Last year, I was glad to say goodbye to 2008 with hope in my heart and my tummy for a great 2009. And 2009 did not disappoint...it was by far the best year of my life. Sure there were trials like bedrest for six weeks, but I only look back on that time with the fondest of memories. I absolutely loved being pregnant with Henry. It was such a precious time. And of course the highlight of this year and my life was the birth of Henry. We just love him to pieces. There are times where we just have to pinch ourselves because we can't believe that Henry is our son and how blessed we are to have him in our lives. Shaun and I had a moment like that the other day riding in the car. Shaun looked back in the rear view mirror, and Henry was completely out asleep (we have a mirror so we can see him). "Just look at him," he said with obvious amazement in his voice. I looked back and just took a moment to see him sitting there with his chunky cheeks asleep with his head over to one side. I can't describe the joy that filled my heart.
This year might have been full of trials for you. It could have been the worst year of your life (like my 2008), but rest in the knowledge that we serve a most faithful and sovereign God. Our timing isn't always His timing, but His timing is always perfect. 2009 wouldn't have been so sweet without the trials of 2007 and 2008. So I raise my glass to all of you my sweet readers who have been there through the good and bad and who have treated me (a complete stranger!) as one of your good friends. Praying that 2010 will be a most precious year for all of you!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Never Say Never
The first four months of motherhood have been the most challenging and rewarding time of my life. It is hard to put into words the joy that I feel in my heart when Henry giggles with me or even just looks up at me with such a deep serious look on his face. I'm so in love. But it is hard to believe what a huge transition having him in our lives has been for us even when we waited and prayed so long for him. I thought I was "prepared" and that surely since we went through all of the infertility treatments and emotional pain that the actually having a baby part of this journey would be easy. I was wrong. Before I continue, let me be completely clear that suffering (and yes I do believe it was suffering) through infertility was definitely the hardest part. It was a daily/hourly/minute by minute constant struggle and life consuming trial. It is just that my perception/dreams of how it was going to be and actual reality...well there is a big difference between the two. I listened and watched as mothers around me would say and do things, and the thought would pop in my head..."oh I would never do that." Or "it is not going to be like that for me because all I want more than anything is sleepless nights." So many things that I said or thought that I would never do...I have done. I no longer give advice to friends with older babies than Henry as I get that I really have absolutely no concept of what awaits me in a few weeks let alone in a few months. So for everyone's entertainment...here is just a little sample of the never say never lessons learned.
-never will i ever breastfeed in public--let's see where has henry eaten? restaurants, park benches, backseat of my honda, underneath cape at the hair salon, parties...my personal fav...in the waiting room of a car repair shop while the repairman discusses repairs with me. I do attempt to cover up though!
-never will i ever leave a shirt on that is drenched with spitup--daily occurence. I have also abandoned burp cloths...my shirt and hands are so much easier.
-never will i ever let my baby cry it out--as much as I hate this...it actually does work.
-never will i ever put my baby in bed with me (too dangerous!/also hurts sleep training mentioned above)_...I do it all of the time.
-never will i ever get mad at my baby--I know it is hard to believe how I could ever get mad at such a sweet little guy but it is possible when sleep deprivation takes its toll.
-never will i ever still be getting up several times a night at four months--haha.
And there are sooooo many more where that came from! So grateful for the opportunity to learn these lessons the hard way.
-never will i ever breastfeed in public--let's see where has henry eaten? restaurants, park benches, backseat of my honda, underneath cape at the hair salon, parties...my personal fav...in the waiting room of a car repair shop while the repairman discusses repairs with me. I do attempt to cover up though!
-never will i ever leave a shirt on that is drenched with spitup--daily occurence. I have also abandoned burp cloths...my shirt and hands are so much easier.
-never will i ever let my baby cry it out--as much as I hate this...it actually does work.
-never will i ever put my baby in bed with me (too dangerous!/also hurts sleep training mentioned above)_...I do it all of the time.
-never will i ever get mad at my baby--I know it is hard to believe how I could ever get mad at such a sweet little guy but it is possible when sleep deprivation takes its toll.
-never will i ever still be getting up several times a night at four months--haha.
And there are sooooo many more where that came from! So grateful for the opportunity to learn these lessons the hard way.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Yawn.
I'm exhausted. Soooo tired and no matter how much sleep I get...I can't seem to feel better. I finally broke down today and went to the doctor. Dr ran a thyroid and CBC that they will get back on Monday. Apparently there are several postpartum thyroid conditions so dr wants to rule those out. Will keep y'all posted!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
4 Months Old!
4 Month Update!
Stats:
75th percentile in height and weight...16lbs 2 ounces, mainly still in size 3-6 months, size 1-2 diapers (need to move up as soon as we are done with our big box from Sams!)
Milestones:
Almost rolling over! He completely moves his body all the way over except for the last little bit so he could probably do it any day now.
Laughing- He has been doing a short giggle for weeks now, but Henry is starting to belly laugh, and I don't think I've ever heard a more precious sound in my entire life. Shaun found a spot this morning (right under his chin on his neck) that gets him to laugh just about every time. I'm very excited about this!
Hands- Starting to grab objects and check them out. Still putting his hands in his mouth every chance he gets.
Kick, Kick, Kick- Henry still loves to kick, and he can kick very hard. He has actually hurt me a couple
times.
Talking- Henry is still a very talkative baby and a good listener.
Favorites:
Music and Singing- I sing to him all of the time, and he smiles and coos every time. My favorite song to sing to him is "I've Got My Baby" by Fatih Hill (post with lyrics coming soon). I also have two songs that I've made up called "I Love My Baby" and "It's bath time or It's nap time." Henry loves music! If he is a little fussy, a little music usually makes him stop and his eyes light up.
Daddy Time- Henry LOVES his daddy. They play airplane and make silly noises. He gets a big smile on his face when Shaun gets home from work, and he follows him around the room with his eyes.
Favorite Toy- A little blue dinosaur that plays music
Sleeping and Eating:
Naps- We've been doing some major sleep training for naps (babywise) around here the past week, and I can't believe the difference it has made in our days. I never thought I would be able to let him cry it out, but he made the decision easy for me because he was crying hard while I was holding him before every nap. So I had the choice to either try to bounce and rock him to sleep every nap while he screamed or I could lay him in his crib and let him fuss a little before falling to sleep. I figured out after looking back at some babywise info and this awesome blog that Henry's awake time was too long and that he was getting overtired which was causing him to fight his sleep and only take short naps. Once I started putting him in his crib at the right time, there was much less crying and longer naps. For my records, current awake time is only an hour for the first morning nap and somewhere between an 1:15-1:30 for the rest of the day.
Night Sleep- Don't even get me started! We are experiencing the "four month sleep regression," and it hasn't been easy. Currently, I'm waking up about 3-4 times a night to comfort or feed Henry. Here is a link with more info. We will be working on this soon once we get our days straight! Henry's doctor thinks the nightwaking is Henry asking for more calories so we are also starting solids.
Eating- Henry says, "Shhhhh Mommy! I'm trying to eat here, and I want complete silence." Henry has become a very distracted eater so I'm having to feed him in silence and sometimes in a dark room.
Starting solids- We started Henry on rice cereal mixed with applesauce in a jar last night, and he LOVED it. He just kept kicking his little legs in delight. It was soooo fun! But a little sad for me because from now on I won't be his only source of food.
Summary: I can already tell that this is a great age! We are starting to get into a routine which is nice. I'm really enjoying motherhood, and I'm starting to feel a little more settled into my new role. Henry is adorable, and he needs to stop growing up so fast!
P.S. Y'all were right about Shout--it is the best at getting out poop stains! I have the best readers! And feel free to give me some advice on this nightwaking!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Baby It's Cold Outside
It snowed here in Mississippi last night! When it snows in Mississippi, it is a HUGE deal. Everyone stops what they are doing and goes outside to watch the snow. Shaun and I were actually out on a date (thanks to our friends Jessica and Jay for keeping Henry) when the snow started coming down and everyone was freaking out at the restaurant (including us!). Here is a pic of us enjoying the snow before getting some coffee (not the best picture of us but still it was SNOWING!). We love the song "Baby It's Cold Outside," and we have memorized all of the words because we are dorks so we sang the song while driving around with the snow...so much fun!
And the best part about it is that it stuck (another huge deal) so we got to show Henry his first snow this morning. We love his new hat :)
(yes my husband is hot...he lost 25 lbs of baby weight so far)
What a Difference...
a year can make! This was me last Thanksgiving...the day we found out we were pregnant! (yes I took that many tests...actually I took more)
Thanksgiving Day 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A Year Ago
On this day a year ago, Shaun and I went to our fertility clinic for our 4th IUI attempt. I can still remember how I felt as we drove through all of the morning traffic to get to the clinic. I was trying so incredibly hard to be relaxed, but I was a mess. We were running late (you can't really rush the important part!) and so many thoughts were running through my head that all I knew to do was to hold on as tight as I could to that plastic cup. After dropping off the sample, we had a nice breakfast together as we always did for our IUIs and then it was time to get back to the clinic.
