Today is the first day of having both kids in cloth diapers. Actually, Harrison is the only one (back) in them so far; Raegan had her four-month well-baby visit this morning, so she will try them out for the first time this afternoon. I am both ready for and dreading this.
To be honest, I have really enjoyed using cloth diapers. We started with Harrison in them full-time when he was round three months old. I waited that long because there was so much other new stuff going on when he was born that I wasn't sure I could handle a reusable diaper routine on top of everything else. Once we got past the newborn dirties (sorry if this is TMI), it was more feasible and we settled into a great routine using our Bummis Super Snap Wraps and prefold cloth diapers. Super easy. No pins - just folding, including a flushable/biodegradable liner, and snapping shut. For the most part, they have worked like a dream ever since. We have always used Pampers at night and when we travel, so perhaps we've always cheated a little bit, but we've been happy with our choice and how we have implemented it.
When Raegan was born, I again stocked up on newborn and size one Pampers because I knew that having two in diapers was going to be challenging enough in the beginning and, quite frankly, I really did not want to do the newborn dirties. At this point we were still in the old house, so I had my system all set with Harrison and he stayed in cloth through the first half of January. Then we moved and in some ways, all chaos broke lose.
As you know if you've been reading these posts, life has been a little rocky here lately. Lots of transitions in our life and family have led us to using terms like "hot mess" and "a house on wheels" to describe our day-to-day. Some days we have been all of the above - a hot mess on wheels, so you can imagine my hesitancy to throw diaper duty on top of all that.
But here we are in mid-March, with Raegan being four months and our family having been in the new house for almost two. It is time. Plus, I am really sick of buying two boxes of Pampers every week, even with coupons! So yesterday I finally pushed Ben to get the diaper sprayer set up (fantastic device you attach to your toilet to spray clean dirty diapers - every family should have one just to take care of blow-outs and other food/life messes on clothes!). I pulled out my prefolds and both sets (small and medium) of wrap covers. I folded, I stacked, and I organized in both bedrooms so both kiddos would have the necessary supplies to start this grand adventure today.
So far, perhaps because it is only one of them, it hasn't been bad at all. Harrison did balk a little bit when I put the first diaper on him this morning; right away told me he wanted to take it off. I responded that he either had to wear it or use the big potty and that was pretty much the end of the whining because clearly we are not ready for the big potty yet. Poor guy did walk away with his legs a little askew, though; the cloth diapers are a bit bulkier, so I'm sure it does feel funny/different after so much time in disposables. Now, halfway through the day, he seems to be adjusting just fine. And even if they are a little uncomfortable, so be it. Maybe that will motivate him to use the big potty sooner than later.
Now we'll just need to see what Little Miss thinks of them and what Mama thinks of dueling diaper changes that can't just be tossed in the trash, not to mention staying on top of all the laundry. Thankfully the sun will be out this week for assistance in drying (and bleaching); the biggest shift will just be doing a load most days instead of every two or three.
Wish me luck (and not too many messes)!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
That Mom
Harrison is off to the farm for a few days to visit Grandpa and Grandma Welsch, so as a rare treat, I got to take Raegan to Baby Weighs this morning with no schedule and no toddler, and therefore, no rush. For those of you who aren't familiar, Baby Weighs is a breastfeeding support group that meets for two hours each Tuesday morning. You can take your baby to see not only how she is growing but also what she is getting in an average feeding. With Harrison I was addicted to Baby Weighs and hardly ever missed a Tuesday. This time around it is a little more hit-and-miss, but I've actually been going on a pretty regular basis to see how much Little Girl is gaining each week.
Normally I don't nurse Raegan at Baby Weighs because she is too distractable and never seems to do much (whereas Harrison nursed like a champ there, getting 4-6 oz. almost every week). She has been like this from almost the very beginning. Seeing as she doesn't usually need to eat when we are there, I have been, for the last month or so, taking Harrison with us. Before I would only go if I had someone here at the house to watch him because I just couldn't imagine him having the patience to wait in line with me and stay put in the small but active area where we meet. Part of my decision to leave him at home also stemmed from when I was taking him there as a baby. When he was about 6 months old or so, a bunch of moms started coming who had brand new babies and older siblings in tow. I distinctly remember being frustrated when some of those older kids were just running around like crazy, getting into everyone's faces and stuff. I really did not want to be that mom.
At the same time, I have been really curious about how Raegan is doing because her nursing tends to be brief and sporadic at times. Now she's got the cutest, chunkiest thighs I've ever seen, so I don't think she is wasting away, but I have hated to miss Baby Weighs just because my sitter bailed on me too many times to count, so I decided to start taking Harrison with me.
