Yes, it's another post about my baby's sleeping habits. I feel like I'm becoming obsessed and all-consumed by getting her good sleep. I don't really care if she sleeps all night long, but just feel like she should be getting better sleep than she is.
Last night I nursed her at 6:30 like I typically (pre-DST, that is) do. Afterwards, she didn't show much sign of being tired, so we let her play a bit downstairs. DH carried her upstairs around 7:30 (I think? It was once she started showing some sleepy signs), read her her story, then I went upstairs and sang and rocked her to sleep. He put her down in her crib and all of a sudden she was wide awake again. She just sat and giggled at us. After handing her off to DH, I always sit in the rocker pretending to be sleeping, so DH curled up on the floor and we both pretended to sleep. Eventually (probably about 20 minutes later...ugh) she just laid down and fell asleep. If we could just get her to do that without us in the room!
She slept until about 10:30, when DH told me that she didn't seem sleepy, so I fed her. She still didn't really fall asleep eating, but DH got her to go to sleep eventually in her crib.
Baby girl then woke back up at 3:00. DH spent a half hour with her, then tagged out and I took over at 3:30. I tried patting and shhing, I tried just rubbing her back (when she'd lay down), I tried leaving her alone (she was fine for about 10 minutes while I sat in the rocker with my eyes closed, but then got pretty upset), I tried turning on the nightlight (we'd turned it off a few weeks ago)...but she was still awake. Eventually, I went and got the queen-sized quilt that was folded in our linen closet, opened it up a bit, and laid it over her and tucked the sides in a bit. I turned down her white noise, rubbed her back a couple of times, and then just stood over her crib and she fell asleep. Not sure if the changes I made made a difference or if she was just exhausted, but she slept until we woke her at 6:20.
Of course then I returned to bed and I couldn't fall asleep. I ended up laying awake until almost 4:30, watching The Price of Beauty (what can I say? The picking of overnight TV are pretty slim...I typically watch Roseanne, but at 4:00 Three's Company comes on that channel...and I used to watch Flintstones at 4 a.m., but wasn't in the mood.). ~yawn~
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
I miss my baby
It's the end of the day and I'm getting ready to head home and see my baby girl, but I was just sitting here thinking about the blogs that I read/have read that talk about tragedies with babies. I just makes me want to go home, scoop her up, and never let her go. Even though we had a rough night last night, I love her more than I could ever had imagined. Only 5 more minutes (and a 40 minute commute)!
Worst Night in Awhile
I have no idea if it's because of the time change or because baby girl is getting over a cold, but last night was our worst night in awhile. She's been congested for a few nights and hasn't seemed bothered by it at all. And she went down well last night, about a half an hour late (by the clock--half an hour early by her body clock). She went to sleep at 7:30, then woke up at 9:20. She was easily soothed and I thought that was the last I'd hear of her. Nope, she was back up at 10:10ish. Again, fairly easily soothed. Then back up at 10:40ish. Again, not horrible... The husband got home around 11:15 and she woke up soon after that. This time, though, she seemed to be WIDE awake. We let her fuss in her crib for about 10 minutes until it escalated to her sounding more frantic each time. The hubby couldn't get her to go back to sleep in her crib, so he suggested I try feeding her. I fed her. She started to fall asleep on side one, but by the time she was on side two, was wide awake and not even all that interested in eating. She just wanted to play.
Since we're all sick, DH and I are EXHAUSTED. It's after midnight. We ended up just laying down and putting her between us and prayed that she'd fall asleep. Me, being ever-anxious, couldn't sleep right away, just nervous she could get smothered by a blanket, a pillow, or one of us. Eventually sleep won out. It apparently did for her, too. I remember her rolling over onto her belly (she fell asleep on her back, which is weird for her), but that's the last thing I remember until 5 a.m., when she woke up pissed off again. I fed her and, yet again, she didn't fall asleep after nursing. Up until last night, this was the easiest thing to do to get her to fall asleep. I ended up just laying her between us for another half an hour and she must have fallen back asleep because the next thing I know, DH is waking us all up to get ready to go.
I'm a walking zombie today. How miserable. Once this sickness has left our house, we'll get back on sleep training. We won't be bringing her back to bed anymore. This was the first (and last) time we've ever done it for more than just early morning hours. But something had to give. We needed some sleep to be able to function today. As it was, we only got about 5 hours...
Since we're all sick, DH and I are EXHAUSTED. It's after midnight. We ended up just laying down and putting her between us and prayed that she'd fall asleep. Me, being ever-anxious, couldn't sleep right away, just nervous she could get smothered by a blanket, a pillow, or one of us. Eventually sleep won out. It apparently did for her, too. I remember her rolling over onto her belly (she fell asleep on her back, which is weird for her), but that's the last thing I remember until 5 a.m., when she woke up pissed off again. I fed her and, yet again, she didn't fall asleep after nursing. Up until last night, this was the easiest thing to do to get her to fall asleep. I ended up just laying her between us for another half an hour and she must have fallen back asleep because the next thing I know, DH is waking us all up to get ready to go.
I'm a walking zombie today. How miserable. Once this sickness has left our house, we'll get back on sleep training. We won't be bringing her back to bed anymore. This was the first (and last) time we've ever done it for more than just early morning hours. But something had to give. We needed some sleep to be able to function today. As it was, we only got about 5 hours...
Workaholic
(I'm post-dating this entry on the chance that someone reading right now knows where I live and, therefore, knows I'm home alone. The alarm is on, but still...can't be too careful.)
Many people would call my husband a bit of a workaholic. He isn't nearly as bad as so many other people out there, but compared to many of our friends, he works a heck of a lot. The husband has worked for the same place since his college days in 1999, so I've had a long time to built up my resentment for this place (since we've been together in early 2002) and each time he takes a phone call, checks his email, or works extra hours, the resentment grows.
I'm trying my best, though, to keep it all in check. I know he loves his job. No, he doesn't love the hours away from home, the frustrating people he works with at times, but he does generally love what he does. He loves the challenges. He hates that it takes him away from home, but he sacrifices. I believe that he's sacrificing for all of us. He's great at his job. He puts a lot of himself into it and has a lot of respect from his coworkers and, more importantly, his bosses. The people at the top of the organization are grooming him to move up within the organization and I know that really excites him. So I try my hardest to be happy for him.
It's nights like these, though, that it's hard to maintain the perspective. He left here after baby girl went to bed (around 7:30--we were happy it was only a half an hour late after the daylight savings time change last night). If she had slept well, this wouldn't be a huge deal. Yes, I'm nervous when he's gone, but I have a bit of peace of mind with the security system armed. However, baby girl has now been awake three times in as many hours. Of course she slept well 7:30 to 9:20, but has been up at 9:20, 10:15, and 10:35. It's such a struggle dealing with that by myself and makes me miss my husband even more.
So here I sit at almost 11:00 Sunday night, trying to recover from a cold (and therefore feeling like crap and really needing some sleep), not wanting to get in bed because I know I'll be up again very soon. I just hope he gets home soon...at least before she wakes again.
Many people would call my husband a bit of a workaholic. He isn't nearly as bad as so many other people out there, but compared to many of our friends, he works a heck of a lot. The husband has worked for the same place since his college days in 1999, so I've had a long time to built up my resentment for this place (since we've been together in early 2002) and each time he takes a phone call, checks his email, or works extra hours, the resentment grows.
I'm trying my best, though, to keep it all in check. I know he loves his job. No, he doesn't love the hours away from home, the frustrating people he works with at times, but he does generally love what he does. He loves the challenges. He hates that it takes him away from home, but he sacrifices. I believe that he's sacrificing for all of us. He's great at his job. He puts a lot of himself into it and has a lot of respect from his coworkers and, more importantly, his bosses. The people at the top of the organization are grooming him to move up within the organization and I know that really excites him. So I try my hardest to be happy for him.
It's nights like these, though, that it's hard to maintain the perspective. He left here after baby girl went to bed (around 7:30--we were happy it was only a half an hour late after the daylight savings time change last night). If she had slept well, this wouldn't be a huge deal. Yes, I'm nervous when he's gone, but I have a bit of peace of mind with the security system armed. However, baby girl has now been awake three times in as many hours. Of course she slept well 7:30 to 9:20, but has been up at 9:20, 10:15, and 10:35. It's such a struggle dealing with that by myself and makes me miss my husband even more.
So here I sit at almost 11:00 Sunday night, trying to recover from a cold (and therefore feeling like crap and really needing some sleep), not wanting to get in bed because I know I'll be up again very soon. I just hope he gets home soon...at least before she wakes again.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Meal Plan 3/14-3/20
Sunday: BBQ Chicken Braid (I used refrigerated Italian bread--it is actually really easy to roll out. It has a seam in it like crescent rolls do)
Monday: Swiss Casserole Chicken
Tuesday: Leftover pork tacos
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Braid (I made one tonight and since it was so easy will use up the rest of my shredded chicken on Wednesday)
Thursday: Tomato Chicken Gumbo (see recipe below)
Friday: Either eat out or eat something we planned on this week but ended up going out
Saturday: Creamchiladas
TOMATO CHICKEN GUMBO (we made this before baby girl arrived and froze it and now just need to thaw)
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
½ 1b. hot sausage links or Polish Sausage, cooked and sliced
1 can (26 oz.) chunky spaghetti sauce
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 can (11 oz.) canned corn, drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 ½ cups cooked white rice
TO FREEZE: Dump all ingredients except rice into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.
TO COOK: In 6-quart pot, bring gumbo to a boil. Add cooked rice. Cover; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until heated through. Add additional water or broth for a thinner gumbo. For spicier gumbo serve with hot red pepper sauce.
I also bought the supplies to make 4 shepherd's pies to put in the freezer. I was planning on cooking today, but am still recovering from my cold and didn't feel nearly as motivated as I had hoped. So we might have one of those this week, but more than likely I'll end up putting them together on Saturday.
Monday: Swiss Casserole Chicken
Tuesday: Leftover pork tacos
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Braid (I made one tonight and since it was so easy will use up the rest of my shredded chicken on Wednesday)
Thursday: Tomato Chicken Gumbo (see recipe below)
Friday: Either eat out or eat something we planned on this week but ended up going out
Saturday: Creamchiladas
TOMATO CHICKEN GUMBO (we made this before baby girl arrived and froze it and now just need to thaw)
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
½ 1b. hot sausage links or Polish Sausage, cooked and sliced
1 can (26 oz.) chunky spaghetti sauce
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 can (11 oz.) canned corn, drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 ½ cups cooked white rice
TO FREEZE: Dump all ingredients except rice into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.
TO COOK: In 6-quart pot, bring gumbo to a boil. Add cooked rice. Cover; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until heated through. Add additional water or broth for a thinner gumbo. For spicier gumbo serve with hot red pepper sauce.
I also bought the supplies to make 4 shepherd's pies to put in the freezer. I was planning on cooking today, but am still recovering from my cold and didn't feel nearly as motivated as I had hoped. So we might have one of those this week, but more than likely I'll end up putting them together on Saturday.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Meal Plan 3/6-3/12
Since it's already Wednesday, this is sort of retroactive. I planned all the meals for the week before heading to the grocery Sunday morning, but obviously got a bit off track...
Sunday: Wendy's (were missing an ingredient for the planned meal)
Monday: Pesto Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday: Breakfast (pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage)
Wednesday: McDonald's (forgot to put stuff in the crockpot!)
Thursday: Pulled Pork Tacos with lime rice
Friday: Salad with Chicken (whole chicken cooked in microwave cooker, then part of chicken used for this meal, part frozen, then the rest will be used on Saturday)
Saturday: Dinner with friends. So far I know my contribution will be Buffalo Chicken Dip
Because we didn't cook two nights we'd planned on, I have two leftover meals. They'll be used early next week so the ingredients don't go bad.
Sunday: Wendy's (were missing an ingredient for the planned meal)
Monday: Pesto Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday: Breakfast (pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage)
Wednesday: McDonald's (forgot to put stuff in the crockpot!)
Thursday: Pulled Pork Tacos with lime rice
Friday: Salad with Chicken (whole chicken cooked in microwave cooker, then part of chicken used for this meal, part frozen, then the rest will be used on Saturday)
Saturday: Dinner with friends. So far I know my contribution will be Buffalo Chicken Dip
Because we didn't cook two nights we'd planned on, I have two leftover meals. They'll be used early next week so the ingredients don't go bad.
Snot....again
Baby girl had a mini-cold a month or so ago. It only lasted a day or two and she acted totally fine the whole time. Thank goodness!!
Last night we were up at 11 and 2:30 and she was dry--no snot to be found. Then when she woke up at 6:30...snot. Everywhere. Everything was soggy and slimy and it was just gross. She was coughing a bit, too.
So maybe it's a cold. Or maybe it's teeth. I don't think I've fully documented here how many times we've thought she was on the brink of getting a tooth. Trust me, it's been a lot. When she stopped sleeping through the night, when she got a snotty nose, when she drooled beyond belief, when she chewed on everything in sight, when she stopped eating purees...and then again yesterday, when I heard her in her car seat, chewing her finger raw. Kid, you won't want to do that once a tooth pokes through.
So even before bedtime I thought maaaaybe there was going to be a tooth. She did the chewing thing again this morning. There's the chewing she's been doing since she could get her hands (and everything else) into her mouth, but then there's this level of chewing that I've never experienced. No sucking involved...just gnawing.
So now, who knows. She could end up with a tooth or this could be another of many false alarms and she could just have another cold, even though no one she's been around has one.
Stay tuned, I suppose....
Last night we were up at 11 and 2:30 and she was dry--no snot to be found. Then when she woke up at 6:30...snot. Everywhere. Everything was soggy and slimy and it was just gross. She was coughing a bit, too.
So maybe it's a cold. Or maybe it's teeth. I don't think I've fully documented here how many times we've thought she was on the brink of getting a tooth. Trust me, it's been a lot. When she stopped sleeping through the night, when she got a snotty nose, when she drooled beyond belief, when she chewed on everything in sight, when she stopped eating purees...and then again yesterday, when I heard her in her car seat, chewing her finger raw. Kid, you won't want to do that once a tooth pokes through.
So even before bedtime I thought maaaaybe there was going to be a tooth. She did the chewing thing again this morning. There's the chewing she's been doing since she could get her hands (and everything else) into her mouth, but then there's this level of chewing that I've never experienced. No sucking involved...just gnawing.
So now, who knows. She could end up with a tooth or this could be another of many false alarms and she could just have another cold, even though no one she's been around has one.
Stay tuned, I suppose....
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
My balls are always bouncing...
(Yes, I have Big Balls by AC/DC stuck in my head...)
My mom brought baby girl a red bouncing ball, probably a foot or so in diameter, this past Sunday. We quickly discovered that she already understood the concept of pushing the ball to us. We'd sit her with her feet far apart (the ball would bounce off her feet if we let her sit like normal) and push it to her and she'd either grab it and chew on it for a second, or immediately push it back to us. I'm so happy to see her play with something and not just eat it ;)
My mom brought baby girl a red bouncing ball, probably a foot or so in diameter, this past Sunday. We quickly discovered that she already understood the concept of pushing the ball to us. We'd sit her with her feet far apart (the ball would bounce off her feet if we let her sit like normal) and push it to her and she'd either grab it and chew on it for a second, or immediately push it back to us. I'm so happy to see her play with something and not just eat it ;)
And she's up!
I think I can officially say that baby girl has mastered pulling up, at least on Mommy. She crawled over to me a few times last night, grabbed my arm, pulled up to her feet, then stood up, hanging on with just one hand. I am SO not ready for this new stage of mobility!!!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Never want to forget
Baby girl has the biggest personality and I never ever want to forget what she's like every single day. I do a good job of noting when she starts conquering milestones, but don't document the little things. I never want to forget the way she is now. Yes, she challenges us every single night with sleeping. But during waking hours, she's such a joy. I don't want to forget the way she rubs her face in my chest when she's tired, but doesn't want to admit it. Or the way she sucks her little thumb after nursing in the middle of the night so she won't completely wake back up. How she snuggles into her daddy's shoulder after I rock her to sleep and before he lays her in her crib. The way she squeals and turns the other way with excitement when one of us is holding her and the other tries to kiss her cheek. The way she gives kisses to her mommy's cheek and mouth--sometimes seeming like she wants to nurse, but other times like she just wants to let me know how much she loves me. How she kicks her feet when in her high chair when she's eating food she really likes. How she smiles and grins when she's crawling toward us. The way she rams her head into my shin when she's crawled to me but I haven't bent to pick her up yet. How she gets tired of crawling and will stop and sit on her hip, stretched out on her side, wondering if it's worth it to keep crawling. The way she's nosy and wants to see everyone and will even lean around mommy or daddy to see new people. The way she smiles at mommy while daddy is holding her, getting ready to take her to bed. How her eyes light up when one of us walks in the room.