Here I am on the table waiting for "the guys" to travel looking so hopeful after Shaun prayed for a miracle (one of our many IUI traditions).
We prayed for a miracle, and a miracle did happen that day. God created Henry. And just a year later, I'm sitting here listening to him snooze in his swing. I'm just amazed.
During the two week wait last year I wrote this:
Recently, I’ve been thinking about our happy ending. I know we are going to be parents. God has an amazing plan for our lives, and I have faith that He will give us children. And when that day comes, when we finally hold our baby in our arms, I know we will look back in amazement at how He has provided. If I tried to write my fairy tale story now, it would not even begin to compare to the story my Heavenly Father has written for me.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
It hurt to write those words last year. As hopeful as I sounded, I was drowning in a sea of doubt. I was desperately trying to cling to God's promises but even as I wrote that post I struggled to believe what I was typing. But now I do look back in amazement at the story God has written for us. And it is definitely way better than I ever could have written.
Here I am on the table waiting for "the guys" to travel looking so hopeful after Shaun prayed for a miracle (one of our many IUI traditions).
We prayed for a miracle, and a miracle did happen that day. God created Henry. And just a year later, I'm sitting here listening to him snooze in his swing. I'm just amazed.
During the two week wait last year I wrote this:
Recently, I’ve been thinking about our happy ending. I know we are going to be parents. God has an amazing plan for our lives, and I have faith that He will give us children. And when that day comes, when we finally hold our baby in our arms, I know we will look back in amazement at how He has provided. If I tried to write my fairy tale story now, it would not even begin to compare to the story my Heavenly Father has written for me.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
It hurt to write those words last year. As hopeful as I sounded, I was drowning in a sea of doubt. I was desperately trying to cling to God's promises but even as I wrote that post I struggled to believe what I was typing. But now I do look back in amazement at the story God has written for us. And it is definitely way better than I ever could have written.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Oh Poop!
Henry is breastfed exclusively, and we are constantly dealing with blow out mustard (yuck!) diapers. When I hear him start, I immediately grab a receiving blanket to wrap around him to try to avoid getting the poop on me (mostly unsuccessful) and probably 95% of the time some of it gets on his clothes. We have a big celebration at the changing table on the rare occasions that it actually stays in his diaper. Those poop stains are tough to get out of clothes! I immediately rinse the poop off of his clothes in the sink, and I even use my hands to try to get all of the poop off (I know....gross!). Sometimes the oxiclean stain remover spray works...sometimes it doesn't. I just got the powder version that I'm going to try to use immediately after a poop in a bucket of water in the tub. Should I use cold or hot?? Come on girls...I know y'all have some tips. Pass them on!
Also, wanted to add to Henry's 3 month post that Mr. Henry has now found his feet and his hands. I wasn't sure when I wrote the post if he found his hands or not, but I now know for sure he has because he grabs my hair every time I pick him up (I LOVE this), and he uses his hands a lot during nursing now. A couple days ago, he found his feet. Now whenever I help him sit on my lap, he looks down at his feet with a confused look on his face and grabs his feet. He also is rubbing his feet together. Last night, I was brushing my teeth, and Shaun was holding Henry, and I could hear Shaun trying to tell me something, but I had no idea what he was saying because the water was running. When I came to see what all the fuss was about, Shaun was so excited because Henry was playing with his feet for "forever." So cute!
It seems that all of these recent discoveries have made Henry less interested in eating. He would much rather kick, talk, look around. It kinda makes me nervous because he is eating so quickly that I can hardly believe he is getting enough. And he is spitting up SO much more. I had my daily call to his nurse yesterday, but their suggestion was pumping with rice cereal. And I don't want to do that! I keep trying to put him to the boob, and he will eat for a little, but then he pulls off and talks. I had him weighed yesterday, and he gained 10 ounces in 2 weeks, which they said was just fine for three months. Any advice on this as well??!
Also, wanted to add to Henry's 3 month post that Mr. Henry has now found his feet and his hands. I wasn't sure when I wrote the post if he found his hands or not, but I now know for sure he has because he grabs my hair every time I pick him up (I LOVE this), and he uses his hands a lot during nursing now. A couple days ago, he found his feet. Now whenever I help him sit on my lap, he looks down at his feet with a confused look on his face and grabs his feet. He also is rubbing his feet together. Last night, I was brushing my teeth, and Shaun was holding Henry, and I could hear Shaun trying to tell me something, but I had no idea what he was saying because the water was running. When I came to see what all the fuss was about, Shaun was so excited because Henry was playing with his feet for "forever." So cute!
It seems that all of these recent discoveries have made Henry less interested in eating. He would much rather kick, talk, look around. It kinda makes me nervous because he is eating so quickly that I can hardly believe he is getting enough. And he is spitting up SO much more. I had my daily call to his nurse yesterday, but their suggestion was pumping with rice cereal. And I don't want to do that! I keep trying to put him to the boob, and he will eat for a little, but then he pulls off and talks. I had him weighed yesterday, and he gained 10 ounces in 2 weeks, which they said was just fine for three months. Any advice on this as well??!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
3 Months!
I'm going to try not to say this at the beginning of every Henry update, but time is flying! I can't believe my sweet boy is already 3 months old! My love grows deeper and deeper for him every day. I thought I already loved him as much as possible when he was placed on my chest three months ago. But right now as I type this post, he is snuggled up next to me snoring, and it is hard to put in words how much I love him. Henry is already such a little boy! He woke up on Saturday morning (which was officially three months), and he discovered somehow in his dreams the night before that he could make really loud noises. I brought him into bed with us, and he started out just talking and then all of a sudden...he started making squeals and loud noises and was obviously entertained by himself. Shaun and I kept looking at each other and cracking up. It was such a special moment for me. While we were going through treatments, I would sometimes daydream about Shaun and me cuddling and talking to our baby in our bed on a Saturday morning. And there we were...enjoying our Mr. Adorable, and it was even better than I dreamed.
Some fun facts about Henry at 3 Months:
- Henry LOVES to watch me brush my teeth. I discovered this one day when I got out of the shower, and he was crying. I was in a hurry to get ready so I started to brush my teeth and ran across the house to check on Henry. He immediately went from crying to smiling. I thought it was just a coincidence, but it has worked without fail numerous times. It cracks him up! I'm not sure if it is the fact that Mommy has white foam coming out of her mouth or the sound or movement, but he loves it.
- Henry is a very happy baby. After he eats, we always have awake time, and he is all smiles. As I've mentioned before he has several different smiles, but my favorite is his crooked grin. And those dimples!!
- About an hour and fifteen minutes into awake time (almost to the second)--he is done, and it is time for a nap! But Mr. Henry doesn't like naps, and he definitely fights them. I'm sure there will be a post about that soon :)
- Henry loves his daddy. They've had some great bonding time over the last two weeks, and I love watching them together. When I got home from a baby shower this weekend, Henry was propped up in a boppy pillow sitting on the couch with his hand on Shaun looking at the computer with him. Henry looked so old...it was hilarious! Shaun has also started giving Henry airplane rides all of the time, and Henry loves it! I need to get a video of that soon.
- Kick, kick, kick! Henry enjoys kicking so much. He kicks every chance he gets!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Healthy! (knock on wood)
We took Henry to the dr on Friday since he develped a fever after I had the flu. I did not like this doctor at all (our usual ped was off on Friday). I felt like I had to pull information out of her, and she didn't seem to know what she was doing. Henry's swine flu test came back negative, but she said we could give him tamiflu, but she wasn't sure what to do. Apparently they have authorized some emergency dosages of tamiflu for babies as young as 3 months. I did not feel comfortable at all giving him tamiflu because from what I have read they typically don't give it to babies younger than a year old. I just felt like she wasn't researched or confident at all. We absolutely adore our ped so maybe I was just comparing her to him. The good news is though that Henry's fever was gone yesterday, and he seems to be doing great! Thank you for all of your prayers of protection over our sweet little guy. I was going to be a disaster if he had it because I know how bad I felt.
Henry is such a little character already. We just got out this baby einstein play tunnel out for him (got it as a baby present), and he adores it! He kicks so hard and just looks around at all of the toys and pictures. Shaun calls it his "man cave" lol. He loves his daddy and especially enjoys when his dad plays the guitar for him. Henry has several different smiles, but my favorite is when he smiles and turns his head like he is being shy. It is precious!! We have enjoyed being stuck at the house all together for five days. We really needed this down time. I hope to post some new pics and video soon so stay tuned!