From the very first time the three of us went, I have been impressed. He's done an amazing job of staying relatively close to me and listening when I warn him about getting into things in the room (never anyone else's stuff, mind you). I always have a special snack for him to eat while we wait and he always wants to come up and see Raegan when she's on the scale. He helps me by throwing trash away and by putting back the hospital blanket that we use during weighing. He's done so well on some visits that other moms have even commented on how great he was. *Pause for Proud Mama Moment!*
Now on several occasions, other "big" kids have been there too. Some of them are watched at various degrees by their own mothers, but I try my best to make sure that Harrison plays nice if he is interacting with anyone else. At last week's meeting, there was a 2-yr-old girl there that he started playing with. While they struggled a little bit to share some blocks, I thought they did pretty well, except for when she took off and Harrison went after her to play "chase" (she didn't want to play that game, though, so it was more of her just running away from HD). I corralled him as soon as I could and he calmed down, but apparently it wasn't enough.
This morning, I decided to try a "before and after" weight after weighing Raegan (14 lbs.!!) because she hadn't nursed in four hours and I thought she might be hungry enough to do a solid feeding. Wrong! She was on and off in less than four minutes, but I stood in line anyway, waiting and waiting (lots of mamas there today!) to see how much she got. It was an ounce. I should have skipped it & gone straight to grocery shopping especially because of the conversation I heard as I was packing up Baby Girl and all her stuff.
Five or six nursing moms sitting on the couches were talking about, you guessed it, the times when a bunch of older kids are there. And then someone brought up last week and the kid who was chasing the other kid for a toy. In other words, my kid (except he wasn't trying to take her toy, I promise). The conversation went on about how they always leave their older ones, if they have them, at home and basically the tone/point of it all was how annoying those older kids are.
Here is my dilemma. I get it. I really do. I remember what it felt like to be there with just one baby. I remember wondering why those older kids had to be there or why they had to be acting like, well, kids. But now that I'm on the other side, I understand that those moms were just doing their best to take care of their entire family, even if that meant bringing an older brother or sister (or both!) to Baby Weighs. And quite frankly, I was both embarrassed and hurt to overhear them talking about my child like that. I have an active, spirited (more on that later) boy who is two and a half years old. He is not going to sit still and silent the whole time we are there. Of course I wish he hadn't been running around last week, but he did and it was brief and I dealt with it. I am sorry that I don't have the means to leave him at home every week like those moms do, but I actually feel like the outings to Baby Weighs have been really positive and good for Harrison. He gets to be my helper and a proud big brother. He also, some times, gets to play with other kids. All of these are good things, as far as I can tell.
So I guess what I'm really sorry about is the fact that I ever judged other moms who were in the same situation that I now face. Juggling two or more kids in public is never easy. For now I'll try to nurse my own wounded pride and focus instead on all the times HD has listened and behaved, even if I have been "that mom" a time or two (or three).
Normally I don't nurse Raegan at Baby Weighs because she is too distractable and never seems to do much (whereas Harrison nursed like a champ there, getting 4-6 oz. almost every week). She has been like this from almost the very beginning. Seeing as she doesn't usually need to eat when we are there, I have been, for the last month or so, taking Harrison with us. Before I would only go if I had someone here at the house to watch him because I just couldn't imagine him having the patience to wait in line with me and stay put in the small but active area where we meet. Part of my decision to leave him at home also stemmed from when I was taking him there as a baby. When he was about 6 months old or so, a bunch of moms started coming who had brand new babies and older siblings in tow. I distinctly remember being frustrated when some of those older kids were just running around like crazy, getting into everyone's faces and stuff. I really did not want to be that mom.
At the same time, I have been really curious about how Raegan is doing because her nursing tends to be brief and sporadic at times. Now she's got the cutest, chunkiest thighs I've ever seen, so I don't think she is wasting away, but I have hated to miss Baby Weighs just because my sitter bailed on me too many times to count, so I decided to start taking Harrison with me.
From the very first time the three of us went, I have been impressed. He's done an amazing job of staying relatively close to me and listening when I warn him about getting into things in the room (never anyone else's stuff, mind you). I always have a special snack for him to eat while we wait and he always wants to come up and see Raegan when she's on the scale. He helps me by throwing trash away and by putting back the hospital blanket that we use during weighing. He's done so well on some visits that other moms have even commented on how great he was. *Pause for Proud Mama Moment!*
Now on several occasions, other "big" kids have been there too. Some of them are watched at various degrees by their own mothers, but I try my best to make sure that Harrison plays nice if he is interacting with anyone else. At last week's meeting, there was a 2-yr-old girl there that he started playing with. While they struggled a little bit to share some blocks, I thought they did pretty well, except for when she took off and Harrison went after her to play "chase" (she didn't want to play that game, though, so it was more of her just running away from HD). I corralled him as soon as I could and he calmed down, but apparently it wasn't enough.
