Henry that I start to get frustrated. Don't do it. Don't compare other children to yours. Henry will sleep through the night when he's able. Until then we are bonding hardcore at 4am and I'm grateful for it.
Speaking of bonding and all things baby developmental, a friend of mine recommended this book and I got it for Christmas. Its called Bright From the Start: The Simple, Science-Backed Way to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind from Birth to Age 3
. I have to say there are A LOT of baby books out there and most of them I've skimmed and taken with a grain of salt, but this book is fascinating. I'm devouring it. The book really focuses on the science of the child brain and how to best nurture its development. Any new parent will agree there seems to be a silent pressure to buy into the world of baby products, all of which claim to enrich your child and prepare him or her to succeed in life. This book really seems to get to the heart of it and tell you what works and why. I find it really refreshing and even a little relieving, because of the clarity it provides. So many sources talk about what babies should be doing developmentally at any given point in their young lives. This book talks about our roles, as parents, in that development and what simple things we can do (without buying into all the baby junk out there) to best engage and even educate him or her... which quite frankly at this age has been quite the mystery to me. Highly recommend.
I do think I've tapped into something though. Originally I tried to go back to Weight Watchers because I've had some luck with that in the past but attending meetings with the little man proved to be quite difficult so I abandoned ship. I was down, but not out. I thought about joining weightwatchers.com but couldn't bring myself to pay for the service without the benefit of some little old lady weighing me in, making me feel like crap if I gained (I'm serious that's about 90% of the reason that silly plan works for me.) But upon a friend's recommendation I found www.sparkpeople.com which seems to offer all the same things as weightwatchers.com but its free, and that friends means the price is right. So I'm giving that a go. Before Christmas I lost about 4lbs using it for only a few days, then gained 2 back with the holiday gorging, but I'm back on point. Send me strength. This mommy has some baby belly to drop.
As for the sleep situation - still no sign of sleeping through the night, but I do need to continue to give Henry credit where its due. The boy is consistent. He goes to bed really easily around 7pm (knock on wood, jinx, jinx, jinx) and seems to be able to sleep for a good 5 hours. After that he manages 3 or 4 hour stretches, which aren't bad. Really. Its the 60-90 minute stretches that make me want to put a gun to my head. Three hours is a full REM cycle, which is pretty much the equivalent to a full night sleep in mommy jargon.
On the subject of sleep a bit of advice to any mom out there - ignore your friends when it comes to discussing sleep. A lot of my friends with babies Henry's age have had the delirious pleasure of a full night (as in 11 hours) of sleep. It is wonderful, sincerely it is. But it is only when I think about them and wonder about Henry that I start to get frustrated. Don't do it. Don't compare other children to yours. Henry will sleep through the night when he's able. Until then we are bonding hardcore at 4am and I'm grateful for it.
Speaking of bonding and all things baby developmental, a friend of mine recommended this book and I got it for Christmas. Its called Bright From the Start: The Simple, Science-Backed Way to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind from Birth to Age 3
. I have to say there are A LOT of baby books out there and most of them I've skimmed and taken with a grain of salt, but this book is fascinating. I'm devouring it. The book really focuses on the science of the child brain and how to best nurture its development. Any new parent will agree there seems to be a silent pressure to buy into the world of baby products, all of which claim to enrich your child and prepare him or her to succeed in life. This book really seems to get to the heart of it and tell you what works and why. I find it really refreshing and even a little relieving, because of the clarity it provides. So many sources talk about what babies should be doing developmentally at any given point in their young lives. This book talks about our roles, as parents, in that development and what simple things we can do (without buying into all the baby junk out there) to best engage and even educate him or her... which quite frankly at this age has been quite the mystery to me. Highly recommend.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Give a mom her eyes back
I have to say I'm quite proud of this recommendation. In all my online searching for lists of "what to bring to the hospital" no one ever recommended this idea - and its so, so simple. If you, or anyone you know is about to be admitted give them an eye pillow. I seriously had doctors and nurses in my room around the clock. It was exhausting. I wanted to say, "People, I just pushed a person out of me, have mercy!"
But they were relentless, they kept coming back and back and back.
I do, in fact, remember thinking the eye pillow was the smartest thing I threw in my overflowing hospital bag because it allowed me to catch a cat nap in the middle of the day when the sun felt like it was burning the retinas of my sore, sleep deprived eyes.