Henry is such a little character already. We just got out this baby einstein play tunnel out for him (got it as a baby present), and he adores it! He kicks so hard and just looks around at all of the toys and pictures. Shaun calls it his "man cave" lol. He loves his daddy and especially enjoys when his dad plays the guitar for him. Henry has several different smiles, but my favorite is when he smiles and turns his head like he is being shy. It is precious!! We have enjoyed being stuck at the house all together for five days. We really needed this down time. I hope to post some new pics and video soon so stay tuned!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Henry might have it too...
waiting for a call back from the dr. He has a fever, and he is fussy. Will update when I can...I've been praying so hard that this wouldn't happen.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
This post is brought to you by the swine flu
Finally have time to blog...just wish it was under better circumstances. I'm starting to feel better today as this is day 3 in bed with the swine flu. Yesterday was the worst as I couldn't keep anything down. I will spare y'all the details, but just take my word for it and get the shot. Shaun has been absolutely wonderful. He went in to work yesterday morning, but I think he could tell that I wasn't going to make it without him so he came home at lunch to take care of Henry, and he is working from home today as well. Henry is happy and doesn't have a fever so we are just praying he doesn't get it. I'm still breastfeeding to make sure he gets my antibodies, but we did have to supplement with a little formula last night since I wasn't making enough milk because I was completely dehydrated from hugging the toilet. I was really anxious about giving him formula, but he seemed to tolerate it well. And he slept through the night! I don't think he has done that since I last blogged (note to self: might need to stop blogging when he sleeps through the night). He usually has a quick 4 AM feeding.
The last thing I want this blog to turn into is all of the happy with no honesty about what is really going on in our lives. It was much easier to write my true feelings during infertility...call it survivor guilt or whatever you would like, but it is much harder for me to be "real" now. So here is my first attempt at telling it like it is...
The first seven weeks of Henry's life were incredibly hard. I know that some of my friends and family might have thought I had postpartum depression, but I was really just sleep deprived. There were nights that I only got ten to fifteen minutes of sleep at a time. I did it by myself because I didn't want Shaun to lose sleep and then have to work a long day at the office. Those few weeks were some of the hardest in my life. And I felt incredibly guilty for feeling that way. I had my precious little healthy miracle, but I was a complete disaster. If I had to give anyone with a new baby advice it would be this...throw everything you just read during your pregnancy out the window for the first eight weeks! If the only way you can get sleep or a nap is to hold them...then do it. If the baby needs a car ride to calm down or fall asleep...take one. If anyone offers to come hold your baby while you nap...go ahead and schedule a time that works for them. Just do what works because they are too young to know the difference. This is what my friends tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. I thought I would cause sleep problems. But around 8 weeks (from my experience and what I've heard from others) no matter what you do, it gets better. Of course we had trush and reflux so that was part of the reason it was so bad, but he really started sleeping so much better.
My other confession is that this has been a hard time in our marriage. I never knew it would be so difficult. We've always been such a great team that I really didn't anticipate having much of a transition. Part of what was/is making it so hard is Shaun's work schedule. For the past four weeks, he has been working long nights and weekends on a huge, stressful project (tons and tons of overtime). When he would finally get home from work, I was ready to hand Henry off to him for diaper changes and holding, and he was so tired that he really couldn't deal with a crying baby. I guess I felt like I was working all day/night too and that I deserved a little break. Looking back now, I realize that I was being way too hard on Shaun. We were both just exhausted, and it didn't help to come home to a winey wife. When we finally had time together, we just weren't in sync. He didn't know what Henry needed or what I needed for him because he hadn't been around. With all of that said, the past two days have been great. Shaun has gotten to catch up on some much needed father/son bonding time while being an incredible caregiver to me. It almost makes me a little thankful for the flu :) (okay not really), but I think it has helped get us back on the same wavelength.
The last thing I want this blog to turn into is all of the happy with no honesty about what is really going on in our lives. It was much easier to write my true feelings during infertility...call it survivor guilt or whatever you would like, but it is much harder for me to be "real" now. So here is my first attempt at telling it like it is...
The first seven weeks of Henry's life were incredibly hard. I know that some of my friends and family might have thought I had postpartum depression, but I was really just sleep deprived. There were nights that I only got ten to fifteen minutes of sleep at a time. I did it by myself because I didn't want Shaun to lose sleep and then have to work a long day at the office. Those few weeks were some of the hardest in my life. And I felt incredibly guilty for feeling that way. I had my precious little healthy miracle, but I was a complete disaster. If I had to give anyone with a new baby advice it would be this...throw everything you just read during your pregnancy out the window for the first eight weeks! If the only way you can get sleep or a nap is to hold them...then do it. If the baby needs a car ride to calm down or fall asleep...take one. If anyone offers to come hold your baby while you nap...go ahead and schedule a time that works for them. Just do what works because they are too young to know the difference. This is what my friends tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. I thought I would cause sleep problems. But around 8 weeks (from my experience and what I've heard from others) no matter what you do, it gets better. Of course we had trush and reflux so that was part of the reason it was so bad, but he really started sleeping so much better.
My other confession is that this has been a hard time in our marriage. I never knew it would be so difficult. We've always been such a great team that I really didn't anticipate having much of a transition. Part of what was/is making it so hard is Shaun's work schedule. For the past four weeks, he has been working long nights and weekends on a huge, stressful project (tons and tons of overtime). When he would finally get home from work, I was ready to hand Henry off to him for diaper changes and holding, and he was so tired that he really couldn't deal with a crying baby. I guess I felt like I was working all day/night too and that I deserved a little break. Looking back now, I realize that I was being way too hard on Shaun. We were both just exhausted, and it didn't help to come home to a winey wife. When we finally had time together, we just weren't in sync. He didn't know what Henry needed or what I needed for him because he hadn't been around. With all of that said, the past two days have been great. Shaun has gotten to catch up on some much needed father/son bonding time while being an incredible caregiver to me. It almost makes me a little thankful for the flu :) (okay not really), but I think it has helped get us back on the same wavelength.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What a Big Boy!
Last night at 10:30, I put down a wide awake little Henry in his crib. We said our prayers, and he smiled at me like he was ready to play. I turned on his mobile without sound...kissed his forehead and walked out of his room. I woke up around 3 surprised that he dropped the 1 AM feeding for the third night in a row and watched the monitor for a few seconds to watch his belly move up and down. Next thing I knew...it was 6:30! I quickly looked at the monitor to see Henry still sleeping and sucking his thumb. My boobs were killing! They were hard as rocks! I even made Shaun put his hand on them to feel them lol. So I got up and pumped so it wouldn't be too hard for Henry to nurse. Henry woke up at 6:45!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a big boy! I was one proud Mama, and I was happy, happy, happy to get Henry out of his crib. I just made the biggest fuss over him, and he was kinda like..."okay mom...enough already...all I want to do is eat...what is the big deal?!" I realize that it will probably be some time before this happens every night, but I'm so encouraged! So for those sleep deprived moms that will arrive to this post via google in the future...here is what I think is helping his sleep.
1. Reflux is better now with meds...Just got treated for thrush...and elimination of dairy from my diet. He seems to just be feeling better overall!
2. Cluster feedings in the evening- he wants to eat often, and I let him! He stays on me most of the evening (or at least it feels like it!)
3. Bedtime routine- bath and changing clothes plus putting him in his sleep sack
4. Thumb sucking!!- just in the last week or so, he has started really sucking his thumb to self-soothe. This is huge!
5. Pumped bottle- Shaun also gave him a bottle of pumped milk...I feel like my supply can't keep up with his need in the evenings!
6. Babywise daytime routine- eating approx every 3 hours and a eat, wake, sleep routine. I've also started a morning routine...we start the day around 7, and I pull back all of the curtains/turn on a bunch of lights and sing the Good morning song and lots of talking!
7. Henry's age and weight- 9 weeks and 12 lbs 6 ounces or so
In other Henry news not related to sleep... just in the last week or so, Henry has really started to smile a bunch (love it!). It is getting easy to make him smile now. And he loves to talk and make eye contact. We have really deep conversations. I'm really loving being his mommy. For those of you still waiting...I promise it is worth it.
New post on prayingforalittleone!
1. Reflux is better now with meds...Just got treated for thrush...and elimination of dairy from my diet. He seems to just be feeling better overall!
2. Cluster feedings in the evening- he wants to eat often, and I let him! He stays on me most of the evening (or at least it feels like it!)
3. Bedtime routine- bath and changing clothes plus putting him in his sleep sack
4. Thumb sucking!!- just in the last week or so, he has started really sucking his thumb to self-soothe. This is huge!
5. Pumped bottle- Shaun also gave him a bottle of pumped milk...I feel like my supply can't keep up with his need in the evenings!
6. Babywise daytime routine- eating approx every 3 hours and a eat, wake, sleep routine. I've also started a morning routine...we start the day around 7, and I pull back all of the curtains/turn on a bunch of lights and sing the Good morning song and lots of talking!
7. Henry's age and weight- 9 weeks and 12 lbs 6 ounces or so
In other Henry news not related to sleep... just in the last week or so, Henry has really started to smile a bunch (love it!). It is getting easy to make him smile now. And he loves to talk and make eye contact. We have really deep conversations. I'm really loving being his mommy. For those of you still waiting...I promise it is worth it.
