It's been awhile since I last wrote. We went on vacation for a couple weeks, and then, well, I just never really got back into the swing of things. I thought today might be an interesting post for you all...
My son is an excellent sleeper. I did sleep training early so I like to think that I was the one that made him the way he is, but I'm sure it's because we just got lucky, really. On the contrary, today's afternoon nap was a rough one for him, so I knew something wasn't right. I did the whole, "let him cry for a bit"-thing, but after about 30 minutes (I check on him every 10 minutes or so), I started to get concerned.
Poopy diaper? No.
Gas? I tried what my husband and I call "The Poo Canoe." Nothing.
Teething, perhaps? I used the teething gel. Still crying.
After an hour (and me starting to get really tired and sweaty), I literally got inside of the crib with him. Yup. That's right. I lied with him in the crib, fed, and rubbed his back at the same time. He was asleep in about 5 minutes. Awkward? Maybe...but it works! I've done it before and I'll do it again.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Love I Have
Last month I came across a quote in a magazine. I tore the page out and have had it sitting on my kitchen counter ever since. I've read it at least 25 times.
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." -Agatha Christie, "The Last Seance"
The love I have for my son is beyond words. I can honestly say I never knew what love was until I had him. I thought I knew. I mean I love a lot of things--my parents, husband, dog, cat, our lake house--but I reeeaally love my son. I love him so much that it brings tears to my eyes if I literally think about him too much. For example, if I think about how fast he's going to grow up, I'll start getting teary-eyed. A couple of months ago, as my son was asleep in my sister's arms, she said to me as she was caressing his head, "Gosh, don't you wish you could just take away any pain and heartache he's ever going to have to go through?" I lost it. I couldn't even look at him. I had to leave the room because I started crying. Even as I type this I feel a lump rise in my throat. Having a child makes me look at life in a whole new light. I feel more compassion for others because they are somebody's child. Does that make sense? I've become more patient, more understanding, and more "loving."
Therefore, this quote was very powerful to me and summed up my emotions pretty well. I just wanted to share it with you, too.
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." -Agatha Christie, "The Last Seance"
The love I have for my son is beyond words. I can honestly say I never knew what love was until I had him. I thought I knew. I mean I love a lot of things--my parents, husband, dog, cat, our lake house--but I reeeaally love my son. I love him so much that it brings tears to my eyes if I literally think about him too much. For example, if I think about how fast he's going to grow up, I'll start getting teary-eyed. A couple of months ago, as my son was asleep in my sister's arms, she said to me as she was caressing his head, "Gosh, don't you wish you could just take away any pain and heartache he's ever going to have to go through?" I lost it. I couldn't even look at him. I had to leave the room because I started crying. Even as I type this I feel a lump rise in my throat. Having a child makes me look at life in a whole new light. I feel more compassion for others because they are somebody's child. Does that make sense? I've become more patient, more understanding, and more "loving."
Therefore, this quote was very powerful to me and summed up my emotions pretty well. I just wanted to share it with you, too.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Growth Spurt
Last week was rough. Really rough. Just when I thought I had this whole napping-thing down, the little monster tricked me! (I would say "this little sh*t tricked me!", but I won't. That would be mean. I don't call him those names anyway.) BUT, I will say he was crying and eating and crying some more...all. week. long. Looking back, it was a total blur and I don't really remember doing much of anything. Oh, we went to the pool one day. I think that was it.
It started on Monday--the non-stop crying--and by Thursday I thought something might really be wrong. I thought I wasn't producing enough milk for him. I was exhausted and was beginning to take naps when he was napping. He was eating every 2 hours. No kidding. If he happened to be sleeping at the 2 hour mark, I would pump. I was trying to make more milk for the Incredible Hulk to consume.
