Well, I don’t love the new ‘do QUITE as much the morning after…just a bit more bedhead than I’d like/am used to. Hopefully it will just need a quick touch up with the straightening iron.
Category Archives: Health & Well-Being
Second PT session
Owen had his second Physical Therapy appointment this morning. The worker said he did very well—but of course we still really have to work on belly time. Of course, she makes it all look easy and deals with his frustrations much better than I do (she IS the professional, after all!)… 🙁
Of the 50 minutes we were there, he probably spent 25-30 total on his stomach, which is a miracle (and he was even tired and cranky the last 10 minutes). So I come home, all hyped up to try everything and positive it’s going to go well…and five minutes into it he’s frustrated and I’m frustrated and it spirals downward from there.
Hoo boy.
We can only keep trying, I guess.
This sleep thing has got to change.
He’s killing me! No matter what time he goes down, he’s up around 2.
Usually he’s asleep by 7:30 or 8—and up at 2. Last night he didn’t fall asleep until after 9—and was still up at 2.
Then, he used to sleep a second round—until 6:30 or so. Now, it’s until maybe 5. XX(
This morning I went in at 5 and gave him his pacifier and turned on the mobile…and then tried to get back to sleep myself. I was up again at 6 because—surprise!—he was up again.
So I fed him—and he didn’t even finish the four ounces! So my guess is that he wasn’t really hungry but didn’t want to sleep anymore…but he went back to sleep fairly quickly—so he must have still been tired, right? I kept my fingers crossed that maybe he would sleep until 9 or something.
Ha.
HA HA.
He was up at 7:15. Sigh.
I’m sooooo tired.
I thought things were supposed to get better as he got older?
Belly time exercises!
So we have to do belly-time exercises with Owen on an exercise ball. So this was what it looked like today…
I think the picture is hilarious because at a quick glance, it looks like Tom is completely naked. But, as you can see from the very next picture, he most certainly isn’t.
Owen doesn’t love the exercises, of course, because he’s on his belly. We’re getting better with belly time, a bit at a time, but it’s still a struggle.
About last night…
So about 10:30 he finally went down with his pacifier and burp cloth—without a screaming fit. And he slept straight through until about 4am. That is fewer hours than he usually sleeps (during the first stretch) on a good night, but he took his bottle and went down again—then woke up his normal happy self…completely sideways and kicking like mad at his Ocean Wonders Aquarium
And the biggest surprise of all? When he got up here was no poop. Egads.
And he managed to go through two outfits in a matter of 20 minutes. Egads.
Prune juice!
Well, Owen just got his first prune juice.
We’re not entirely sure he needed it, but we just experienced something new with him…so we figured it was worth a shot. He’d been sleeping for almost an hour when he woke up and started crying and screaming. He didn’t stop, so each of us took turns trying to comfort him and he was okay while we were holding him, but he DID NOT WANT to be put down.
He hasn’t pooped in two days—which is not out of the norm—but we figured we might as well try prune juice (since we had some). We’ve heard horror stories of post-prune juice poops, so I’m not looking forward to tonight if it works like I’ve heard. 88|
That said, he wasn’t too sure about the water/juice mix at first (his first juice ever!), but he sucked down 2oz in no time flat! We tried more, but he was done.
We could tell he was tired (lots of yawns and eye-rubbing) so maybe all this will lead to a full night’s sleep (vs. the last two nights where I’ve been up TWICE with him, instead of just once).
Stay tuned.
— Time lapse. —
So about 10 minutes after I finished writing, Owen’s eyelids drooped so Tom took him back up to bed. And AS SOON AS Tom laid him down, the crying started again.
Hoo boy.
Poor boy.
Poor us if he doesn’t go back to sleep. 🙁
Owen needs a helmet!
As we were predicting, the physical therapist recommended a helmet for Owen. She checked out his abilities and for the most part he’s right on track—reaching, propping himself up on his arms, head and neck strength—but he’s a little behind in some areas because he hasn’t spent much time on his tummy (which we all know he HATES, although he’s getting a little better).
