Last Saturday my husband and I went to a wedding and we had his parents watch the little guy. This was the first time I've left him with somebody else for longer than 2 hours. I had never missed putting him to bed until that night. Needless to say, I almost didn't go to the wedding.
Anyway, my in-laws arrived and I was very specific about everything--when he'll wake up from his nap, his bedtime routine, ounces of milk he'll drink, the bedtime, etc. Again, I reiterated the exact bedtime he goes down and what to do if he cries. My mother-in-law definitely heard me, but it didn't make a difference.
We got home at about 11:45pm and SHE HAD JUST PUT HIM DOWN FOR THE NIGHT!!! She said she couldn't stand to see him cry so she continued to play with him, hold him, take him on a walk, and feed him...again. Therefore, from the time he woke up from his last nap until his bedtime, he had been awake for 6.5 hours! No freakin' wonder he was crying--his mind was melting because he was so dang tired!
The point is...it's been 3 days and he's still a wreck. His sleeping habits are completely blown and I'm tiiiiired!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Breastfeeding
I breastfeed my son and hardly ever use a pump. I've started feeling like he isn't getting enough milk, though. I know your body will always make how much your baby needs, but it's still unsettling. I've recently tried pumping to see how many ounces I'm able to produce, but the problem afterward is that he refuses to take a bottle. Any suggestions?
Side note: He's totally healthy, gaining weight, and making plenty of wet diapers. He's about 14-15 lbs at 3.5 months. He's in the 66th percentile for weight.
Side note: He's totally healthy, gaining weight, and making plenty of wet diapers. He's about 14-15 lbs at 3.5 months. He's in the 66th percentile for weight.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Being Home
My husband works a lot. He works roughly 10 hour days. Sometimes he even goes into the office on the weekends. I'm blessed to not have to work right now. We're broke, but we get by. Everyday he calls me from work and asks what I have planned for the day. Most days I don't really have anything planned. When the baby is awake he can only really last for about 2 hours. Thirty minutes of that is spent changing and breastfeeding, right? Since he's still only 3 months, I don't know if things like the zoo are really going to hold much of his interest, yet. Anyway, I feel awkard saying to my husband everyday, "Oh, we're going on a walk and just hanging out."
From the time my husband and I met and up through my pregnancy I had a kick-ass job as a wine rep. Pretty sweet. Everybody always commented on how "cool" it was. Well, it was sales and there was a lot of pressure. I didn't love it, but I liked it most days. The money was good and I was good at it, but being able to raise my own child is so much cooler (in my opinion). When my husband would get home from work, I used to share stories about wineries, customers, fun new restaurants, and I would have wine open to taste! Now, all I do is talk about the baby, though...his sleep habits, feeding schedule, poop, and any new discoveries he made that day, like grabbing his feet for the first time. So, because I don't have a fun-filled and packed schedule everyday, I'm beginning to wonder--is my husband starting to find me boring?
From the time my husband and I met and up through my pregnancy I had a kick-ass job as a wine rep. Pretty sweet. Everybody always commented on how "cool" it was. Well, it was sales and there was a lot of pressure. I didn't love it, but I liked it most days. The money was good and I was good at it, but being able to raise my own child is so much cooler (in my opinion). When my husband would get home from work, I used to share stories about wineries, customers, fun new restaurants, and I would have wine open to taste! Now, all I do is talk about the baby, though...his sleep habits, feeding schedule, poop, and any new discoveries he made that day, like grabbing his feet for the first time. So, because I don't have a fun-filled and packed schedule everyday, I'm beginning to wonder--is my husband starting to find me boring?
Saturday, April 2, 2011
When the Baby Cries
When my baby cries, it's one of two things that are going on: a) something has happened and it needs to be fixed (ie., he dirtied his diaper and it needs changing, he's gotten hungry and needs to be fed, etc.) or b) he wants to be with me (regardless of whether or not he actually, truly needs me).
Well, yesterday was a rough day for me (for both of us, come to think of it). He didn't really nap well in the morning. When it was time for his second nap, all hell broke loose. Remember the other day I wrote about how he cannot, by no means whatsoever, stay awake for longer than 120 minutes? It was totally my fault. He was up a bit longer than he was capable of withstanding and he lost it when I put him down for his nap. He screamed and cried. The first 15-25 minutes I can handle. I can try to soothe him by "shushing" in a repetitive, soft, white-noise kinda way. I can try singing to him, adjusting the temperature of the room, circulating the air, play music, not play music, and if all else fails, I am good at walking away for a few minutes here and there. Once we hit the 30 minute mark, though, I realized this was going to be a long one. I caved. I picked him up and walked around with him. I put him back down and so it began again... All the windows and doors were open because it was blazing hot in our house and outside. I was sweating, the dog was barking, the baby was crying, and then I proceeded to cry, as well.
When it gets to that point--I'm done for. All negativity creeps into my head. I start to think things like, "Why can't I help him? What's wrong with me? I can't do this alone! What if people can hear him outside? They are going to think I'm not a good mom!" I called my husband at work and cried to him, "When are you coming home! He won't stop crying and he's been crying for an hour! I don't know what to do!" His response was, "Well, what's the problem?" Are you freakin' kidding me? Obviously I wouldn't be calling him for answers if I knew the answers, myself. Whatever. It's fine. All I really needed to do was take out my frustration on somebody else, anyway...not the baby. After I hung up on him (because, yes, I hung up on him after he asked me oh-so-casually, "what's the problem?"), he waited a few minutes and called me back. "All babies cry, Babe. Don't be so hard on yourself," he said in a very calm voice. And that was it. He was right and that's why I love my husband. He's not always right, but when he is, it leaves me speechless. It was that simple--I need to remember that ALL BABIES CRY!
I guess I just associate a baby crying with bad parenting. I don't mean to, nor do I honestly think that it's a reflection of how parents handle their children. Think about it, though--how many times have you heard a baby cry at a grocery store or on an airplane? A lot. And the expression on people's faces are always the same. It's that look of, "Ugh! Can't that mom shut that baby up!" It's sad, but true. Even at the movies, during the previews, an example is made of a baby crying and it being disruptive to the rest of the audience. For instance, the other day I was at a store and because my baby started crying, I almost ran a lady over with the stroller while trying to get out of there because people were looking at me funny. Nothing was wrong with my son--he was just over being in a freakin' craft store! I get it. Those stores can be overwhelming. I still felt super anxious, though.
So, when your baby cries, do you feel this way or is it just me?
Well, yesterday was a rough day for me (for both of us, come to think of it). He didn't really nap well in the morning. When it was time for his second nap, all hell broke loose. Remember the other day I wrote about how he cannot, by no means whatsoever, stay awake for longer than 120 minutes? It was totally my fault. He was up a bit longer than he was capable of withstanding and he lost it when I put him down for his nap. He screamed and cried. The first 15-25 minutes I can handle. I can try to soothe him by "shushing" in a repetitive, soft, white-noise kinda way. I can try singing to him, adjusting the temperature of the room, circulating the air, play music, not play music, and if all else fails, I am good at walking away for a few minutes here and there. Once we hit the 30 minute mark, though, I realized this was going to be a long one. I caved. I picked him up and walked around with him. I put him back down and so it began again... All the windows and doors were open because it was blazing hot in our house and outside. I was sweating, the dog was barking, the baby was crying, and then I proceeded to cry, as well.
When it gets to that point--I'm done for. All negativity creeps into my head. I start to think things like, "Why can't I help him? What's wrong with me? I can't do this alone! What if people can hear him outside? They are going to think I'm not a good mom!" I called my husband at work and cried to him, "When are you coming home! He won't stop crying and he's been crying for an hour! I don't know what to do!" His response was, "Well, what's the problem?" Are you freakin' kidding me? Obviously I wouldn't be calling him for answers if I knew the answers, myself. Whatever. It's fine. All I really needed to do was take out my frustration on somebody else, anyway...not the baby. After I hung up on him (because, yes, I hung up on him after he asked me oh-so-casually, "what's the problem?"), he waited a few minutes and called me back. "All babies cry, Babe. Don't be so hard on yourself," he said in a very calm voice. And that was it. He was right and that's why I love my husband. He's not always right, but when he is, it leaves me speechless. It was that simple--I need to remember that ALL BABIES CRY!
I guess I just associate a baby crying with bad parenting. I don't mean to, nor do I honestly think that it's a reflection of how parents handle their children. Think about it, though--how many times have you heard a baby cry at a grocery store or on an airplane? A lot. And the expression on people's faces are always the same. It's that look of, "Ugh! Can't that mom shut that baby up!" It's sad, but true. Even at the movies, during the previews, an example is made of a baby crying and it being disruptive to the rest of the audience. For instance, the other day I was at a store and because my baby started crying, I almost ran a lady over with the stroller while trying to get out of there because people were looking at me funny. Nothing was wrong with my son--he was just over being in a freakin' craft store! I get it. Those stores can be overwhelming. I still felt super anxious, though.
So, when your baby cries, do you feel this way or is it just me?
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