This morning, I decided to try a "before and after" weight after weighing Raegan (14 lbs.!!) because she hadn't nursed in four hours and I thought she might be hungry enough to do a solid feeding. Wrong! She was on and off in less than four minutes, but I stood in line anyway, waiting and waiting (lots of mamas there today!) to see how much she got. It was an ounce. I should have skipped it & gone straight to grocery shopping especially because of the conversation I heard as I was packing up Baby Girl and all her stuff.
Five or six nursing moms sitting on the couches were talking about, you guessed it, the times when a bunch of older kids are there. And then someone brought up last week and the kid who was chasing the other kid for a toy. In other words, my kid (except he wasn't trying to take her toy, I promise). The conversation went on about how they always leave their older ones, if they have them, at home and basically the tone/point of it all was how annoying those older kids are.
Here is my dilemma. I get it. I really do. I remember what it felt like to be there with just one baby. I remember wondering why those older kids had to be there or why they had to be acting like, well, kids. But now that I'm on the other side, I understand that those moms were just doing their best to take care of their entire family, even if that meant bringing an older brother or sister (or both!) to Baby Weighs. And quite frankly, I was both embarrassed and hurt to overhear them talking about my child like that. I have an active, spirited (more on that later) boy who is two and a half years old. He is not going to sit still and silent the whole time we are there. Of course I wish he hadn't been running around last week, but he did and it was brief and I dealt with it. I am sorry that I don't have the means to leave him at home every week like those moms do, but I actually feel like the outings to Baby Weighs have been really positive and good for Harrison. He gets to be my helper and a proud big brother. He also, some times, gets to play with other kids. All of these are good things, as far as I can tell.
So I guess what I'm really sorry about is the fact that I ever judged other moms who were in the same situation that I now face. Juggling two or more kids in public is never easy. For now I'll try to nurse my own wounded pride and focus instead on all the times HD has listened and behaved, even if I have been "that mom" a time or two (or three).
Friday, March 2, 2012
Mourning Nap
To be perfectly honest, I don't know all 12 steps in a 12 step program. I think it is safe to say, though, that I've gone through quite a few of them this week with what appears to be the end of day sleep for Harrison. I know there has definitely been some denial and some anger. And now, slowly, I am settling on acceptance after five full days of not forcing (and not getting a voluntary) nap.
The first couple days of the Great Nap Experiment involved me asking HD over and over again if he was tired or sleepy. Did he want to read stories? Take a nap? Take a rest? "Nope." "I'm not sleepy." "I don't want to nap." "I'm still playing!" were what I heard in response every single time, so by Wednesday, I quit asking. I may be slow, but I got the hint. He really did not want to sleep.
As a result of this no-nap approach, a few things have happened. For one, he is going to bed early. As in 6:00 early. And while he still isn't staying in his room or bed all night (still coming in 3-5 times throughout the night to find us, only to be walked back to his bed where he typically falls asleep again right away), he is going down right away at 6ish. At least that is an improvement! The other outcome, though, has been a little more trying. He is literally with me allllllllll day long. Now it's not that I don't like spending time with my son, but I am struggling to get him to do anything on his own throughout the day. For someone so independent, it is almost funny how much he wants to be in my face or space. I haven't really pushed this whole quiet, independent time thing yet, but I'm going to have to because having no time to myself all day every day is just as exhausting as spending an hour (plus) getting him to nap every day.
So how am I able to type this right now? Netflix. Yes, I am using Curious George via Netflix to get 20 minutes of me-time while the baby sleeps. I've been turning the TV off every day at 1:00 so that the whole afternoon isn't just one show after another (unless he naps - then I tell him he can watch whatever he wants, but even that isn't working!). But the last two days, right around 3:45 when Raegan needed to nurse, I fudged it a bit and pulled up Netflix on the Kindle Fire. So it is watching something but I can still pretend that I'm upholding my "no TV" rule. Well, kind of. Again, I'm not that slow, but I am that worn out after five very long days, so I don't really care if it is giving in. Mama needs a minute. That's just all there is to it.
For as much as we may have struggled over the years with HD's naps, I certainly didn't think that two-and-a-half would be the end of the line. Guess I'm going to have to get really creative with how I structure our days because 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. without Daddy and without nap every weekday is going to get pretty interesting pretty quick. Maybe I'll finally start putting some of those Pinterest ideas I've found into practice?
The first couple days of the Great Nap Experiment involved me asking HD over and over again if he was tired or sleepy. Did he want to read stories? Take a nap? Take a rest? "Nope." "I'm not sleepy." "I don't want to nap." "I'm still playing!" were what I heard in response every single time, so by Wednesday, I quit asking. I may be slow, but I got the hint. He really did not want to sleep.
As a result of this no-nap approach, a few things have happened. For one, he is going to bed early. As in 6:00 early. And while he still isn't staying in his room or bed all night (still coming in 3-5 times throughout the night to find us, only to be walked back to his bed where he typically falls asleep again right away), he is going down right away at 6ish. At least that is an improvement! The other outcome, though, has been a little more trying. He is literally with me allllllllll day long. Now it's not that I don't like spending time with my son, but I am struggling to get him to do anything on his own throughout the day. For someone so independent, it is almost funny how much he wants to be in my face or space. I haven't really pushed this whole quiet, independent time thing yet, but I'm going to have to because having no time to myself all day every day is just as exhausting as spending an hour (plus) getting him to nap every day.
So how am I able to type this right now? Netflix. Yes, I am using Curious George via Netflix to get 20 minutes of me-time while the baby sleeps. I've been turning the TV off every day at 1:00 so that the whole afternoon isn't just one show after another (unless he naps - then I tell him he can watch whatever he wants, but even that isn't working!). But the last two days, right around 3:45 when Raegan needed to nurse, I fudged it a bit and pulled up Netflix on the Kindle Fire. So it is watching something but I can still pretend that I'm upholding my "no TV" rule. Well, kind of. Again, I'm not that slow, but I am that worn out after five very long days, so I don't really care if it is giving in. Mama needs a minute. That's just all there is to it.
For as much as we may have struggled over the years with HD's naps, I certainly didn't think that two-and-a-half would be the end of the line. Guess I'm going to have to get really creative with how I structure our days because 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. without Daddy and without nap every weekday is going to get pretty interesting pretty quick. Maybe I'll finally start putting some of those Pinterest ideas I've found into practice?
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Great Nap Experiment
After weeks of beating our heads against the wall, we are once again trying something new when it comes to sleep and Harrison. Today is also the first day of track practice and there is no coincidence that these two events are happening simultaneously. Track season has always been a little rough on me - even before we had children - and now that we have two little ones in the house, I can only imagine what the next few months might be like. Ben leaves for school between 7:30 and 7:45 each morning. Now, if he (I) is (am) lucky, he'll be home by 5:30 or 5:45 each night. Perhaps there are other stay-at-home-mamas (or papas) out there that pull longer hours than that, but for me those are long days. And that doesn't even take into account what my days and nights will look like once meets start. But I digress....the point here is sleep. What else do I write/think/stress about?
No big surprise, but we are still struggling when it comes to getting good Z's. Last night, for the second time in three weeks, I managed to get four and a half hours in a row. That was a big deal and quite nice. I am sincerely hoping for more nights like that and maybe even some with even longer stretches. It was made possible, mostly, by Harrison managing to stay in his room all night (well, from about 8 or 8:30 until 6:30, so yes - all night). It was also made possible by Raegan going back to just one (instead of two or three) mid-night feeding(s). Now if only I knew what made him decide to stay put and her not nurse as often so I could push "repeat" again and again every night from here on out, I would be one happy girl. As it is, my fingers and toes are crossed and prayers are said that we get to have that all again (and again and again).
So, with a slightly renewed body and mind, we are embarking on a grand experiment today. I am not forcing Harrison to stay in his room to take a nap. Instead I am asking him continuously if he is ready for sleep so that he can decide when and if it is time for a nap. Now I am fully aware that a two-and-a-half-year-old isn't likely to concede to sleep any time soon. But I am also so totally sick of battling him every single day to go to sleep that I'm just over it. None of us will survive track if we have to spend 2-3 hours each afternoon fighting just to get an hour or so of nap.
This is brand new territory that is more than a little scary for me. I've never been one to just let my kiddo go until he crashes, and based on his energy level, crashing may come for me before it does for him. And who knows....this may last all of today. I really have no idea. I just know that this is one tactic we haven't tried, so why not. Based on how poorly things went at the end of last week when I was trying to force him to nap, I don't really see how it could get much worse.