So we have a list of exercises to do with him and we have another PT appointment next week…and he goes in to get measured for a helmet hopefully next week. The process isn’t nearly as bad as we thought it would be, either—all we had found online was a casting process but we actually met with the orthotic specialist today and they have one of two head scanners in the entire state—the STARscanner uses eight cameras and four eye-safe lasers to capture head shapes in less than two seconds:
So, he will have to wear the helmet for 4-6 months (depending on his progress) for 23 hours a day, plus have an appointment every other week to measure his head again to reconfigure the helmet.
I know he won’t remember it at all—and I know it’s what’s best for him—but it still kills me that we have to do this. But, I guess in the grand scheme of things, he could have MUCH worse problems, so we should be grateful.
Different hours, please.
The hours Owen keeps are driving me insane.
Sure, he sleeps anywhere from 6-8 hours at a time on most nights—but the problem is that they start early and end early and still require me to get up to feed him once around 2am-4am.
Last night he napped much later than usual (from about 6-8:30) so he didn’t get his last bottle until about 9 and then didn’t go to bed (fall asleep) until about 9:30. So, we thought, maybe—JUST MAYBE—he will sleep later…or skip his early-morning feeding.
Ha.
HAHA.
Yeah, he was up at 4. He was back down by 4:20, but was up squawking and talking and cooing COMPLETELY WIDE AWAKE.
Of course, this is the time of day when I hate Tom the most, LOL (and I told him that, so it’s not a secret). His alarm goes of about 4:30, and he usually takes care of the boy in the morning so I can get a little more sleep. But does he get up when his alarm goes off? Noooooooo. Because at that moment, the boy is quiet, so Tom falls back asleep. But 15 seconds later Owen is noisy again, so of course I hear him and it keeps me up…and Tom is snoring away. 😐
After listening to Owen for about 30 minutes, hoping he will fall asleep again (so I can, too!) and realizing he’s NOT going to (so I can’t), I finally roll out of bed again and suddenly Tom pops up and says “Don’t worry, I’ll get him.”
Sorry, babe—too late. Where were you 30-45 minutes ago? |-|
So, going to better later does NOTHING to help the schedule. It’s almost better when he goes to bed WAY earlier—he seems to sleep a little longer (even though I am up at 2:30 or so to feed him) but then he falls back asleep for another hour or two—which means I get more sleep as well.
I can’t wait for this sleep thing to get better. Sure, I’m not up every hour or two all night anymore, but it still wears on me. And since I am not quite as exhausted in the middle of the night, it means I can’t fall back to sleep as quickly as I once could…which means I am usually up for at least an hour or more when I DO get up with him.
Sigh.
Buying diapers: The Thought Process
So it took 8 days to go through the first pack of 48 diapers. So another 8 days (the second pack of 48 diapers) would be on/around July 3. I don’t think he’ll be more than 22# by then (the stated limit for size 2-3 diapers), so it looks like I need more in that size.
But do I need 152 more? (I ordered the current packs from diapers.com, but had a $10 off coupon so they were a better deal at the time. The current best deal right now is at Amazon, but it’s a pack of 152 (I can’t find this size locally).
So, 152/48 is about 3 packs, and 3 packs X 8 days per pack is 24 days + the 8 days I have left with the new pack = 32 days (or about a month).
So the questions are: Will he still fit in them then? Will I use all them before he outgrows them? (Lord I hope so on both accounts!)
I certainly don’t have to order them at the moment (since I have about 8 days worth left), so we’ll wait and see what dad thinks.
As an aside, I posted a shorter version to Facebook, and got this response:
Mary Wakeley at 1:34pm June 26
Inevitably if you order a month’s worth he wil outgrow them in two weeks. Or worse, he won’t technically outgrow them in pounds, he will just start having diaper blow-outs every other day and then you will know a bigger size is needed. This is how the little ones operate- I have learned the hard way. 🙂
I find it ironic that someone I used to BABYSIT FOR is giving me advice on diapers and kids! (And I posted that to her, as well!) But, I know she speaks the truth!
Appointment Update
So what do we get in the mail today? A form letter from the physical therapy place saying that:
Unfortunately as insurance companies continue to reduce costs and benefits, we are finding that Pediatric Rehabilitation services are often declined.