And its the gift that keeps giving! I just used it again today. Henry was down for his afternoon nap and I found myself with time on my hands to curl up in bed myself. My eye pillow was the first thing I reached for and because of it I was able to steal a few precious moments of sleep, and any new mom would whole heartedly agree that is a lovely thing indeed.
But they were relentless, they kept coming back and back and back.I do, in fact, remember thinking the eye pillow
was the smartest thing I threw in my overflowing hospital bag because it allowed me to catch a cat nap in the middle of the day when the sun felt like it was burning the retinas of my sore, sleep deprived eyes.And its the gift that keeps giving! I just used it again today. Henry was down for his afternoon nap and I found myself with time on my hands to curl up in bed myself. My eye pillow was the first thing I reached for and because of it I was able to steal a few precious moments of sleep, and any new mom would whole heartedly agree that is a lovely thing indeed.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Sleep log: day 78
I can't believe I'm going to say this - but Henry had a good night. Now, before you get all excited, when I say "good" I simply say it because he wasn't up every 2 hours. He went down fairly quickly a bit before 7pm in a blaze of fuss - he was exhausted and crying bloody murder. Fortunately he succumbed and stayed asleep until midnight. This is fairly typical for him and quite honestly I love him for it. Those hours from 7pm until midnight are like sweet payment for a hard day's work. My couches suck me in and I am one content mumma.
But its after midnight that anything can happen. The sleep spell wears off and I'm at his mercy. However, last night he got up at 3:30am and 5:45. Not bad, not bad. I'll take it.
Due to the fact Henry went to bed before 7pm my husband hardly got to see him and I think was pretty bummed about it. I got to thinking, thinking led to a strategy and now I'm rubbing my hands together in delight. You want to see more of your son? How about taking over the midnight feed so this ragged, dark circled mommy can sleep? The idea of sleeping from 10pm to 2am or 3am makes me squirm in my seat. Four hours CONSECUTIVELY? For real?
I've been pumping one bottle's worth a day and since I try to encourage him to cluster feed in the afternoons (to get him to sleep longer in the night) he hardly touches the bottle when he goes down at 7pm. There is always nearly a full bottle waiting for the midnight feed - the perfect late night bonding tool for a father and son. And while this sweet moment is occurring - don't mind me I'll be passed out and drooling all over my pillow.
But its after midnight that anything can happen. The sleep spell wears off and I'm at his mercy. However, last night he got up at 3:30am and 5:45. Not bad, not bad. I'll take it.
Due to the fact Henry went to bed before 7pm my husband hardly got to see him and I think was pretty bummed about it. I got to thinking, thinking led to a strategy and now I'm rubbing my hands together in delight. You want to see more of your son? How about taking over the midnight feed so this ragged, dark circled mommy can sleep? The idea of sleeping from 10pm to 2am or 3am makes me squirm in my seat. Four hours CONSECUTIVELY? For real?
I've been pumping one bottle's worth a day and since I try to encourage him to cluster feed in the afternoons (to get him to sleep longer in the night) he hardly touches the bottle when he goes down at 7pm. There is always nearly a full bottle waiting for the midnight feed - the perfect late night bonding tool for a father and son. And while this sweet moment is occurring - don't mind me I'll be passed out and drooling all over my pillow.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Mommy meltdown
One of our cars is iced in which means my husband has been taking my car to work because its the only way he can get out of the driveway. This leaves me stranded and shut in with a SUPER fussy baby. Sweet.
After dinner tonight I might have looked wild-eyed at my husband and mother (who is visiting) and said, "I think I'm going to go to Babies R' Us and buy a mobile. Henry needs a mobile." They, perhaps sensing how important it was for me to physically get out of the house begged me to be careful but wished me well.
If anything has been learned in these past few weeks since Henry's birth its the importance of my sporadic escapes. I need a break and thankfully my husband knows it.
Humorously, I didn't really look to see what I had on before I left the house but there I was blissfully wandering the aisles of Babies 'R Us in black leggings and a sweatshirt. I was one fine looking, run down, ragged mommy. Its phased me not - Babies 'R Us never looked so much like Disney World. I swear I was on vacation.
After dinner tonight I might have looked wild-eyed at my husband and mother (who is visiting) and said, "I think I'm going to go to Babies R' Us and buy a mobile. Henry needs a mobile." They, perhaps sensing how important it was for me to physically get out of the house begged me to be careful but wished me well.
