It's been almost a month since I posted. There hasn't been a lot to report.
This morning I was carrying the munchkin around and trying to get mom some sleep. I had to pee something fierce and the little one was crying, so I took him to the bathroom with me. No big deal, I do it from time to time and things are normally fine. This time, it wasn't. He was fussing a little, and he had his pacifier. Everything looked alright at first. It was on his chest and looked pretty stable, but it didn't last.
Before I had the munchkin, I would have, depending on the size of the object, gone to get a glove or just flushed the item away. Now that I've had my hand in bodily function fluid for the last 2 months, I just reached in and grabbed it. I didn't give it back to him and I washed up real good, so I'm not a terrible parent.
I couldn't find another passy he likes, so I just grabbed one out of this passy ziplock bag we have in his room and he liked it enough to treat it like all of the others. He sucked on it until he realized it wasn't food, fussed for a minute, and then gave up and fell asleep.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
My munchkin hates his crib
So we're doing this thing where we try to get the little man to sleep in his crib. It's not going well. People tell you that babies don't cry for more than thirty minutes, but they haven't met the most persistent baby in the universe. I go and check on him every so often, give him his pacifier, and try to soothe him. He likes it until about 5 minutes after I leave. Then it's back to time to wail. I'm trying to keep all of the lights off, but it doesn't seem to help. Every ten minutes or so, he'll calm down and I'll think he's out. After about a minute, that ship sailed. It's supposed to get easier after a few nights, but I don't know how long I can take it.
Oh, and this is my first shift. Christy handled last night, and I now feel even sorrier for her.
Oh, and this is my first shift. Christy handled last night, and I now feel even sorrier for her.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Don't forget the nipples
So Matt's last post was about taking the munchkin out into the world, and that is exactly what this post is about, but from my perspective. Today the munchkin and I ventured forth; I had a doctor's appointment, and we wanted to show him off at Matt's work. So, I got him dressed and ready. Hat - check. Socks - check. Blankets - check. And the much-needed pacifier, which we forgot the first time we took him out in public - check. Then I packed the diaper bag. Diapers - check. Wipes - check. Change of clothes for him - check. Extra shirt for me, in case of a major incident - check. Formula - check. Then I got myself ready. Wallet - check. Phone - check. Chapstick - check. Coat - check. And so we loaded into the car and headed out on our field trip . . .
On the road . . . Well, I forgot my drink, but I can survive. No big deal. I forgot the rattle, but he doesn't really respond to it anyway. No big deal.
I get to the doctor's office and get ready to feed the munchkin so he won't cry during my exam, only to find out that despite having packed a bottle of formula (the pre-mixed kind so I wouldn't have to worry about finding water or what temperature it was), I forgot a nipple to put on the bottle. Which meant I couldn't feed the munchkin. Big freakin' deal! So I deliberate . . . there's a Target nearby . . . should I leave the waiting room and go get some or risk the freak out that WILL occur when he wakes up hungry. Because, let me tell you, if he's hungry there is no consoling him; there's no distracting him; he will cry until he is fed.
I didn't have time to leave the doctor's office to go get a nipple, so I prayed that he would stay asleep until after my appointment. Luckily, he did. He slept like a champ. I picked up his carrier and moved it a dozen times; people took his blanket down to see his face; they stroked his cheeks and tickled his feet; they oohed and aahed over him; I put him in the car; I took him out of the car; I put him in a shopping basket once we got to the store; I took him out of the basket once I checked out at the store. And he slept! He also slept through our tour of Matt's work, where Matt carried him around like a rag doll and again people oohed and aahed and touched him.
So this is the awesomeness that was today . . . crisis averted. But it revealed two things: first, taking a munchkin out in public is stressful (I don't want to be that parent, the one who lets her child scream uncontrollably and disturb everyone else, nor do I want to be that other parent, who forgets to put a hat on her baby's head or shoes on his feet or who can't feed her obviously starving baby because she forgot a nipple!); second, there are just too many things to remember when bringing a munchkin out into the world! Alas, I know that I will be that second parent who forgets necessities. Maybe I should make a check-list for leaving the house. No, I'll just forget to check it! Thankfully, there are Targets and Walmarts every 5 miles or so, and I will just stop and buy those necessities, ideally before a munchkin melt down. And hopefully, I can avoid being the first that parent, because, well, I have manners, unlike a lot of people (that's another blog post altogether!) and I find it unacceptable to impose my screaming child on unsuspecting people just trying to go about their day.
So, thank you Munchkin for sleeping through Mommy's mistake. And to everyone else, when taking a baby out into the world, don't forget the nipples!
CM
On the road . . . Well, I forgot my drink, but I can survive. No big deal. I forgot the rattle, but he doesn't really respond to it anyway. No big deal.
I get to the doctor's office and get ready to feed the munchkin so he won't cry during my exam, only to find out that despite having packed a bottle of formula (the pre-mixed kind so I wouldn't have to worry about finding water or what temperature it was), I forgot a nipple to put on the bottle. Which meant I couldn't feed the munchkin. Big freakin' deal! So I deliberate . . . there's a Target nearby . . . should I leave the waiting room and go get some or risk the freak out that WILL occur when he wakes up hungry. Because, let me tell you, if he's hungry there is no consoling him; there's no distracting him; he will cry until he is fed.
I didn't have time to leave the doctor's office to go get a nipple, so I prayed that he would stay asleep until after my appointment. Luckily, he did. He slept like a champ. I picked up his carrier and moved it a dozen times; people took his blanket down to see his face; they stroked his cheeks and tickled his feet; they oohed and aahed over him; I put him in the car; I took him out of the car; I put him in a shopping basket once we got to the store; I took him out of the basket once I checked out at the store. And he slept! He also slept through our tour of Matt's work, where Matt carried him around like a rag doll and again people oohed and aahed and touched him.
So this is the awesomeness that was today . . . crisis averted. But it revealed two things: first, taking a munchkin out in public is stressful (I don't want to be that parent, the one who lets her child scream uncontrollably and disturb everyone else, nor do I want to be that other parent, who forgets to put a hat on her baby's head or shoes on his feet or who can't feed her obviously starving baby because she forgot a nipple!); second, there are just too many things to remember when bringing a munchkin out into the world! Alas, I know that I will be that second parent who forgets necessities. Maybe I should make a check-list for leaving the house. No, I'll just forget to check it! Thankfully, there are Targets and Walmarts every 5 miles or so, and I will just stop and buy those necessities, ideally before a munchkin melt down. And hopefully, I can avoid being the first that parent, because, well, I have manners, unlike a lot of people (that's another blog post altogether!) and I find it unacceptable to impose my screaming child on unsuspecting people just trying to go about their day.
So, thank you Munchkin for sleeping through Mommy's mistake. And to everyone else, when taking a baby out into the world, don't forget the nipples!
CM
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Out and About
We haven't really ventured out into the world with the tiny human much for a few reasons, but today we did, and it was a great success. Then again, it turned this evening into a night to forget.
There are a few reasons why we've mostly stayed in the house for the last 6 weeks. First off, it's winter, and babies get cold. I was informed by a good friend that I should make sure to put a hat on the munchkin when I take him outside, but getting baby advice from certain people is a whole other post I need to write. Anyhow, we're in Texas, and it doesn't really get that cold here normally, but this year has seemed different. As most have heard, the Super Bowl is here this week, and it's been snowing and sleeting and doing all kinds of unnatural Texas things. I can't quite make a 6 week old go build a snowman, so he's been inside most of the time. Other reasons include the fact that the flu has been running amok around here, and the fact that people are generally strange around infants.
So today my sister and her husband, one of two sets of people we actually hang out with, came over so that we could all go to lunch and then go grocery shopping. We got all packed up, into the car, and out of the driveway when I realized I had a flat tire. My brother-in-law, who will hence forth just be referred to as my brother, helped me put the spare on, and we put the car back in the garage. We took the car seat out of my car, installed it into theirs (way easier than people make it out to be), and went to eat. We sat down at my favorite local barbecue place and ate, which took us about 45 minutes. The munchkin slept the entire time. It was completely unexpected. There were other kids and babies crying in the restaurant, but my little person fought through and slept the whole time.
The next place we went was to walmart, which I knew would be an adventure. Because the weather's been pretty crappy here lately, we weren't the only ones to stay at home most of last week, and the crap was finally melting off today, so the entire town had to go to walmart. They didn't have eggs, and my sister said it felt like black Friday in there. With all that going on, the munchkin slept the entire time.
This evening, my cousin and his wife, the other people we hang out with, brought their kids over and we all played Settlers of Catan after we ate. The munchkin cried a little bit while they were all here, but he stayed asleep for most of the evening.
And that's what brings me to this. The little dude has been asleep all day, so I didn't really expect him to sleep much tonight. And I can't really complain, because I would trade a long night on a Saturday for my kid to be able to go out into world and not be "those people with the fussy baby" any time.
There are a few reasons why we've mostly stayed in the house for the last 6 weeks. First off, it's winter, and babies get cold. I was informed by a good friend that I should make sure to put a hat on the munchkin when I take him outside, but getting baby advice from certain people is a whole other post I need to write. Anyhow, we're in Texas, and it doesn't really get that cold here normally, but this year has seemed different. As most have heard, the Super Bowl is here this week, and it's been snowing and sleeting and doing all kinds of unnatural Texas things. I can't quite make a 6 week old go build a snowman, so he's been inside most of the time. Other reasons include the fact that the flu has been running amok around here, and the fact that people are generally strange around infants.
So today my sister and her husband, one of two sets of people we actually hang out with, came over so that we could all go to lunch and then go grocery shopping. We got all packed up, into the car, and out of the driveway when I realized I had a flat tire. My brother-in-law, who will hence forth just be referred to as my brother, helped me put the spare on, and we put the car back in the garage. We took the car seat out of my car, installed it into theirs (way easier than people make it out to be), and went to eat. We sat down at my favorite local barbecue place and ate, which took us about 45 minutes. The munchkin slept the entire time. It was completely unexpected. There were other kids and babies crying in the restaurant, but my little person fought through and slept the whole time.
The next place we went was to walmart, which I knew would be an adventure. Because the weather's been pretty crappy here lately, we weren't the only ones to stay at home most of last week, and the crap was finally melting off today, so the entire town had to go to walmart. They didn't have eggs, and my sister said it felt like black Friday in there. With all that going on, the munchkin slept the entire time.
This evening, my cousin and his wife, the other people we hang out with, brought their kids over and we all played Settlers of Catan after we ate. The munchkin cried a little bit while they were all here, but he stayed asleep for most of the evening.
And that's what brings me to this. The little dude has been asleep all day, so I didn't really expect him to sleep much tonight. And I can't really complain, because I would trade a long night on a Saturday for my kid to be able to go out into world and not be "those people with the fussy baby" any time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
One Hungry Munchkin
At his one-week check-up we asked the pediatrician if it was normal and healthy that our little munchkin was eating every hour and a half; she assured us he was just a hungry little munchkin, and it would get easier after his growth spurt passed. Over the last few weeks his eating has spaced out, but he is still a hungry little munchkin. Sometimes I'm still surprised by how much he eats.
For those of you not experienced with breast feeding let me explain why this is an issue worth writing about. First we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition from my milk and the formula, but with that concern allayed by the pediatrician and his more than acceptable weight gain, it is an issue because breast feeding can consume one's life. Our tiny human is a wonderful but not particularly efficient nurser, so it typically takes (from start to finish) about an hour for each feeding. This means that I spend 8 or more hours a day feeding him, even when supplementing with formula when he's hungry less than an hour after nursing; if we add the additional 15 minutes it takes to feed him bottles (which he does about 4 times a day) and the 20-30 minutes it takes to burp him after every feeding, both bottle and boob, I spend about 14 hours of every day feeding the hungry munchkin. That is equal to nearly two full time jobs!
Let me be clear, I am not complaining. I enjoy this time. Not only is breastfeeding a gift - a gift of health, a gift of love and comfort. It is also a time when he is most at peace and happy. He makes his cutest faces during this time. He stares lovingly in my eyes, and I know that he knows I love him. It is a rewarding time for both of us! But it is a never-ending obligation; one that limits when I can go and how long I can be there; one that limits when we can have guests; one that makes me sleep deprived. When I do sleep, I dream of days when he can eat real food and sleep through the night. I dream of days when I can sleep. But I'm told not to hold my breath, that even once he is no longer breast feeding then teething we keep us all from sleeping.
So now I must wrap this up, because it is time to feed again, of course. Our cute, wonderful, amazingly strong, alert and curious little munchkin is hungry once again!
-- CM
For those of you not experienced with breast feeding let me explain why this is an issue worth writing about. First we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition from my milk and the formula, but with that concern allayed by the pediatrician and his more than acceptable weight gain, it is an issue because breast feeding can consume one's life. Our tiny human is a wonderful but not particularly efficient nurser, so it typically takes (from start to finish) about an hour for each feeding. This means that I spend 8 or more hours a day feeding him, even when supplementing with formula when he's hungry less than an hour after nursing; if we add the additional 15 minutes it takes to feed him bottles (which he does about 4 times a day) and the 20-30 minutes it takes to burp him after every feeding, both bottle and boob, I spend about 14 hours of every day feeding the hungry munchkin. That is equal to nearly two full time jobs!
Let me be clear, I am not complaining. I enjoy this time. Not only is breastfeeding a gift - a gift of health, a gift of love and comfort. It is also a time when he is most at peace and happy. He makes his cutest faces during this time. He stares lovingly in my eyes, and I know that he knows I love him. It is a rewarding time for both of us! But it is a never-ending obligation; one that limits when I can go and how long I can be there; one that limits when we can have guests; one that makes me sleep deprived. When I do sleep, I dream of days when he can eat real food and sleep through the night. I dream of days when I can sleep. But I'm told not to hold my breath, that even once he is no longer breast feeding then teething we keep us all from sleeping.
So now I must wrap this up, because it is time to feed again, of course. Our cute, wonderful, amazingly strong, alert and curious little munchkin is hungry once again!
-- CM
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Farts are always funny
Funny thing about babies is that they only really smile when they're gassy for the first month of their lives. Well, tonight was the first time that I've actually caught Cam smiling while he wasn't in the process of making a poop. The cool thing about it is that I got it on camera so granny, pappy, and aunt B could see it with us.
He was in a really good mood, so I thought it a good idea to put him on his tummy. Now, I do that almost every night, but he's usually angry when tummy time starts, so tonight was an experiment for me. After about 5 minutes of relaxation on the belly, he started getting fired up. The problem with that is that we were having a pretty quiet, relaxing night until then. Afterwards, all he wanted to do was walk.
At least I got my exercise in this evening.
He was in a really good mood, so I thought it a good idea to put him on his tummy. Now, I do that almost every night, but he's usually angry when tummy time starts, so tonight was an experiment for me. After about 5 minutes of relaxation on the belly, he started getting fired up. The problem with that is that we were having a pretty quiet, relaxing night until then. Afterwards, all he wanted to do was walk.
At least I got my exercise in this evening.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Why am I awake at 2 in the morning?
Yes, I started a blog at 2 a.m. on a random Tuesday morning, but why? I'm not just getting back from a drinking establishment, and I have to work in the morning. You see, there's this lady sleeping by me that has to pump, and she likes company. We're in the process of turning a tiny human into a normal sized, functioning person, and while we're trying really hard, this stuff is difficult. I'm not complaining, I had a pretty good idea this would be tough when I got into it.
I'm going to try and sleep now. I think the pump woke the baby up, but it could have been Christy and I discussing the name and title for the blog.
I'm going to try and sleep now. I think the pump woke the baby up, but it could have been Christy and I discussing the name and title for the blog.
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