New post on prayingforalittleone!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Two Months Old!
I was on facebook yesterday looking at pictures of Henry as a newborn, and I can't believe how much he has changed. He is a big boy! Okay he really isn't that big still, but he doesn't look like a tiny little newborn baby anymore. I can't believe how fast he is growing before my eyes. I have only been away from him for like 30 minutes one time about a month ago so it is hard to notice the changes as much until I look back at pictures. Henry's new hair is already growing fast in the front so I know it won't be long until he has a head full of hair again. His eyelashes are super long (yay! I'm hoping this means he has his dad's adorable eyelashes), and I'm starting to feel extra fat in his chest and thighs :). We have our 8 week checkup tomorrow so I can't wait to see how much he weighs. Henry is starting to show us more of his sweet little personality. This morning at a 6 AM feeding I was exhausted from a long night, Henry was just eating away when all of a sudden he pulled off looked up at me and smiled. And the smiles continued along with precious baby talk. Oh it just melted my heart! It was as if he just wanted to tell me how happy he was to be eating and that it was morning time. Just that one minute of sweetness made any screaming the night before completely worth it.
As I mentioned above, tomorrow is our 8 week checkup, and I hope our doctor is ready for a million questions! We haven't seen him in over six weeks, and I have a lot to ask about with Henry's reflux and sleep problems. Before I list all of the things I'm going to ask about (using my blog to think this through!), I want to thank all of the mothers who have left encouragement about reflux, thrush, and sleep problems....it really means a lot and all of your thoughts have been very helpful!
Okay my list...feel free to comment with suggestions!
Reflux:
--Saw improvement with Axid, but still not sure that it is much better. Henry is still waking frequently in between feedings, and he is sometimes wet from spitup when I go to comfort him.
Spit-up is thick like it has been in the stomach, goes through nose sometimes (poor little man), projectile several times (completely freaked me out--pretty sure he lost close to his entire meal)
Worst time of day is from 8:30 to 10:30 PM not sure if this is reflux related or just typical newborn fussiness.
Sleep:
Still waking frequently between feedings…again sometimes wet from spitting up…but calms down immediately if I pick him up. Also tried paci and patting without picking him up. He will calm down easily either way, but he is awake again crying usually within a few minutes.
Going down for sleep- seems to really fight going down at night. Doesn’t matter if we put him to bed still awake, dreaming or a deep sleep…usually wakes up within minutes of laying him down on back in crib. And he is not a happy camper!
Any suggestions??!!
Still feeding about every 2-3 hours at night, but doesn't seem to be eating much before he falls asleep. Comfort nursing? He can't be getting very much!
Stool:
Foamy Stool—do we need to be concerned about it? What causes it?
Stool on average three times a day—is this too much? (typically explosive)
Milk Protein Allergy:
Is there a way to test for this?
In the meantime...I've eliminated dairy (for the most part) from my diet
Thrush:
Currently being treated for thrush from our breastfeeding doctor. I'm on difflucan daily for two weeks, and Henry is getting his tounge scrubbed with a qtip after every feeding with nystatin (he likes this by the way--super cute)
Extra info for y'all-- We are on a baby wise routine with feedings every 2 hrs and 30-45 minutes. Feedings last about 30 to 40 minutes. First feeding of the day around 7 AM, and I try to put him in bed at 7 PM for night but he fights it the entire time. Shaun and I take turns going in to calm him down for that feeding and then I'm on my own for the rest of the night!
How about a pic of mr. henry?
As I mentioned above, tomorrow is our 8 week checkup, and I hope our doctor is ready for a million questions! We haven't seen him in over six weeks, and I have a lot to ask about with Henry's reflux and sleep problems. Before I list all of the things I'm going to ask about (using my blog to think this through!), I want to thank all of the mothers who have left encouragement about reflux, thrush, and sleep problems....it really means a lot and all of your thoughts have been very helpful!
Okay my list...feel free to comment with suggestions!
Reflux:
--Saw improvement with Axid, but still not sure that it is much better. Henry is still waking frequently in between feedings, and he is sometimes wet from spitup when I go to comfort him.
Spit-up is thick like it has been in the stomach, goes through nose sometimes (poor little man), projectile several times (completely freaked me out--pretty sure he lost close to his entire meal)
Worst time of day is from 8:30 to 10:30 PM not sure if this is reflux related or just typical newborn fussiness.
Sleep:
Still waking frequently between feedings…again sometimes wet from spitting up…but calms down immediately if I pick him up. Also tried paci and patting without picking him up. He will calm down easily either way, but he is awake again crying usually within a few minutes.
Going down for sleep- seems to really fight going down at night. Doesn’t matter if we put him to bed still awake, dreaming or a deep sleep…usually wakes up within minutes of laying him down on back in crib. And he is not a happy camper!
Any suggestions??!!
Still feeding about every 2-3 hours at night, but doesn't seem to be eating much before he falls asleep. Comfort nursing? He can't be getting very much!
Stool:
Foamy Stool—do we need to be concerned about it? What causes it?
Stool on average three times a day—is this too much? (typically explosive)
Milk Protein Allergy:
Is there a way to test for this?
In the meantime...I've eliminated dairy (for the most part) from my diet
Thrush:
Currently being treated for thrush from our breastfeeding doctor. I'm on difflucan daily for two weeks, and Henry is getting his tounge scrubbed with a qtip after every feeding with nystatin (he likes this by the way--super cute)
Extra info for y'all-- We are on a baby wise routine with feedings every 2 hrs and 30-45 minutes. Feedings last about 30 to 40 minutes. First feeding of the day around 7 AM, and I try to put him in bed at 7 PM for night but he fights it the entire time. Shaun and I take turns going in to calm him down for that feeding and then I'm on my own for the rest of the night!
How about a pic of mr. henry?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Postpartum Appt of Two Infertiles
Also posted on prayingforalittleone
At my postpartum visit this week another new mom in the waiting room saw that I just had Henry and decided to strike up a conversation with me. We talked about feeding and sleeping schedules and all of the typical newborn mom small talk, but as we were talking I couldn't help but notice another woman sitting close by and her body language as she listened to our conversation. I cringed as the new mom talked about how "weird it was to be at the clinic without being pregnant" and many other comments that I knew would have hurt me if I had overheard them a year ago when I was at the gyn for my annual in the middle of fertility treatments. The woman nearby was flipping through a magazine and cringing every time I was cringing. I tried to tell myself that I was just imagining things, but when I saw her obviously make a face when the lab tech said, "see you next year." I knew she was struggling with infertility. I decided that if anyone said anything about Henry while I was waiting for bloodwork that I would say something so that she could be encouraged or she could talk to me if she wanted. The lab tech that I had for what felt like a million appointments during the pregnancy started ooing and aahing over Henry so I took the opportunity to say, "he really is a miracle." She started talking about how all babies are miracles once you learn what can go wrong and then I replied that every baby is for sure a miracle once you realize all that has to happen. Immediately my infertile friend spoke up (took the bait!)..."did you have to do fertility treatments to get pregnant?" I couldn't believe I was actually right about her! But it turns out I was only partially right. She did previously struggle with infertility, but she was there for a postpartum appointment. She had to do IVF to get pregnant with her first, but then had two surprise pregnancies so she has her hands full now with three under three! After she made sure to tell me to be careful (that advice went in one ear and out the other-no birth control for us!), we discussed infertility treatments like we were old friends. I know infertility is common and that I could have just made a lucky guess, but there was something about her body language. She heard things the way I heard them. She was sitting there with three babies at home, but infertility changed her just like it changed me. We can't sit there and hear "see you next year" and not think about the poor girl that is there for her yearly and praying that it is not another year before she makes it back to the clinic again. Our prayers were answered...we have our miracles, but going through infertility will forever change us.
At my postpartum visit this week another new mom in the waiting room saw that I just had Henry and decided to strike up a conversation with me. We talked about feeding and sleeping schedules and all of the typical newborn mom small talk, but as we were talking I couldn't help but notice another woman sitting close by and her body language as she listened to our conversation. I cringed as the new mom talked about how "weird it was to be at the clinic without being pregnant" and many other comments that I knew would have hurt me if I had overheard them a year ago when I was at the gyn for my annual in the middle of fertility treatments. The woman nearby was flipping through a magazine and cringing every time I was cringing. I tried to tell myself that I was just imagining things, but when I saw her obviously make a face when the lab tech said, "see you next year." I knew she was struggling with infertility. I decided that if anyone said anything about Henry while I was waiting for bloodwork that I would say something so that she could be encouraged or she could talk to me if she wanted. The lab tech that I had for what felt like a million appointments during the pregnancy started ooing and aahing over Henry so I took the opportunity to say, "he really is a miracle." She started talking about how all babies are miracles once you learn what can go wrong and then I replied that every baby is for sure a miracle once you realize all that has to happen. Immediately my infertile friend spoke up (took the bait!)..."did you have to do fertility treatments to get pregnant?" I couldn't believe I was actually right about her! But it turns out I was only partially right. She did previously struggle with infertility, but she was there for a postpartum appointment. She had to do IVF to get pregnant with her first, but then had two surprise pregnancies so she has her hands full now with three under three! After she made sure to tell me to be careful (that advice went in one ear and out the other-no birth control for us!), we discussed infertility treatments like we were old friends. I know infertility is common and that I could have just made a lucky guess, but there was something about her body language. She heard things the way I heard them. She was sitting there with three babies at home, but infertility changed her just like it changed me. We can't sit there and hear "see you next year" and not think about the poor girl that is there for her yearly and praying that it is not another year before she makes it back to the clinic again. Our prayers were answered...we have our miracles, but going through infertility will forever change us.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Already Seven Weeks??!!
I've been planning all week to write a post called "Already Six Weeks??!!," and now that I have time to actually sit down and write...my little love bug is seven weeks!! I have a lot to catch all of you up on so I will start with the fun stuff and then I will give an update on everything else.
Henry has really started to smile, and it is just precious. Oh it just makes my day! I can't wait to get a picture of him smiling because it is soooo cute. I realize that I'm partial, but it is a really big somewhat elvis smile with dimples...I mean how could it be any cuter? He is also getting to be such a big boy...11 lbs 4 ounces at our doctor appointment today (more about that below). My mom helped me realize this past week that it was time to move on from the newborn clothes. Once again...I was in denial...she pointed out to me that his sleeves were now three quarter length, his hand hardly fit through the hole, and I was having to pull on his onesies to even get the snaps closed. We have now moved up to 0-3 months, and I don't think we are even going to get to wear them for very long since I squeezed him into newborns for so long. Henry has also lost almost all of his hair on the top of his head. I was giving him a comb over for as long as I could, but now there is nothing left to comb. I can already see where the new hair is coming in so I know it won't be long until I can comb his hair again, but I miss not being able to give him a little boy hairstyle. One of things I love to do is to lay him on my belly for tummy time and watch him lift his head to look at me. He started out being such a mr. bobblehead doll, but now he is getting to where he can hold his head up and remain pretty still for a few moments.
Now for the update...I'm going to be honest...it has been a rough couple of weeks. Henry's reflux was bothering him so badly that he wasn't even sleeping very much at night. I finally came to my breaking point about a week ago. After some major crying, I broke down and called my mom and asked her if she wanted to come to Mississippi or if she wanted me to come to Alabama. We decided that it would be best for me to come to my mom and dad's house (aka henry's mimi and pops). My house is so small that if Henry was crying, I would still be wide awake listening to him cry even if my mom was taking care of him in the other room. I packed us both up in less than an hour and hit the road! Shaun was okay with us leaving because he knew I needed some sleep, and he couldn't give me the help I needed since he has to work. I was so sleep deprived by the time I got to my parents house that I could hardly talk. I would start to say something, but I couldn't finish a thought...my brain was NOT working. Mom and Dad later told me that we both looked pretty rough. I hate to hear that Henry was looking ill, but I know he wasn't doing well since he wasn't sleeping. Zantac did not work for us so my nurse called in Axid, and we started Henry on his first dosage the first night at my parents. We also started putting Henry to sleep on his side (I'm sorry but he wasn't sleeping on his back so what am I supposed to do??) on am inclined sleep positioner. And I stopped eating and drinking dairy...I had a milk allergy when I was little so it is likely that Henry has one. Mom slept next to him and came to get me when it was time to feed. It was absolutely wonderful to finally get some sleep. Mom also fixed and brought to me all of my meals and drinks...it was fabulous. Pops was also a great help with Henry and could get him to fall asleep on his chest. We affectionately called him the baby whisperer. By the end of the week, we all saw a major improvement in Henry. I think the medicine is definitely helping, and hopefully the not eating/drinking dairy is too (way harder than I thought it would be). We are definitely not there yet, but the fact that Henry is sleeping in between some feedings at night is a major improvement. We are all praying for him, and we know that God is answering our prayers and giving us wisdom and good ideas to help Henry to feel better. One of those ideas came from a fellow blogger (sorry I don't have time to look back to see who it was) who mentioned thrush as a possibility. I looked up the symptoms, and it sounded like we had that too! The main symptoms we have is a painful letdown, Henry pulling off the boob during feedings, and he has a white patch on the center of his tongue (it was always there, but I thought it was milk--whoops!). We went to our breastfeeding doctor today, and she was able to take a look at my nipples and Henry's white patch to confirm that we do have thrush. For those of you who don't know thrush is a yeast infection that is passed back and forth between the mother and baby during breastfeeding. Poor Henry has an itchy tongue on top of everything else, and the yeast could be causing him to have an upset tummy (which would explain the foamy poop). He is not going to know what to do with himself when he is no longer in pain from reflux, a dairy allergy and thrush! We will both be treated together for meds the next two weeks and hopefully our yeast problem will go away soon!!
I can't post on September 24th without taking a moment to remember what happened on this day two years ago. Two years ago I was told on an ultrasound table that my sweet baby no longer had a heartbeat. I can still remember the face on the ultrasound tech, the exact layout of the room...pretty much everything about that day. Shaun met me at the house with bbq takeout, tons of snacks (I think he was afraid I wasn't going to eat) and pads (he knew I was bleeding heavily). We cried for a long time. One of the snacks Shaun happened to buy at the store was cashews. He offered some to me, and I started to cry again..."they look like a little baby fetus." I looked up at him, and we both started to laugh hysterically. I still can't look at a cashew without smiling. I think we went right back to crying again after our laughing, but it was a good break from all of the sadness of the day. September 25th (which is now today considering it is 1 AM) is actually the day that I consider the anniversary of my loss because it was the day of my D&C surgery. It is very hard to explain this feeling unless you have experienced it, but I didn't really feel like she was gone until I woke up from surgery realizing she was no longer inside of me. Two years later as I'm holding my sweet baby boy on my chest, the hurt is still there. It doesn't sting the same, but it is still there. I no longer get a lump in my throat when I see the two little girls that I know that were born around her due date, but I do feel a little sadness. Baby Faith was a miracle from God, and I consider myself blessed to be able to carry her even if it was for such a short time.
Henry has really started to smile, and it is just precious. Oh it just makes my day! I can't wait to get a picture of him smiling because it is soooo cute. I realize that I'm partial, but it is a really big somewhat elvis smile with dimples...I mean how could it be any cuter? He is also getting to be such a big boy...11 lbs 4 ounces at our doctor appointment today (more about that below). My mom helped me realize this past week that it was time to move on from the newborn clothes. Once again...I was in denial...she pointed out to me that his sleeves were now three quarter length, his hand hardly fit through the hole, and I was having to pull on his onesies to even get the snaps closed. We have now moved up to 0-3 months, and I don't think we are even going to get to wear them for very long since I squeezed him into newborns for so long. Henry has also lost almost all of his hair on the top of his head. I was giving him a comb over for as long as I could, but now there is nothing left to comb. I can already see where the new hair is coming in so I know it won't be long until I can comb his hair again, but I miss not being able to give him a little boy hairstyle. One of things I love to do is to lay him on my belly for tummy time and watch him lift his head to look at me. He started out being such a mr. bobblehead doll, but now he is getting to where he can hold his head up and remain pretty still for a few moments.
Now for the update...I'm going to be honest...it has been a rough couple of weeks. Henry's reflux was bothering him so badly that he wasn't even sleeping very much at night. I finally came to my breaking point about a week ago. After some major crying, I broke down and called my mom and asked her if she wanted to come to Mississippi or if she wanted me to come to Alabama. We decided that it would be best for me to come to my mom and dad's house (aka henry's mimi and pops). My house is so small that if Henry was crying, I would still be wide awake listening to him cry even if my mom was taking care of him in the other room. I packed us both up in less than an hour and hit the road! Shaun was okay with us leaving because he knew I needed some sleep, and he couldn't give me the help I needed since he has to work. I was so sleep deprived by the time I got to my parents house that I could hardly talk. I would start to say something, but I couldn't finish a thought...my brain was NOT working. Mom and Dad later told me that we both looked pretty rough. I hate to hear that Henry was looking ill, but I know he wasn't doing well since he wasn't sleeping. Zantac did not work for us so my nurse called in Axid, and we started Henry on his first dosage the first night at my parents. We also started putting Henry to sleep on his side (I'm sorry but he wasn't sleeping on his back so what am I supposed to do??) on am inclined sleep positioner. And I stopped eating and drinking dairy...I had a milk allergy when I was little so it is likely that Henry has one. Mom slept next to him and came to get me when it was time to feed. It was absolutely wonderful to finally get some sleep. Mom also fixed and brought to me all of my meals and drinks...it was fabulous. Pops was also a great help with Henry and could get him to fall asleep on his chest. We affectionately called him the baby whisperer. By the end of the week, we all saw a major improvement in Henry. I think the medicine is definitely helping, and hopefully the not eating/drinking dairy is too (way harder than I thought it would be). We are definitely not there yet, but the fact that Henry is sleeping in between some feedings at night is a major improvement. We are all praying for him, and we know that God is answering our prayers and giving us wisdom and good ideas to help Henry to feel better. One of those ideas came from a fellow blogger (sorry I don't have time to look back to see who it was) who mentioned thrush as a possibility. I looked up the symptoms, and it sounded like we had that too! The main symptoms we have is a painful letdown, Henry pulling off the boob during feedings, and he has a white patch on the center of his tongue (it was always there, but I thought it was milk--whoops!). We went to our breastfeeding doctor today, and she was able to take a look at my nipples and Henry's white patch to confirm that we do have thrush. For those of you who don't know thrush is a yeast infection that is passed back and forth between the mother and baby during breastfeeding. Poor Henry has an itchy tongue on top of everything else, and the yeast could be causing him to have an upset tummy (which would explain the foamy poop). He is not going to know what to do with himself when he is no longer in pain from reflux, a dairy allergy and thrush! We will both be treated together for meds the next two weeks and hopefully our yeast problem will go away soon!!
I can't post on September 24th without taking a moment to remember what happened on this day two years ago. Two years ago I was told on an ultrasound table that my sweet baby no longer had a heartbeat. I can still remember the face on the ultrasound tech, the exact layout of the room...pretty much everything about that day. Shaun met me at the house with bbq takeout, tons of snacks (I think he was afraid I wasn't going to eat) and pads (he knew I was bleeding heavily). We cried for a long time. One of the snacks Shaun happened to buy at the store was cashews. He offered some to me, and I started to cry again..."they look like a little baby fetus." I looked up at him, and we both started to laugh hysterically. I still can't look at a cashew without smiling. I think we went right back to crying again after our laughing, but it was a good break from all of the sadness of the day. September 25th (which is now today considering it is 1 AM) is actually the day that I consider the anniversary of my loss because it was the day of my D&C surgery. It is very hard to explain this feeling unless you have experienced it, but I didn't really feel like she was gone until I woke up from surgery realizing she was no longer inside of me. Two years later as I'm holding my sweet baby boy on my chest, the hurt is still there. It doesn't sting the same, but it is still there. I no longer get a lump in my throat when I see the two little girls that I know that were born around her due date, but I do feel a little sadness. Baby Faith was a miracle from God, and I consider myself blessed to be able to carry her even if it was for such a short time.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
No Longer in Denial...
Thanks to the anonymous commenter who mentioned silent reflux. I was just convinced that Henry didn't have reflux because he wasn't spitting up that much (although he has started spitting up more). I was in denial because I really was hoping it was just a small sleep problem and not a medical problem. I finally decided to google the symptoms of reflux in babies in the middle of the night Friday night when Henry hadn't slept from 9 PM to 3 AM. Yes...you read that correctly...9 to 3! Henry has so many of the symptoms including a cough (thought that was normal for newborns like sneezing...whoops!), very frequent hiccups (also thought that was normal), throwing his head back after feedings (I thought he was just working on his neck strength), frequent waking/can't sleep on back. I feel bad that I didn't figure out sooner what was wrong with him. But I'm not going to beat myself up about it because I had nothing to compare him to...I knew the newborn stage was hard so I figured it was okay. I finally woke Shaun up at 3 AM because I literally couldn't stay awake any longer. Shaun knew I really needed help because it is the first time I've woken him since the first week of Henry's life. I'm so glad it was a Friday night so he could lose sleep without having to go to work in the morning. I called our pediatrician's office on sat morning and spoke with a nurse(they have Saturday hours), and she was confident with the symptoms that I described that Henry has reflux. They prescribed Zantac for him, and I'm just praying that this helps him to feel better. I know there is another stronger medicine that we can try if this one doesn't work. I just hate that he is hurting...it is so sad. He is such a cute, sweet little guy. Shaun and I are both miserable watching him in so much pain. So what is the plan for this week? Survival. I'm just going to do everything I can to make him feel as good as possible and not worry about anything else. He loves the infant carrier (makes sense why he loves it so much now) so I will just carry him around all day if I have to! He also does okay in his bouncy seat so he might sleep in that tonight next to me on the couch. I did start pumping a little on Saturday so that Shaun or someone else can give him a bottle if I need a break. Please pray that Henry starts to feel better soon! I really appreciate all of the very helpful encouragement and advice/ideas the other day. I plan on using a lot of the advice once we get over this little hump! Y'all are the best!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Need Advice!
I have several posts that I need to write including our ten year dating anniversary (yesterday), our first trip, and a funny poop story, but today those will have to go on the back burner because I need advice. Here is our current "schedule/routine"...it is not working, and I need some advice on how to fix it...any and all suggestions are welcome!
Our "morning" starts at around noon (as both of us finally sleep during the morning hours)- we do the eat, wake, sleep cycle every 2 1/2 hours (which is fine with me). Breastfeeding is going pretty well, but Henry does like to take cat naps during feeding, which makes it hard to wake him up to give him a full feeding (it takes effort, but I'm usually successful with a full feeding). He hates being on his back alone so I just lay him on the couch next to me until he wakes up for more. After his diaper change, Henry is awake and ready to party. He is very alert during his activity time, and he stays awake a lot longer than what the books say for his age
(around 45 mins after his feeding). I put him down as soon as he shows signs of being sleepy. Activities during the awake time--tummy time once a day, bouncy seat, bath, a walk outside). I've tried to put him down sooner wondering if he was overstimulated, but he just looks around his bassinet and coos and then as soon as it is time to sleep--the screaming starts. I will go in and comfort him several times and give him his paci, but he still stays awake and screams. Henry will nap great in my arms, his bouncy seat (sometimes), his carseat (if it is moving--like walking around the neighborhood or riding in the car), and an infant carrier (but I have to walk around the house the entire time- no sitting :). This pattern continues until the first "night" feeding at midnight.
After the midnight feeding- mom wants to go to bed! I want him on his back, alone, in his crib where he is safe. Henry looks like someone just gave him a shot of espresso at this feeding. (By the way I don't drink any caffeine at all so that isn't an issue). He stays wide awake like "you are not going to get me to sleep Mom!" And I don't! I go in a calm him down many times, and calms right down, but usually by the time I get to bed and maybe fall asleep...he is screaming again. This continues until it has been 2 1/2 hours, and I decide to go feed him again (around 2:30). Sometimes (on great nights) he is so tired at this feeding that he goes into a deep sleep, and we are both able to sleep for 2 hours. On a usual night, he acts like he is never eaten before and becomes a wild man-- extremely aggressive and clumsy, and he takes both of his hands and grabs my skin the entire time. It is during a feeding like this that I can definitely understand why women have trouble breastfeeding. Again, he is wide awake (too tired to calm himself down)--I've tried at this point to rock him into a deep sleep (doesn't really happen) or laying him down hoping he will fall asleep (doesn't happen). This trying to get him to sleep thing goes on for usually another hour. Last night, he didn't sleep at all so around 4 AM I got up and fed him on the couch, and we both finally fell asleep in a very uncomfortable position. Honestly, this is when we both start getting sleep. I'm not saying it is right...it is just all I can do at that point. Last night, we slept for about an 1 1/2 until he was ready to eat again. It is usually around 7 AMish that I give up! I lay him down next to me on the couch, and we sleep for several hours. Sometimes we will have a quick feeding in between but we usually sleep until noon. Today I fed him at 8ish, and he stayed awake forever but eventually fell asleep for 3hours. So this is our routine and obviously it isn't working. I know what a good routine should look like, but I don't know how to make it happen. I don't want to let him cry it out...he is too young (five weeks on friday). He is swaddled tightly at night, and he has a clean diaper before I put him down. I don't think it is reflux because he doesn't spit up that much, and he doesn't arch his back or scream right after a feeding. Okay so help??!!!!!!
Our "morning" starts at around noon (as both of us finally sleep during the morning hours)- we do the eat, wake, sleep cycle every 2 1/2 hours (which is fine with me). Breastfeeding is going pretty well, but Henry does like to take cat naps during feeding, which makes it hard to wake him up to give him a full feeding (it takes effort, but I'm usually successful with a full feeding). He hates being on his back alone so I just lay him on the couch next to me until he wakes up for more. After his diaper change, Henry is awake and ready to party. He is very alert during his activity time, and he stays awake a lot longer than what the books say for his age
(around 45 mins after his feeding). I put him down as soon as he shows signs of being sleepy. Activities during the awake time--tummy time once a day, bouncy seat, bath, a walk outside). I've tried to put him down sooner wondering if he was overstimulated, but he just looks around his bassinet and coos and then as soon as it is time to sleep--the screaming starts. I will go in and comfort him several times and give him his paci, but he still stays awake and screams. Henry will nap great in my arms, his bouncy seat (sometimes), his carseat (if it is moving--like walking around the neighborhood or riding in the car), and an infant carrier (but I have to walk around the house the entire time- no sitting :). This pattern continues until the first "night" feeding at midnight.
After the midnight feeding- mom wants to go to bed! I want him on his back, alone, in his crib where he is safe. Henry looks like someone just gave him a shot of espresso at this feeding. (By the way I don't drink any caffeine at all so that isn't an issue). He stays wide awake like "you are not going to get me to sleep Mom!" And I don't! I go in a calm him down many times, and calms right down, but usually by the time I get to bed and maybe fall asleep...he is screaming again. This continues until it has been 2 1/2 hours, and I decide to go feed him again (around 2:30). Sometimes (on great nights) he is so tired at this feeding that he goes into a deep sleep, and we are both able to sleep for 2 hours. On a usual night, he acts like he is never eaten before and becomes a wild man-- extremely aggressive and clumsy, and he takes both of his hands and grabs my skin the entire time. It is during a feeding like this that I can definitely understand why women have trouble breastfeeding. Again, he is wide awake (too tired to calm himself down)--I've tried at this point to rock him into a deep sleep (doesn't really happen) or laying him down hoping he will fall asleep (doesn't happen). This trying to get him to sleep thing goes on for usually another hour. Last night, he didn't sleep at all so around 4 AM I got up and fed him on the couch, and we both finally fell asleep in a very uncomfortable position. Honestly, this is when we both start getting sleep. I'm not saying it is right...it is just all I can do at that point. Last night, we slept for about an 1 1/2 until he was ready to eat again. It is usually around 7 AMish that I give up! I lay him down next to me on the couch, and we sleep for several hours. Sometimes we will have a quick feeding in between but we usually sleep until noon. Today I fed him at 8ish, and he stayed awake forever but eventually fell asleep for 3hours. So this is our routine and obviously it isn't working. I know what a good routine should look like, but I don't know how to make it happen. I don't want to let him cry it out...he is too young (five weeks on friday). He is swaddled tightly at night, and he has a clean diaper before I put him down. I don't think it is reflux because he doesn't spit up that much, and he doesn't arch his back or scream right after a feeding. Okay so help??!!!!!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Must-Haves for the New Mom
With so many of my friends in real life and in the blogosphere approaching the due date of their sweet little ones, I thought now would be a good time to share a few of the products that have made my life a little easier the past few weeks. I'm by no means an expert with only a couple weeks under my belt as a mother, but here is what has helped me so far!
What Time is It?
Topping the list...is this little gadget device that I actually laughed at Shaun (he loves all gadgets) when he showed it to me in the baby store. I thought it was a perfect example of the many baby products that are made just to take advantage of new parents who don't have a clue. Well boy was I wrong! After we got home from the hospital, and I kept asking Shaun "baby what time is it?," and my sleep deprived brain could no longer calculate 1 o'clock plus 3 hours is...???...Shaun decided to go back to the baby store and purchase the gadget. And I'm so glad he did!
The itzbeen is basically a small timer that is perfect for a new mom without a brain. As soon as I start to feed I simply click the feed button, and it lets me know how long "itzbeen" since I started feeding. There are also three other buttons that you can use to time things like sleep or diaper changes. I like to use one of the buttons to time the other side during breastfeeding. In the middle of the night when I hear Henry cry, I press the button that lights up the digital display and in a second I know if it is time to eat or if he is crying for another reason. I get out of bed and press the top button which is a little flashlight (they thought of everything!) to see my way out of the bedroom. It also has a little switch at the bottom so you know which side you last fed on for breastfeeding.
Watch Out for Flying Arms!
The Luna Lullaby Swaddle Blankets- These incredibly soft and breathable muslin cotton swaddle blankets are the perfect swaddling blankets. We use Dr. Harvey Karp's swaddling technique and Henry looks like a little burrito when we are done!
Is He Breathing??!!
This is especially a must-have for any mom who has struggled with infertility. Let's face it...every new mom worries, but the parenting after infertility club worries more (The Baby Whisperer has an entire chapter devoted to this- see below). It is so comforting to be able to roll over and punch a large top button (much like a snooze button) to watch that big belly move up and down. The video monitor we have is the Summer Infant Best View Color Handheld Video Monitor, and it is well worth the expense (Ta.rget has it cheaper than B.r.us by the way).
What I love about this monitor compared to other video monitors:
1. I don't see my neighbors' babies! I've had several friends see the neighbors with their analog video monitors. This one is digital so only our portable handset can see our camera.
2. Pan, Zoom, and Tilt--I'm sure this will be extra fun when I'm spying on him as a toddler. Also...color during the day.
3. Clear reception
4. Bonus for baby #2- we can add an additional camera and flip between them on our monitor.
Who Said Breastfed Babies Poop Doesn't Stink??!!
We did not like Diaper Genie II- didn't like having to buy refills and most importantly did not enjoy having to stick my hand in to deposit the diaper. Thanks to Janet, twin mommy at Our Journey for a Baby for her favorite things post with the recommendation of the Diaper Champ.
(we got ours in blue of course!)
It is soooo much better! You can use any bag (used a b r us bag the first time but will buy 13 gallon bags for it). It keeps out the smell, and the best part about it is you just place the diaper in this little compartment and pull the handle down and it deposits the diaper for you!
Where's the Instruction Manual??!!
A couple books that have definitely helped me with the first few weeks.
Baby 411- about as close as you can get to an instruction manual. It is easy to look up questions, and the answers are very informative.
Baby Wise- I know this book is very controversial, but it gets a bad wrap because of moms that take it to the extreme and don't actually follow the advice of the book. Don't leave a comment telling me how awful Baby Wise is unless you have actually read the book in its entirety and witnessed a Baby Wise toddler go down for a nap. It is all about setting up a routine for your baby- eat, wake, sleep- it is NOT a rigid schedule.
Secrets of The Baby Whisperer- Okay this one is my favorite. Same routine as Baby Wise, but the author calls it E.A.S.Y (eat, activity, sleep, you). She teaches you how to actually go about helping your baby get into a routine and many, many tips on calming and connecting with your baby.
You Will Need...
And last but not least some of the necessities!
People always say you don't need newborn clothes--so not true! Henry was 7 lbs 7 ounces, and he was swallowed in the newborn sizes when we got home from the hospital. My favorite is the oh-so-soft and convenient Kissy Kissy newborn gowns. It seems like way too much money for a tiny gown, but trust me you will love them.
Burp Cloths- don't stop buying burp cloths until you think you have too much...you will need them!
Receiving Blankets- again...you can't have enough! We use them to throw down over our changing pad cover because Henry constantly is peeing and pooping when we change him.
Pampers Swaddlers- I like them because they have a notch for the umbilical cord and a stripe that turns green to let you know when they are wet.
Straws and Fiber- It is just easier to drink with a straw when you are breastfeeding (you will be constantly thirsty), and you will need the fiber when you get home for the hospital. Stock up on apples, raisin bran, and the surprisingly delicious Fiber Plus granola bars.
Medela Disposable Nursing Bra Pads- They are very absorbent and comfortable.
Nursing Tanks- It will just make your life easier.
I know I'm forgetting something, but I will just share in another post when I remember (mommy brain!).
What Time is It?
Topping the list...is this little gadget device that I actually laughed at Shaun (he loves all gadgets) when he showed it to me in the baby store. I thought it was a perfect example of the many baby products that are made just to take advantage of new parents who don't have a clue. Well boy was I wrong! After we got home from the hospital, and I kept asking Shaun "baby what time is it?," and my sleep deprived brain could no longer calculate 1 o'clock plus 3 hours is...???...Shaun decided to go back to the baby store and purchase the gadget. And I'm so glad he did!
The itzbeen is basically a small timer that is perfect for a new mom without a brain. As soon as I start to feed I simply click the feed button, and it lets me know how long "itzbeen" since I started feeding. There are also three other buttons that you can use to time things like sleep or diaper changes. I like to use one of the buttons to time the other side during breastfeeding. In the middle of the night when I hear Henry cry, I press the button that lights up the digital display and in a second I know if it is time to eat or if he is crying for another reason. I get out of bed and press the top button which is a little flashlight (they thought of everything!) to see my way out of the bedroom. It also has a little switch at the bottom so you know which side you last fed on for breastfeeding.
Watch Out for Flying Arms!
The Luna Lullaby Swaddle Blankets- These incredibly soft and breathable muslin cotton swaddle blankets are the perfect swaddling blankets. We use Dr. Harvey Karp's swaddling technique and Henry looks like a little burrito when we are done!
Is He Breathing??!!
This is especially a must-have for any mom who has struggled with infertility. Let's face it...every new mom worries, but the parenting after infertility club worries more (The Baby Whisperer has an entire chapter devoted to this- see below). It is so comforting to be able to roll over and punch a large top button (much like a snooze button) to watch that big belly move up and down. The video monitor we have is the Summer Infant Best View Color Handheld Video Monitor, and it is well worth the expense (Ta.rget has it cheaper than B.r.us by the way).
What I love about this monitor compared to other video monitors:
1. I don't see my neighbors' babies! I've had several friends see the neighbors with their analog video monitors. This one is digital so only our portable handset can see our camera.
2. Pan, Zoom, and Tilt--I'm sure this will be extra fun when I'm spying on him as a toddler. Also...color during the day.
3. Clear reception
4. Bonus for baby #2- we can add an additional camera and flip between them on our monitor.
Who Said Breastfed Babies Poop Doesn't Stink??!!
We did not like Diaper Genie II- didn't like having to buy refills and most importantly did not enjoy having to stick my hand in to deposit the diaper. Thanks to Janet, twin mommy at Our Journey for a Baby for her favorite things post with the recommendation of the Diaper Champ.
(we got ours in blue of course!)
It is soooo much better! You can use any bag (used a b r us bag the first time but will buy 13 gallon bags for it). It keeps out the smell, and the best part about it is you just place the diaper in this little compartment and pull the handle down and it deposits the diaper for you!
Where's the Instruction Manual??!!
A couple books that have definitely helped me with the first few weeks.
Baby 411- about as close as you can get to an instruction manual. It is easy to look up questions, and the answers are very informative.
Baby Wise- I know this book is very controversial, but it gets a bad wrap because of moms that take it to the extreme and don't actually follow the advice of the book. Don't leave a comment telling me how awful Baby Wise is unless you have actually read the book in its entirety and witnessed a Baby Wise toddler go down for a nap. It is all about setting up a routine for your baby- eat, wake, sleep- it is NOT a rigid schedule.
Secrets of The Baby Whisperer- Okay this one is my favorite. Same routine as Baby Wise, but the author calls it E.A.S.Y (eat, activity, sleep, you). She teaches you how to actually go about helping your baby get into a routine and many, many tips on calming and connecting with your baby.
You Will Need...
And last but not least some of the necessities!
People always say you don't need newborn clothes--so not true! Henry was 7 lbs 7 ounces, and he was swallowed in the newborn sizes when we got home from the hospital. My favorite is the oh-so-soft and convenient Kissy Kissy newborn gowns. It seems like way too much money for a tiny gown, but trust me you will love them.
Burp Cloths- don't stop buying burp cloths until you think you have too much...you will need them!
Receiving Blankets- again...you can't have enough! We use them to throw down over our changing pad cover because Henry constantly is peeing and pooping when we change him.
Pampers Swaddlers- I like them because they have a notch for the umbilical cord and a stripe that turns green to let you know when they are wet.
Straws and Fiber- It is just easier to drink with a straw when you are breastfeeding (you will be constantly thirsty), and you will need the fiber when you get home for the hospital. Stock up on apples, raisin bran, and the surprisingly delicious Fiber Plus granola bars.
Medela Disposable Nursing Bra Pads- They are very absorbent and comfortable.
Nursing Tanks- It will just make your life easier.
I know I'm forgetting something, but I will just share in another post when I remember (mommy brain!).
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Night Shift
It is almost 4 AM...Henry just finished a nice meal, and he is asleep on my chest. He is completely out, but he needs a diaper change (I can smell it!) so do I wake him or put him down without a change??!! I'm leaning towards just laying him down because I'm sure it won't be long before he is awake again for another feeding. He is really breathing hard right now...kind of a whistle out of his nose...such a sweet sound. I love this little guy! I wish I didn't have to sleep so I could just hold him all night and continue to kiss his soft hair. I'm so blessed. Okay now it is turning into more of a snore. I guess I'm going to try to put him down...
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Shhhh....baby is sleeping!
Henry finally went down for a nap this afternoon, and I should really be using this time to take a shower, but hopefully I can manage a post and a shower! We actually had a pretty good night last night. Two of our feedings were pretty close together (more around the 1 1/2 to 2 hr mark), but then he had an over three hour stretch for me. I actually feel pretty rested right now. After his noon feeding today, I decided to put on some music and give Henry a bath. He loved it :). He makes the cutest faces when he is wide awake. I love to wash his hair and comb it into a little boy hairstyle. He lets me do whatever I want to him when he is awake. It is moments like these when he looks up at me with his precious eyes that I can't believe he is mine and that I'm actually a mother. Nothing has ever felt so right in my life. I've had decent jobs that have been partially rewarding, but I finally feel like I'm doing what I have felt called to do for years. Shaun and I haven't really talked about this, but I think now that he sees me as a mom that he has a greater understanding of why infertility was so painful for me.
And now a couple little things I love about Henry at almost 3 weeks...
-When he starts to drift off to sleep he gets a huge grin on his face, and it is so precious. Did I mention he has dimples? And in the last few days...sometimes he even giggles in his sleep! I know this is hard to believe, but I googled it...and it is possible! I will try to get it on video soon...
-The faces he makes when he is trying to latch on--the first two weeks his eyes were always closed, and he would raise his eyebrows just as far as they would go. Now he gets really big excited eyes.
-The noises he makes- all of the adorable grunts and sounds. He also sounds like a pig when he gets really excited about eating when he is latching. I sometimes call him piglet for this reason.
-He is such a great listener- I talk to him all the time when he is awake, and he looks like he is really trying hard to listen. My favorite time for this is the last feeding of the day when I read him a story and rock him.
-His leg strength-- I can't get over how strong he is already! It is almost impossible to put a diaper on him.
-He loves his daddy- They already have such a special relationship. Henry always looks so comfy in his daddy's arms, and he loves his voice. I need to write an entire post about this.
There is so much more, but I will have to leave it at those few for now because I really should go get that shower!
And now a couple little things I love about Henry at almost 3 weeks...
-When he starts to drift off to sleep he gets a huge grin on his face, and it is so precious. Did I mention he has dimples? And in the last few days...sometimes he even giggles in his sleep! I know this is hard to believe, but I googled it...and it is possible! I will try to get it on video soon...
-The faces he makes when he is trying to latch on--the first two weeks his eyes were always closed, and he would raise his eyebrows just as far as they would go. Now he gets really big excited eyes.
-The noises he makes- all of the adorable grunts and sounds. He also sounds like a pig when he gets really excited about eating when he is latching. I sometimes call him piglet for this reason.
-He is such a great listener- I talk to him all the time when he is awake, and he looks like he is really trying hard to listen. My favorite time for this is the last feeding of the day when I read him a story and rock him.
-His leg strength-- I can't get over how strong he is already! It is almost impossible to put a diaper on him.
-He loves his daddy- They already have such a special relationship. Henry always looks so comfy in his daddy's arms, and he loves his voice. I need to write an entire post about this.
There is so much more, but I will have to leave it at those few for now because I really should go get that shower!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
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He Shoots....He Scores!
I always heard that being a new parent was messy, but I had no idea just how messy things could really get! Like the day my milk came in...holy cow (literally), milk was going everywhere, and Henry and I were covered from head to toe! Or that first meconium diaper...it was like tar! The creole mustard seed breastfeeding diapers (might pass on the mustard next time I have a n.ewks chicken salad sandwich), somehow I manage to get that poop on my hand all of the time! And with a little boy...you must be ready at any second for a big spray. Last Tuesday, we got home from my first outing with Henry (breastfeeding consultation), and thanks to the green stripe on his pamper swaddlers...I knew he needed a diaper change. I was curious if it was just a pee diaper or if I needed to take his socks off to get down and dirty so I decided to take the tiniest little peak. Just as soon as I opened his diaper, a big stream of pee went flying up in the air and landed perfectly in between the opening of my v-neck shirt and subsequently all down my chest. Our boy has perfect aim! Guess we won't be needing those cheerios in the toilet when it is potty training time!
A New Blog!
When I started Praying for a Little One in May 2008, I was in a very bad place in my life. The unfulfilled due date of Baby Faith had just passed, and I got a false positive pregnancy test on a clomid cycle that month. I found myself needing to write down my feelings to sort things out, but I didn't expect anyone to read along. I didn't anticipate how therapeutic blogging would be for me or the incredible amount of support and encouragement I would receive from the amazing community of infertility bloggers around the world. It is such a blessing to be able to look back now at the archives of Praying for a Little One and see what God has done in just a year. As I enter my third week of motherhood, I find myself wanting to blog about the little adventures and sweet moments of our little guy. I'm keeping Praying for a Little One active as an infertility blog and will continue to post thoughts and encouragement about infertility so I've decided to create a separate parenting after infertility blog. So much to say...so little time! It has definitely been the most life changing, challenging, and joyful three weeks of my life. Come laugh with us as we figure out how to be parents to our little miracle!
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