At the moment Harrison is playing semi-solo and Raegan is in our room sleeping. Or maybe sleeping. I did hear her squawk a couple minutes ago, but now it seems to be quiet again. Nope. Take that back. Still squawking. And Harrison just told me (again) that he is "Not ready" for a nap yet. So, yes. My kids have some great aversion to sleep. Since I have yet to discover what to do about that, I guess I just have to roll with it. Here's hoping this experiment ends well (and with everyone getting more sleep).
No big surprise, but we are still struggling when it comes to getting good Z's. Last night, for the second time in three weeks, I managed to get four and a half hours in a row. That was a big deal and quite nice. I am sincerely hoping for more nights like that and maybe even some with even longer stretches. It was made possible, mostly, by Harrison managing to stay in his room all night (well, from about 8 or 8:30 until 6:30, so yes - all night). It was also made possible by Raegan going back to just one (instead of two or three) mid-night feeding(s). Now if only I knew what made him decide to stay put and her not nurse as often so I could push "repeat" again and again every night from here on out, I would be one happy girl. As it is, my fingers and toes are crossed and prayers are said that we get to have that all again (and again and again).
So, with a slightly renewed body and mind, we are embarking on a grand experiment today. I am not forcing Harrison to stay in his room to take a nap. Instead I am asking him continuously if he is ready for sleep so that he can decide when and if it is time for a nap. Now I am fully aware that a two-and-a-half-year-old isn't likely to concede to sleep any time soon. But I am also so totally sick of battling him every single day to go to sleep that I'm just over it. None of us will survive track if we have to spend 2-3 hours each afternoon fighting just to get an hour or so of nap.
This is brand new territory that is more than a little scary for me. I've never been one to just let my kiddo go until he crashes, and based on his energy level, crashing may come for me before it does for him. And who knows....this may last all of today. I really have no idea. I just know that this is one tactic we haven't tried, so why not. Based on how poorly things went at the end of last week when I was trying to force him to nap, I don't really see how it could get much worse.
At the moment Harrison is playing semi-solo and Raegan is in our room sleeping. Or maybe sleeping. I did hear her squawk a couple minutes ago, but now it seems to be quiet again. Nope. Take that back. Still squawking. And Harrison just told me (again) that he is "Not ready" for a nap yet. So, yes. My kids have some great aversion to sleep. Since I have yet to discover what to do about that, I guess I just have to roll with it. Here's hoping this experiment ends well (and with everyone getting more sleep).
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Second Time Around
In some ways, motherhood the second time around has been so much easier. Although my actual labor seemed a bit longer and more traumatic (Blow like a puffer fish? Really?! I still haven't recovered from that one), I was far more relaxed around my newborn this time than I was as a brand new mom. The simple truth is that I wasn't nearly as scared of Raegan when she was teeny tiny as I was of HD. That may sound bad, but prior to Harrison, I just did not have much (hardly any, actually) experience with babies. I was very much learning by the seat of my pants with him. This go, though, I was able to feel more confidant in my abilities to care for her. To nurse. To change a diaper. To get her to sleep. Now, these things have not been sunshine and roses 100% of the time (Hello, thrush? btw, typing that just now I wrote "Hell, thrush" the first time. How appropriate.) But the diapers & the swaddling & the stealing moments to just gaze at her beautiful face? I have been quite good at those tasks.
In some ways, motherhood the second time around has knocked me on my butt. I try to think back to what it was like with just one kiddo in the house and for the life of me, I can't quite remember. I also can't quite remember what it was like to be able to sleep when the baby slept. That just doesn't happen the second time around because the likelihood that both children are asleep at the same time (even at night) is so rare. Why did I not take advantage of that the first time? Here I thought I had to clean the house and work out when Harrison was napping. Now I don't have time for any of that or the main thing that I would like to do which is to just flop on the couch and veg a while. I mean, none of these are shocking revelations.... I knew we were in for BIG changes, but three months in and the magnitude of it all is still hitting me. Is it just me, or am I using a lot of violent verbs? Hmmmm....I must be worn out if my language choices are even reflecting the Great State of Tired.
In some ways, motherhood the second time around has exceeded my expectations. For starters, I got my little girl. Have I ever mentioned just how happy and surprised I was when my doctor declared, "It's a girl!"??? I still thank my lucky stars every day that she is she and she is mine. More than that, though, I am astounded by how beautiful and unique both of my kids are. For as much as he may challenge me, Harrison also amazes me and makes my heart swell with love and pride when he does something nice for his sister or throws his arms around my neck for a hug and kiss or uses a word like "octagon" correctly. And Raegan? She is already such a charmer. She has the best lopsided grins and eyebrow raises that make everyone she meets grin right back at her. She's also a little go-getter already, too. The fact that she can't stop kicking her legs or rolling onto her side has me convinced that she'll be chasing her brother around the house sooner than later. That will be so good for him (& me too - maybe I can watch from the couch!)!