Excuse me? We immediately thought it was a form letter telling us nothing was covered—and we were freaking out. But then it continued:
We cannot guarantee therapy coverage by your insurance company. As a result, we strongly encourage you to call your insurance company and check to see if your plan covers the therapy your child needs for his or her diagnosis.
I thought that’s why it was taking a few days…because THEY were checking into that for us? 🙄 They could have just handed me the damn letter when I turned in the prescription and saved me a week of waiting.
So a quick call to Tricare confirmed that it is ALL covered (well, PT evaluation, Therapeutic Activities, and Therapeutic Procedures are covered). So at least that is good.
We have to call tomorrow morning for an appointment.
Scheduling Rant
So, Owen has a flat head. Positional Plagiocephaly they call it.
Anyway.
So the pediatrician wanted us to see a physical therapist. Fine. She said it’s easier to treat the younger you start. Fine. So she wrote us a prescription and gave us a phone number. Fine.
Well, it might have been nice for the pediatrician to warn me that it might take up to a month to even SCHEDULE an appointment. Ugh.
Silly me, I thought it would be like any other appointment—I call, read them the prescription, and they make an appointment within a few days (like has happened a few times so far). So I waited about two weeks (my fault, but life happens, I lost the number, forgot about it completely—and besides, I didn’t think it was THAT big of a deal) and then finally called and oh, you have to bring us the prescription (not just give it over the phone like I’d done before). Fine. Then they said it would take 1-2 days for the paperwork and then someone would call to schedule an appointment. Fine.
Well, a week later with no phone call and I called back and she said oh, so and so hasn’t looked at it yet and it’s still going through the insurance process (or whatever) so it might take another 1-2 weeks until I call you back…to schedule the appointment. Schedule. Which means the appointment could still be WAY off.
>:XX
I guess I’ve just been spoiled with close-to-immediate scheduling before this. My bad. Lesson learned.
Bite Guard
I picked up my night (bite) guard today. Blech. I hope it works wonders, because it’s going to be a pain in the you know what.
You can’t just insert it like I thought—you need to run it under HOT tap water to soften it a bit. Which doesn’t sound too bad, except it takes FOREVER and a freaking day to get hot tap water in our bathroom.
And then I have to brush it each morning when I take it out. And after a few weeks, I have to start soaking it daily (similar to dentures).
And it’s bigger (thicker) than I thought.
And I can’t really talk with it in.
And it makes me drool.
So let’s everyone keep our fingers crossed that this REALLY helps with my TMD issues…because, let’s face it, I like being able to chew my food. 🙂
OH! And I almost forgot! A big HURRAY for our dental insurance after all!! Turns out they cover 50% of the bite guard cost! So we only have to pay $250 out-of-pocket! YAY!
Another sleep-deprived night.
This is getting old—fast. It’s amazing how quickly you get used to something…and let me tell you, I was VERY used to him sleeping 6-7 hours at a stretch. 😐
We tried the earlier-to-bed thing again last night…but again, it was only maybe 30 minutes earlier than normal. And he only slept until 12:30 (so maybe three hours for me), at which time he snarfed 6oz of formula. Then he was up at 5am, but he didn’t really want to eat (maybe 2oz) so I just put him back in the crib and put the mobile on…then listened to his jibber jabber for an hour or so. One or both of us must have fallen asleep for a bit, because I woke up at about 6:45 to him jabbering again.
I am thinking now, when he’s kinda sick, was not the best time to try the earlier-to-bed routine. Because we don’t know if his schedule disruption is due to a) being sick or b) the new routine. So I think we’ll go back to normal tonight and try again after he’s healthy.
Completely off schedule. Ugh.
So I put him down in his crib (instead of the swing) about 7:30 because he looked tired—rubbing his eyes, etc. No dice. So I tried the swing, and that seemed to work for a bit—until I went up to check on him and turned the music off (but left him swinging—baby steps!). By the time I got out of the bathroom, his eyes were open. I let him be and by 8am he was screeching. I went up and he had pooped, ugh! So I changed him, and put him back down in the crib. More screeching. So I tried feeding him again, and he ate like 2oz. Put him back down and he’s wiggly and whatnot, NOT wanting to sleep, even though he REALLY needs to.