There are even some things that she does that seem like a nuisance at the time, but I know I'll miss it someday. How she grabs the back of my hair when she wants to get really close. The way she holds my necklaces while I'm holding her. How she screams when she's hungry (or not wanting to sleep) until I nurse her. And how sometimes only nursing her can help calm her down. The way she'll reach out to the other person when one of us is holding her. How she hates her high chair tray when she's done eating, but will still sit in the chair once we remove the tray and push her up to the table. The way she screams when we're putting on or taking off her clothes, until she gets to chew on her pants or shirt. The way she pulls her legs OUT of the leghole that we just put them into. How she sticks everything into her mouth, even the big bouncy ball (probably a foot in diameter) that her grandma got her yesterday.
I never want to let these moments go. I never want to forget.
There are even some things that she does that seem like a nuisance at the time, but I know I'll miss it someday. How she grabs the back of my hair when she wants to get really close. The way she holds my necklaces while I'm holding her. How she screams when she's hungry (or not wanting to sleep) until I nurse her. And how sometimes only nursing her can help calm her down. The way she'll reach out to the other person when one of us is holding her. How she hates her high chair tray when she's done eating, but will still sit in the chair once we remove the tray and push her up to the table. The way she screams when we're putting on or taking off her clothes, until she gets to chew on her pants or shirt. The way she pulls her legs OUT of the leghole that we just put them into. How she sticks everything into her mouth, even the big bouncy ball (probably a foot in diameter) that her grandma got her yesterday.
I never want to let these moments go. I never want to forget.
Fun Things My Kid Is Doing--Post #239875
This past week was an explosion of development for baby girl! She has:
- Discovered her tongue. Many of you noticed in her earliest pictures that her tongue was always out. Well, I don't think she meant to do that in the past....but now she's got it hanging out all the time. She takes after her mommy--she sticks her tongue out when she's concentrating really hard on something. She's always blowing bubbles like crazy (used to do it, but this is totally different).
- Started making a new face. Many times it's accompanied by the sticking out tongue, but she wrinkles her nose and breathes in and out quickly through her nose. We've seen her do it when she's frustrated, but also when she's happy. It's hilarious and she'll even do it back when we do it at her.
- Waved! She doesn't do it regularly, but yesterday she waved at both my mom and DH. She's been flapping her arms a lot recently, but yesterday was the first time it seems to come with a purpose.
- Started pulling up. Look out!! On Friday she started pulling to her knees, then yesterday I showed her how to put one foot out and pull up that way and she did it a few times. She took a big tumble, though, which scared everyone a bit, since she banged the back of her head on a toy. Ouch! A quick snuggle by mommy and seeing her stuffed ice cream cone made it all better.
Yesterday she also tried avocado and decided she was NOT a fan! Many people talked about babies loving avocado, but this was officially the first food she did not like. We think it was the texture. She spit it back out repeatedly and even threw some of it up. Not going to try that again soon! We will be starting her on fruits this week, though. I want to make sure she isn't going to have some sort of reaction to the avocado, then we'll start applesauce.
- Discovered her tongue. Many of you noticed in her earliest pictures that her tongue was always out. Well, I don't think she meant to do that in the past....but now she's got it hanging out all the time. She takes after her mommy--she sticks her tongue out when she's concentrating really hard on something. She's always blowing bubbles like crazy (used to do it, but this is totally different).
- Started making a new face. Many times it's accompanied by the sticking out tongue, but she wrinkles her nose and breathes in and out quickly through her nose. We've seen her do it when she's frustrated, but also when she's happy. It's hilarious and she'll even do it back when we do it at her.
- Waved! She doesn't do it regularly, but yesterday she waved at both my mom and DH. She's been flapping her arms a lot recently, but yesterday was the first time it seems to come with a purpose.
- Started pulling up. Look out!! On Friday she started pulling to her knees, then yesterday I showed her how to put one foot out and pull up that way and she did it a few times. She took a big tumble, though, which scared everyone a bit, since she banged the back of her head on a toy. Ouch! A quick snuggle by mommy and seeing her stuffed ice cream cone made it all better.
Yesterday she also tried avocado and decided she was NOT a fan! Many people talked about babies loving avocado, but this was officially the first food she did not like. We think it was the texture. She spit it back out repeatedly and even threw some of it up. Not going to try that again soon! We will be starting her on fruits this week, though. I want to make sure she isn't going to have some sort of reaction to the avocado, then we'll start applesauce.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Seven Months
I think I say this every month...but I can't believe she's seven months old!!!
At seven months, baby girl is crawling all over the place. She's still not *real* fast, but she can go for sure. I sat her on the floor outside the bathroom today with a couple of toys and by the time I was done and washing my hands, there she was, tugging on my pant legs. When she crawls over to me when I'm sitting down, she'll ram her head into my shin. Can't be comfy, but it's so cute!
Baby girl is eating like crazy. I keep saying that I'm so glad she's a good eater. If she were a bad eater and a bad sleeper, I don't know what I'd do! She loves to nurse, but also take a bottle like a champ. Every morning she has 1/4 cup of baby oatmeal mixed with organic pear juice (to help keep her tummy moving). Starting this past weekend, she's getting a veggie at lunchtime. Then, while we eat our dinner she has 3 or 4 ice cubes worth of veggies. So far she's had carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, peas, and green beans and loved all of them. Of course she likes the orange veggies a bit better since they're sweeter, but she hasn't balked at anything.
She's such a big girl about sitting in her high chair. She sometimes gets a bit fussy when the tray is on, but after she's done eating, we clean her up, take off the tray, and push the chair all the way up to the table. We give her plastic measuring cups (the 1/4 cup one was on the table from measuring out oatmeal) and she bangs them on the table. The first night this happened, we were all rocking out Bon Jovi. It's a great way to keep her occupied while we finish eating or just hanging out, listening to the radio.
Her sleeping still isn't great, but we're getting there. She'd like to sleep 12 hours a night or so, I think. We had one night where DH put her down pretty awake and he tried to soothe her to sleep, but she kept giggling and playing with him. Eventually he laid down on the floor and I put my head down and closed my eyes while sitting in the rocker. She got bored and just rolled over on her tummy and went to sleep.
She's definitely a thumb sucker. She now sucks her thumb and pulls on her ears when she's tired. She even does it in the middle of dinner.
Baby girl has recently started bouncing. She's a bit erratic about it and will only do it while being held, but it's super fun.
My favorite thing that she does right now is give kisses. I have no idea if she means to do it, but I'm the only one she'll do it to. She usually grabs my face (and sometimes my hair with the other hand) and brings her mouth to my cheek (or my mouth sometimes), open wide, and lick/suck my face. It's the sweetest thing!
She still prefers to be next to her mommy whenever possible. We can be sitting on the floor together and she'll turn and crawl up onto my lap or turn all the way around and lift her arms up to be picked up. Just this past weekend she fell asleep in our bed without any coaxing, just because she was snuggled up on mommy.
That leads me to my favorite times with her--snuggling in our bed on weekends. DH will typically get up with her if she gets up obnoxiously early and then bring her back up when she needs to nurse. I'll nurse her and we'll play a bit in bed. Some mornings we can coax her to take her nap a little early and all of us snuggle in bed together.
She can be quite impatient. Just recently she's started banging on her tray when we aren't feeding her quickly enough. And while she likes being naked, she doesn't like the process of getting changed.
Everything still goes in her mouth. She loves most of all to chew on cloth things--her clothes, her jacket, stuffed animals, tags, blankets... We always tell her she's going to get a fuzzy tongue. No teeth yet. We've had quite a few instances of some really stringy drool, TONS of chewing...but no teeth yet. Not concerned, just wondering when they're going to show up!
She's really getting the hang of standing and still prefers to stand over crawling. She will hold onto the side of her Exersaucer with one hand and stand there. Of course, we put our hands under her arms, just in case, but don't touch her. It amazes us every single time. She's *trying* to figure out walking while holding our fingers. It isn't the balance or supporting her weight that's getting her...it's actually moving her legs. She tends to walk a tightrope and that's not real conducive to learning to walk!
Baby girl loves to be upside down. I always thought she just hated being upside down, which is why she was breech, but no--you dangle her upside down and she's really happy!
She loves to squeal, especially when mommy will respond with her own squeal.
She's ticklish, but only mommy can get her to roll over to run away and squealing from being tickled. She squirms a bit when others do it, but not as much as when mommy does it!
Another great moment of the last month was when she crawled to us for the first time when we picked her up at daycare. What a great feeling to see her crawling to us, ready to see us after a long day!!!
She's still wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. Both are getting fairly snug and we've had to phase out a few 3-6 month outfits. I plan to exchange some of our size 2 diapers very soon for some size 3s. I have plans for her to wear a 6-9 month outfit (her first) this weekend (a sweater DH's dad picked out for her, who we'll see on Saturday).
She loves being rocked to sleep. Daddy reads her a story, then mommy comes up, lays her on her side, and starts rocking and singing. She immediately pops that thumb into her mouth. Mommy sings "You Are My Sunshine", "The Alphabet Song", "Jesus Loves Me", "Carmen Ohio", and "Amazing Grace", just to name a few.
She's giggle like crazy if you blow raspberries on her belly or make her fly.
If I can think of anything else, I'll come back and add it! I don't want to forget her the way she is right now--she's such a joy!
At seven months, baby girl is crawling all over the place. She's still not *real* fast, but she can go for sure. I sat her on the floor outside the bathroom today with a couple of toys and by the time I was done and washing my hands, there she was, tugging on my pant legs. When she crawls over to me when I'm sitting down, she'll ram her head into my shin. Can't be comfy, but it's so cute!
Baby girl is eating like crazy. I keep saying that I'm so glad she's a good eater. If she were a bad eater and a bad sleeper, I don't know what I'd do! She loves to nurse, but also take a bottle like a champ. Every morning she has 1/4 cup of baby oatmeal mixed with organic pear juice (to help keep her tummy moving). Starting this past weekend, she's getting a veggie at lunchtime. Then, while we eat our dinner she has 3 or 4 ice cubes worth of veggies. So far she's had carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, peas, and green beans and loved all of them. Of course she likes the orange veggies a bit better since they're sweeter, but she hasn't balked at anything.
She's such a big girl about sitting in her high chair. She sometimes gets a bit fussy when the tray is on, but after she's done eating, we clean her up, take off the tray, and push the chair all the way up to the table. We give her plastic measuring cups (the 1/4 cup one was on the table from measuring out oatmeal) and she bangs them on the table. The first night this happened, we were all rocking out Bon Jovi. It's a great way to keep her occupied while we finish eating or just hanging out, listening to the radio.
Her sleeping still isn't great, but we're getting there. She'd like to sleep 12 hours a night or so, I think. We had one night where DH put her down pretty awake and he tried to soothe her to sleep, but she kept giggling and playing with him. Eventually he laid down on the floor and I put my head down and closed my eyes while sitting in the rocker. She got bored and just rolled over on her tummy and went to sleep.
She's definitely a thumb sucker. She now sucks her thumb and pulls on her ears when she's tired. She even does it in the middle of dinner.
Baby girl has recently started bouncing. She's a bit erratic about it and will only do it while being held, but it's super fun.
My favorite thing that she does right now is give kisses. I have no idea if she means to do it, but I'm the only one she'll do it to. She usually grabs my face (and sometimes my hair with the other hand) and brings her mouth to my cheek (or my mouth sometimes), open wide, and lick/suck my face. It's the sweetest thing!
She still prefers to be next to her mommy whenever possible. We can be sitting on the floor together and she'll turn and crawl up onto my lap or turn all the way around and lift her arms up to be picked up. Just this past weekend she fell asleep in our bed without any coaxing, just because she was snuggled up on mommy.
That leads me to my favorite times with her--snuggling in our bed on weekends. DH will typically get up with her if she gets up obnoxiously early and then bring her back up when she needs to nurse. I'll nurse her and we'll play a bit in bed. Some mornings we can coax her to take her nap a little early and all of us snuggle in bed together.
She can be quite impatient. Just recently she's started banging on her tray when we aren't feeding her quickly enough. And while she likes being naked, she doesn't like the process of getting changed.
Everything still goes in her mouth. She loves most of all to chew on cloth things--her clothes, her jacket, stuffed animals, tags, blankets... We always tell her she's going to get a fuzzy tongue. No teeth yet. We've had quite a few instances of some really stringy drool, TONS of chewing...but no teeth yet. Not concerned, just wondering when they're going to show up!
She's really getting the hang of standing and still prefers to stand over crawling. She will hold onto the side of her Exersaucer with one hand and stand there. Of course, we put our hands under her arms, just in case, but don't touch her. It amazes us every single time. She's *trying* to figure out walking while holding our fingers. It isn't the balance or supporting her weight that's getting her...it's actually moving her legs. She tends to walk a tightrope and that's not real conducive to learning to walk!
Baby girl loves to be upside down. I always thought she just hated being upside down, which is why she was breech, but no--you dangle her upside down and she's really happy!
She loves to squeal, especially when mommy will respond with her own squeal.
She's ticklish, but only mommy can get her to roll over to run away and squealing from being tickled. She squirms a bit when others do it, but not as much as when mommy does it!
Another great moment of the last month was when she crawled to us for the first time when we picked her up at daycare. What a great feeling to see her crawling to us, ready to see us after a long day!!!
She's still wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. Both are getting fairly snug and we've had to phase out a few 3-6 month outfits. I plan to exchange some of our size 2 diapers very soon for some size 3s. I have plans for her to wear a 6-9 month outfit (her first) this weekend (a sweater DH's dad picked out for her, who we'll see on Saturday).
She loves being rocked to sleep. Daddy reads her a story, then mommy comes up, lays her on her side, and starts rocking and singing. She immediately pops that thumb into her mouth. Mommy sings "You Are My Sunshine", "The Alphabet Song", "Jesus Loves Me", "Carmen Ohio", and "Amazing Grace", just to name a few.
She's giggle like crazy if you blow raspberries on her belly or make her fly.
If I can think of anything else, I'll come back and add it! I don't want to forget her the way she is right now--she's such a joy!
Better Sleep
Sleep was better last night. Went down around 7:15, up around 8:45 for no apparent reason, but easily soothed by her daddy (he was back before his ice cream melted). The hubby and I went to bed not long after that, expecting to have a long night ahead of us. We were pleasantly surprised when we weren't awakened until 2:30! We went ahead and go her up, I fed her, then she went right back to sleep. She then slept until about 6:30--just in time to get up and eat and get ready to go.
We have no idea what we've done. I did turn off her main nightlight. Who knows if that did it. Or it could just be that she's napping better during the day at the sitter's and maybe getting more tired there and therefore will sleep better for us on nights after she's been at the sitter's, rather than home with us.
It just makes me feel like we're doing something wrong on the weekends. We've tried stimulating her a lot (taking her out to stores, restaurants, etc.), we've tried staying at home and focusing on getting her her naps as soon as she needs them. We've tried playing a lot, we've tried winding down to naptime. We follow the same routines on the weekends except that we let her sleep until she's done, rather than waking her at 6:30 (which we don't even have to do all the time...this past Sunday, for instance, she was up at 6 and ready to go and we stayed up with her).
I just don't know. I'm going to just try to be happy that this probably means she'll sleep well 5 nights out of the week. I was mostly afraid that we were going to have to re-train after each weekend, but it seems whatever is naturally happening during the week is doing enough to get her to sleep.
We have no idea what we've done. I did turn off her main nightlight. Who knows if that did it. Or it could just be that she's napping better during the day at the sitter's and maybe getting more tired there and therefore will sleep better for us on nights after she's been at the sitter's, rather than home with us.
It just makes me feel like we're doing something wrong on the weekends. We've tried stimulating her a lot (taking her out to stores, restaurants, etc.), we've tried staying at home and focusing on getting her her naps as soon as she needs them. We've tried playing a lot, we've tried winding down to naptime. We follow the same routines on the weekends except that we let her sleep until she's done, rather than waking her at 6:30 (which we don't even have to do all the time...this past Sunday, for instance, she was up at 6 and ready to go and we stayed up with her).
I just don't know. I'm going to just try to be happy that this probably means she'll sleep well 5 nights out of the week. I was mostly afraid that we were going to have to re-train after each weekend, but it seems whatever is naturally happening during the week is doing enough to get her to sleep.
Poop
Yep, just because some of you thought my last post would be about poop, here is a post. All about poop.
Not mine, of course. No, that would be gross. Baby girl's. She's always had really odd pooping habits. They've become MUCH harder and much more infrequent. I was hoping the addition of veggies would help a girl out, but apparently not.
Saturday I was beginning to get a bit concerned. She'd been acting like she needed to go, would grunt and push, but nothing would happen. I wondered if she'd gone at the sitter's and she didn't mention it. The sitter does typically mention it since it's so infrequent...or maybe because many times she was wearing it. Either way, I usually know when I put her up.