In some ways, motherhood the second time around is just plain different. I don't get the same one-on-one time with the new babe that I did with No. 1. And since I also don't get the same sleep, I try to look at the bright side of those middle-of-the-night feedings with Raegan and enjoy the extra moments of holding her in my arms. With HD, I was so hesitant to nurse or rock him to sleep. Actually, we were adamantly against either practice. With Little Miss, I find myself doing both quite often. Part of this is survival mode. If it works, you do it because the world spins madly on and a sleeping baby makes for a happy baby (and mama). Part of it, though, is just love. I love to hold her and snuggle her, and if the middle of the night is when I get to do that, so be it. She is often so peaceful in those moments and even with my bleary eyes and bleary mind, I can appreciate the beauty of it all. Plus, before I know it, either she'll no longer be such a little baby or this will no longer be just the second time around. Now wait, people. Do not read into that! No announcements being made here...just saying! Time flies and, God willing, kids grow. Thankfully so do parents, no matter what round they may be on.
In some ways, motherhood the second time around has knocked me on my butt. I try to think back to what it was like with just one kiddo in the house and for the life of me, I can't quite remember. I also can't quite remember what it was like to be able to sleep when the baby slept. That just doesn't happen the second time around because the likelihood that both children are asleep at the same time (even at night) is so rare. Why did I not take advantage of that the first time? Here I thought I had to clean the house and work out when Harrison was napping. Now I don't have time for any of that or the main thing that I would like to do which is to just flop on the couch and veg a while. I mean, none of these are shocking revelations.... I knew we were in for BIG changes, but three months in and the magnitude of it all is still hitting me. Is it just me, or am I using a lot of violent verbs? Hmmmm....I must be worn out if my language choices are even reflecting the Great State of Tired.
In some ways, motherhood the second time around has exceeded my expectations. For starters, I got my little girl. Have I ever mentioned just how happy and surprised I was when my doctor declared, "It's a girl!"??? I still thank my lucky stars every day that she is she and she is mine. More than that, though, I am astounded by how beautiful and unique both of my kids are. For as much as he may challenge me, Harrison also amazes me and makes my heart swell with love and pride when he does something nice for his sister or throws his arms around my neck for a hug and kiss or uses a word like "octagon" correctly. And Raegan? She is already such a charmer. She has the best lopsided grins and eyebrow raises that make everyone she meets grin right back at her. She's also a little go-getter already, too. The fact that she can't stop kicking her legs or rolling onto her side has me convinced that she'll be chasing her brother around the house sooner than later. That will be so good for him (& me too - maybe I can watch from the couch!)!
In some ways, motherhood the second time around is just plain different. I don't get the same one-on-one time with the new babe that I did with No. 1. And since I also don't get the same sleep, I try to look at the bright side of those middle-of-the-night feedings with Raegan and enjoy the extra moments of holding her in my arms. With HD, I was so hesitant to nurse or rock him to sleep. Actually, we were adamantly against either practice. With Little Miss, I find myself doing both quite often. Part of this is survival mode. If it works, you do it because the world spins madly on and a sleeping baby makes for a happy baby (and mama). Part of it, though, is just love. I love to hold her and snuggle her, and if the middle of the night is when I get to do that, so be it. She is often so peaceful in those moments and even with my bleary eyes and bleary mind, I can appreciate the beauty of it all. Plus, before I know it, either she'll no longer be such a little baby or this will no longer be just the second time around. Now wait, people. Do not read into that! No announcements being made here...just saying! Time flies and, God willing, kids grow. Thankfully so do parents, no matter what round they may be on.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
All Nighter
It is no secret that we have had some horrible, horrible sleep here lately. Pretty much since Raegan was born three months ago, Harrison's awesome 7-7 night sleeping disappeared and it has been hard on all of us. Two or three toddler wakings each night left both Ben and I exhausted, and we couldn't even relish the times when Raegan slept for five or six hours. We've had so much upheaval with the new baby and the new house, that some regression was expected, but an overtired mama and papa and toddler do not make for a very happy home. Finally, after a major meltdown Sunday night (or would it be Monday morning since it was 3 a.m.?), we decided something had to change.
We've been doing the walk back routine after pop outs from bed during nap and when going down for the night for a week now, but not during the mid-night wakings. Instead, Ben had been going in, changing the diaper and reading a book, singing a lullabye, etc. - basically redoing the nighttime routine two or three times each night. Do you see the problem? We finally did. Why would Harrison ever again sleep through the night if he got two or three extra special times with Daddy just for coming out of his room?!
Monday night was the first night of the walk back routine for the 1 a.m. (and 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.) wakings. It wasn't pretty. The first one took 40 minutes and involved a lot of crying. Raegan was the only one to sleep through it. The next two still weren't happy, but they certainly weren't that long and involved either. Next up came nap yesterday. While it still took a while (30 minutes), it was a great improvement over Monday (an hour and a half, if my tired brain remembers correctly). Then last night Ben only had to walk HD back to bed two or three times before the kiddo feel asleep (in his bed -also an accomplishment!) around 7 o'clock.
Here is where the story gets interesting. Fantastic, even.... Harrison slept through all the way until 6:20 this morning! He almost pulled a twelve hour sleep, just like he used to back in the glory days!! While I have no idea how this will play out during nap today or bed tonight, I do know that he is a happier boy this morning which makes for a happier mama as well (even if Raegan didn't exactly let me enjoy HD's full night of sleep). This has to be the best all nighter we've ever had! Here's hoping for many, many more!!!
We've been doing the walk back routine after pop outs from bed during nap and when going down for the night for a week now, but not during the mid-night wakings. Instead, Ben had been going in, changing the diaper and reading a book, singing a lullabye, etc. - basically redoing the nighttime routine two or three times each night. Do you see the problem? We finally did. Why would Harrison ever again sleep through the night if he got two or three extra special times with Daddy just for coming out of his room?!
Monday night was the first night of the walk back routine for the 1 a.m. (and 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.) wakings. It wasn't pretty. The first one took 40 minutes and involved a lot of crying. Raegan was the only one to sleep through it. The next two still weren't happy, but they certainly weren't that long and involved either. Next up came nap yesterday. While it still took a while (30 minutes), it was a great improvement over Monday (an hour and a half, if my tired brain remembers correctly). Then last night Ben only had to walk HD back to bed two or three times before the kiddo feel asleep (in his bed -also an accomplishment!) around 7 o'clock.
Here is where the story gets interesting. Fantastic, even.... Harrison slept through all the way until 6:20 this morning! He almost pulled a twelve hour sleep, just like he used to back in the glory days!! While I have no idea how this will play out during nap today or bed tonight, I do know that he is a happier boy this morning which makes for a happier mama as well (even if Raegan didn't exactly let me enjoy HD's full night of sleep). This has to be the best all nighter we've ever had! Here's hoping for many, many more!!!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Hormone Overload?
So is there something about being three months out after having a baby that makes a girl uber emotional? I mean, I know I'm entering No Hair Land and that has to be some sort of hormonal thing. It happened at three months with Harrison, too. All of the hair that didn't shed during my pregnancy all decided to make a grand exit leaving me to chop my hair and then deal with the really odd regrowth that basically gave me a ring of new hair around the crown of my head. My hairdresser actually said it was one of the strangest things she's ever seen! My head is still recovering from that fall out and now I've started to notice that I'm leaving strands all over the house and baby again. Yea. I don't want to do a big cut, but may have to if if gets really bad.
But it's not just the hair loss that has me wondering. This has just been a rough week with lots of ups and downs. As usual, a lot of our (my) mood(s) center around sleep. I've decided to take the Super Nanny approach to Harrison's naps, so each time he pops out of bed and comes over to open his door (yes, he can open EVERY door in the new house), I walk him back and put him into bed. The first day this took 45 minutes and was then followed by an hour and a half long nap (very good by HD's nap standards). The second day took an hour and a half that was followed by another hour and a half nap. This day was much worse, though, because he decided to empty the contents of his closets during the process. Because those entire contents were being tossed at me, I didn't do as good of a job keeping my cool (hello, hormones?!) as I did the first day, but I take the fact that he slept both days as a good sign. Today is Round Three and so far, I've only had to do about 15 minutes of walking him back. Now, he's not had a dirty diaper yet so sabotage poop, as I call it, could still cause us problems, but I'm prepared for that.
I know some people won't/don't fight these sleep battles and I know Harrison's at an age where he might start to grow out of a nap, but he is still giving me he classic sleep signs (twirling his hair is the biggest one) plus he just never stops the rest of the day so he pretty much has to have some down time, even if it is forced. I actually don't even care if he sleeps during the day, but he has to learn to stay in his room so we can both have some peace, quiet, and space.
But here's the other sign that something is going on with me and my emotions. Today, on our way home from MOPS, I swung through and picked up a coffee. This is my version of "putting my power on" and gearing up for the pop-up routine for nap. Both kids were content in the car, so we went to drive around and look for trains (a game we like to play in the car w/ HD) while I enjoyed (inhaled) my mocha. As we were driving up Highway 281, we came upon an accident at an intersection. We had heard the sirens about 10 minutes prior as we were loading up in the van, but to come across them again and see that there were police and an ambulance and firefighters actually trying to help someone out of the car hit me pretty hard.
Even though we are horrible about going to church, I am still a spiritual person. It is one of my habits to say a prayer whenever I hear a siren, even if I have no idea what kind of siren it is or where they might be headed. I always ask a quick "please be with them" and go about my day. So today, as we drove by the cars and service people, I started to ask Harrison to say a prayer for the people involved. We don't pray with him regularly, so I don't know why I thought he would even know what I was talking about, but I couldn't even the request out - I got entirely choked up and was really glad that no one could see just how emotional and raw I was in that moment.
During a week/month/season where I feel like I am struggling in my daily life as a mother, it really put me back a step to be in the van with my two beautiful children who are healthy and happy (most of the time, anyway) as we passed by someone who was really struggling. I actually have no idea what the details of the accident were or if anyone was even seriously hurt, but it was a stark reminder that I have so much to be grateful for and even if my day-to-day isn't sunshine and roses, I can put my power on and get through it. That doesn't mean that I have to pretend my life or myself or my children are perfect. It just means that I need to keep moving forward and ask a few more "please be with them"s for others as well as myself. A little help and honesty never hurt anyone, even when hormones are involved.
But it's not just the hair loss that has me wondering. This has just been a rough week with lots of ups and downs. As usual, a lot of our (my) mood(s) center around sleep. I've decided to take the Super Nanny approach to Harrison's naps, so each time he pops out of bed and comes over to open his door (yes, he can open EVERY door in the new house), I walk him back and put him into bed. The first day this took 45 minutes and was then followed by an hour and a half long nap (very good by HD's nap standards). The second day took an hour and a half that was followed by another hour and a half nap. This day was much worse, though, because he decided to empty the contents of his closets during the process. Because those entire contents were being tossed at me, I didn't do as good of a job keeping my cool (hello, hormones?!) as I did the first day, but I take the fact that he slept both days as a good sign. Today is Round Three and so far, I've only had to do about 15 minutes of walking him back. Now, he's not had a dirty diaper yet so sabotage poop, as I call it, could still cause us problems, but I'm prepared for that.
I know some people won't/don't fight these sleep battles and I know Harrison's at an age where he might start to grow out of a nap, but he is still giving me he classic sleep signs (twirling his hair is the biggest one) plus he just never stops the rest of the day so he pretty much has to have some down time, even if it is forced. I actually don't even care if he sleeps during the day, but he has to learn to stay in his room so we can both have some peace, quiet, and space.
But here's the other sign that something is going on with me and my emotions. Today, on our way home from MOPS, I swung through and picked up a coffee. This is my version of "putting my power on" and gearing up for the pop-up routine for nap. Both kids were content in the car, so we went to drive around and look for trains (a game we like to play in the car w/ HD) while I enjoyed (inhaled) my mocha. As we were driving up Highway 281, we came upon an accident at an intersection. We had heard the sirens about 10 minutes prior as we were loading up in the van, but to come across them again and see that there were police and an ambulance and firefighters actually trying to help someone out of the car hit me pretty hard.
Even though we are horrible about going to church, I am still a spiritual person. It is one of my habits to say a prayer whenever I hear a siren, even if I have no idea what kind of siren it is or where they might be headed. I always ask a quick "please be with them" and go about my day. So today, as we drove by the cars and service people, I started to ask Harrison to say a prayer for the people involved. We don't pray with him regularly, so I don't know why I thought he would even know what I was talking about, but I couldn't even the request out - I got entirely choked up and was really glad that no one could see just how emotional and raw I was in that moment.
During a week/month/season where I feel like I am struggling in my daily life as a mother, it really put me back a step to be in the van with my two beautiful children who are healthy and happy (most of the time, anyway) as we passed by someone who was really struggling. I actually have no idea what the details of the accident were or if anyone was even seriously hurt, but it was a stark reminder that I have so much to be grateful for and even if my day-to-day isn't sunshine and roses, I can put my power on and get through it. That doesn't mean that I have to pretend my life or myself or my children are perfect. It just means that I need to keep moving forward and ask a few more "please be with them"s for others as well as myself. A little help and honesty never hurt anyone, even when hormones are involved.
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