This is going to be a long day.
—time lapse—
I moved him to the swing and he finally fell asleep. I went up about 20 minutes later and turned off the swing and music. I haven’t heard a peep yet…so hopefully this is working.
Cough, cough, cough.
Poor kid, he woke up this morning with a bit of a cough. He’s been sneezing a little more over the past few days, but didn’t think much of it until noticing the coughing this morning. Unfortunately, we missed a mommy group play date because I didn’t want to take any chances infecting the other babies if he is really indeed sick.
The coughing isn’t THAT bad—it just scares the bejesus out of me! But just in case, I did my research (baby books + parenting sites + WebMD) and I don’t think a call to the doc is warranted quite yet: no fever, no continuous barking cough, no mucous, no blood, etc.
He doesn’t seem too worse for the wear…so far (knock on wood). A little cranky, but not bad. He’s eating and napping like normal.
I am, however, setting up the humidifier in his room tonight—and we’ll also be elevating the head of his crib (hopefully he won’t do a 180).
Keep your fingers crossed it doesn’t get any worse!
It’s the little things.
I hate that little things make me lose my mind lately.
Like just now, putting the sheet pan into the oven with sliced garlic bread and chicken nuggets on it, and I hit the edge just right and the entire tray tipped into the oven and across the door.
And I lost it.
None of it even hit the floor, and it was all salvageable within a minute, but I still lost it. I slammed the pan down, slammed the oven door, etc.
I hate being like this, never knowing what is going to set me off.
I blame it on sleep-deprivation.
Again, it’s a good thing Owen is cute and worth it. 😀
Owen’s Four-Month Checkup
Well, for starters, he is a BIG boy!! He weighed in at—are you ready???
16 lbs 1 oz 88|
That’s a 5# gain from his two-month appointment! And he is 26″ long (7″ growth since birth)! The doc commented that he is a big boy—which is funny, because he doesn’t really seem THAT big to me.
She is still concerned about his flat head, and recommended an appointment with a physical therapist! I told her that I honestly wasn’t that concerned, and she did say that it will eventually round out, but that the longer it takes, the harder it will be—and that by this age (four months) it should be rounding out more than it is. She suggested we at least go to one appointment (she was pretty sure our insurance would cover it) and then decide from there. He just does not like being on his stomach—which she saw when she tried it in the office. Less than two minutes and he is NOT happy and lets you know.
She listened to his chest and said he does sound a little congested, but nothing to worry about—his lungs sound clear. She said if it gets any worse we can set up the humidifier but not to panic in the meantime. It might even be allergies. (I am not that worried, as he has sounded somewhat congested to me for the past month or so.)
She said we can start giving him rice cereal—if he wants it—since he seems to be developing quite well (weight, motor skills, etc.). She said it is NOT recommended to add the cereal to the bottle, however, because it’s better for them to start getting used to the spoon and eating normally. So, we might try rice tonight!! I’ve got to go dig out the baby spoons!! She still recommends veggies wait until six months.
She noticed his eyes were still leaking but didn’t seem concerned with it. We are to keep using the medicine and keep it clean with warm washcloths. She said six months is often the magic age at which that goes away.
I did ask about him being so out-of-sorts lately, and she didn’t really have any definitive answers (damn!). She said it could be due to a variety of things like a growth spurt, teething, reactions to the formula, allergies, etc. I even asked about the strange poop incident and she had no idea. She guessed maybe it was something I ate (passed through breastmilk) but I am not breastfeeding or pumping anymore, so I said that couldn’t be it. Then she was stumped.
And then came the dreaded immunization boosters. Tom was with me this time—so he got to experience the trauma for himself. Part of me wants to cry (of course) seeing my boy in such agony…but the other part of me wants to laugh a little because his crying shrieks are so loud and fierce…yet cute at the same time. His little face gets pure red and he screams bloody murder…but then after it’s over, he calms down pretty well. By the time we were out of the parking lot, he was sleeping (it also helped that he missed his earlier nap so that + the shot trauma + car ride = hopefully a good nap). He’s still sleeping in his car seat as I write this.
So overall, it went well, and we don’t have to go back for two months, on his six-month birthday.