If anything has been learned in these past few weeks since Henry's birth its the importance of my sporadic escapes. I need a break and thankfully my husband knows it.
Humorously, I didn't really look to see what I had on before I left the house but there I was blissfully wandering the aisles of Babies 'R Us in black leggings and a sweatshirt. I was one fine looking, run down, ragged mommy. Its phased me not - Babies 'R Us never looked so much like Disney World. I swear I was on vacation.
Monday, December 17, 2007
all you need to know about nursing bras
Let's not dance around the fact the target audience for this blog is women, so if there are any men out there reading --well, you are going to have deal with the fact the following post will be of little use to you.
As women readers you know the importance of a good bra. Its right up there with world peace and environmental issues in my book. As I approached the end of my pregnancy I realized my needs in the bra department were about to change. Not only was my size going to be an issue (and as a woman who is already pretty well endowed, this was particularly troubling) but also the new challenge of nursing had to come into play.
I shopped around and tried a few different brands and styles but on a friend's recommendation I tried Bravado Original Nursing Bra
and I have to say, this one is a winner. Before Henry I was an "underwire only" lady but was concerned to read that underwire can adversely affect your milk supply (any breastfeeding woman's worst nightmare.) This bra gives all the support I need without the wire and proves to be an easy contraption to operate with breastfeeding. I have two of them and plan to buy at least one more.
Another recommendation I have is for Medela sleep nursing bra.
This bra was my best friend in those first few weeks home. It was pretty impossible for me to go to sleep without some sort of bra on because of the dire need of nursing pads
(Let's just say sleeping with nursing pads in the beginning prevented the 40 year flood in my house.) The sleep bra gave me just barely the support I needed, and just believe me bra support 24/7 is a good thing AND it gave me a spot to tuck the all important nursing pads.
So all in all, I give these two bras two boobs up. My highest rating.
As women readers you know the importance of a good bra. Its right up there with world peace and environmental issues in my book. As I approached the end of my pregnancy I realized my needs in the bra department were about to change. Not only was my size going to be an issue (and as a woman who is already pretty well endowed, this was particularly troubling) but also the new challenge of nursing had to come into play.
I shopped around and tried a few different brands and styles but on a friend's recommendation I tried Bravado Original Nursing Bra
and I have to say, this one is a winner. Before Henry I was an "underwire only" lady but was concerned to read that underwire can adversely affect your milk supply (any breastfeeding woman's worst nightmare.) This bra gives all the support I need without the wire and proves to be an easy contraption to operate with breastfeeding. I have two of them and plan to buy at least one more.Another recommendation I have is for Medela sleep nursing bra.
This bra was my best friend in those first few weeks home. It was pretty impossible for me to go to sleep without some sort of bra on because of the dire need of nursing pads (Let's just say sleeping with nursing pads in the beginning prevented the 40 year flood in my house.) The sleep bra gave me just barely the support I needed, and just believe me bra support 24/7 is a good thing AND it gave me a spot to tuck the all important nursing pads.So all in all, I give these two bras two boobs up. My highest rating.
Sleep log: day 75
As expected, nothing is forever. Our glorious sleep pattern ended and we had a rough night last night. Apparently Henry wanted to be up for the day at 3:30am and we disagreed over this fact until 5am. I changed his diaper, I fed him, I gave him his pacifier... over and over and over again - yet he was not convinced. Eventually he did doze back, but it was short lived and we were up for the day before 8am.
Now he's passed out in the baby sling for his morning nap and while I know I could crawl back into bed, I really don't think I can fall back to sleep at 9:45am.
Bah humbug, Henry. Bah humbug.
Now he's passed out in the baby sling for his morning nap and while I know I could crawl back into bed, I really don't think I can fall back to sleep at 9:45am.
Bah humbug, Henry. Bah humbug.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The mommy dance
As I write this, I am currently entwined in "the mommy dance."
The dance is something I do with my son every night in order to get him down to sleep. A normal night typically goes like this:
Somewhere around 6:45pm-7pm Henry starts to fuss signaling his day is done and he is ready for bed. As he gives us his "tired cry" we frantically prepare his end-of-the-day bottle. (Henry is exclusively breastfed but I do pump one bottle's worth of milk for him a day so that his dad can feed him from time to time.)
