I know it's way, WAY too soon to say "hooray!" but TLB just went to bed without fuss. I thought he was asleep when I laid him down (and maybe he was). I put his Sleep Sack on him, then when I kissed him good night and told him I loved him he opened his eyes and smiled at me -- one of those whole-body, curl-his-legs-up smiles.
Best. Feeling. Ever.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Search Overload: Sleep
Sleep is my current obsession. If one were to click on my Google history, he would find searches like "baby napping" and "baby sleep schedule" occasionally broken up by something random like "bottle-nosed dolphin" or "Sugar Ray Leonard."
My son is a fantastic sleeper. I always knew he would be. While I was pregnant, I diligently counted kicks. My little Wormie would sometimes go for long periods (like, hours) without moving, but when he did move, there was absolutely no doubt about it, so I never worried. I just figured, "No big deal, he's just sleeping." I hoped this meant he would have a long sleep cycle when he was born.
I had such a horrible time sleeping during my last trimester. I would wake up pretty much every half-hour, and have to completely reposition myself and all the bedding to ease the pain in my back and hips. People thought I was completely delusional when I would say that I couldn't wait for the baby to be born so I could get a decent night's sleep.
When Alex was born, I was in the hospital for two nights afterward. "Enjoy it," people would tell me. "It's not the same after you go home." Thank God for that! The problem was never Alex sleeping. It was the constant parade of people into my room -- nurses, techs, doctors, dietary, lactation consultants, etc. I never got more than a half-hour of sleep before someone else would come in to feed me, take my vitals, or just check on me or the baby. My lactation consultant (who for the most part totally didn't get me, but she meant well, bless her) finally had the nursery take Alex for a while and put a note on my door that I was not to be disturbed. Of course, this didn't stop the geniuses at the front desk from calling my room to tell me that I had a visitor and could they come in or did the note apply to them, too, but that wasn't so bad.
Anyway, we got Alex home finally, and my husband and I fell into the routine almost instantly. Alex would cry, Philip would get up and change him, and I'd get situated to nurse. Occasionally, Philip would volunteer to feed him, too, so I could get some sleep, but I was lousy noob at pumping, had no breast milk in storage, and didn't want Alex to have a feeding that was solely formula because I was a spastic new mom.
Anyway, after Alex's bout with jaundice and our strict two-hour bili-bed cycle (which wasn't always so strict and once or twice turned into a four-hour cycle due to a faulty alarm clock), he became a great sleeper. Within a week he was sleeping for stretches of five hours at night. By six weeks, he was sleeping through the night. Now at three months he sleeps 11 to 13 hours at night.
Alex's nighttime sleeping habits have never been in question, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. He does not nap, however. Oh, sure, a little cat-nap here and there, but he very, very rarely sleeps for more than 30 minutes during the day. He's a goodnatured baby, and this doesn't seem to be affecting his nighttime sleeping at all, but it still concerns me because I know he ought to be napping.
The very first book I got for my Amazon Kindle, on the recommendation of PopMommy, was Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth -- a fascinating read, which has once again given me some ideas to implement. Unfortunately, this week is going to be disrupted by my summer camp, but I am bringing Alex's bassinet, will black out the window in my office in the gym, and will hope for the best.
My son is a fantastic sleeper. I always knew he would be. While I was pregnant, I diligently counted kicks. My little Wormie would sometimes go for long periods (like, hours) without moving, but when he did move, there was absolutely no doubt about it, so I never worried. I just figured, "No big deal, he's just sleeping." I hoped this meant he would have a long sleep cycle when he was born.
I had such a horrible time sleeping during my last trimester. I would wake up pretty much every half-hour, and have to completely reposition myself and all the bedding to ease the pain in my back and hips. People thought I was completely delusional when I would say that I couldn't wait for the baby to be born so I could get a decent night's sleep.
When Alex was born, I was in the hospital for two nights afterward. "Enjoy it," people would tell me. "It's not the same after you go home." Thank God for that! The problem was never Alex sleeping. It was the constant parade of people into my room -- nurses, techs, doctors, dietary, lactation consultants, etc. I never got more than a half-hour of sleep before someone else would come in to feed me, take my vitals, or just check on me or the baby. My lactation consultant (who for the most part totally didn't get me, but she meant well, bless her) finally had the nursery take Alex for a while and put a note on my door that I was not to be disturbed. Of course, this didn't stop the geniuses at the front desk from calling my room to tell me that I had a visitor and could they come in or did the note apply to them, too, but that wasn't so bad.
Anyway, we got Alex home finally, and my husband and I fell into the routine almost instantly. Alex would cry, Philip would get up and change him, and I'd get situated to nurse. Occasionally, Philip would volunteer to feed him, too, so I could get some sleep, but I was lousy noob at pumping, had no breast milk in storage, and didn't want Alex to have a feeding that was solely formula because I was a spastic new mom.
Anyway, after Alex's bout with jaundice and our strict two-hour bili-bed cycle (which wasn't always so strict and once or twice turned into a four-hour cycle due to a faulty alarm clock), he became a great sleeper. Within a week he was sleeping for stretches of five hours at night. By six weeks, he was sleeping through the night. Now at three months he sleeps 11 to 13 hours at night.
Alex's nighttime sleeping habits have never been in question, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. He does not nap, however. Oh, sure, a little cat-nap here and there, but he very, very rarely sleeps for more than 30 minutes during the day. He's a goodnatured baby, and this doesn't seem to be affecting his nighttime sleeping at all, but it still concerns me because I know he ought to be napping.
The very first book I got for my Amazon Kindle, on the recommendation of PopMommy, was Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth -- a fascinating read, which has once again given me some ideas to implement. Unfortunately, this week is going to be disrupted by my summer camp, but I am bringing Alex's bassinet, will black out the window in my office in the gym, and will hope for the best.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Don't Tell My Mom
If my mom read this blog, she'd tell me to lay off the Google. My father accused me of being one of those "search overload" people from the Bing.com commercials.
This time it was SIDS, which I happen to find terrifying. Gone now is my adorable sailboat bumper pad for the crib. The cute little quilt (which I would never have used as a blanket anyway) is awaiting a quilt hanger for nursery wall. In their places are a breathable mesh bumper and a Halo Sleep Sack. Safer, but not nearly as cute, gosh-darnit.
This time it was SIDS, which I happen to find terrifying. Gone now is my adorable sailboat bumper pad for the crib. The cute little quilt (which I would never have used as a blanket anyway) is awaiting a quilt hanger for nursery wall. In their places are a breathable mesh bumper and a Halo Sleep Sack. Safer, but not nearly as cute, gosh-darnit.
Okay, well, the kid is just as cute as before.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Nursery Update
Walls are painted. I was going to put this job off for another couple weeks, but my mom talked me into doing it this weekend. I'm glad she did. Uncle Roland and I made short work of it, and I'm pleased with the way it turned out.
I also bought the first section of cube storage and put it together while Alex supervised.
More cubes to come, but for now, I'm pleased.
I also bought the first section of cube storage and put it together while Alex supervised.
More cubes to come, but for now, I'm pleased.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Nursery
... finally has a little boy living in it!
We have owned nursery furniture since March. It was unloaded from my husband's truck and deposited in our front living room for storage until there was room in Alex's room. Alex's room was formerly our guest room, but has been filled with miscellaneous crap for the past few years.
Two weeks ago, you couldn't even walk into that room. Now a little boy lives and plays in there. Talk about miraculous transformations. There's still work to be done, like painting the walls and adding shelves and storage cubes, but it's a livable room.
Love, love, LOVE the nursery bedding and accessories. Couldn't be happier with them. They're part of the reason there is furniture in there before the walls are painted (light blue).
The dresser, which doubles as a changing table (for now). Planning to mount some cabinets and shelves over it for storage and decoration.
This chair was my grandmother's. She rocked me in it when I was a baby. I love it more than I could love any glider rocker, because it creaks. Rocking chairs should creak. Plus I found those great lighthouse cushions for it. The Winnie the Pooh swing is likely going to be evicted to another room of the house -- mainly because it doesn't match! The wall behind the chair is where I'm going to go nuts with cube storage.
I am also searching for a large wooden toy box that I can paint. It will live under the window on the fourth, unpictured wall.
So the more I think about it, the more I realize that the nursery is far from complete. But hey, Alex doesn't seem to mind.
We have owned nursery furniture since March. It was unloaded from my husband's truck and deposited in our front living room for storage until there was room in Alex's room. Alex's room was formerly our guest room, but has been filled with miscellaneous crap for the past few years.
Two weeks ago, you couldn't even walk into that room. Now a little boy lives and plays in there. Talk about miraculous transformations. There's still work to be done, like painting the walls and adding shelves and storage cubes, but it's a livable room.
Love, love, LOVE the nursery bedding and accessories. Couldn't be happier with them. They're part of the reason there is furniture in there before the walls are painted (light blue).
The dresser, which doubles as a changing table (for now). Planning to mount some cabinets and shelves over it for storage and decoration.
This chair was my grandmother's. She rocked me in it when I was a baby. I love it more than I could love any glider rocker, because it creaks. Rocking chairs should creak. Plus I found those great lighthouse cushions for it. The Winnie the Pooh swing is likely going to be evicted to another room of the house -- mainly because it doesn't match! The wall behind the chair is where I'm going to go nuts with cube storage.I am also searching for a large wooden toy box that I can paint. It will live under the window on the fourth, unpictured wall.
So the more I think about it, the more I realize that the nursery is far from complete. But hey, Alex doesn't seem to mind.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Things for Mommy to Remember About Nail Trimming
1. Alex's nails grow FAST.
2. Nail clippers are sharp and clumsy.
3. It is hard to be accurate while trimming the nails of a baby who is awake.
4. Nipped fingers bleed A LOT.
This is the second time I've done this. Transformers Band-Aids are now kept in the diaper bag for such emergencies.
2. Nail clippers are sharp and clumsy.
3. It is hard to be accurate while trimming the nails of a baby who is awake.
4. Nipped fingers bleed A LOT.
This is the second time I've done this. Transformers Band-Aids are now kept in the diaper bag for such emergencies.
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