So Sunday morning DH let me sleep in for an hour--so nice! When he brought baby girl back upstairs, he announced that she'd pooped. Yay!!! Well, while we were laying in bed together, she pooped again. And again later that day. Within 24 hours, she'd pooped SIX times. And not small little nuggets...oh no...BIG baby poops.
I told her she felt like she was at least a pound lighter. Oh, to be able to lose a pound that way.... :)
Not mine, of course. No, that would be gross. Baby girl's. She's always had really odd pooping habits. They've become MUCH harder and much more infrequent. I was hoping the addition of veggies would help a girl out, but apparently not.
Saturday I was beginning to get a bit concerned. She'd been acting like she needed to go, would grunt and push, but nothing would happen. I wondered if she'd gone at the sitter's and she didn't mention it. The sitter does typically mention it since it's so infrequent...or maybe because many times she was wearing it. Either way, I usually know when I put her up.
So Sunday morning DH let me sleep in for an hour--so nice! When he brought baby girl back upstairs, he announced that she'd pooped. Yay!!! Well, while we were laying in bed together, she pooped again. And again later that day. Within 24 hours, she'd pooped SIX times. And not small little nuggets...oh no...BIG baby poops.
I told her she felt like she was at least a pound lighter. Oh, to be able to lose a pound that way.... :)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Number 2
This morning I was quickly reminded of a situation (? problem?) I've been a part of for as long as I can remember. I've always been Number 2 (at least).
Let's go back to 1992. I was in middle school. I had a best friend from elementary school, Shelley. Over the summer, I met Lisa, who lived across the street. We became fast friends and I introduced her to Shelley. The three of us hung out a lot. But soon I realized that Lisa and Shelley were hanging out more on their own, without me. They grew closer as I grew further apart from them. By the time we started high school, they were each other's Number 1.
Enter a different Lisa, who I met before ninth grade--1994. We were in band together. She became my best friend. But I was still her Number 2. She had had a best friend since childhood. We were all friends...but I was Number 2 and was never allowed to forget it.
Next we come to 1998, when I started college. I made a great friend. She, of course, still had her BFF from high school--no problem. She was still my best friend and, I thought I was hers, at least at college. But then she met my roommate. And she and my roommate moved in together and SHE became her Number 1. I was demoted to Number 2. Again.
I've had few others that I've considered promoting to my Number 1, but they always developed (or already had) their own Number 1. So I just don't have one. And I'm generally okay with that because my husband is really my best friend. HE is my Number 1 and I am his. And all is well. I am okay with having some really close girlfriends and not one best friend most of the time. I've made my husband and my daughter my priority and I don't know if I have the time or energy right now to maintain a BEST friendship. There are days, though, when people talk about their BFFs and I feel like I'm missing something.
Why was I reminded of this this morning? Well, I have a friend at work--my closest. We do a lot together--walk to get lunch, chat about our kids, chat about work. I enjoy my time with her. She's my Work Number 1. This morning, though, one of our coworkers returned from maternity leave. And I've been demoted to Number 3. The other three (my closest coworker, the one returning from leave, and another coworker) are currently eating lunch together. Was I invited? Of course not. They have long, chatty conversations that don't involve me. I would've been involved just Friday, but now that there's a better option? I'm demoted.
I'm tired of being Number 2. I'm tired of feeling like I'm not good enough. I'm tired of this being a theme in my life.
Let's go back to 1992. I was in middle school. I had a best friend from elementary school, Shelley. Over the summer, I met Lisa, who lived across the street. We became fast friends and I introduced her to Shelley. The three of us hung out a lot. But soon I realized that Lisa and Shelley were hanging out more on their own, without me. They grew closer as I grew further apart from them. By the time we started high school, they were each other's Number 1.
Enter a different Lisa, who I met before ninth grade--1994. We were in band together. She became my best friend. But I was still her Number 2. She had had a best friend since childhood. We were all friends...but I was Number 2 and was never allowed to forget it.
Next we come to 1998, when I started college. I made a great friend. She, of course, still had her BFF from high school--no problem. She was still my best friend and, I thought I was hers, at least at college. But then she met my roommate. And she and my roommate moved in together and SHE became her Number 1. I was demoted to Number 2. Again.
I've had few others that I've considered promoting to my Number 1, but they always developed (or already had) their own Number 1. So I just don't have one. And I'm generally okay with that because my husband is really my best friend. HE is my Number 1 and I am his. And all is well. I am okay with having some really close girlfriends and not one best friend most of the time. I've made my husband and my daughter my priority and I don't know if I have the time or energy right now to maintain a BEST friendship. There are days, though, when people talk about their BFFs and I feel like I'm missing something.
Why was I reminded of this this morning? Well, I have a friend at work--my closest. We do a lot together--walk to get lunch, chat about our kids, chat about work. I enjoy my time with her. She's my Work Number 1. This morning, though, one of our coworkers returned from maternity leave. And I've been demoted to Number 3. The other three (my closest coworker, the one returning from leave, and another coworker) are currently eating lunch together. Was I invited? Of course not. They have long, chatty conversations that don't involve me. I would've been involved just Friday, but now that there's a better option? I'm demoted.
I'm tired of being Number 2. I'm tired of feeling like I'm not good enough. I'm tired of this being a theme in my life.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
sleep.
Sleep has been an incredibly challenge over the last 7 months. We started doing some sleep training a few weeks ago (2/18) and really found something that worked. Each night baby girl would wake up a little less and needed less soothing before falling asleep. Last weekend her sleep got worse again. Her napping is never very good at home with us and we started to wonder if teeth were upon us.
Fast forward to this past Thursday night. Baby girl slept 9 hours straight! I was planning on writing a blog post on Friday about it--how we'd finally had a breakthrough. Friday was a weird evening, keeping baby girl up about 1 1/2 hours past her bedtime. She still slept 6 1/2 hours straight, ate, then went back to bed for 3 more hours. Great news!!!
Saturday night, though...she was up every 2-3 hours. She's inconsolable. With our sleep training, DH* picks her up, soothes her, then puts her back in her crib. He'd do that for an hour, though, last night, with no success--she was still screaming like she was in some major pain. So after awhile, he'd bring her to me to feed her. She's eat, fall asleep, and rinse & repeat 2 to 3 hours later.
Again, we're thinking maybe teeth. She's gnawing like crazy on everything. She's drooling more than ever before. But we also know that her sleeping well at night depends on her taking good naps. She DID take good naps yesterday, though, with horrible results overnight.
I'm writing now because I have to do SOMETHING while DH is upstairs with her. Tonight is a record. We put her down around 6:50 and she's back up, screaming her head off, at 8:45. She's so desperate in her shrieking. I can't handle it. It always makes me cry. She's quiet right now, but I'm guessing DH is still holding her.
I hope she's better overnight during the week this week. This is making the weekends not nearly as desirable...but that's for another post.
*DH does the training b/c we're fairly sure if I went in there, she'd expect to be fed and wouldn't give up until I fed her. And I'd also probably give in before he does, as I know I have something that will ALWAYS soothe her and can't stand seeing her in so much apparent pain when I know I can do something to make it better.
Fast forward to this past Thursday night. Baby girl slept 9 hours straight! I was planning on writing a blog post on Friday about it--how we'd finally had a breakthrough. Friday was a weird evening, keeping baby girl up about 1 1/2 hours past her bedtime. She still slept 6 1/2 hours straight, ate, then went back to bed for 3 more hours. Great news!!!
Saturday night, though...she was up every 2-3 hours. She's inconsolable. With our sleep training, DH* picks her up, soothes her, then puts her back in her crib. He'd do that for an hour, though, last night, with no success--she was still screaming like she was in some major pain. So after awhile, he'd bring her to me to feed her. She's eat, fall asleep, and rinse & repeat 2 to 3 hours later.
Again, we're thinking maybe teeth. She's gnawing like crazy on everything. She's drooling more than ever before. But we also know that her sleeping well at night depends on her taking good naps. She DID take good naps yesterday, though, with horrible results overnight.
I'm writing now because I have to do SOMETHING while DH is upstairs with her. Tonight is a record. We put her down around 6:50 and she's back up, screaming her head off, at 8:45. She's so desperate in her shrieking. I can't handle it. It always makes me cry. She's quiet right now, but I'm guessing DH is still holding her.
I hope she's better overnight during the week this week. This is making the weekends not nearly as desirable...but that's for another post.
*DH does the training b/c we're fairly sure if I went in there, she'd expect to be fed and wouldn't give up until I fed her. And I'd also probably give in before he does, as I know I have something that will ALWAYS soothe her and can't stand seeing her in so much apparent pain when I know I can do something to make it better.
Meal Plan 2/28-3/6
I thought I might start writing out our meal plan for the week. I know I'm always looking for new ideas for meals and hope you appreciate them, too. Even if you don't, it helps keep me organized :)
2/28: Lazy Chicken in a Crockpot (new-to-us recipe)
3/1: Pulled pork (pork cooked in crockpot with BBQ sauce) & frozen corn
3/2: Either frozen pizza or takeout (the hubby is working late)
3/3: Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry (new-to-us recipe)
3/4: Black Bean and Corn Creamchiladas
3/5: Pesto Chicken & Sweet Potatoes in the crockpot (another new-to-us recipe)
3/6: Our niece's birthday party
We also have stuff to make tacos so that might get subbed in if we forget to prep the slow cooker before we leave for work. I bought the taco stuff before I knew DH wouldn't be home for dinner on Tuesday.
2/28: Lazy Chicken in a Crockpot (new-to-us recipe)
3/1: Pulled pork (pork cooked in crockpot with BBQ sauce) & frozen corn
3/2: Either frozen pizza or takeout (the hubby is working late)
3/3: Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry (new-to-us recipe)
3/4: Black Bean and Corn Creamchiladas
3/5: Pesto Chicken & Sweet Potatoes in the crockpot (another new-to-us recipe)
3/6: Our niece's birthday party
We also have stuff to make tacos so that might get subbed in if we forget to prep the slow cooker before we leave for work. I bought the taco stuff before I knew DH wouldn't be home for dinner on Tuesday.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
My Pump
Meet Ameda:
Over the last 4 months, we've gotten pretty close. We spend about three hours together every weekday and have been through a lot together. Of course, when I first got her, I had to upgrade to a newer model...the original version just wasn't cutting it. Just this week, I had to get a new accessory for her--apparently she needs to get something new and shiny every once in awhile or she'll revolt. Isn't that just like a woman?
Ameda has provided me with the ability to still provide only breastmilk for baby girl. She's not had to have an ounce of formula. Wow. Thanks, old girl. I suppose I'll keep you around for awhile longer.
I have considered putting old Ameda out to pasture, though. I've grown to...I hate to admit it...resent her. I resent having to pull my curtain closed, secluding myself from my workplace, for hours at a time. I resent needing to expose myself in my desk chair, contorting my bewbies into these horns. I resent being milked.
I've never been much of a thrill-seeker, but each time I hook up with Ameda, there's a sense of danger. Will someone catch us? And by catch us, I mean, will some IDIOT decide that the curtain that's hanging across the entrance to my cubicle isn't there for privacy, but, rather, for decoration? The biggest problem? Men. I've had two men invade my privacy--one pushed the curtain aside to come in (and still didn't understand that I DID NOT want my trash emptied today) and the other just peered over the cubicle wall. Oh, how we did laugh, Ameda and I. On top of those two, I've had two other men that I don't know very well talking to me through the curtain. Do you think I want to have a conversation with you while I'm on a date with Ameda? I work in a computer-based position--just email me. I promise I'll respond. Even when I'm in the middle of the date, I'm connected (may be rude to Ameda, but she's gotten used to it).
Thank you, Miss Ameda, for a great four months together. I'm starting to think about some sort of a contractual agreement, though, that if you keep doing your job, I'll stay faithful. How about it?
Socks in my Pocket
Doesn't that sounds like the name of a band or something?
Anyway.
This has become a normal occurance for me. Sticking my hand in my coat pocket, either to keep it warm or to pull out car keys, and pulling out, instead, a pair or two of baby socks.
Baby socks, you ask? Yes, I have a baby, but why would I have socks in my pocket? Well, you see, baby girl hates to wear socks, but since it's February in Ohio, we insist. She resists (just this morning she stole them from me, not once, but FIVE times to then stick them in her mouth), but being the big meanies we are, we force her to wear them, at least until she's in someone's house.
And once she's in someone's house (specifically, the babysitter's), they're off in an instant. Every single day we pick her up, sockless. I'm given her socks, they go into my pocket, and the baby gets put into her carseat (don't worry, she's covered by one of those fuzzy things...keeps her little toes warm. The sitter would tell us if we weren't keeping her warm enough--she just did yesterday when we didn't put her hood up for the 10 second walk to the 85 degree car).
We go through this song and dance every.single.day. during the week. And that's how I end up with five pairs of socks a week in my coat pocket.
Anyway.
This has become a normal occurance for me. Sticking my hand in my coat pocket, either to keep it warm or to pull out car keys, and pulling out, instead, a pair or two of baby socks.
Baby socks, you ask? Yes, I have a baby, but why would I have socks in my pocket? Well, you see, baby girl hates to wear socks, but since it's February in Ohio, we insist. She resists (just this morning she stole them from me, not once, but FIVE times to then stick them in her mouth), but being the big meanies we are, we force her to wear them, at least until she's in someone's house.
And once she's in someone's house (specifically, the babysitter's), they're off in an instant. Every single day we pick her up, sockless. I'm given her socks, they go into my pocket, and the baby gets put into her carseat (don't worry, she's covered by one of those fuzzy things...keeps her little toes warm. The sitter would tell us if we weren't keeping her warm enough--she just did yesterday when we didn't put her hood up for the 10 second walk to the 85 degree car).
We go through this song and dance every.single.day. during the week. And that's how I end up with five pairs of socks a week in my coat pocket.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Simplification, for real
I think I've spoken here about our need to simplify our lives. We've said it time and time again, but this is amplified by the existence of our lovely daughter. We want to be able to spend as much time with her as possible, not wading through paperwork, doing hours of dishes (because we hadn't done any in awhile), searching for things (because we have too much)... So we're on a mission and we're actually getting somewhere with it (finally).
We've made lists. Lists of things that need to be done to get our house to a place where we can breathe. Things like clean out closets, reorganize cupboards, figure out a system to deal with papers and coupons and then DO IT, cleaning out that huge pile of stuff that's accumulated behind the love seat... We've also got lists of things that will need to be done daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, and semi-annually. We've started to figure out WHEN it's all going to get done. We've got a calendar. We're writing down committments outside the home that we each have. We're writing down our dinners for each night (we've always meal planned, but now we're assigning meals to a night so we can't say nothing sounds good). We're writing down which of the items on that first list are getting done that evening.
So far, so good. We started on Monday evening. We cleaned off the end tables and pared down what was there. One night DH scrubbed the sink. When I got home from the grocery, I cleaned out the refrigerator. One evening I scrubbed the stovetop. One evening I put away baby girls's wardrobe and cleaned up her room. Tuesday we were home on a snow day (which was SO great!) and we ended up cleaning up a lot of the 2nd floor. Our closet is emptier (thanks to three boxes of clothes we're donating), the floor is cleaner, and we're a lot more relaxed in our bedroom.
One task from that day, though, made me more emotional than I ever thought it would have...putting away maternity clothes. I loved being pregnant. I would love to be pregnant again...if there weren't a baby at the end. I love baby girl, but I am SO not ready to have another baby. But I am ready to be pregnant again. Yes, I was self-conscious about the way my flabby belly looked. But I loved being that close to my little girl, twenty-four hours a day. So I cried when I put away those clothes (and packed away those that I had borrowed). I miss my days of my little girl inside me (and not fighting me when I try to get her to go to sleep).
Where was I (as I wipe a tear from my eye again)? Ah yes, simplification.
This weekend we're due to: clean out the oven, get rid of the stuff behind the love seat, figure out a coupon organization system (I'm a person who keeps all inserts, collects many other coupons, sometimes buys additional inserts...I'm a couponing maniac. I used to have a binder with all my coupons sorted by type put into baseball card inserts, but that is too much maintenance for me now. So I have a plan now that I'm going to try), deal with the stacks of paperwork and figure out how we're going to deal with them in the future, clean out the food cupboards, and also clean, purge, and sort the cookware cupboards. That may sound like a lot, but I think it should still be a fairly relaxing weekend.
I'll try to keep updated here all the things we've done to get our house simplified. The only negative side effect to this is that we're missing out on many TV shows. We don't turn the TV on during weeknight evenings while the baby is awake, typically, so we get about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to watch TV each evening and now we're cleaning during it. But that's okay. Even without the TV, I'm seeing that we're both a lot happier and more relaxed with a cleaner, emptier house.
We've made lists. Lists of things that need to be done to get our house to a place where we can breathe. Things like clean out closets, reorganize cupboards, figure out a system to deal with papers and coupons and then DO IT, cleaning out that huge pile of stuff that's accumulated behind the love seat... We've also got lists of things that will need to be done daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, and semi-annually. We've started to figure out WHEN it's all going to get done. We've got a calendar. We're writing down committments outside the home that we each have. We're writing down our dinners for each night (we've always meal planned, but now we're assigning meals to a night so we can't say nothing sounds good). We're writing down which of the items on that first list are getting done that evening.
So far, so good. We started on Monday evening. We cleaned off the end tables and pared down what was there. One night DH scrubbed the sink. When I got home from the grocery, I cleaned out the refrigerator. One evening I scrubbed the stovetop. One evening I put away baby girls's wardrobe and cleaned up her room. Tuesday we were home on a snow day (which was SO great!) and we ended up cleaning up a lot of the 2nd floor. Our closet is emptier (thanks to three boxes of clothes we're donating), the floor is cleaner, and we're a lot more relaxed in our bedroom.
One task from that day, though, made me more emotional than I ever thought it would have...putting away maternity clothes. I loved being pregnant. I would love to be pregnant again...if there weren't a baby at the end. I love baby girl, but I am SO not ready to have another baby. But I am ready to be pregnant again. Yes, I was self-conscious about the way my flabby belly looked. But I loved being that close to my little girl, twenty-four hours a day. So I cried when I put away those clothes (and packed away those that I had borrowed). I miss my days of my little girl inside me (and not fighting me when I try to get her to go to sleep).
Where was I (as I wipe a tear from my eye again)? Ah yes, simplification.
This weekend we're due to: clean out the oven, get rid of the stuff behind the love seat, figure out a coupon organization system (I'm a person who keeps all inserts, collects many other coupons, sometimes buys additional inserts...I'm a couponing maniac. I used to have a binder with all my coupons sorted by type put into baseball card inserts, but that is too much maintenance for me now. So I have a plan now that I'm going to try), deal with the stacks of paperwork and figure out how we're going to deal with them in the future, clean out the food cupboards, and also clean, purge, and sort the cookware cupboards. That may sound like a lot, but I think it should still be a fairly relaxing weekend.
I'll try to keep updated here all the things we've done to get our house simplified. The only negative side effect to this is that we're missing out on many TV shows. We don't turn the TV on during weeknight evenings while the baby is awake, typically, so we get about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to watch TV each evening and now we're cleaning during it. But that's okay. Even without the TV, I'm seeing that we're both a lot happier and more relaxed with a cleaner, emptier house.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Mobility and other new developments
I love getting to watch baby girl learn new things every single day. She's just amazing.
We were blessed to have a snow day yesterday (as a non-teacher, these are very rare in our house), so all three of us just hung out together. We got to watch her demonstrate her newly acquired crawling skills. For about a week she'd been doing this worm-like movement where she'd push up on her arms and "worm" (for lack of a more descriptive word) her way to you across the carpet. But as of Monday night, she is officially, truly crawling. She's got the knees and arms all working together (even though she still hesitates to put her right knee on the ground sometimes) and can travel pretty well that way. She's still slow, but I have a feeling the speed will come very soon!
She's also a huge fan of blowing bubbles. Once she starts she doesn't stop for about an hour. She'll do it while she's upset, while she's happy, while she's eating (Daddy loved that one with squash in her mouth)...bubbles everywhere!
Baby girl has also recently discovered her hands. This is very strange to us, as she's had great dexterity with her hands for months and months now. She can pick up little things, grab, throw, etc., but never went through a phase of staring at her hands--she just started using them! Well now she's started looking at them. She'll hold them up in the air and move her arm around, rotate her hand and just watch it in amazement.
What else? Oh, she's ticklish. Her back, her armpits, her sides, her thighs, her neck...pretty much anywhere! Sometimes she'll get frustrated when you tickle her, but other times it will produce belly laughs and squeals and those are so much fun!
This kid will also love to play in the parachute during gym class. Whenever we lift a blanket up in the air and start to let it fall over her, she opens her mouth in a huge smile, closes her eyes, and holds her breath. She loves it!
Every day it is something new, which makes coming back to work so much harder! Today is her first day not being the baby at the sitter's--a three month old started this morning. Good thing she's getting that mobility thing down--she won't get to be held as much anymore!
We were blessed to have a snow day yesterday (as a non-teacher, these are very rare in our house), so all three of us just hung out together. We got to watch her demonstrate her newly acquired crawling skills. For about a week she'd been doing this worm-like movement where she'd push up on her arms and "worm" (for lack of a more descriptive word) her way to you across the carpet. But as of Monday night, she is officially, truly crawling. She's got the knees and arms all working together (even though she still hesitates to put her right knee on the ground sometimes) and can travel pretty well that way. She's still slow, but I have a feeling the speed will come very soon!
She's also a huge fan of blowing bubbles. Once she starts she doesn't stop for about an hour. She'll do it while she's upset, while she's happy, while she's eating (Daddy loved that one with squash in her mouth)...bubbles everywhere!
Baby girl has also recently discovered her hands. This is very strange to us, as she's had great dexterity with her hands for months and months now. She can pick up little things, grab, throw, etc., but never went through a phase of staring at her hands--she just started using them! Well now she's started looking at them. She'll hold them up in the air and move her arm around, rotate her hand and just watch it in amazement.
What else? Oh, she's ticklish. Her back, her armpits, her sides, her thighs, her neck...pretty much anywhere! Sometimes she'll get frustrated when you tickle her, but other times it will produce belly laughs and squeals and those are so much fun!
This kid will also love to play in the parachute during gym class. Whenever we lift a blanket up in the air and start to let it fall over her, she opens her mouth in a huge smile, closes her eyes, and holds her breath. She loves it!
Every day it is something new, which makes coming back to work so much harder! Today is her first day not being the baby at the sitter's--a three month old started this morning. Good thing she's getting that mobility thing down--she won't get to be held as much anymore!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Gratitude
~ I'm so thankful for my DH. He is truly my best friend. We've recently been handling things differently and I get really frustrated with him, but I know if we both have patience and open the lines of communication, we can work through anything.
~ I'm thankful for my sitter. We don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on some things, but I have confidence that she has my baby's best interests at heart and misses her and loves her. I also know that even though she has a policy about late pick-ups, if we get stuck in the awful weather today and are late she'll give the baby a bottle if needed and take it all in stride without making us feel guilty. I love not having to stress about getting there on time.
~ I'm thankful for my mom. She loves me, DH, and the baby so much that she can't contain herself. I've been having a hard time reining her in sometimes--there are just some weekends that we need our own family time--but I want to take time today to just be grateful that she WANTS to spend time with baby girl. She would be with her every single day if she could and it's so wonderful knowing that someone else loves my baby as much as I do and that I have someone I can rely on to take care of her like I would if I can't. I don't know what I'd do without her and hope I don't have to find out anytime soon.
~ I'm thankful that I've been able to exclusively breastfeed for 6 1/2 months now. I was all set to write up a venting post about how I never get a break and how my husband doesn't understand how much and long I'm awake every.single.night, but today I'm just happy that I've had a relatively easy time nursing my baby. I didn't have to pump extra in the beginning to encourage supply and I haven't had to supplement--those two things alone are such a huge deal to me.
~ Lastly, I'm thankful for my baby. She has been incredibly trying recently (last night she was up 9:30-10:15 (shrieking like a crazy woman), 11-11:30, 2-2:30, and 5-5:30) and has been fussy-ish, but realistically, my baby is the happiest I know. She smiles at everyone, giggles for no reason, eats like a champ (both nursing and solids), and is generally a pleasure to be around. I know so many people who are hoping and praying for a baby and I have to remind myself sometimes that I was in their shoes--just wanting a baby, any baby, of my own. And now I have her and I get so incredibly frustrated with her and I need, sometimes, to just be glad that she's here. She's mine. And she's perfect.
So thank you God. I truly am blessed.
~ I'm thankful for my sitter. We don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on some things, but I have confidence that she has my baby's best interests at heart and misses her and loves her. I also know that even though she has a policy about late pick-ups, if we get stuck in the awful weather today and are late she'll give the baby a bottle if needed and take it all in stride without making us feel guilty. I love not having to stress about getting there on time.
~ I'm thankful for my mom. She loves me, DH, and the baby so much that she can't contain herself. I've been having a hard time reining her in sometimes--there are just some weekends that we need our own family time--but I want to take time today to just be grateful that she WANTS to spend time with baby girl. She would be with her every single day if she could and it's so wonderful knowing that someone else loves my baby as much as I do and that I have someone I can rely on to take care of her like I would if I can't. I don't know what I'd do without her and hope I don't have to find out anytime soon.
~ I'm thankful that I've been able to exclusively breastfeed for 6 1/2 months now. I was all set to write up a venting post about how I never get a break and how my husband doesn't understand how much and long I'm awake every.single.night, but today I'm just happy that I've had a relatively easy time nursing my baby. I didn't have to pump extra in the beginning to encourage supply and I haven't had to supplement--those two things alone are such a huge deal to me.
~ Lastly, I'm thankful for my baby. She has been incredibly trying recently (last night she was up 9:30-10:15 (shrieking like a crazy woman), 11-11:30, 2-2:30, and 5-5:30) and has been fussy-ish, but realistically, my baby is the happiest I know. She smiles at everyone, giggles for no reason, eats like a champ (both nursing and solids), and is generally a pleasure to be around. I know so many people who are hoping and praying for a baby and I have to remind myself sometimes that I was in their shoes--just wanting a baby, any baby, of my own. And now I have her and I get so incredibly frustrated with her and I need, sometimes, to just be glad that she's here. She's mine. And she's perfect.
So thank you God. I truly am blessed.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
First cold
I don't remember if I made a post about a cold previously...but it ended up not being a cold (yay!). However, baby girl has officially come down with her first cold (boo!). Her breathing was changing when we put her down Tuesday night and then she woke about 1 1/2 hours later with snot running out of her face. We suctioned her and DH and I slept with her in the recliners overnight that night. Come morning, she was acting pretty normal (was moving and shaking all over the living room--she's getting this scooting thing down!), but by afternoon she was definitely slowing down. She'd napped 4 times by 3:00 and soon after puked all over DH multiple times. It was awful. I picked her up so he could clean himself up and she puked all over me multiple times. Ick. Called the doctor and they said to push Pedia.lyte until morning.
Baby girl was having none of that. I ended up nursing her b/c she just wasn't taking the Pedia.lyte and she's kept everything down so far (as far as I know). My poor baby. She slept like normal last night, though, which was really nice. She's coughing a bit, though, sneezing, and has snot running all over. She was a mess this morning. I stayed home until my mom could come up, then came into work. I'm getting ready to head home--I miss my baby! I'm just hoping she's feeling better--poor, sweet thing!
Baby girl was having none of that. I ended up nursing her b/c she just wasn't taking the Pedia.lyte and she's kept everything down so far (as far as I know). My poor baby. She slept like normal last night, though, which was really nice. She's coughing a bit, though, sneezing, and has snot running all over. She was a mess this morning. I stayed home until my mom could come up, then came into work. I'm getting ready to head home--I miss my baby! I'm just hoping she's feeling better--poor, sweet thing!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Answering Amy's Question
Amy asked:
What is E's personality like so far? Any future career paths she should start looking into? :)
Baby girl could be a model or an actress. I am probably biased, but I think she's beautiful and she has the best smile. She also has a bit of diva within her. lol She loves to be around people and wants to be the center of attention. If someone's holding her, she's usually pretty happy (unless she's tired or hungry, of course). She hates to sleep because she's afraid she's going to miss something (she's a lot like her mama in that sense). She's such a busybody and incredibly nosey.
The only thing that might keep her from being a model or actress--she loves to eat! lol Of course, so far the food she's the most fond of (out of four she's tried...haha!) are sweet potatoes, so that might not be too bad for her figure. As long as she hits a growth spurt and doesn't stay a shorty, it could still happen!
What is E's personality like so far? Any future career paths she should start looking into? :)
Baby girl could be a model or an actress. I am probably biased, but I think she's beautiful and she has the best smile. She also has a bit of diva within her. lol She loves to be around people and wants to be the center of attention. If someone's holding her, she's usually pretty happy (unless she's tired or hungry, of course). She hates to sleep because she's afraid she's going to miss something (she's a lot like her mama in that sense). She's such a busybody and incredibly nosey.
The only thing that might keep her from being a model or actress--she loves to eat! lol Of course, so far the food she's the most fond of (out of four she's tried...haha!) are sweet potatoes, so that might not be too bad for her figure. As long as she hits a growth spurt and doesn't stay a shorty, it could still happen!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Answering Liz's Question
Liz asked:
How are you doing with the weight after the baby? With losing so much before you got pregnant has it come off quickly? Or are you struggling?
How are you doing with the weight after the baby? With losing so much before you got pregnant has it come off quickly? Or are you struggling?
I am totally struggling. I touched on this in another post, but I've been really nervous about cutting back to be able to lose weight because I don't want to cut my milk supply, so I haven't done nearly enough to lose any weight. At 6 months postpartum, I'm about 20 pounds less than when I delivered and about 30 pounds more than when I got pregnant. I'm frustrated by this, but not frustrated enough to jeopardize my supply by cutting back.
I thought had I learned a ton while I was losing all that weight. I had...but I just haven't stuck to it again like I thought I would. I still viewed it as a lifestyle change and it's what I'll do again when my life isn't consumed by making milk for my baby, but it is on the backburner for now.
I was tracking my food intake on SparkPeople, but have sucked at that recently, too. Even in doing that, though, I found I was eating more fruits and veggies than I had been previously. So even just writing it down made me more conscious about what I was putting into my mouth. DH and I have done a TON better about eating out every night, but I'm afraid that will be jeopardized as he starts a new position with work and starts working crazy hours again.
The thing I worry about most is that I won't ever get thinner again before we try for baby #2. No, we aren't planning on having a second right away, but if I wait until baby girl is weaned to start losing weight...well, it just might happen, which means I'll be piling pregnancy weight back on top of this first pregnancy's weight.
I suppose now that I'm conscious of my concerns maybe I'll keep them in mind and make sure they don't happen, eh? I do want to have a bit of time between weaning baby girl and trying for #2, so I'll be using that time to get healthy again. And I have a feeling with #2 I won't be eating as much junk food as I did with baby girl. I love my junk food, but I love not feeling like a whale even more!
Answering Simi's Question
I love that Simi's question wasn't baby related. I love talking about baby girl...but am so glad to talk about something else for a few minutes!!! Simi asked:
If you could pick any city to live in in the US where would you live? And Why?
This is actually a REALLY hard question for me to answer! The most important thing in my life is my family. Yes, they bug me sometimes and there are days that I wish I were further away, but I love knowing that my parents can easily make a day trip here and could be here in 45 mintues if necessary. So I wouldn't want to live much further from them. We're also almost halfway between our parents' houses (we're about 1 1/2 hours from the ILs and an hour from my parents), so really, Columbus might be ideal as far as that goes.
I do want to live in a different part of Columbus, though. I want good schools for baby girl and any future children we have. Of course, with both of us working in the public sector, we don't make a ton of money. If I had all the money in the world, I'd probably live in Grandview or Upper Arlington--they are closer to work, have great schools, and have a sense of community. However, to get a house the size and quality that we'd want, we would need to make probably double what we do now. So I think next time we look for a house (within the next 3 years), we'll be looking in either Hilliard or possibly out toward the country (either up toward Plain City, out by West Jefferson, or down on the south side). In the country we'd be further from work, but both DH and I miss living in a small-ish community.
So for us our priorities are all about the family, schools, and home size. I don't think I can see us being happy with a 2 bedroom house, especially if we end up with three kids.
If you could pick any city to live in in the US where would you live? And Why?
This is actually a REALLY hard question for me to answer! The most important thing in my life is my family. Yes, they bug me sometimes and there are days that I wish I were further away, but I love knowing that my parents can easily make a day trip here and could be here in 45 mintues if necessary. So I wouldn't want to live much further from them. We're also almost halfway between our parents' houses (we're about 1 1/2 hours from the ILs and an hour from my parents), so really, Columbus might be ideal as far as that goes.
I do want to live in a different part of Columbus, though. I want good schools for baby girl and any future children we have. Of course, with both of us working in the public sector, we don't make a ton of money. If I had all the money in the world, I'd probably live in Grandview or Upper Arlington--they are closer to work, have great schools, and have a sense of community. However, to get a house the size and quality that we'd want, we would need to make probably double what we do now. So I think next time we look for a house (within the next 3 years), we'll be looking in either Hilliard or possibly out toward the country (either up toward Plain City, out by West Jefferson, or down on the south side). In the country we'd be further from work, but both DH and I miss living in a small-ish community.