I called the pediatrician on Thursday and told her that I thought I wasn't able to satisfy his insatiable appetite and I wanted to mix in some formula. She asked (among other things) how many times a day he was pooping. "Just once," I said, "but everyday." She finally told me to "relax and just go with it for a few more days. He's fine, he's getting enough to eat; he's just going through a growth spurt. It will take a few days for your body to catch up with his needs."
She was right. Apparently my body has caught up to his just fine...we can tell by the new deuce count, right? Since Thursday we've had 2-3 dirty, dir-tay diapers per day, 3 of which were blown-out all over the baby's clothes, and one all over my husband's clothes. This last one involved half a bottle of Spray-n-Wash, a deep soak in the sink, poop on the counter, bleach, 2 loads of laundry, and finally, the hose outside. We decided it was easiest to just power-wash everything on the patio. I recommend this technique when it happens to you.
It started on Monday--the non-stop crying--and by Thursday I thought something might really be wrong. I thought I wasn't producing enough milk for him. I was exhausted and was beginning to take naps when he was napping. He was eating every 2 hours. No kidding. If he happened to be sleeping at the 2 hour mark, I would pump. I was trying to make more milk for the Incredible Hulk to consume.
I called the pediatrician on Thursday and told her that I thought I wasn't able to satisfy his insatiable appetite and I wanted to mix in some formula. She asked (among other things) how many times a day he was pooping. "Just once," I said, "but everyday." She finally told me to "relax and just go with it for a few more days. He's fine, he's getting enough to eat; he's just going through a growth spurt. It will take a few days for your body to catch up with his needs."
She was right. Apparently my body has caught up to his just fine...we can tell by the new deuce count, right? Since Thursday we've had 2-3 dirty, dir-tay diapers per day, 3 of which were blown-out all over the baby's clothes, and one all over my husband's clothes. This last one involved half a bottle of Spray-n-Wash, a deep soak in the sink, poop on the counter, bleach, 2 loads of laundry, and finally, the hose outside. We decided it was easiest to just power-wash everything on the patio. I recommend this technique when it happens to you.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Loving Mother Earth
My husband and I have always tried to be a little eco-friendly, but ever since the last trimester of my pregnancy we've really become much more conscious of Mother Earth and how our actions affect our child's future. (But now that the baby is born I'd say we've become completely obsessed...I know I have, anyway.) I can't help it! My child means more than anything in this world to me and I only want the best and healthiest environment for him. I'm talking about the big picture, though. That's where my recycling, composting, and organic compulsions come into play.
A little over a month ago there was an interview done by NBC about a family that is essentially waste-free. Check out the link: Waste-Free Family. I want to say they're slightly over-the-top, but I can't because...I honestly don't think they are. I think they just live a life like God had intended us to live...simple, clean, organic, and without landfills. At the end of each month, this family can only fill up a soup can's worth of trash. Unbelievable! I can probably collect that much trash out of my purse at any given moment.
We've always used cloth napkins and recycled, but it's really not enough. We've been CSA members for over 2 years now (but wish we could grow more of our own fruits and veggies), we bought a clean-diesel car, but more recently, we've been trying to re-use paper towels and Ziploc baggies. That may sound so weird, but we can use the same paper towel to wipe down our kitchen counters for 2-3 days before throwing it out. We use organic cleaner and then rinse out the paper towel after each use. It's thick enough--like a real kitchen towel. Think about it--for most of our grandparents' lives (and all the generations before that) they used kitchen towels and sponges to clean...not disposable paper towels. You're probably wondering, "Well, why not just stop using paper towels altogether, you smug S.O.B.!" It's tough. That's why. We're not there, yet, but we will be soon. I do this for the well-being of Earth, but even more so for my son. I hope I can see him, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren grow up in a neighborhood with clean streets and beaches. Honestly, though, that's a tall order at the rate our world is going. If you make one small change now, you will become conscious of every future thing you do!
A little over a month ago there was an interview done by NBC about a family that is essentially waste-free. Check out the link: Waste-Free Family. I want to say they're slightly over-the-top, but I can't because...I honestly don't think they are. I think they just live a life like God had intended us to live...simple, clean, organic, and without landfills. At the end of each month, this family can only fill up a soup can's worth of trash. Unbelievable! I can probably collect that much trash out of my purse at any given moment.
We've always used cloth napkins and recycled, but it's really not enough. We've been CSA members for over 2 years now (but wish we could grow more of our own fruits and veggies), we bought a clean-diesel car, but more recently, we've been trying to re-use paper towels and Ziploc baggies. That may sound so weird, but we can use the same paper towel to wipe down our kitchen counters for 2-3 days before throwing it out. We use organic cleaner and then rinse out the paper towel after each use. It's thick enough--like a real kitchen towel. Think about it--for most of our grandparents' lives (and all the generations before that) they used kitchen towels and sponges to clean...not disposable paper towels. You're probably wondering, "Well, why not just stop using paper towels altogether, you smug S.O.B.!" It's tough. That's why. We're not there, yet, but we will be soon. I do this for the well-being of Earth, but even more so for my son. I hope I can see him, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren grow up in a neighborhood with clean streets and beaches. Honestly, though, that's a tall order at the rate our world is going. If you make one small change now, you will become conscious of every future thing you do!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Daddy Needs a Break -- Part 2
Getting back to last weekend for my husband's much needed weekend off...
After the camping debate, he finally agreed to NOT camp by himself, but still surf Friday afternoon, evening, and Saturday. Perfect. I'm happy with that. We spoke to each other Saturday morning and then sent each other text messages throughout the day. I think we spoke to each other Saturday evening, but I can't really remember. Sunday morning, for sure. (We're not a super chatty team on the phone, by the way. I've been told that we're odd for not talking to each other more throughout the day, but we've never been that way, so...oh, well.)
Here's where it gets good, I promise...
I didn't hear from him during the day on Sunday. This wasn't a big deal, but then I never heard from him that night, either. I called and texted him a couple of times, but got nothin'! What the hell?! My sister called me because she had a phone conversation with him. She was trying to get him to answer a question she had about some medical research thing she was working on and all he kept saying was "it's fine, it's fine." She said he was talking gibberish for 45 minutes, never answered her question, and so she finally gave up.
Finally, he calls me Monday morning at about 7am. After my refresher on why it's important for him to check in with me and blah, blah, blah, his response was simple, really:
"Well, Babe, I'm sorry. I remember looking to my right. I remember looking to my left. I didn't see my wife or my baby, so I just told the bartender to keep 'em comin'."
Oh.my.gosh. Really? Needless to say, he wasn't feeling too hot that day.
After the camping debate, he finally agreed to NOT camp by himself, but still surf Friday afternoon, evening, and Saturday. Perfect. I'm happy with that. We spoke to each other Saturday morning and then sent each other text messages throughout the day. I think we spoke to each other Saturday evening, but I can't really remember. Sunday morning, for sure. (We're not a super chatty team on the phone, by the way. I've been told that we're odd for not talking to each other more throughout the day, but we've never been that way, so...oh, well.)
Here's where it gets good, I promise...
I didn't hear from him during the day on Sunday. This wasn't a big deal, but then I never heard from him that night, either. I called and texted him a couple of times, but got nothin'! What the hell?! My sister called me because she had a phone conversation with him. She was trying to get him to answer a question she had about some medical research thing she was working on and all he kept saying was "it's fine, it's fine." She said he was talking gibberish for 45 minutes, never answered her question, and so she finally gave up.
Finally, he calls me Monday morning at about 7am. After my refresher on why it's important for him to check in with me and blah, blah, blah, his response was simple, really:
"Well, Babe, I'm sorry. I remember looking to my right. I remember looking to my left. I didn't see my wife or my baby, so I just told the bartender to keep 'em comin'."
Oh.my.gosh. Really? Needless to say, he wasn't feeling too hot that day.
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