Yeah, so…
Something had BETTER be up, because I don’t like what my baby is turning into. 🙁
Last night he was out cold after 4oz at 8pm, and then was up at—are you ready?—10:30!!! >:XX
And I was up until almost midnight with him because he was extremely fussy and fidgety and not wanting to eat then wanting to eat then spitting up. I even gave him some gas medicine in case that was the issue.
He did, then, sleep until 5am, but this morning? His eating is off, he refuses to nap, and he’s still VERY fussy and fidgety—including crying and fussing loudly, which he NEVER does. Before this, he always ate well in the morning and always went down easy for a long nap. But not lately!
It is soooo frustrating. I know he can’t stay exactly the same forever, but this is such a drastic change for him, something has to be wrong. And then I feel guilty because it’s driving me insane—but it’s not like it’s his fault! This is when I feel like a failure as a mom. Like I am NOT cut out for this.
I hope the pediatrician has some answers today.
Being (Dis)Organized
I love to be organized. Really, I do. I love bins and crates and my little P-Touch labeller.
Unfortunately, life doesn’t quite work out that way all the time.
My left ankle started hurting the other day. I don’t know what I did to it (if anything) but I thought I should wear my brace again. I do have two of them, remember, from when I fell down the stairs last year.
At that time, I knew I had one ankle brace in the house (I think I needed it back in high school or college, and I’ve been carrying it around with me the entire time). But do you think I could find it? Of course not. At the time, though, I needed two (one for each ankle I screwed up!) so as long as I was buying one, I just bought two.
So fast forward to now, when I need one. And can I find either of the two from last year? Of course not! But I did happen to run across the original one that I couldn’t find last year! How the hell that could happen is beyond me. |-|
My goal at this house is to get completely organized. It’s slow going for sure (I can only work during Owen’s naps, amongst everything else I need to do while he naps), but…it’s working a little since I was apparently able to find my old ankle brace!
Something has to be up.
For the past few days, Owen has been out of sorts. Not horribly so, but definitely not his normal self.
One day he will eat like a horse (I think he did like 42oz one day) and the next you can’t get him to eat to save your life (he maybe did 24oz another day).
And then there were the two completely different poops within hours of each other (not eating anything different). No one I’ve mentioned it to has any ideas, other than to say “Does he feel okay?” I will be asking the pediatrician tomorrow for sure.
And don’t get me started on naps. Usually he’s good for a 2-3 hour nap in the morning, with various naps throughout the day—you put him down, give him his pacifier, turn on the mobile (and rewind it a few times)…and he’s out. Not this week. Yesterday he finally napped in his swing—from 3:30-7! 88| Today he won’t take a nap to save my soul. He’s catnapped a few times but that’s it. And he’s being a fussy eater today, too.
/excuse me while I go wind the mobile again
We think he might be teething, although he is a little young for that. (The typical age is about six months, although it can happen anywhere from three months to a year.) But he’s drooling and “chewing” on his burp cloths like crazy—which seems like a big sign. But we don’t feel or see any teeth yet.
He does sound a tad congested…but then again, he’s sounded that way off and on ever since we brought him home.
And he seems to be WAY gassier than normal.
All that said, he is still pretty happy overall. Still sleeping pretty well at night (from 5-7 hours). No screaming or crying or anything of that magnitude during the day. Just a general out-of-sorts-ness.
But what do I know? :>>
Poop!
I never imagined I’d be intrigued by baby poop. :))
Today Owen pooped twice. The first was a thick pea-green/gray paste. A few hours later, he pooped a yellow/orange curdy semi-liquidy mess.
He eats the same thing, day in and day out…so how the heck can he poop so differently?
My new glasses
So, what do you think?
Dental is expensive, too!
Yeah, so I went to the dentist today. Love love love the hygienist and the dentist…but not what they recommended. XX(
Yeah, I need a $500 bite guard. Because I grind my teeth and clench my jaw. This I know because previous dentists have told me.
However.
Not a single one of them ever showed me just what was happening…the ridges along the bottom of my top front teeth? From grinding. My shorter teeth? From grinding. (I know, I never even thought about some of my teeth being shorter than others! She said she saw a 2mm loss on a few of them! HOLY WAH!)