Around 7:15 or 7:30, in the midst of his bottle Henry dozes off, and thus the dance begins. Carefully, whomever is feeding him quietly attempts to transfer his to his crib. If he settles into his crib without thrashing, the dance has gone about as smoothly as possible. However, normally we need to bring in old faithful: the pacifier. I know I've gone on about the pacifier previously but it really is amazing to see how the simple act of giving him the pacifier transforms his body to Jell-O and his eyes slam shut.
My only complaint is that Henry has learned the fine art of pacifier slingshot. Somehow, with just the muscles of his mouth he can sling his pacifier clear across his crib and then, of course, immediately regret it. The dance becomes me having to pace back and forth from here at my computer, to his room to reinsert his precious Nuk. From the sounds on the baby monitor I have sitting next to me I can outline the progression of his annoyance - first he'll start to grunt (and usually kick his legs up simultaneously), then the whining begins and ultimately he will cry for his precious oral fixation. I enter the room quietly give him what he seeks and leave quickly.
The dance is performed at least two or three times before he ultimately succumbs and drifts off to sleep. Usually at that point the pacifier will fall out of his mouth, his only dance prop, and I pray to God the simple act of it isn't enough to wake him so to start us dancing from the very beginning.
The dance is something I do with my son every night in order to get him down to sleep. A normal night typically goes like this:
Somewhere around 6:45pm-7pm Henry starts to fuss signaling his day is done and he is ready for bed. As he gives us his "tired cry" we frantically prepare his end-of-the-day bottle. (Henry is exclusively breastfed but I do pump one bottle's worth of milk for him a day so that his dad can feed him from time to time.)
Around 7:15 or 7:30, in the midst of his bottle Henry dozes off, and thus the dance begins. Carefully, whomever is feeding him quietly attempts to transfer his to his crib. If he settles into his crib without thrashing, the dance has gone about as smoothly as possible. However, normally we need to bring in old faithful: the pacifier. I know I've gone on about the pacifier previously but it really is amazing to see how the simple act of giving him the pacifier transforms his body to Jell-O and his eyes slam shut.
My only complaint is that Henry has learned the fine art of pacifier slingshot. Somehow, with just the muscles of his mouth he can sling his pacifier clear across his crib and then, of course, immediately regret it. The dance becomes me having to pace back and forth from here at my computer, to his room to reinsert his precious Nuk. From the sounds on the baby monitor I have sitting next to me I can outline the progression of his annoyance - first he'll start to grunt (and usually kick his legs up simultaneously), then the whining begins and ultimately he will cry for his precious oral fixation. I enter the room quietly give him what he seeks and leave quickly.
The dance is performed at least two or three times before he ultimately succumbs and drifts off to sleep. Usually at that point the pacifier will fall out of his mouth, his only dance prop, and I pray to God the simple act of it isn't enough to wake him so to start us dancing from the very beginning.
Mommy vanity in the form of Spanx
Many new moms I've spoken to complain of the dreaded "bowl full of jelly" that seems to come with your new post partum body. It seems that unless you are someone terribly annoying like Heidi Klum, your abdomen becomes this shapeless, muscleless mass that no matter how many hours of Pilates you do cannot be rectified. Well hello Spanx!
Spanx will be your secret friend for all those times you are inundated with visitors stopping by to see the baby (who by the way will always look at your abdomen to see how quickly you are losing the weight. Jerks.)
There isn't a lot of science behind it, they are kind of like control top pantyhose, without the pantyhose. They keep you pulled in and looking like some shade of your former self, without the terribly depressing dieting and such (because after 9 months of eating whatever you wanted - who really wants to diet?)
Spanx will be your secret friend for all those times you are inundated with visitors stopping by to see the baby (who by the way will always look at your abdomen to see how quickly you are losing the weight. Jerks.)
There isn't a lot of science behind it, they are kind of like control top pantyhose, without the pantyhose. They keep you pulled in and looking like some shade of your former self, without the terribly depressing dieting and such (because after 9 months of eating whatever you wanted - who really wants to diet?)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sleep log: day 73
Woot! Woot! Woot! Attention! Attention! We have had an advancement in the sleep department!
Henry slept last night from 7pm to midnight, from midnight until 4am, and then from 4am until 8am! He dropped his 2 am and 6am feedings and his mother is elated. All week through this nocturnal rough patch all I've been praying for is that he would give me 4 straight hours after midnight. Apparently Henry heard me and answered my prayers and gave me two four hour stretches. Perhaps I'll pay for this obedience later, but for right now I'll take whatever I can get. I woke up this morning feeling like a real person, opposed to the walking dead.
Now, I'm no fool in thinking we've turned the corner - anything can happen tonight. However, just the thought, the idea, that he was able to sleep like that will allow me to hold it together for at least a few weeks to come.
As you can see my needs are little - as long as I get a four hour stretch of sleep every few weeks and I can keep this routine up for the indefinite future.
Henry slept last night from 7pm to midnight, from midnight until 4am, and then from 4am until 8am! He dropped his 2 am and 6am feedings and his mother is elated. All week through this nocturnal rough patch all I've been praying for is that he would give me 4 straight hours after midnight. Apparently Henry heard me and answered my prayers and gave me two four hour stretches. Perhaps I'll pay for this obedience later, but for right now I'll take whatever I can get. I woke up this morning feeling like a real person, opposed to the walking dead.
Now, I'm no fool in thinking we've turned the corner - anything can happen tonight. However, just the thought, the idea, that he was able to sleep like that will allow me to hold it together for at least a few weeks to come.
As you can see my needs are little - as long as I get a four hour stretch of sleep every few weeks and I can keep this routine up for the indefinite future.
Friday, December 14, 2007
A relatively unhurried shower
Everyday somewhere around mid-morning I decide its REALLY time that I shower. Not only do I have that yucky, unshowered feeling but the simple act of bathing prevents me from feeling like a total shut-in especially now as the winter months descend upon our little homestead.
Its funny how something that I once took so for granted is now something I actively prioritize and feel is important to be done daily for me to stay a sane mommy.
Anyways, typically what I'll do is change Henry, feed him and put him the safest place I can think of: his crib. Sometimes I'll take his monitor with me into the bathroom, but I find this to only cause more anxiety for me as I'm already showering at the speed of light. Its not like I can dart out of the stream of water, head full of shampoo when Henry starts to cry so in some ways ignorance is bliss. I get the deed done as quickly as possible so that I can reunite with my little man.
As a result of the lack of monitor, typically I'll turn off the water only to hear him wailing for me. I swear I must scare the crap out of him when I race into his room with a towel piled high on my head because he gives me this wide eyed, terrified look like, "What is that on your head?!"
Anyways, while it might not be as significant as walking or sitting up we did hit a milestone today - Henry entertained himself in his crib while I showered. Its a big deal people. Seriously. When I turned off the water, I near had a heart attack because I didn't hear him. I raced into his room only to find him happily staring at the walls of his crib, hardly a care for me. I was elated and devastated at the same time - my little boy suddenly doesn't rely on me for all of his amusement. Somehow the walls have replaced me.
Its funny how something that I once took so for granted is now something I actively prioritize and feel is important to be done daily for me to stay a sane mommy.
Anyways, typically what I'll do is change Henry, feed him and put him the safest place I can think of: his crib. Sometimes I'll take his monitor with me into the bathroom, but I find this to only cause more anxiety for me as I'm already showering at the speed of light. Its not like I can dart out of the stream of water, head full of shampoo when Henry starts to cry so in some ways ignorance is bliss. I get the deed done as quickly as possible so that I can reunite with my little man.
As a result of the lack of monitor, typically I'll turn off the water only to hear him wailing for me. I swear I must scare the crap out of him when I race into his room with a towel piled high on my head because he gives me this wide eyed, terrified look like, "What is that on your head?!"
Anyways, while it might not be as significant as walking or sitting up we did hit a milestone today - Henry entertained himself in his crib while I showered. Its a big deal people. Seriously. When I turned off the water, I near had a heart attack because I didn't hear him. I raced into his room only to find him happily staring at the walls of his crib, hardly a care for me. I was elated and devastated at the same time - my little boy suddenly doesn't rely on me for all of his amusement. Somehow the walls have replaced me.
Pacifier: friend or foe?
Shortly after deciding Henry was capable of breastfeeding successfully we introduced the pacifier in a moment of weakness. I say "moment of weakness" because while surely millions of parents use pacifiers, I think all will agree it comes at a price.
Our price might be that now I'm worried we have an unhealthy addiction to it. He uses it CONSTANTLY. We have them littered all over our house and its the first thing I reach for when he fusses. I will admit they work well but I dread the day, months/years from now, when I have to take them away.
Buck teeth - here we come.
Henry's pacifier of choice: Gerber Nuks
Our price might be that now I'm worried we have an unhealthy addiction to it. He uses it CONSTANTLY. We have them littered all over our house and its the first thing I reach for when he fusses. I will admit they work well but I dread the day, months/years from now, when I have to take them away.
Buck teeth - here we come.
Henry's pacifier of choice: Gerber Nuks
Sleep log: day 72
I'm trying to accept the fact that last night was "normal" for babies Henry's age. Down at 7pm, up at midnight, 2am, 4am, 6am and 8am. Yes, that's normal but it's also brutal.
The hardest part is that I know developmentally and physically he is capable of sleeping in 4 hours stretches past midnight....but our little man really needs to see me every 120 minutes it seems. This morning at 4am, I leaned over him and he gave me this huge, gummy smile in the dark. I have to admit even through bleary eyes I was charmed.
In my desperation I'll try any tip or trick that has worked for moms in the past. Tonight I'm breaking out the humidifier and turning down the heat a bit (I think I've been keeping it too, too warm in his room. He might be hot blooded like his dad.) Praying to the baby sleep gods that it works.
The hardest part is that I know developmentally and physically he is capable of sleeping in 4 hours stretches past midnight....but our little man really needs to see me every 120 minutes it seems. This morning at 4am, I leaned over him and he gave me this huge, gummy smile in the dark. I have to admit even through bleary eyes I was charmed.
In my desperation I'll try any tip or trick that has worked for moms in the past. Tonight I'm breaking out the humidifier and turning down the heat a bit (I think I've been keeping it too, too warm in his room. He might be hot blooded like his dad.) Praying to the baby sleep gods that it works.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Sleep log: day 71
I can't help but think how long its been since I had a really good night of sleep. An uninterrupted 6 hour stretch (after midnight) would be heaven to me right now.
Currently Henry is going down anywhere between 7pm and 9pm. You would think that if he went down later he would sleep later - not the case. Last night he finally fell asleep close to 9pm, and was up again at midnight, 3am, and 5am. At 5am he really wanted to be up for the day but I just couldn't do it. I put him in the sling, walked with him for a few minutes to calm him down and then melted into the couch. He fell back asleep, thank God and I was able to get a few more precious moments of sleep before he woke up again.
My mother and husband are in my ear about waking Henry up just before I go to bed to feed him. I don't know why but this feels like cruel punishment to me - even though the current schedule is brutal, I don't know that waking him up is ever going to get him to sleep through the night. I don't want to create a habit with that so I think I'm going to go with my gut and not do it.
So I guess I just have to hang on to the thought that it will get better someday soon. In the meantime, more coffee please.
Currently Henry is going down anywhere between 7pm and 9pm. You would think that if he went down later he would sleep later - not the case. Last night he finally fell asleep close to 9pm, and was up again at midnight, 3am, and 5am. At 5am he really wanted to be up for the day but I just couldn't do it. I put him in the sling, walked with him for a few minutes to calm him down and then melted into the couch. He fell back asleep, thank God and I was able to get a few more precious moments of sleep before he woke up again.
My mother and husband are in my ear about waking Henry up just before I go to bed to feed him. I don't know why but this feels like cruel punishment to me - even though the current schedule is brutal, I don't know that waking him up is ever going to get him to sleep through the night. I don't want to create a habit with that so I think I'm going to go with my gut and not do it.
So I guess I just have to hang on to the thought that it will get better someday soon. In the meantime, more coffee please.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Once upon a time...
Alright, alright - people gather round. Allow me to tell a tale of woman who didn't have a clue about what it was to bring a person into this world. There need be no dancing around the fact, its my story of how I got here and how naive I was before this whole thing started.
Back in the day, I was a fairly ambitious woman in my pre-motherhood days. Like a lot of the people I surrounded myself with I had a career and tended to it diligently. In fact, I had started a little home business based on my skills as a graphic designer, had a very strong client base and was even featured in a national magazine or two for my work. It was a labor of love, but quite honestly nothing in comparison to what lay ahead.
As all strong minded young women, I felt I could take on just about anything I put my mind to. There was no time to fret the details, just forge ahead and all will fall into place. Such might have been my attitude about getting pregnant and having a child. "It's time." I thought. Heck, if women all over the world have done it, why can't I? And thus, after some consulting with the dear husband, the decision was made.
The very first humbling experience came before things were even out of the gate, so to speak. Emotions ran high with the very first positive pregnancy test. However, the happy reality hardly set in before a very sad miscarriage took place and all came crashing down. It would be months before I could talk about it without welling up. But I can say the silver lining was that if anything it really solidified the fact that I wanted to become a mother, because I never expected to be so upset after such a loss.
Within a few short months, emotions ran high again with the second positive test. This time, however, there was way more apprehension and way more caution as the weeks ticked by. It would be several months before I could breathe easy knowing that the risk of miscarriage had passed. But with the second trimester statistics told me I was most likely okay and I made the decision to have a happy pregnancy rather than live in fear.
The following months went well. No real complications to speak of - sure, I had my bouts with sleepless nights and general aches and pains, but I considered myself lucky. Not so much as one incident of hormone-induced loss of lunch. Never found myself praying to the porcelain God. I'm not going to lie, the last month was a challenge as anticipation set in and my body was at capacity. Luck would have it, however, I would go late with my delivery.
Relief came in the form of an induction date. My dear doctor must have seen desperation in my eyes when I started to complain about a painful, wrenching back. I was a hobbling mess, but even still the little man didn't want to come out on his own. Enter Pitocin, the single most effective yet terrifying drug I've ever encountered. (to read the blow by blow of the birth click here.)
Within a matter of hours, we had our Henry and a new love. In some ways it feels futile to me to try and put into words what the experience of having Henry in our lives has been like, however I'm going to try to explain it, through the contents of this blog and if nothing else it might be just a stream of conscience that serves me as a written album of my daily thoughts and discoveries. Its entirely different road than I expected, its challenged me in ways I never thought possible - but I can say with all certainty that it is entirely worthwhile.
Back in the day, I was a fairly ambitious woman in my pre-motherhood days. Like a lot of the people I surrounded myself with I had a career and tended to it diligently. In fact, I had started a little home business based on my skills as a graphic designer, had a very strong client base and was even featured in a national magazine or two for my work. It was a labor of love, but quite honestly nothing in comparison to what lay ahead.
As all strong minded young women, I felt I could take on just about anything I put my mind to. There was no time to fret the details, just forge ahead and all will fall into place. Such might have been my attitude about getting pregnant and having a child. "It's time." I thought. Heck, if women all over the world have done it, why can't I? And thus, after some consulting with the dear husband, the decision was made.
The very first humbling experience came before things were even out of the gate, so to speak. Emotions ran high with the very first positive pregnancy test. However, the happy reality hardly set in before a very sad miscarriage took place and all came crashing down. It would be months before I could talk about it without welling up. But I can say the silver lining was that if anything it really solidified the fact that I wanted to become a mother, because I never expected to be so upset after such a loss.
Within a few short months, emotions ran high again with the second positive test. This time, however, there was way more apprehension and way more caution as the weeks ticked by. It would be several months before I could breathe easy knowing that the risk of miscarriage had passed. But with the second trimester statistics told me I was most likely okay and I made the decision to have a happy pregnancy rather than live in fear.
The following months went well. No real complications to speak of - sure, I had my bouts with sleepless nights and general aches and pains, but I considered myself lucky. Not so much as one incident of hormone-induced loss of lunch. Never found myself praying to the porcelain God. I'm not going to lie, the last month was a challenge as anticipation set in and my body was at capacity. Luck would have it, however, I would go late with my delivery.
Relief came in the form of an induction date. My dear doctor must have seen desperation in my eyes when I started to complain about a painful, wrenching back. I was a hobbling mess, but even still the little man didn't want to come out on his own. Enter Pitocin, the single most effective yet terrifying drug I've ever encountered. (to read the blow by blow of the birth click here.)
Within a matter of hours, we had our Henry and a new love. In some ways it feels futile to me to try and put into words what the experience of having Henry in our lives has been like, however I'm going to try to explain it, through the contents of this blog and if nothing else it might be just a stream of conscience that serves me as a written album of my daily thoughts and discoveries. Its entirely different road than I expected, its challenged me in ways I never thought possible - but I can say with all certainty that it is entirely worthwhile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