So for us our priorities are all about the family, schools, and home size. I don't think I can see us being happy with a 2 bedroom house, especially if we end up with three kids.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Random Tidbits
~ Baby girl is a lot smaller than I was at her age. At 6 months, I was over 19 lbs and 29 inches (she's 16 lbs and 25 inches). She's still in the 50th percentile for weight, so I must have been a fairly big kid. Confirms my thoughts that she might be a shrimp.
~ Baby girl also pooped in the tub for the first time. Luckily, it was grandma's tub, so grandma got to clean it up :) Also luckily (I think), she's passing "logs" rather than the old runny stuff.
~ Her favorite toy at grandma and grandpa's house during this trip? An egg carton. She giggles when grandpa hits himself with it or when he hits her...hilarious! She also loves the squeaky noise the styrofoam makes.
~ After being nervous about taking her out to eat for the first time, she's now made five successful trips to restaurants. I don't know what I was worried about--she's an absolute gem every single time. Now, the ride home after being so overstimulated...not always so pleasant. But she has a great time hanging out at the restaurant, usually eating and playing with some toys and never fusses. What an angel!
~ Baby girl also pooped in the tub for the first time. Luckily, it was grandma's tub, so grandma got to clean it up :) Also luckily (I think), she's passing "logs" rather than the old runny stuff.
~ Her favorite toy at grandma and grandpa's house during this trip? An egg carton. She giggles when grandpa hits himself with it or when he hits her...hilarious! She also loves the squeaky noise the styrofoam makes.
~ After being nervous about taking her out to eat for the first time, she's now made five successful trips to restaurants. I don't know what I was worried about--she's an absolute gem every single time. Now, the ride home after being so overstimulated...not always so pleasant. But she has a great time hanging out at the restaurant, usually eating and playing with some toys and never fusses. What an angel!
Friday, February 5, 2010
A fluke
Eh, too bad. Last night we were up twice again--midnight and 4. *sigh* She even got her late nap at the sitter's, I stuffed her full of food...and we're back to up twice a night. Oh well. So much for not being exhausted all the time!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A good day
We had a good night last night. The stars all aligned and baby girl was pleasant all evening, ate like a champ, and then only woke once during the night. We even wonder if she would have woken at all if not for the douchebag neighbor boy and his thug friends parked in a car without a functional muffler on the side of our house, trying not to be seen by his parents...
But I digress.
Baby had just woken from a nap when I picked her up at 5. I think that was a big start to the great evening we had. Then when we got home, I immediately nursed her, which got her to dinner time with a lot less fuss. We fed her her carrots, as much as she would eat, around 6:30. Then, without her being overly tired and falling asleep while eating, I nursed her again around 7:30. She seemed really awake, but was still rubbing her eyes a bit, so we went ahead with bedtime routine. She went down easily at 8 and stayed asleep until 1:00. OMG. Thank goodness we went to bed at 9:30--we actually got 3 1/2 hours of sleep straight. Wow.
We all awoke to the rumblings of the mufflerless car and DH offered baby her pear juice in a bottle, but she wasn't having any of that. He brought her to me and she nursed a bit, but fell asleep pretty quickly while nursing. I made sure she got some from both sides, then she was taken back to bed. Luckily the boy must have decided to take his friends and their drugs* inside at this point because the car stopped, thank goodness.
We all slept until our alarms started going off. I was able to get in the shower before baby girl even woke up.
Let's hope we can duplicate both the efforts AND the results again tonight. The hardest part will be making sure she doesn't get overtired because she RARELY takes a nap that late at the sitter's...but we can hope, can't we?
*I do not claim to know for sure that they were doing drugs...this time. I do know that the boy next door does make a habit of smoking pot into between our houses and has been seen in the midst of buying *something* from a car at the corner.
But I digress.
Baby had just woken from a nap when I picked her up at 5. I think that was a big start to the great evening we had. Then when we got home, I immediately nursed her, which got her to dinner time with a lot less fuss. We fed her her carrots, as much as she would eat, around 6:30. Then, without her being overly tired and falling asleep while eating, I nursed her again around 7:30. She seemed really awake, but was still rubbing her eyes a bit, so we went ahead with bedtime routine. She went down easily at 8 and stayed asleep until 1:00. OMG. Thank goodness we went to bed at 9:30--we actually got 3 1/2 hours of sleep straight. Wow.
We all awoke to the rumblings of the mufflerless car and DH offered baby her pear juice in a bottle, but she wasn't having any of that. He brought her to me and she nursed a bit, but fell asleep pretty quickly while nursing. I made sure she got some from both sides, then she was taken back to bed. Luckily the boy must have decided to take his friends and their drugs* inside at this point because the car stopped, thank goodness.
We all slept until our alarms started going off. I was able to get in the shower before baby girl even woke up.
Let's hope we can duplicate both the efforts AND the results again tonight. The hardest part will be making sure she doesn't get overtired because she RARELY takes a nap that late at the sitter's...but we can hope, can't we?
*I do not claim to know for sure that they were doing drugs...this time. I do know that the boy next door does make a habit of smoking pot into between our houses and has been seen in the midst of buying *something* from a car at the corner.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Bingeing
I've been feeling pretty out of sorts recently, both at home and at work. As a result, I've been cramming everything I can get ahold of into my pie-hole. I was actually starting to see the scale creep down a little bit, but I doubt that will continue with the way I've been eating. I know it's stress eating. I KNOW I'm not actually hungry. So why do I want to go buy a cake mix and eat the entire cake?
I've always had food issues. I spent some time starving myself back in HS. When things get tough, there's this little voice inside of me that alternates between encouraging me to *not* eat or to eat everything in sight. Since I don't want to, God forbid, affect my BM supply...I lean toward eating everything I see.
I think that little voice is the result of a control issue. When life feels out of control to me, I just want to find something, anything, that I can control. For me, that's always been what food I put (or don't put) into my body.
So yeah, I'm confessing this here in the hopes that recognizing that it's a problem might be enough to get me to stop. Or at least slow down. But of course now it's lunch time :)
I've always had food issues. I spent some time starving myself back in HS. When things get tough, there's this little voice inside of me that alternates between encouraging me to *not* eat or to eat everything in sight. Since I don't want to, God forbid, affect my BM supply...I lean toward eating everything I see.
I think that little voice is the result of a control issue. When life feels out of control to me, I just want to find something, anything, that I can control. For me, that's always been what food I put (or don't put) into my body.
So yeah, I'm confessing this here in the hopes that recognizing that it's a problem might be enough to get me to stop. Or at least slow down. But of course now it's lunch time :)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
More Firsts
It feels like this kid changes every single day. Just today, the day after she turned 6 months old, baby girl has had at least three firsts:
First food other than cereal. She had carrots. Not a huge fan, but ate a good amount of them. I made them for her--just steamed some organic carrots and mushed in the food processor.
First splashing in the bath. She never loved bathtime too much. Still doesn't *love* it, but she was splashing today and it was adorable!
First "stranger danger". I got done feeding her and DH took her to hand her to his mom...and she started screaming bloody murder. Up until today she'd been happy to go to anyone...so that wasn't the best first.
First food other than cereal. She had carrots. Not a huge fan, but ate a good amount of them. I made them for her--just steamed some organic carrots and mushed in the food processor.
First splashing in the bath. She never loved bathtime too much. Still doesn't *love* it, but she was splashing today and it was adorable!
First "stranger danger". I got done feeding her and DH took her to hand her to his mom...and she started screaming bloody murder. Up until today she'd been happy to go to anyone...so that wasn't the best first.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Six Month Stats
Baby girl's stats:
15 lbs 15 oz (50th percentile)
25 inches (30th percentile)
head circumference: 42 cm (60th percentile)
Her head size is finally evening out, so it's good to know she won't always be a lollipop.
Her weight has consistently been in the 50th percentile, which makes mommy feel really good--like I'm doing something right
Her height, though...she's going to be a shrimp! According to the doctor, she's had a steady decline in her percentile and has never been overly tall (never over 50th percentile), so it's not concerning. But it's a little weird for me--I'm 5'7" and my mom is 5'10"!
She got three vaccines via shot, one oral, then also got the seasonal and H1.N1 flu shots. So 5 pokes for her. :( She handled them really well, though, and stopped crying almost immediately after they were done.
To celebrate her birthday, mommy and daddy took her out to brunch (although she didn't get to eat) at Chick Fil-A, then dropped her off at the sitter's so she can get some good naps. Daddy went to work and I am going to do a little something for me--go shopping. Nothing exciting--I'm just going to do some dealing at the grocery store--but I hope I can actually relax a little bit.
15 lbs 15 oz (50th percentile)
25 inches (30th percentile)
head circumference: 42 cm (60th percentile)
Her head size is finally evening out, so it's good to know she won't always be a lollipop.
Her weight has consistently been in the 50th percentile, which makes mommy feel really good--like I'm doing something right
Her height, though...she's going to be a shrimp! According to the doctor, she's had a steady decline in her percentile and has never been overly tall (never over 50th percentile), so it's not concerning. But it's a little weird for me--I'm 5'7" and my mom is 5'10"!
She got three vaccines via shot, one oral, then also got the seasonal and H1.N1 flu shots. So 5 pokes for her. :( She handled them really well, though, and stopped crying almost immediately after they were done.
To celebrate her birthday, mommy and daddy took her out to brunch (although she didn't get to eat) at Chick Fil-A, then dropped her off at the sitter's so she can get some good naps. Daddy went to work and I am going to do a little something for me--go shopping. Nothing exciting--I'm just going to do some dealing at the grocery store--but I hope I can actually relax a little bit.
Six Months
Six months old. Half a year. How did we get here, especially so quickly?
I cannot believe baby girl is six months old today. The past six months have been full of hugs, kisses, tears, sleepless nights...but more love than I could ever imagine.
It feels like so much has changed over the last month! At the end of December, she was barely getting the hang of rolling from her tummy to her back. Now, though, she's log rolling everywhere she wants without giving it a thought, sitting up steadily and, most recently (beginning Saturday, January 23rd), trying to crawl!
I was going to post about it earlier, but wanted to put it into the six months post. On 1/23 she got herself up on her hands and knees and started rocking, trying to crawl toward my mom. We hadn't ever seen her do this before! She can get her legs going (sometimes forward and sometimes backward), but her arms just don't know what to do yet. She'll get frustrated and eventually raise one arm toward her goal (typically a toy), then lunge toward it, ending in a faceplant. But it gets her where she wants to go.
If she really wants to move forward, she has figured out, though, that if she rolls onto her side, she can kick off and scoot forward some. So this kid is officially mobile!
Beginning 1/17, she also started eating cereal. We started her on rice cereal with some expressed milk mixed in. We quickly gave up on the milk and started using water, though, since she still ate it just fine. She really started to like it a few days into it and was eating about three tablespoons at a time. There was one problem, though--she got constipated. Not just she-hasn't-pooped-in-a-week constipated (she already did that), but screaming-like-a-little-banshee-because-the-poo-is-harder-than-Play-Doh-and-hurts-like-hell constipated. My poor baby. This screaming ended in me running to Kro.ger to get some pear juice, which has seemed to help, eventually (after she worked out all the old hard stuff). We've also switched her to oatmeal instead of rice, which seems to be working out better. As of last night, she's eating 1/4 cup of oatmeal once per day. Somehow we're supposed to start feeding her in the mornings...but with our morning schedules, I have no idea how that's going to happen. We'll work on it.
We go to the doctor today and I will update with her stats later. I expect that she'll be right around 16 pounds, but we'll see!
She's still solidly wearing 3-6 month clothes (thank goodness, since she still has some outfits she hasn't worn yet....) and I'd guess won't need to go up a size for another couple of weeks, at least.
She's also still wearing size 2 diapers. She could wear 3's (we put her in 3's for overnight, which has helped a ton with leaking), but I bought an overabundance of 2's, so she's still in those for a little while longer.
Her hair is finally starting to grow in a bit. It's relatively thin, but it's there! The stuff on top is definitely getting a bit longer. Hopefully she can have some pigtails by the time she's two. :)
She's ticklish now, more than ever. Her ticklist locations include under her arms, the back of her neck, her sides, the base of her ribs on her back, and her thighs if you get them just right.
She has recently started flailing her arms. We're not sure what it means, but it's cute (but dangerous if she's got a toy in her hands).
Her movements are all really deliberate now. It seems she's really gotten the hang of using those hands.
One of her favorite noises is to squeal and I just encourage it by squealing back at her. She thinks it's great.
Another way to make her giggle (which, by the way, is the greatest noise in the world) is to move your face toward her really quickly. Like if she's laying on the ground, I can stand over her and bend over toward her fast and she'll start kicking and giggling.
She still doesn't love the bath, but doesn't hate it. When trying to get her poo worked out, we gave her a warm bath. She and I sat in there for awhile together while she just played with (read: ate) her rubber ducky. We've given her a bath once in the inflatable rubber ducky, but still have a hard time bending over to clean her that way, so we're back to bathing with her.
Still no teeth :) We thought some were coming in, but we still don't see any signs of them.
I cannot believe baby girl is six months old today. The past six months have been full of hugs, kisses, tears, sleepless nights...but more love than I could ever imagine.
It feels like so much has changed over the last month! At the end of December, she was barely getting the hang of rolling from her tummy to her back. Now, though, she's log rolling everywhere she wants without giving it a thought, sitting up steadily and, most recently (beginning Saturday, January 23rd), trying to crawl!
I was going to post about it earlier, but wanted to put it into the six months post. On 1/23 she got herself up on her hands and knees and started rocking, trying to crawl toward my mom. We hadn't ever seen her do this before! She can get her legs going (sometimes forward and sometimes backward), but her arms just don't know what to do yet. She'll get frustrated and eventually raise one arm toward her goal (typically a toy), then lunge toward it, ending in a faceplant. But it gets her where she wants to go.
If she really wants to move forward, she has figured out, though, that if she rolls onto her side, she can kick off and scoot forward some. So this kid is officially mobile!
Beginning 1/17, she also started eating cereal. We started her on rice cereal with some expressed milk mixed in. We quickly gave up on the milk and started using water, though, since she still ate it just fine. She really started to like it a few days into it and was eating about three tablespoons at a time. There was one problem, though--she got constipated. Not just she-hasn't-pooped-in-a-week constipated (she already did that), but screaming-like-a-little-banshee-because-the-poo-is-harder-than-Play-Doh-and-hurts-like-hell constipated. My poor baby. This screaming ended in me running to Kro.ger to get some pear juice, which has seemed to help, eventually (after she worked out all the old hard stuff). We've also switched her to oatmeal instead of rice, which seems to be working out better. As of last night, she's eating 1/4 cup of oatmeal once per day. Somehow we're supposed to start feeding her in the mornings...but with our morning schedules, I have no idea how that's going to happen. We'll work on it.
We go to the doctor today and I will update with her stats later. I expect that she'll be right around 16 pounds, but we'll see!
She's still solidly wearing 3-6 month clothes (thank goodness, since she still has some outfits she hasn't worn yet....) and I'd guess won't need to go up a size for another couple of weeks, at least.
She's also still wearing size 2 diapers. She could wear 3's (we put her in 3's for overnight, which has helped a ton with leaking), but I bought an overabundance of 2's, so she's still in those for a little while longer.
Her hair is finally starting to grow in a bit. It's relatively thin, but it's there! The stuff on top is definitely getting a bit longer. Hopefully she can have some pigtails by the time she's two. :)
She's ticklish now, more than ever. Her ticklist locations include under her arms, the back of her neck, her sides, the base of her ribs on her back, and her thighs if you get them just right.
She has recently started flailing her arms. We're not sure what it means, but it's cute (but dangerous if she's got a toy in her hands).
Her movements are all really deliberate now. It seems she's really gotten the hang of using those hands.
One of her favorite noises is to squeal and I just encourage it by squealing back at her. She thinks it's great.
Another way to make her giggle (which, by the way, is the greatest noise in the world) is to move your face toward her really quickly. Like if she's laying on the ground, I can stand over her and bend over toward her fast and she'll start kicking and giggling.
She still doesn't love the bath, but doesn't hate it. When trying to get her poo worked out, we gave her a warm bath. She and I sat in there for awhile together while she just played with (read: ate) her rubber ducky. We've given her a bath once in the inflatable rubber ducky, but still have a hard time bending over to clean her that way, so we're back to bathing with her.
Still no teeth :) We thought some were coming in, but we still don't see any signs of them.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Whining
I need to whine about whining.
I have a lot of things that are great in my life. DH and I both have job with great benefits. We have a beautiful daughter. We have family who love us very, very much. The people around us are (knock on wood) healthy and happy. We have a house. We have two working cars. We aren't struggling too badly financially.
Things are good.
But sometimes I want to whine about the little things. Yes, I try to keep perspective that others have it much worse. I know that. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm frustrated with some things in my life.
For instance, DD doesn't like to sleep. Yes, I realize that your daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was a year old and was up every 2 hours for those 12 months. And yes, mine is *only* up twice a night now and it isn't *that* hard to put her back down afterwards. But I am still utterly exhausted.
Also, DH is working quite a bit this week. No, he's not out of town overnight for weeks on end...but I'm getting DD and myself out the door most morning, picking her up most evenings, cooking dinner, and even doing bedtime by myself one night this week. It's more than I've tackled on my own before. I know I can do it. But it won't necessarily be fun.
Maybe I'm selfish.
Actually, I'm sure I'm a little bit selfish. I like to get a break every once in awhile. I already don't get much of a break, so when I'm looking at a week like this one coming up and realizing that it's ALL going to be on my shoulders (which I already feel like it is, at least emotionally), I'm nervous, anxious, and not looking forward to it.
And this is my blog and I can whine if I want to (and you can look forward to more and more whining, I have a feeling...I hate to whine to people who have it far worse than I do, so this is going to be my outlet...that way if you don't like it, you don't have to read it! ;) )
I have a lot of things that are great in my life. DH and I both have job with great benefits. We have a beautiful daughter. We have family who love us very, very much. The people around us are (knock on wood) healthy and happy. We have a house. We have two working cars. We aren't struggling too badly financially.
Things are good.
But sometimes I want to whine about the little things. Yes, I try to keep perspective that others have it much worse. I know that. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm frustrated with some things in my life.
For instance, DD doesn't like to sleep. Yes, I realize that your daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was a year old and was up every 2 hours for those 12 months. And yes, mine is *only* up twice a night now and it isn't *that* hard to put her back down afterwards. But I am still utterly exhausted.
Also, DH is working quite a bit this week. No, he's not out of town overnight for weeks on end...but I'm getting DD and myself out the door most morning, picking her up most evenings, cooking dinner, and even doing bedtime by myself one night this week. It's more than I've tackled on my own before. I know I can do it. But it won't necessarily be fun.
Maybe I'm selfish.
Actually, I'm sure I'm a little bit selfish. I like to get a break every once in awhile. I already don't get much of a break, so when I'm looking at a week like this one coming up and realizing that it's ALL going to be on my shoulders (which I already feel like it is, at least emotionally), I'm nervous, anxious, and not looking forward to it.
And this is my blog and I can whine if I want to (and you can look forward to more and more whining, I have a feeling...I hate to whine to people who have it far worse than I do, so this is going to be my outlet...that way if you don't like it, you don't have to read it! ;) )
Friday, January 22, 2010
Answer Another Question: Regrets
This question came from both Brooke and OSUFish123, essentially. They wanted to know what my biggest regret is (if I have any).
I'd LOVE to be one of those people who says, "I live in the present and have no regrets about my past." I do try to look at my regrets in the mindset that if they hadn't happened, I wouldn't be where I am, but it doesn't make me not regret them either way.
In my youth, I was a cheater. I admit it, I sucked as a girlfriend.
In April 1996, I started dating D. I guess I should start out saying that D first dated my best girlfriend at the time, L. He realized that L. wasn't right for him and, Guess What!, I was. So we chatted a lot and once she started dating another friend of ours, we had the green light to start dating. D. and I were really pretty perfect for each other. We had different interests (I was a musician and he was an athlete), but always supported each other in our endeavors. We always had a great time together and I am pretty sure I was in love. I still think about him sometimes and think I could have married him if things had turned out differently.
But I digress. My BFF, J., was a guy. At 14, I wasn't mature enough to have a BFF that was a guy, but what 14 year old admits that to herself??? He was in music with me, so I was with him quite a bit during the school day. He was fun and made me feel good about myself. He also, somewhere in there, dated my friend L. He also cheated on L. with me while she was on vacation. *sigh* And that was when it started. We flirted...it started out as harmless...but it wasn't, really. It was harming D. and he didn't even know it. I convinced myself at some point that I was falling in love with J...but couldn't give D. up because I think I knew D. was better for me and would stay with me. D. found out about J. and, bless his heart, forgave me.
We were together through high school graduation, when we both went to different colleges. We emailed, called, and saw each other fairly regularly, but I ended up becoming friends with a different J...and you know what happened next. I cheated. And D. came for a semi-formal Spring Quarter and found out. It was over and I was devastated.
Like I said, I still think about D. I miss him. I saw him at our 10 year reunion and he was the same guy. He's married now and I hope he's happy. I would love to be able to be friends, but I just don't think it's possible on my end.
It's hard to label yourself as a cheater after cheating on one guy, even if it's with two different people. So enter T. I started dating T. a few months after D. and I broke up. He was an older man and I'd had a bit of a crush on him (he was in an organization I was a part of in college). We talked and became friends and then started dating in June 1999. Everything was great between us. He left for grad school August 2000 and thus started another long distance relationship.
And you know what happens next. I found another guy who was there, at my college with me. That's all he was...in the same location. So I cheated. Multiple times. And it was like I had two boyfriends. I broke it off with T. August 2001 (while I was living with his sister, no less). I missed him for a long time, too.
Oh, and if you're wondering, no, DH wasn't the guy I cheated on T. with. That guy turned into a total jerk. Goes to show you how much that was worth. But I've moved on, especially from the T. relationship. I realize now that it was all for the best in that situation--he married his best friend at grad school and they've got an adorable little boy.
I've never once cheated on DH. And I think that's how I knew he's the one; I never wanted to. I also know it's because of me--I'm a different person with him than I was with D. or T. I'm more confident--in myself and in his love for me.
I wonder at times what my life would have turned out to be like if I'd stayed with D. or T. If I'd stayed with D., I'd probably have been a better student and actually used my degree when I graduated. But I think everything that's happened has led me to where I am...and I'm pretty happy with where I am today. I wouldn't have the daughter that I have and I wouldn't be with DH--and those two things alone aren't possibilities I want to consider.
I'd LOVE to be one of those people who says, "I live in the present and have no regrets about my past." I do try to look at my regrets in the mindset that if they hadn't happened, I wouldn't be where I am, but it doesn't make me not regret them either way.
In my youth, I was a cheater. I admit it, I sucked as a girlfriend.
In April 1996, I started dating D. I guess I should start out saying that D first dated my best girlfriend at the time, L. He realized that L. wasn't right for him and, Guess What!, I was. So we chatted a lot and once she started dating another friend of ours, we had the green light to start dating. D. and I were really pretty perfect for each other. We had different interests (I was a musician and he was an athlete), but always supported each other in our endeavors. We always had a great time together and I am pretty sure I was in love. I still think about him sometimes and think I could have married him if things had turned out differently.
But I digress. My BFF, J., was a guy. At 14, I wasn't mature enough to have a BFF that was a guy, but what 14 year old admits that to herself??? He was in music with me, so I was with him quite a bit during the school day. He was fun and made me feel good about myself. He also, somewhere in there, dated my friend L. He also cheated on L. with me while she was on vacation. *sigh* And that was when it started. We flirted...it started out as harmless...but it wasn't, really. It was harming D. and he didn't even know it. I convinced myself at some point that I was falling in love with J...but couldn't give D. up because I think I knew D. was better for me and would stay with me. D. found out about J. and, bless his heart, forgave me.
We were together through high school graduation, when we both went to different colleges. We emailed, called, and saw each other fairly regularly, but I ended up becoming friends with a different J...and you know what happened next. I cheated. And D. came for a semi-formal Spring Quarter and found out. It was over and I was devastated.
Like I said, I still think about D. I miss him. I saw him at our 10 year reunion and he was the same guy. He's married now and I hope he's happy. I would love to be able to be friends, but I just don't think it's possible on my end.
It's hard to label yourself as a cheater after cheating on one guy, even if it's with two different people. So enter T. I started dating T. a few months after D. and I broke up. He was an older man and I'd had a bit of a crush on him (he was in an organization I was a part of in college). We talked and became friends and then started dating in June 1999. Everything was great between us. He left for grad school August 2000 and thus started another long distance relationship.
And you know what happens next. I found another guy who was there, at my college with me. That's all he was...in the same location. So I cheated. Multiple times. And it was like I had two boyfriends. I broke it off with T. August 2001 (while I was living with his sister, no less). I missed him for a long time, too.
Oh, and if you're wondering, no, DH wasn't the guy I cheated on T. with. That guy turned into a total jerk. Goes to show you how much that was worth. But I've moved on, especially from the T. relationship. I realize now that it was all for the best in that situation--he married his best friend at grad school and they've got an adorable little boy.
I've never once cheated on DH. And I think that's how I knew he's the one; I never wanted to. I also know it's because of me--I'm a different person with him than I was with D. or T. I'm more confident--in myself and in his love for me.
I wonder at times what my life would have turned out to be like if I'd stayed with D. or T. If I'd stayed with D., I'd probably have been a better student and actually used my degree when I graduated. But I think everything that's happened has led me to where I am...and I'm pretty happy with where I am today. I wouldn't have the daughter that I have and I wouldn't be with DH--and those two things alone aren't possibilities I want to consider.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
My newest mantras
I've been struggling a bit recently which is sort of why I haven't been posting here. I hate to be a complete downer and also don't want to seem ungrateful for the blessings that I have (and I do have many!). So I've been avoiding blogging. I'll be back soon, I promise.
But in the meantime, I wanted to post a couple of things that someone on a message board I'm a part of posted. I've been reading them to myself every morning when I get to work to help get me through a rough day.
St. Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, an dpass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
- Reinhold Niebuhr
But in the meantime, I wanted to post a couple of things that someone on a message board I'm a part of posted. I've been reading them to myself every morning when I get to work to help get me through a rough day.
St. Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, an dpass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
- Reinhold Niebuhr
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Eating Habits (with some TMI included)
As I think most of my readers are aware, I have lost a significant amount of weight over the last 5 years (wow, has it been that long?). To recap:
Spring 2005 to late June 2006 (my wedding) I lost about 40 pounds.
June 2006 to fall 2007 I gained back 20 pounds
Fall 2007 to March 2008 I lost 25 pounds
March 2008 (I think) I joined Weight Watc.hers and lost about 40 pounds before getting pregnant November 2008
During my pregnancy (November 2008 to July 2009) I gained about 50 pounds
Pregnancy to now, I've lost about 15 pounds
Whew! Quite the roller coaster! And that's not even detailing the drastic weight loss in high school and the crazy climb of 120 pounds from 1998 to 2005.
Because of nursing DD, I'm a little apprehensive about cutting calories, so I've decided to start tracking my food intake beginning today, just to see where I am right now. I have discovered, however, that it's really difficult to write down what you're eating without being aware of what it is. This is something I've always advised people of when they're trying to lose weight, so I'm not sure why it's so surprising to me, but it's taken me aback.
Knowing I was going to track my intake and also realizing that I should be eating more fruits and veggies, if not for my own sake, for the sake of my daughter, I bought some baby carrots, apples, oranges, and grapes at the grocery last night. I've been good today--been eating my fruits and veggies and not so much my processed foods...but my (TMI) bowels have taken a beating because of it. Just 15 minutes after finishing my grapes, I was on my way to the restroom. *sigh* Guess I shouldn't be making these changes so drastically.
I'm guessing I'll be able to keep this Oatmeal Creme Pie in my belly just fine... :)
Spring 2005 to late June 2006 (my wedding) I lost about 40 pounds.
June 2006 to fall 2007 I gained back 20 pounds
Fall 2007 to March 2008 I lost 25 pounds
March 2008 (I think) I joined Weight Watc.hers and lost about 40 pounds before getting pregnant November 2008
During my pregnancy (November 2008 to July 2009) I gained about 50 pounds
Pregnancy to now, I've lost about 15 pounds
Whew! Quite the roller coaster! And that's not even detailing the drastic weight loss in high school and the crazy climb of 120 pounds from 1998 to 2005.
Because of nursing DD, I'm a little apprehensive about cutting calories, so I've decided to start tracking my food intake beginning today, just to see where I am right now. I have discovered, however, that it's really difficult to write down what you're eating without being aware of what it is. This is something I've always advised people of when they're trying to lose weight, so I'm not sure why it's so surprising to me, but it's taken me aback.
Knowing I was going to track my intake and also realizing that I should be eating more fruits and veggies, if not for my own sake, for the sake of my daughter, I bought some baby carrots, apples, oranges, and grapes at the grocery last night. I've been good today--been eating my fruits and veggies and not so much my processed foods...but my (TMI) bowels have taken a beating because of it. Just 15 minutes after finishing my grapes, I was on my way to the restroom. *sigh* Guess I shouldn't be making these changes so drastically.
I'm guessing I'll be able to keep this Oatmeal Creme Pie in my belly just fine... :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
A sitter
(no, don't read that with an 'h' inserted--she still only poops once a week....)
We officially have a sitter. Baby girl sat and played with a toy for over 15 minutes on Saturday. Woohoo! She's still not 100% stable (if we leave the room, we'll lay her down), but she much prefers sitting over laying. Of course, she still prefers standing over any of it... :)
We officially have a sitter. Baby girl sat and played with a toy for over 15 minutes on Saturday. Woohoo! She's still not 100% stable (if we leave the room, we'll lay her down), but she much prefers sitting over laying. Of course, she still prefers standing over any of it... :)
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Milestone
Baby girl is officially able to roll both from belly to back and now from back to belly. She doesn't really want to get to her belly most of the time, but she can do it! She's been rolling onto her sides for a week or two, but last night used the blanket she was laying on to pull herself onto her tummy. Can't wait until she figures out she can now travel using these newfound rolling skills!
Stay tuned--in the next week, I'm guessing we'll officially be calling her a sitter. She's been sitting for a few minutes at a time, but still isn't really steady...not sure when we'll officially call it, but she's SO close! This morning was the first morning I got her undressed from her bedtime clothes with her sitting up.
Stay tuned--in the next week, I'm guessing we'll officially be calling her a sitter. She's been sitting for a few minutes at a time, but still isn't really steady...not sure when we'll officially call it, but she's SO close! This morning was the first morning I got her undressed from her bedtime clothes with her sitting up.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Exhausted
DH and I were both sick. I woke up in the middle of the night (when DD woke me) with an upset tummy (very queasy). DH let me nap a bit on Sunday morning and I felt a little better. Ate a small dinner on Sunday. Still felt fairly bad on Monday, so we stayed home from work, as DH started feeling queasy on Sunday afternoon. I pretty much cared for DD from then on.
This weekend DD started shrieking like a crazy woman when we try to get her to go to sleep. It's always been a battle, but we figured we'd wait until we were feeling better to work on it. We also had a routine that had been working for us. All that has been thrown right out the window. We've been up every hour overnight with a shrieking child. Every time we try to put her down...more shrieking. Once she wakes up after we put her down, it takes her another hour to calm and fall back asleep.
I can't even explain how exhausted I am. I almost passed out leaning on her crib last night, trying to get her to sleep because I was sweating and still feeling somewhat queasy. We've spent many hours in the rocker/recliner in the living room, in the rocking chair in her room, with me or DH standing over her crib, and with her in bed with us. We don't sleep well when she's in bed with us because we're so afraid we'll roll over on her. It's to the point where I'm dreading going home and want to just stay at work today so I don't have to deal with putting her to sleep. I also don't want to go pick her up and hear how awful she was about sleeping today because I know the sitter will start to push letting her cry it out on us again, which we're not comfortable with, especially now that she's started this shrieking business.
I don't know what to do. I'm at my wits end and am on the verge of tears every second. I've been reading different methods...the one that speaks most to me is the Baby Whisperer...she doesn't advocate letting the baby lay and cry. Might try it. I'm just feeling very lost and like I've screwed my baby up royally by letting her sleep on us so much--now she doesn't know how to sleep on her own. We've swaddled her until now and it's worked okay...but now I think we need to get her out of it--that could be why she's waking so often now.
Of course, all of this could just mean she got whatever bug DH and I had and once she's feeling better she'll go back to sleeping just fine. Either way, it was time to make some changes, but I really didn't want to be forced into it in the middle of a week when feeling awful. How am I supposed to function without any sleep?
This weekend DD started shrieking like a crazy woman when we try to get her to go to sleep. It's always been a battle, but we figured we'd wait until we were feeling better to work on it. We also had a routine that had been working for us. All that has been thrown right out the window. We've been up every hour overnight with a shrieking child. Every time we try to put her down...more shrieking. Once she wakes up after we put her down, it takes her another hour to calm and fall back asleep.
I can't even explain how exhausted I am. I almost passed out leaning on her crib last night, trying to get her to sleep because I was sweating and still feeling somewhat queasy. We've spent many hours in the rocker/recliner in the living room, in the rocking chair in her room, with me or DH standing over her crib, and with her in bed with us. We don't sleep well when she's in bed with us because we're so afraid we'll roll over on her. It's to the point where I'm dreading going home and want to just stay at work today so I don't have to deal with putting her to sleep. I also don't want to go pick her up and hear how awful she was about sleeping today because I know the sitter will start to push letting her cry it out on us again, which we're not comfortable with, especially now that she's started this shrieking business.
I don't know what to do. I'm at my wits end and am on the verge of tears every second. I've been reading different methods...the one that speaks most to me is the Baby Whisperer...she doesn't advocate letting the baby lay and cry. Might try it. I'm just feeling very lost and like I've screwed my baby up royally by letting her sleep on us so much--now she doesn't know how to sleep on her own. We've swaddled her until now and it's worked okay...but now I think we need to get her out of it--that could be why she's waking so often now.
Of course, all of this could just mean she got whatever bug DH and I had and once she's feeling better she'll go back to sleeping just fine. Either way, it was time to make some changes, but I really didn't want to be forced into it in the middle of a week when feeling awful. How am I supposed to function without any sleep?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 in Review
I wanted to do a 2009 meme and found this one on a few blogs, so here goes:
What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Gave birth!
Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any...and I don't really plan to make any this year. I know a lot of people view the beginning of the year as a new start, but if I didn't want to make a change on 12/31, why 1/1?
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Oh yeah. Five close friends (one newly close b/c of her having her baby) had FIVE boys between May 29th and August 21st.
Did anyone close to you die?
No, but my BFF from college's father passed in late May.
What countries did you spend time in this year?
USA
What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A good night's sleep.
Better communication with DH
Peace of mind. I stress too much.
What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 29, 2009--the day my life changed forever
I would say the day that we found out we were having a girl, but I couldn't tell you that exact date, but it must not be etched...lol
What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Duh. :) Surviving giving birth. Exclusively breastfeeding my baby girl for over 5 months (and still going strong). Loving one little person more than I could ever have imagined.
What was your biggest failure?
Losing touch with a lot of people.
Not being a support system for my best friends when they need me.
Did you suffer any serious injury or illness?
Besides being sliced open to extract a baby? Nope.
What was the best thing you bought?
Our new car or our new camera. I can't decide.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
My DH. He's been a rock for me through the last five months. He's been a bigger support system than I could ever have imagined he would be, both physically and emotionally.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and/or depressed?
My own sometimes. I feel guilty for not enjoying every second with my baby and for having times of resenting her.
Where did most of your money go?
Baby junk, including daycare
Compared to this time last year, are you,
a) happier or sadder? a little sadder, I think. Well, I wouldn't say sad--just more stressed out. I was blissfully happy about having a baby this time last year and now I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
b) thinner or fatter? Sadly, I think a bit fatter. Still need to lose about 30 pounds of baby weight to get to my pre-pregnancy size. Nervous to cut calories because I'm very scared about my milk production and this possibly impending 6 month supply dip.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer in money, richer in love (yes, you can puke now). Paying for daycare each month is pretty draining financially.
What did you get really, really excited about?
Baby, baby, baby!
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Gone out to eat with DH before baby came. :)
Did you fall in love in 2009?
Every time I see my husband kiss, hug, hold, snuggle, or play with my daughter, I fall in love all over again.
How many one-night stands?
Nope--I've got the same routine overnight every single night...and I can assure you that it doesn't include anything romantic (although there is one person who is playing with my bo.obs)
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Don't think so. I do my best not to hate people.
What was the best book you read?
I don't remember...how sad is that? I know I liked some Book Club books, but I am struggling to remember life before baby!
What did you want and not get?
A vaginal delivery
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We went out to Mongolian BBQ while my parents watched the baby, then came home and watched the OSU vs. Indiana football game. I turned 28.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to be a SAHM.
Who did you miss?
The baby in my belly some days :)
Who was the best new person you met?
Any of the Nesties that I'd never met before IRL--I love finally putting faces to the names and voices on the board. Also, the LCs, nurses, and PCAs that I interacted with at the hospital--they were such a blessing!
Tell us a valuable life lesson(s) you learned in 2009.
Sleep when the baby sleeps. :)
Your best friends will understand when you detatch from the world for awhile and will still be there waiting when you emerge again.
What sums up this year? (a word, a quote... ?)
Baby! She is my world.
What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Gave birth!
Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any...and I don't really plan to make any this year. I know a lot of people view the beginning of the year as a new start, but if I didn't want to make a change on 12/31, why 1/1?
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Oh yeah. Five close friends (one newly close b/c of her having her baby) had FIVE boys between May 29th and August 21st.
Did anyone close to you die?
No, but my BFF from college's father passed in late May.
What countries did you spend time in this year?
USA
What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A good night's sleep.
Better communication with DH
Peace of mind. I stress too much.
What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 29, 2009--the day my life changed forever
I would say the day that we found out we were having a girl, but I couldn't tell you that exact date, but it must not be etched...lol
What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Duh. :) Surviving giving birth. Exclusively breastfeeding my baby girl for over 5 months (and still going strong). Loving one little person more than I could ever have imagined.
What was your biggest failure?
Losing touch with a lot of people.
Not being a support system for my best friends when they need me.
Did you suffer any serious injury or illness?
Besides being sliced open to extract a baby? Nope.
What was the best thing you bought?
Our new car or our new camera. I can't decide.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
My DH. He's been a rock for me through the last five months. He's been a bigger support system than I could ever have imagined he would be, both physically and emotionally.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and/or depressed?
My own sometimes. I feel guilty for not enjoying every second with my baby and for having times of resenting her.
Where did most of your money go?
Baby junk, including daycare
Compared to this time last year, are you,
a) happier or sadder? a little sadder, I think. Well, I wouldn't say sad--just more stressed out. I was blissfully happy about having a baby this time last year and now I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
b) thinner or fatter? Sadly, I think a bit fatter. Still need to lose about 30 pounds of baby weight to get to my pre-pregnancy size. Nervous to cut calories because I'm very scared about my milk production and this possibly impending 6 month supply dip.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer in money, richer in love (yes, you can puke now). Paying for daycare each month is pretty draining financially.
What did you get really, really excited about?
Baby, baby, baby!
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Gone out to eat with DH before baby came. :)
Did you fall in love in 2009?
Every time I see my husband kiss, hug, hold, snuggle, or play with my daughter, I fall in love all over again.
How many one-night stands?
Nope--I've got the same routine overnight every single night...and I can assure you that it doesn't include anything romantic (although there is one person who is playing with my bo.obs)
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Don't think so. I do my best not to hate people.
What was the best book you read?
I don't remember...how sad is that? I know I liked some Book Club books, but I am struggling to remember life before baby!
What did you want and not get?
A vaginal delivery
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We went out to Mongolian BBQ while my parents watched the baby, then came home and watched the OSU vs. Indiana football game. I turned 28.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to be a SAHM.
Who did you miss?
The baby in my belly some days :)
Who was the best new person you met?
Any of the Nesties that I'd never met before IRL--I love finally putting faces to the names and voices on the board. Also, the LCs, nurses, and PCAs that I interacted with at the hospital--they were such a blessing!
Tell us a valuable life lesson(s) you learned in 2009.
Sleep when the baby sleeps. :)
Your best friends will understand when you detatch from the world for awhile and will still be there waiting when you emerge again.
What sums up this year? (a word, a quote... ?)
Baby! She is my world.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Five Months Old
I can't believe she's already five months old.
Baby girl has such a wonderful temperment. She's quick with a smile to anyone she meets. She loves people, especially ones that will let her stick their fingers in her mouth.
She's chewing on everything these days. Anything she comes into contact with goes directly into her mouth. Even once she tastes something and isn't a fan, it'll go right back into the mouth. All of her stuffed animals are pretty crusty now because of all the drool. Along these lines, she also tried to nurse on stuff ed animals with noses--they must look like nip.ples.
She's a total champ at rolling from belly to back. She isn't a huge fan of being on her belly (although she'll sleep there if we let her for naps), so she'll almost immediately roll onto her back. Within the last week she's started rolling onto her sides from her back, so I don't think it'll be too long before she's rolling from back to belly.
She will be sleeping in a Pack.n.Play at the sitter's beginning today, as she's started getting up on her hands and feet in the bassinet!
In the last week she's started throwing her upper body backward to see what's behind her (or just for fun sometimes). It's silly and she always laughs as she does it.
She can sit in a tripod position for awhile, but inevitably will get excited or want to see what's behind her (see above) and will go toppling over. She's getting better and better at sitting, though, and last night she did sit for about a minute without having any hands on the ground or on anything else. Of course, she got excited about her animal she was chewing on and went falling to the side.
Baby girl still loves to stand up whenever possible. We haven't seen any improvement in her ability to stand--for the last few months she's been able to stand holding only your fingers and much prefers to be in this position than sitting or laying down.
She gets giggling sometimes and it is the most adorable thing! The thing that will get her giggling most often is quickly moving your face toward hers. This also includes fake sneezing (something about the head movement). She loves it!
She loves playing in her Exer.saucer and is getting better and better at entertaining herself with a toy. She has recently decided she isn't a huge fan of her Bum.bo, though, and has started arching her back to try to escape from it after sitting there for a couple of minutes.
Her sleeping is less than optimal and we're working on trying to find a fix for that. She previously slept very well when swaddled, but that doesn't hold true anymore. She's also awake every 3 hours, but eats well when awake, so I don't think we'll work on discouraging that anytime soon. She fights sleep like crazy, which makes naps and bedtime fairly painful. When we catch her before she gets overtired, though, she did a lot better, so we're working on being extra attentive to her drowsy cues and catching her before she gets overtired. She naps best on her belly, but we aren't letting her try that overnight until she can get herself there.
She was never a child who stared at her hands in amazement. It just seemed that all of a sudden she started using them. She's now a pro and will grab most things and also passes them from one hand to the other. Since her grasping reflex is gone, she does lose her grip at times--typically over the edge of her Bum.bo or Exer.saucer, which then leads to her leaning over the edge, trying to see where it went. She also will grab the binky out of her mouth and toss it (we think this is still mostly unintentional). She's also grabbing at her feet, but still hasn't pulled them up to put them her in mouth. Rather, she'll typically bend her upper body down to try to get them in her mouth.
Her digestive system seems to always be changing. Most recently (as in just in the last 3 days) she has started pooping more regularly again. Until now, she'd only been going every week or so, which resulted in a huge blowout. However, the poops she's been having have been fairly rough on her--on 12/27 she started making gasping noises, scaring the heck out of Mommy and Daddy. We eventually figured out that it was related to her pooping and that she was totally happy during it, so she wasn't in distress. So scary, though. We're not sure if the change is because of the things I have eaten over the holidays or just because she's growing--probably a combination of the two.
I think that's about it. This little lady is such a joy to be around until bedtime. Even when she's past when she should've gone to sleep, she's a giggly, happy little girl...until you try to put her to sleep. But we love her to pieces and can't imagine life without her. She's loving and sweet and always smiling. Can't wait to see what this next month brings!
Baby girl has such a wonderful temperment. She's quick with a smile to anyone she meets. She loves people, especially ones that will let her stick their fingers in her mouth.
She's chewing on everything these days. Anything she comes into contact with goes directly into her mouth. Even once she tastes something and isn't a fan, it'll go right back into the mouth. All of her stuffed animals are pretty crusty now because of all the drool. Along these lines, she also tried to nurse on stuff ed animals with noses--they must look like nip.ples.
She's a total champ at rolling from belly to back. She isn't a huge fan of being on her belly (although she'll sleep there if we let her for naps), so she'll almost immediately roll onto her back. Within the last week she's started rolling onto her sides from her back, so I don't think it'll be too long before she's rolling from back to belly.
She will be sleeping in a Pack.n.Play at the sitter's beginning today, as she's started getting up on her hands and feet in the bassinet!
In the last week she's started throwing her upper body backward to see what's behind her (or just for fun sometimes). It's silly and she always laughs as she does it.
She can sit in a tripod position for awhile, but inevitably will get excited or want to see what's behind her (see above) and will go toppling over. She's getting better and better at sitting, though, and last night she did sit for about a minute without having any hands on the ground or on anything else. Of course, she got excited about her animal she was chewing on and went falling to the side.
Baby girl still loves to stand up whenever possible. We haven't seen any improvement in her ability to stand--for the last few months she's been able to stand holding only your fingers and much prefers to be in this position than sitting or laying down.
She gets giggling sometimes and it is the most adorable thing! The thing that will get her giggling most often is quickly moving your face toward hers. This also includes fake sneezing (something about the head movement). She loves it!
She loves playing in her Exer.saucer and is getting better and better at entertaining herself with a toy. She has recently decided she isn't a huge fan of her Bum.bo, though, and has started arching her back to try to escape from it after sitting there for a couple of minutes.
Her sleeping is less than optimal and we're working on trying to find a fix for that. She previously slept very well when swaddled, but that doesn't hold true anymore. She's also awake every 3 hours, but eats well when awake, so I don't think we'll work on discouraging that anytime soon. She fights sleep like crazy, which makes naps and bedtime fairly painful. When we catch her before she gets overtired, though, she did a lot better, so we're working on being extra attentive to her drowsy cues and catching her before she gets overtired. She naps best on her belly, but we aren't letting her try that overnight until she can get herself there.
She was never a child who stared at her hands in amazement. It just seemed that all of a sudden she started using them. She's now a pro and will grab most things and also passes them from one hand to the other. Since her grasping reflex is gone, she does lose her grip at times--typically over the edge of her Bum.bo or Exer.saucer, which then leads to her leaning over the edge, trying to see where it went. She also will grab the binky out of her mouth and toss it (we think this is still mostly unintentional). She's also grabbing at her feet, but still hasn't pulled them up to put them her in mouth. Rather, she'll typically bend her upper body down to try to get them in her mouth.
Her digestive system seems to always be changing. Most recently (as in just in the last 3 days) she has started pooping more regularly again. Until now, she'd only been going every week or so, which resulted in a huge blowout. However, the poops she's been having have been fairly rough on her--on 12/27 she started making gasping noises, scaring the heck out of Mommy and Daddy. We eventually figured out that it was related to her pooping and that she was totally happy during it, so she wasn't in distress. So scary, though. We're not sure if the change is because of the things I have eaten over the holidays or just because she's growing--probably a combination of the two.
I think that's about it. This little lady is such a joy to be around until bedtime. Even when she's past when she should've gone to sleep, she's a giggly, happy little girl...until you try to put her to sleep. But we love her to pieces and can't imagine life without her. She's loving and sweet and always smiling. Can't wait to see what this next month brings!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tooth
Not much time to write, but wanted to get this out there so I don't forget it for later.
Wednesday, December 16th, we discovered a little sharp white thing poking out of the baby's gums. It seems to be a tooth. It came through without much fussiness or anything. The sitter (in her infinite wisdom) says that when the drool is stringier, that's an indication that a tooth is on the way. Well, hers now stretches a couple of feet. The tooth has since disappeared again, but it looks like her gums are a bit swollen around there, so I'm guessing it'll come through sometime... She is now chewing on everything she can get in her mouth with her favorite chew toy being Grandma B's fingers.
Good thing I invested in a teething toy for her: HERE I can't wait for it to arrive!
Wednesday, December 16th, we discovered a little sharp white thing poking out of the baby's gums. It seems to be a tooth. It came through without much fussiness or anything. The sitter (in her infinite wisdom) says that when the drool is stringier, that's an indication that a tooth is on the way. Well, hers now stretches a couple of feet. The tooth has since disappeared again, but it looks like her gums are a bit swollen around there, so I'm guessing it'll come through sometime... She is now chewing on everything she can get in her mouth with her favorite chew toy being Grandma B's fingers.
Good thing I invested in a teething toy for her: HERE I can't wait for it to arrive!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Answering Mandy's Question
This question comes from Mandy, a new mommy herself (her little one is just 12 days older than mine!) who is working crazy hours...I have no idea how she does it!
How many kids do you want? How far apart would you like them to be? What would you like, i.e. all girls, one of each, one girl and the rest boys, etc.? (I know you can't choose that, but I'm wondering what you envision as ideal.)
We've been going back and forth of this recently. I would like either 2 or 3 kids. If we could afford (both with money and time) to give them all the things that we want (a LOT of help with college, allowing them to take whatever lessons they want, giving help with homework, spending time with them), I'd say 3. But with working for the state, the financial stuff just tends to get in the way. For now we'll say three, though.
I always assumed we'd have them about 2-3 years apart. I think I'd like to start trying when E is 18 months or so--I'd like them a little closer together than 3 years. Of course, it may not happen right away again, which is another reason I want to start trying early and then if we do get pregnant the first time, I'd be fine with having them 2 years and 3 months apart.
As for the genders, I would, honestly, rather have a bunch of girls. Just not a big fan of little boys (not baby boys...little boys once they get to be 5 or so). That said, DH REALLY wants a boy. And now that we've found out we're about to get two more nieces (we already have one...no boys on DH's side at all and I'm an only child, so we won't have any nieces or nephews at all on my side), it would be really neat to give my father in law a grandson. So if #2 could be a boy, that'd be great. Then #3 can be a girl without freaking DH out too terribly much :)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Answering Trisha's Question
I've determined a winner of the giveaway, but am not going to reveal the winner just yet--I'm going to answer everyone else's questions first...so if I answer your question, you didn't win (well, you didn't win the giveaway...you won in learning something about me, though!)
This question came from Trisha, the social media saavy mommy of Delaney:
What social life? Really... I swore that after the baby arrived I would still do the same things I did before--Book Club, girls' dinners, spending a weekend with friends out of town...but in reality, I don't do any of them anymore. They all seem so insignificant next to spending time with my little girl. I know for my own sanity I need to make an effort to get out, but being a working mom, it's REALLY hard to do that during the week. After missing her all day long, I have a hard time setting aside more time to spend away from her.
That said, I've gotten closer to my friends who have little ones about E's age. I see one of them very regularly and spent time with her and her little boy, Baby D, while we were both on maternity leave. I've also reconnected via email and Face.book with a couple of college friends who have had babies recently.
I am happy to report, however, that we were able to successfully host our annual Christmas party this past weekend. It's small, mind you (just two other couples--and one of those couples is the parents of Baby D that I mentioned above), but it felt like such an accomplishment. Yes, I had to give up a little control of the food (DH and our friends did some cooking while I was feeding E), but overall it turned out well. We still had good food and got to spend time with our friends. The night ended earlier than normal, two of us had to take time out to feed our children, there was a bit of kid noise, but I think it's just the way the party is evolving. I can't wait until next year when the little ones are mobile!
I'm going to make an effort to get out of the house...someday. I'm just happy to know my friends will be there for me once I decide to come out of hiding. For now, though, I'm just enjoying every second I get with E. She's such a joy and I don't want to miss a minute more than I already have to because of work.
This question came from Trisha, the social media saavy mommy of Delaney:
How has your social life changed after the baby?
What social life? Really... I swore that after the baby arrived I would still do the same things I did before--Book Club, girls' dinners, spending a weekend with friends out of town...but in reality, I don't do any of them anymore. They all seem so insignificant next to spending time with my little girl. I know for my own sanity I need to make an effort to get out, but being a working mom, it's REALLY hard to do that during the week. After missing her all day long, I have a hard time setting aside more time to spend away from her.
That said, I've gotten closer to my friends who have little ones about E's age. I see one of them very regularly and spent time with her and her little boy, Baby D, while we were both on maternity leave. I've also reconnected via email and Face.book with a couple of college friends who have had babies recently.
I am happy to report, however, that we were able to successfully host our annual Christmas party this past weekend. It's small, mind you (just two other couples--and one of those couples is the parents of Baby D that I mentioned above), but it felt like such an accomplishment. Yes, I had to give up a little control of the food (DH and our friends did some cooking while I was feeding E), but overall it turned out well. We still had good food and got to spend time with our friends. The night ended earlier than normal, two of us had to take time out to feed our children, there was a bit of kid noise, but I think it's just the way the party is evolving. I can't wait until next year when the little ones are mobile!
I'm going to make an effort to get out of the house...someday. I'm just happy to know my friends will be there for me once I decide to come out of hiding. For now, though, I'm just enjoying every second I get with E. She's such a joy and I don't want to miss a minute more than I already have to because of work.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
I haven't forgotten
I haven't forgotten at all about your questions and my giveaway, I'm just distracted with a puking baby.
Four month appointment was yesterday (also got family photos done beforehand). According to the doctor, she's perfect. :)
Stats:
Weight: 13 lbs 14 oz (just over 50th percentile)
Length: 23 7/8 inches (just under 50th percentile)
Head: somewhere around 41 cm, I think--around 60th percentile
The doctor laughed when I told him that lots of people keep telling me how teeny baby is. He said she's perfect. We also got the clearance to start cereals (starting with barley or oatmeal since she's only pooing once a week or so--apparently rice can really back baby up). Not sure when we'll start that.
Anyway, after the appointment, we went to the mall. Baby was very well-behaved, but kept spitting up on DH's shirt (she was in the front carrier). She was happy and just took in all the people and commotion. She passed out in the car on the way home, so we ran a few more errands (DH ran into the stores while I drove in circles to keep baby sleeping). Once awake again, she started spitting up more.
I called the nurse to explain what was happening. She wanted to know if it was vomiting or just spitting up (vomit apparently is more forceful...but I have no idea what this is). She told us to try giving her some Pedia.lyte to see if she can keep that down. We were going to try this, but she kept down a lot more of her next feeding, so we decided maybe she was feeling better. She had a good night--was her normal happy self and all...just spitting up much more than usual.
DH was so concerned about it that he slept in the rocking chair until she woke for her first feeding just in case she choked at some point in the night. It was so sweet. She was fine, of course :)
This morning, though, she started spitting up/vomiting quite a bit again. We decided to take her to the sitter's anyway, but as we put her in her coat, she did it again. That's when we decided to keep her home. DH has her this morning and is trying to give her the Pedia.lyte (she refused it the first time). She's still happy and playful and not getting dehydrated, so we're trying not to worry too much and are hoping it's just a reaction to a vaccine or something. I'm heading home around noon to trade out (DH has a 1:00 meeting) and hoping she's feeling much better by the time I get there.
Four month appointment was yesterday (also got family photos done beforehand). According to the doctor, she's perfect. :)
Stats:
Weight: 13 lbs 14 oz (just over 50th percentile)
Length: 23 7/8 inches (just under 50th percentile)
Head: somewhere around 41 cm, I think--around 60th percentile
The doctor laughed when I told him that lots of people keep telling me how teeny baby is. He said she's perfect. We also got the clearance to start cereals (starting with barley or oatmeal since she's only pooing once a week or so--apparently rice can really back baby up). Not sure when we'll start that.
Anyway, after the appointment, we went to the mall. Baby was very well-behaved, but kept spitting up on DH's shirt (she was in the front carrier). She was happy and just took in all the people and commotion. She passed out in the car on the way home, so we ran a few more errands (DH ran into the stores while I drove in circles to keep baby sleeping). Once awake again, she started spitting up more.
I called the nurse to explain what was happening. She wanted to know if it was vomiting or just spitting up (vomit apparently is more forceful...but I have no idea what this is). She told us to try giving her some Pedia.lyte to see if she can keep that down. We were going to try this, but she kept down a lot more of her next feeding, so we decided maybe she was feeling better. She had a good night--was her normal happy self and all...just spitting up much more than usual.
DH was so concerned about it that he slept in the rocking chair until she woke for her first feeding just in case she choked at some point in the night. It was so sweet. She was fine, of course :)
This morning, though, she started spitting up/vomiting quite a bit again. We decided to take her to the sitter's anyway, but as we put her in her coat, she did it again. That's when we decided to keep her home. DH has her this morning and is trying to give her the Pedia.lyte (she refused it the first time). She's still happy and playful and not getting dehydrated, so we're trying not to worry too much and are hoping it's just a reaction to a vaccine or something. I'm heading home around noon to trade out (DH has a 1:00 meeting) and hoping she's feeling much better by the time I get there.
Friday, November 20, 2009
An important anniversary
This weekend it will have been one year since we found out we were pregnant. It was during halftime of the OSU vs. M*ch*g*n game, which just happens to be tomorrow.
I can't believe it's been a year. So much has changed. So much hasn't. I can't believe I've been through a pregnancy and had my little one here for almost four months now in this short year. Where is the time going? I really hope it doesn't keep going so quickly, but have a feeling that it will. I try to enjoy every single moment because I know that every phase we go through will pass sooner than later.
Wow. It's hard to believe how much life change we've been through in one year.
PS--I've had some great questions already posted and am excited to start answering them. If you haven't submitted a question, please do so for a chance to win a really fantastic prize! :)
I can't believe it's been a year. So much has changed. So much hasn't. I can't believe I've been through a pregnancy and had my little one here for almost four months now in this short year. Where is the time going? I really hope it doesn't keep going so quickly, but have a feeling that it will. I try to enjoy every single moment because I know that every phase we go through will pass sooner than later.
Wow. It's hard to believe how much life change we've been through in one year.
PS--I've had some great questions already posted and am excited to start answering them. If you haven't submitted a question, please do so for a chance to win a really fantastic prize! :)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Ask me anything...and a giveaway
I'm playing a game that I've seen on other blogs...ask me anything. In the comments for this post, you can ask me anything. I may choose to be a bit vague so I don't reveal *too* much information (mostly names), but I will answer any question that is asked of me.
As enticement to participate, I will be giving a special prize to a random person who asks a question to me. I haven't determined what it is yet, but I promise it'll be something that you'll like :)
Yes, this is bribery. But I'm tired of seeing that there are a bunch of people reading and not knowing who is around! Don't be shy!!! The deadline to ask me questions is next Thursday, Thanksgiving (November 26th). I'll answer the questions in future blog posts.
As enticement to participate, I will be giving a special prize to a random person who asks a question to me. I haven't determined what it is yet, but I promise it'll be something that you'll like :)
Yes, this is bribery. But I'm tired of seeing that there are a bunch of people reading and not knowing who is around! Don't be shy!!! The deadline to ask me questions is next Thursday, Thanksgiving (November 26th). I'll answer the questions in future blog posts.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Posts in my head
I don't have nearly as much time to blog as I would like, which leads to me writing blog posts in my head. You can (hopefully) look forward to posts titled things like:
Beautiful
What I Want
Mommy's Guilt
Developmental Update
My Christmas Wishlist
I'm sure there are more. And I might end up posting something special for my 300th post (which is the next one). We'll see.
But I'm still here. Still trucking along, trying to redefine who I am now without completely losing myself, but while encompassing my new role as a mommy. It's a struggle and has led to some frustration and sadness. But through it all, I still love my little girl more than I ever could have imagined.
Beautiful
What I Want
Mommy's Guilt
Developmental Update
My Christmas Wishlist
I'm sure there are more. And I might end up posting something special for my 300th post (which is the next one). We'll see.
But I'm still here. Still trucking along, trying to redefine who I am now without completely losing myself, but while encompassing my new role as a mommy. It's a struggle and has led to some frustration and sadness. But through it all, I still love my little girl more than I ever could have imagined.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Memoirs from Maternity Leave
I wanted to get this post written before those glorious twelve weeks have left my mind forever. I do hope they never do, though, as they were wonderful and I want to remember my first three months with my little girl. Was it all rainbows and flowers? No, of course not. But in retrospect I'm realizing that I was so blessed to be able to spend that time with my little girl.
Every day I watched The Price Is Right, What Not to Wear, and ER. Many days I'd also watch Dr. Oz. When you've got a newborn, all they really do it sleep and eat...there just isn't much interaction there. So while feeding and snuggling, what else is there to do? I'd DVR these shows so I could turn them on and watch without commercials. I also watched some movies and lots of other random shows.
Toward the end of leave (just when it was getting fun and we were falling into a routine), we would wake up around 6 or 7, DD would eat, then she'd go back to sleep. Many days I'd just snuggle her in my bed and we'd sleep together there for a couple of hours. I miss our snuggle time more than words can say. We would start out chest to chest on our sides and end up with both of us on our backs, her head supported on my arm. When she started to squirm, many times I would open my eyes to see her looking over at me, wide-eyed and happy to see Mommy so close. Magic.
We also loved taking walks together. Of course it was getting chilly by the time I came back to work, but when it was warmer (but not too warm!) I'd load her up into her stroller and we'd walk the neighborhood. Some days she'd snooze, some days she'd just look around. One day we even walked down to UDF and Mommy bought some chips and a hot dog, as that seemed to be the only way I could eat since she was sleeping on me if she was sleeping.
We also got to visit with two of my mommy friends who had little ones: Sarah and her baby boy D (born 3 weeks 1 day after our baby girl) and get up eight and her own baby boy D (born 12 days before baby girl). I'd hoped to do it a bit more, but it was wonderful as it was. We got to compare notes, woes, and even shed a few tears. They were a great support system when things were tough emotionally. I even got to witness the elder of the baby D's roll over for the first time!
Sure, I felt trapped by having her sleep on me most days, but looking back, I wish I could have that all over again. I would let her sleep on me all day every day to be able to spend that much time with her again.
Every day I watched The Price Is Right, What Not to Wear, and ER. Many days I'd also watch Dr. Oz. When you've got a newborn, all they really do it sleep and eat...there just isn't much interaction there. So while feeding and snuggling, what else is there to do? I'd DVR these shows so I could turn them on and watch without commercials. I also watched some movies and lots of other random shows.
Toward the end of leave (just when it was getting fun and we were falling into a routine), we would wake up around 6 or 7, DD would eat, then she'd go back to sleep. Many days I'd just snuggle her in my bed and we'd sleep together there for a couple of hours. I miss our snuggle time more than words can say. We would start out chest to chest on our sides and end up with both of us on our backs, her head supported on my arm. When she started to squirm, many times I would open my eyes to see her looking over at me, wide-eyed and happy to see Mommy so close. Magic.
We also loved taking walks together. Of course it was getting chilly by the time I came back to work, but when it was warmer (but not too warm!) I'd load her up into her stroller and we'd walk the neighborhood. Some days she'd snooze, some days she'd just look around. One day we even walked down to UDF and Mommy bought some chips and a hot dog, as that seemed to be the only way I could eat since she was sleeping on me if she was sleeping.
We also got to visit with two of my mommy friends who had little ones: Sarah and her baby boy D (born 3 weeks 1 day after our baby girl) and get up eight and her own baby boy D (born 12 days before baby girl). I'd hoped to do it a bit more, but it was wonderful as it was. We got to compare notes, woes, and even shed a few tears. They were a great support system when things were tough emotionally. I even got to witness the elder of the baby D's roll over for the first time!
Sure, I felt trapped by having her sleep on me most days, but looking back, I wish I could have that all over again. I would let her sleep on me all day every day to be able to spend that much time with her again.
Friday, October 30, 2009
It's Official
I do believe, even after last night, that I can declare that we have a baby who sleeps through the night! She's been sleeping for at least 5 hours in one stretch for quite awhile now, but we have made it a week now with only two nights of waking in the middle of the night. At most, she's slept 10 hours and at the minimum, 8.
Last Saturday night she woke up after only about 5 hours, but she slept a bit more during the day than she does at daycare.
Yesterday she woke after about 6 1/2 hours, but she had wiggled her fist out of her swaddle and was sucking on it and woke herself with that. That's just a problem with a faulty swaddling :) Of course now whenever she wakes in the middle of the night, though, she thinks it's morning and wants to play. So last night DH spent almost an hour rocking her back to sleep.
I was previously a firm believer in that whole sleep begets sleep concept, but now that she's at a sitter's and only sleeping a little bit there (maybe 3 hours total in the 9 1/2 hours she's there?) she's sleeping like crazy at home. I think it also has to do with the fact that she's a bit older and doesn't get overtired quite as easily, which is SO nice. In the first few months if she slept as little during the day as she's sleeping now, she would be a screaming mess in the evenings. Now she just passes out after eating.
Our nighttime routine has changed a bit since she's started daycare as well. We now get home around 5:30 and she usually snoozes in her carseat for about 20 minutes. When she wakes up, she eats, then we play and hang out. If she seems extra tired, we'll let her take a 20 minute lap, unswaddled. Then she'll get up, play a bit more, eat, then pass out for the night. We haven't even really had time for massages, books, or anything. She's just so tired from all the excitement of the sitter's.
As much as all this sleeping is nice, we both really miss our little girl.
Last Saturday night she woke up after only about 5 hours, but she slept a bit more during the day than she does at daycare.
Yesterday she woke after about 6 1/2 hours, but she had wiggled her fist out of her swaddle and was sucking on it and woke herself with that. That's just a problem with a faulty swaddling :) Of course now whenever she wakes in the middle of the night, though, she thinks it's morning and wants to play. So last night DH spent almost an hour rocking her back to sleep.
I was previously a firm believer in that whole sleep begets sleep concept, but now that she's at a sitter's and only sleeping a little bit there (maybe 3 hours total in the 9 1/2 hours she's there?) she's sleeping like crazy at home. I think it also has to do with the fact that she's a bit older and doesn't get overtired quite as easily, which is SO nice. In the first few months if she slept as little during the day as she's sleeping now, she would be a screaming mess in the evenings. Now she just passes out after eating.
Our nighttime routine has changed a bit since she's started daycare as well. We now get home around 5:30 and she usually snoozes in her carseat for about 20 minutes. When she wakes up, she eats, then we play and hang out. If she seems extra tired, we'll let her take a 20 minute lap, unswaddled. Then she'll get up, play a bit more, eat, then pass out for the night. We haven't even really had time for massages, books, or anything. She's just so tired from all the excitement of the sitter's.
As much as all this sleeping is nice, we both really miss our little girl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