She also wondered if I had TMJ issues and I said yes, I can’t chew gum, anything really chewy hurts, my jaw clicks and pops—and she piped up, yep, I have TMD:
WHAT ARE TMJ / TMD’s?
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw. These disorders are often incorrectly called TMJ, which stands for temporomandibular joint.
And a bite guard (to be worn mostly at night) should help with all of that. They sent it in to insurance to see if it would be covered, but we aren’t holding out hope.
After I had my mouth open for the x-rays and the cleaning and the exam, my jaw was about dead. The dentist then said “This will hurt a bit now, but should help later” and then stuck her fingers in my mouth and massaged the tendon around the jaw. Egads, that was painful.
They also saw some groundwork for cavities, so now I have this special paste (at $16/tube) that I have to apply to my teeth every night to try and stop the process. (I think she called it recalcifying.)
And I do have one cavity that needs work soon (the appointment is next week).
But my gums look good!
Lordy.
At least this one was only $64 out-of-pocket today. But that damn bite guard…
>:XX
Eye care is too expensive.
Holy crap.
We have vision insurance through the military, but it’s not good insurance. Meaning, it covers the eye exam—ONLY. Meaning, because I choose to wear contacts, they don’t cover anything contact-related (i.e. the procedure for measuring the eyes, etc.). Meaning they also do not cover the heavily-recommended tests (for glaucoma and whatever the other one is). Meaning they don’t cover any part of glasses (lenses or frames) and of course nothing regarding contacts. >:XX
So, of the $129 for the total eye exam, they paid $84. Which, if that’s all I needed, that wouldn’t be too bad.
But alas, I wear contacts. And needed new glasses. So about $500 later (well, $584 if you count what insurance covered) I walked out of there. But that didn’t include the contacts that I would still need to purchase (I am testing out a new brand now so didn’t buy any yet.) That said, I did opt to finally get a backup pair of glasses—I am wearing them more often now, and with a baby…I imagine I will have a higher than normal chance of something happening to them.
So, it sucked to have to pay that amount, but at least I was getting two pair of glasses out of it.
But then I got to thinking…I didn’t know how much my prescription had changed. Contacts I definitely needed to upgrade…but glasses—especially for a backup pair (i.e. just using them at night for the baby)—I might not need the absolute best/updated and could sneak by and save the $129 (and instead put that already-paid money toward the contacts that I have yet to buy). So I called my old eye doc in Jacksonville to get my old eyeglass prescription.
Long story short, the prescription changed a little…but for a backup pair of glasses it should be just fine. So, YAY! :>>
Except.
In talking to the girl, I have only paid for the one pair of new glasses (lenses/frames) and the eye appointment itself. For $500. I have not yet paid for the second pair of lenses. (Or the contacts, of course.) Hoo boy.
So I am definitely thinking I do not need the backup pair of glasses—I will use my old ones as they are.
Blech. XX(
Of course, they said I am a perfect candidate for Lasik—at about $3500. 88|
So I can’t wait to see the actual line item bill—they will have it for me on Friday. It all made sense when she was reading it off to me last week, but now that I am adding things up, I am not getting the same total:
129 for the appointment
-84 covered by Tricare
+44 for extra eye tests
+169 for new lenses
+80 for new frames
+129 for backup lenses
=======================
$467
But I paid $498 last week. And they just told me I haven’t paid for the backup lenses yet…but I included that in my price. ❓
Hoo boy.
Keep your fingers crossed for Maggie!
So we hoped that when we moved back to Michigan, Maggie’s allergies would go away entirely. It’s what her vet assumed, too (mainly due to weather conditions). Unfortunately, she still has issues…although, honestly, they do seem somewhat lessened. But she still itches and scratches herself quite a bit—she usually has some red or scabbed spot on her at all time.
So we decided to change her food—again. She has been on many different good (i.e. nothing you can buy at Petsmart) foods as we tried to eliminate ingredients she might be allergic to…but since none of them made any difference, we just ended up feeding her a five-star rated food (we actually switched between Innova Evo and Canidae).
But we decided we might as well try another, better, food. Yes, there is such a thing—a six-star rated food! We decided on Orijen 6 Fresh Fish with Sea Vegetables, a grain-free food. And for those of you who don’t have dogs or who haven’t researched dog food: grain-free = expensive. Apparently these six-star dry foods are like one step below a raw diet.
“Although life styles have changed, the digestive systems of cats and dogs haven’t changed for hundreds of years.”
As a Biological Food, ORIJEN adopts a simple nutritional philosophy: Follow Nature. By closely matching the foods that dogs and cats are evolved to eat, ORIJEN provides them the nourishment that Nature originally intended.
Anyway.
So we’re steadily switching her over, and she seems to love it. And we’re just keeping our fingers crossed that it really helps. If it does, it will be worth the expense. If it doesn’t work…well, I don’t want to think about that right now.
I swear, the things we do for our kids pets. :>>
Mommy & Owen’s First Moments
NOTE: Well crap, I originally made this video private, but then people were having problems viewing it… I didn’t really want everyone in the world able to see this—there’s nothing really bad or TMI about it, it just didn’t need to be published worldwide. Oh well. 🙂
The parental patience gene.
I apparently do not have it.
Last night was probably the worst night we’ve had in the last month. My decent little sleeper, who usually sleeps 5-6 hours after we put him down, then eats, then goes back down for 2 or so hours…was up numerous times.
Starting at 12:45 (he went down at 8:30). 88|
Then 3:30 (until 4:30).
Then 5:15.
Then 6:30.
So I basically napped all night, in between him crying and the storm and Tom snoring.
During times (nights) like these, I wonder—seriously—how on earth people want to do this more than once. I mean, sure, I’d love another child…but last night, when I was soooo exhausted and losing patience because he would not sleep…I can’t imagine having the strength to do this again. Hell, some days I am not sure I have the strength to get through this kid. (Yeah, I know I do, but sometimes, it sure doesn’t feel like it.)
I do not have the parental patience gene. He really is a good baby—he has his cranky times, but overall, he rarely cries for no reason. But when he does, I find myself getting frustrated. At him AND at myself for being much less patient than I always thought I’d be. And then I feel guilty for feeling that way.
Hoo boy.
Surprise #2!
I hate this mini pill I’m taking.
I am taking it vs. a regular birth control pill because it was supposed to not hinder milk production as much. BUT, apparently, it’s not nearly as effective and…as evidenced by today…no help at all in regulating your period.
SURPRISE! >:XX
So, somewhat on topic, this just reinforces my decision to phase out pumping. I have been taking my “milk pills” and pumping throughout the day…but I am just not getting that much anymore. Yes, it’s still some—and some is better than none—but it really just doesn’t seem to be that worthwhile quantity wise.
Believe me, I have thought about this and part of me hates to give it up. But part of me also dislikes pumping, taking 10 extra pills a day, and not being able to take the regular pill.
But the way I see it is that I managed for four months (most likely, by the time I wean myself from pumping). Not great, but certainly not bad. And, like the move to formula (where I felt guilty at first and now I am fine with it), I am sure it will be the same with this.
More nightly frustration.
I am starting to think I am not cut out for being a parent [of a non-sleepy baby]. The no-sleep thing is enough to make me lose my mind. And I’m not even getting up every 2 hours anymore…
Last night he slept for a five-hour stretch, which has been about his usual lately (gone are the days of the 6-8 hour nights—what the hell happened, I have no idea). He usually goes back down for another 3 hours or so, but last night he decided he wasn’t tired, and pretty much just laid in his bed and chattered for a few hours—but it was enough to keep me up (coupled with hubby’s snoring) and then he wanted to eat again, so the process started again, but by then it was light and he obviously wasn’t sleeping anymore…
It’s just SO frustrating. And I know it will be over soon enough…but in the meantime, I feel like a horrible parent for getting so frustrated over it. Especially when he’s just being cute and smiling and cooing at me. I tell him “How dare you be so damn cute to me when I am mad at you for not sleeping!” 😛
So I am one exhausted mom this morning—I’ve been up since 2:30. 🙁
In honor of Mother’s Day
This was an email forwarded to me by my mom!
Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body..
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment,
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom…