two cute things that theo did in the past two days:
1) most days it takes a little bribing to get theo moving so we can get to daycare in time so i'm not late for work. lately, i've been letting him hold my keys, which seems to speed him up a bit. yesterday he was holding my keys and i asked if he wanted to open up the car door with it...and then he actually found the right key and put it right up to the key hole!! of course, he needed some help to actually open the door, but i was so surprised that he actually knew which one was the key for the car!
2) this morning as i was putting theo in the car, he noticed a star on one of my keychains. he asked, "moon?" (one of his new favorite words) and i said, "well that looks like a moon but no, it's a star". he repeated it back, "star?" and i said "yes, it's a star". so he looks around for a few seconds and then points to an american flag at a neighbor's house across the street and said "star?"
i'm so proud of my observant little boy!!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
17 months!
All right, it's time to gush.
We started sleep-training last week, and after so many (many!) months of STILL waking up every other hour to nurse and STILL hogging up prime real estate in our bed, I'm very proud to say that Theo has successfully slept in his big boy bed for THREE nights in a row! Here's how we did it:
We started out with Tyler putting him down for bed in our bed (instead of me nursing him down) for 4 nights last week. I still nursed him back to sleep each time he cried for the rest of these nights, but the initial going to bed was what we started out changing. The first night, there was about 1 hour of crying before he fell asleep. The second night, only about 40 minutes. The third night, still about 40 minutes (which was hard because we were expecting to see the same amount of progress as the previous night), but then on the 4th night, it was like a switch turned on and he didn't seem to mind at all! The 4th night was also the first night that Tyler put him to bed in his big boy bed. But since it was a Thursday night and we weren't ready for total sleep deprivation on a work night, he still ended up in our bed by 11 PM that night (so he slept about 3 hours in his own bed that night). I will also say that Tyler's method to get him to sleep included laying down next to him, quietly humming "Elmo's World", and patting his back.
So then on Friday night, we were ready to take the plunge. At the recommendation of our pediatrician, I decided to leave for the whole night so he would know that there would be no possible access to milk all night. I even made sure to say "bye bye" to him when I left, so he knew that I was really gone. It certainly wasn't an easy night, but Tyler managed to get him back down to sleep in his own bed each time he cried (although Theo did walk into our bedroom once in the middle of the night).
On Saturday night, I stayed home but made myself scarce for the initial "night night". By this time, Theo was an old pro at falling asleep with Daddy by his side in his big boy bed, so it took about 30 minutes for him to fall asleep but it was a relatively tear-free event. Then Tyler was on duty for the rest of the night...I'd say Theo still cried enough for him to Tyler to get out of bed about 4-5 times that night, but there were also a handful of times that he merely wimpered a little bit before falling back to sleep on his own.
So then last night = amazing! It took about 30 minutes for Tyler to get him to sleep (no crying involved) and then...get this! Tyler only had to get out of bed ONCE all night!!! Theo still wimpered maybe 2-3 other times, but seemed to fall back to sleep pretty well on his own. This morning I woke up to the sounds of Tyler getting into the shower and then maybe 10 minutes later, I heard little feet quietly pad into our bedroom, holding his stuffed bat (affectionately called "Batty Bat", after the song by The Count on Sesame Street). He was grinning from ear to ear! I seriously didn't expect him to transition so well and I am SO PROUD of my big boy!!! :-D
Oh, and before I forget, Theo has also added a few new tricks to his repertoire: saying "Jojo" for his best friend at daycare (Joseph), saying "bulldozer", learning how to put puzzle pieces in the correct spots on the puzzle, and he has learned to correctly identify the following animal sounds: cow, sheep, horse, dog, monkey, and rooster.
So yep, my fussy baby has pretty much grown up to become the World's Most Pleasant and Perfect Toddler! :-)
We started sleep-training last week, and after so many (many!) months of STILL waking up every other hour to nurse and STILL hogging up prime real estate in our bed, I'm very proud to say that Theo has successfully slept in his big boy bed for THREE nights in a row! Here's how we did it:
We started out with Tyler putting him down for bed in our bed (instead of me nursing him down) for 4 nights last week. I still nursed him back to sleep each time he cried for the rest of these nights, but the initial going to bed was what we started out changing. The first night, there was about 1 hour of crying before he fell asleep. The second night, only about 40 minutes. The third night, still about 40 minutes (which was hard because we were expecting to see the same amount of progress as the previous night), but then on the 4th night, it was like a switch turned on and he didn't seem to mind at all! The 4th night was also the first night that Tyler put him to bed in his big boy bed. But since it was a Thursday night and we weren't ready for total sleep deprivation on a work night, he still ended up in our bed by 11 PM that night (so he slept about 3 hours in his own bed that night). I will also say that Tyler's method to get him to sleep included laying down next to him, quietly humming "Elmo's World", and patting his back.
So then on Friday night, we were ready to take the plunge. At the recommendation of our pediatrician, I decided to leave for the whole night so he would know that there would be no possible access to milk all night. I even made sure to say "bye bye" to him when I left, so he knew that I was really gone. It certainly wasn't an easy night, but Tyler managed to get him back down to sleep in his own bed each time he cried (although Theo did walk into our bedroom once in the middle of the night).
On Saturday night, I stayed home but made myself scarce for the initial "night night". By this time, Theo was an old pro at falling asleep with Daddy by his side in his big boy bed, so it took about 30 minutes for him to fall asleep but it was a relatively tear-free event. Then Tyler was on duty for the rest of the night...I'd say Theo still cried enough for him to Tyler to get out of bed about 4-5 times that night, but there were also a handful of times that he merely wimpered a little bit before falling back to sleep on his own.
So then last night = amazing! It took about 30 minutes for Tyler to get him to sleep (no crying involved) and then...get this! Tyler only had to get out of bed ONCE all night!!! Theo still wimpered maybe 2-3 other times, but seemed to fall back to sleep pretty well on his own. This morning I woke up to the sounds of Tyler getting into the shower and then maybe 10 minutes later, I heard little feet quietly pad into our bedroom, holding his stuffed bat (affectionately called "Batty Bat", after the song by The Count on Sesame Street). He was grinning from ear to ear! I seriously didn't expect him to transition so well and I am SO PROUD of my big boy!!! :-D
Oh, and before I forget, Theo has also added a few new tricks to his repertoire: saying "Jojo" for his best friend at daycare (Joseph), saying "bulldozer", learning how to put puzzle pieces in the correct spots on the puzzle, and he has learned to correctly identify the following animal sounds: cow, sheep, horse, dog, monkey, and rooster.
So yep, my fussy baby has pretty much grown up to become the World's Most Pleasant and Perfect Toddler! :-)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
15 and 16 months!
once again, i've gotten so carried away with raising my child that i've neglected this little blog. sorry dear readers, theo has just become too darn fun to ignore!
let's start with the word count, because i'm just so proud and excited that my boy is now able to COMMUNICATE with us!
spoken words to date: no, hi, bye bye (his three clearest words), thank you (pronounced "da doo"), bird ("buh"), doggie, ducky, daddy (which, consequently all come out as "dada"...although doggie is quickly followed by panting and "woof woof!"), mama, milk ("muh"), me ("may"), socks ("ock"), light ("aight"), night night ("nigh nigh"), jacket ("ackay"), poopah (for his grandpa charlie), abuela ("buay-a"), brush ("bttthhhh"), bath ("baaa"), cat ("at"...which is usually followed by "woof woof?"), book ("buh"), and boo!
signed words: milk, please, more, all done, poop, diaper, and food.
he is also able to identify his nose, ears, eyes, hands, feet, toes, teeth, hair, belly button, belly, and teeth. he knows that keys go in door knobs and shoes go on feet (but sometimes socks can go on feet or hands in our house...so silly!). he loves to dance and run and tries to jump and he's gotten really good at following basic directions like "bring me your shoes" or "where's doggie?". suddenly, i realize that i now have a CHILD and not a baby anymore!!
around 15 months, we bought a potty. it all started because his nana (grandma debbie) taught him how to sign "poop" and then one day he signed it and pointed to the toilet! so we bought him a little potty and every now and then he'll sign "poop" and then go and sit on his potty. once or twice he's actually gone while sitting on the potty, but of course he still has his diaper on because we're not officially potty training yet. i'm thinking we'll start making it official once he's able to move up to the next class in daycare, cause he's still in the infant room and they don't really potty train for that age group.
oh yeah, and he got 4 new teeth (molars) since my last update. TONS of fun at nighttime, let me tell you! ;-)
he also recently started asking to hold my hand and lead me into another room...usually to ask for something, but also sometimes just so i'll sit and play or read to him. he's just turned into SUCH a fun, sweet-natured, upbeat little boy and i'm so proud to be his mama!
let's start with the word count, because i'm just so proud and excited that my boy is now able to COMMUNICATE with us!
spoken words to date: no, hi, bye bye (his three clearest words), thank you (pronounced "da doo"), bird ("buh"), doggie, ducky, daddy (which, consequently all come out as "dada"...although doggie is quickly followed by panting and "woof woof!"), mama, milk ("muh"), me ("may"), socks ("ock"), light ("aight"), night night ("nigh nigh"), jacket ("ackay"), poopah (for his grandpa charlie), abuela ("buay-a"), brush ("bttthhhh"), bath ("baaa"), cat ("at"...which is usually followed by "woof woof?"), book ("buh"), and boo!
signed words: milk, please, more, all done, poop, diaper, and food.
he is also able to identify his nose, ears, eyes, hands, feet, toes, teeth, hair, belly button, belly, and teeth. he knows that keys go in door knobs and shoes go on feet (but sometimes socks can go on feet or hands in our house...so silly!). he loves to dance and run and tries to jump and he's gotten really good at following basic directions like "bring me your shoes" or "where's doggie?". suddenly, i realize that i now have a CHILD and not a baby anymore!!
around 15 months, we bought a potty. it all started because his nana (grandma debbie) taught him how to sign "poop" and then one day he signed it and pointed to the toilet! so we bought him a little potty and every now and then he'll sign "poop" and then go and sit on his potty. once or twice he's actually gone while sitting on the potty, but of course he still has his diaper on because we're not officially potty training yet. i'm thinking we'll start making it official once he's able to move up to the next class in daycare, cause he's still in the infant room and they don't really potty train for that age group.
oh yeah, and he got 4 new teeth (molars) since my last update. TONS of fun at nighttime, let me tell you! ;-)
he also recently started asking to hold my hand and lead me into another room...usually to ask for something, but also sometimes just so i'll sit and play or read to him. he's just turned into SUCH a fun, sweet-natured, upbeat little boy and i'm so proud to be his mama!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
14 months!
Last night, Theo learned his best trick to date. I was showing him a stuffed doll of The Count, from Sesame Street, complete with fake Transylvanian accent. And he actually imitated me saying "Aah aah aah"! Oh man, his brain is just a little sponge lately!
Last week was "The Week of NO!". So far he's learned that the following objects in the house are called "NO!": electrical cords, outlets, floor lamps, buttons on just about any appliance, the air conditioner, fans, and putting random nasty stuff in his mouth. He's also started waking up saying "NO!" and turning down previously beloved items such as his pacifier, toys, and the occasional directive by mommy or daddy.
In other news, Theo can now correctly identify his belly, nose, shoes, bottle, and even one of his favorite books, called "Hello Bugs!". He can clap, stomp, spin around, and wave on command. And he says "Woof woof" when he spots just about any furry animal. He has become a pro at climbing into and out of our low, platform bed...but sadly, he accidentally tried this on a regular bed a few days ago and fell onto the carpet (quick recovery, don't worry). He can sign "milk", "more", "food", "diaper", and "all done", although he can get kind of lazy about everything besides "milk". He is also now fluent in Chinese.
When you tell Theo "It's time to go to school", he has recently started picking up his lunch bag and dragging it to the door. He also pretends to talk on the phone and calls for "Abuela" when we're at her house. Lately, (since most of his toys are still packed from the move) our favorite past time has been watching videos of Yo Gabba Gabba and vintage Sesame Street clips on Youtube. Also, Theo LOVES to dance!
Oh, and just kidding about the Chinese.
Last week was "The Week of NO!". So far he's learned that the following objects in the house are called "NO!": electrical cords, outlets, floor lamps, buttons on just about any appliance, the air conditioner, fans, and putting random nasty stuff in his mouth. He's also started waking up saying "NO!" and turning down previously beloved items such as his pacifier, toys, and the occasional directive by mommy or daddy.
In other news, Theo can now correctly identify his belly, nose, shoes, bottle, and even one of his favorite books, called "Hello Bugs!". He can clap, stomp, spin around, and wave on command. And he says "Woof woof" when he spots just about any furry animal. He has become a pro at climbing into and out of our low, platform bed...but sadly, he accidentally tried this on a regular bed a few days ago and fell onto the carpet (quick recovery, don't worry). He can sign "milk", "more", "food", "diaper", and "all done", although he can get kind of lazy about everything besides "milk". He is also now fluent in Chinese.
When you tell Theo "It's time to go to school", he has recently started picking up his lunch bag and dragging it to the door. He also pretends to talk on the phone and calls for "Abuela" when we're at her house. Lately, (since most of his toys are still packed from the move) our favorite past time has been watching videos of Yo Gabba Gabba and vintage Sesame Street clips on Youtube. Also, Theo LOVES to dance!
Oh, and just kidding about the Chinese.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
12 months
well, it seems that the past few months have gotten the best of me. guess that's what happens when your kid becomes more mobile! 10 months is pretty much a blur...most of our weekends were spent house hunting and visiting my sick grandfather (he's doing much better now, though). 11 months marked The First Steps. and now here we are at 1 year old already!
we celebrated theo's birthday by having 2 parties, one in virginia, one in central pa; neither planned by me because i was too frazzled with house stuff. they were both nice and small, which is exactly what i wanted. party #1 will forever be remembered by theo belly-flopping into the dirt (uneven ground is hard for new walkers!), mouth full of dirt and all. party #2 brought me to the awkward situation of having to explain to my entire family why i didn't think it was necessary to dip theo's pacifier in vanilla frosting to get him to like his birthday cake. but both parties yielded a nice stash of thoughtful presents and much-needed visiting with long distance family members.
not only is theo now walking (more like running!) everywhere and saying "words" that sound more and more like Real English every day, but he's also mastering the absolutely adorable skills of signing "more", climbing on boxes, catching the cat's tail, and doing the motions to "if you're happy and you know it" (clap your hands, stomp your feet, and spin around). he's become such a busy little toddler, i can hardly remember how tiny and uninteractive he used to be!
oh yeah, and about that weaning thing...
well, this week marks my first week of not pumping during the work day. he's still cleaning out our freezer stash by drinking one 3 oz bottle of milk per day, but in a week or two we'll also be done with that. i'm still nursing in the morning and night and i don't mind if this continues for the next year if he chooses (i think i draw the line at 2, but get back to me in about a year to see how i feel about it then). in the non-nursing hours, he seems to enjoy a sippy cup of soy milk to hold him over till i get home. it doesn't really offer enough fat or nutrition to consider it "necessary" (according to our pediatrician), but i think it's making the transition to less breastmilk a little easier on him.
also, still dairy free and still on the reflux meds. and still not sleeping through the night. but you know what? at this point, i've decided to stop spending so much of my energy worrying and scheming up ways to change this and instead i'm just learning to relax and follow his lead. he's growing up so fast as it is, and i know he'll let me know when he's ready for a change. i sound like a Real Parent now, don't i? no longer an anxious rookie!
we celebrated theo's birthday by having 2 parties, one in virginia, one in central pa; neither planned by me because i was too frazzled with house stuff. they were both nice and small, which is exactly what i wanted. party #1 will forever be remembered by theo belly-flopping into the dirt (uneven ground is hard for new walkers!), mouth full of dirt and all. party #2 brought me to the awkward situation of having to explain to my entire family why i didn't think it was necessary to dip theo's pacifier in vanilla frosting to get him to like his birthday cake. but both parties yielded a nice stash of thoughtful presents and much-needed visiting with long distance family members.
not only is theo now walking (more like running!) everywhere and saying "words" that sound more and more like Real English every day, but he's also mastering the absolutely adorable skills of signing "more", climbing on boxes, catching the cat's tail, and doing the motions to "if you're happy and you know it" (clap your hands, stomp your feet, and spin around). he's become such a busy little toddler, i can hardly remember how tiny and uninteractive he used to be!
oh yeah, and about that weaning thing...
well, this week marks my first week of not pumping during the work day. he's still cleaning out our freezer stash by drinking one 3 oz bottle of milk per day, but in a week or two we'll also be done with that. i'm still nursing in the morning and night and i don't mind if this continues for the next year if he chooses (i think i draw the line at 2, but get back to me in about a year to see how i feel about it then). in the non-nursing hours, he seems to enjoy a sippy cup of soy milk to hold him over till i get home. it doesn't really offer enough fat or nutrition to consider it "necessary" (according to our pediatrician), but i think it's making the transition to less breastmilk a little easier on him.
also, still dairy free and still on the reflux meds. and still not sleeping through the night. but you know what? at this point, i've decided to stop spending so much of my energy worrying and scheming up ways to change this and instead i'm just learning to relax and follow his lead. he's growing up so fast as it is, and i know he'll let me know when he's ready for a change. i sound like a Real Parent now, don't i? no longer an anxious rookie!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
9 months!
crawling? check!
saying mama? check!
pulling himself to standing? check!
tooth #3? check! (working on #4)
chewing on the crib rails? check...?
among other major accomplishments this month, theo also managed to fit in his first major illness last week with a whopping 104 degree fever! it was miserable and even a little bit scary at times. oh, did i forget to mention that theo has also learned to share?? absolutely adorable when he shares his toys...not so much when he shares his viruses! i ended up using a full week of sick/personal time from work as i nursed theo and myself back to health...but i secretly really enjoyed the 9-10 AM wake up time and all of the extra cuddling we snuck in during my week at home with him! :-)
starting to think about weaning and whether that will happen at 1 year like i originally thought. pretty sure if theo had his way, we would never wean...he's very anti-formula. and really, i don't mind nursing him either. in a lot of ways it's convenient, and there really is a bonding aspect to it that i could have never understood before having a child of my own. but of course, there would definitely be some perks to giving it up as well...1) being able to have dairy again! and 2) not having to pump at work!!! and of course, possibly 3) maybe theo could stop waking up to nurse so many times at night?? clearly, it won't be as simple as just giving him whole cow's milk like a lot of other moms do. and i know my other options...the front runners being rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, soy formula. these thoughts weigh heavily on my mind lately. i guess only time will tell whether we'll be ready for this big change in the next few months.
saying mama? check!
pulling himself to standing? check!
tooth #3? check! (working on #4)
chewing on the crib rails? check...?
among other major accomplishments this month, theo also managed to fit in his first major illness last week with a whopping 104 degree fever! it was miserable and even a little bit scary at times. oh, did i forget to mention that theo has also learned to share?? absolutely adorable when he shares his toys...not so much when he shares his viruses! i ended up using a full week of sick/personal time from work as i nursed theo and myself back to health...but i secretly really enjoyed the 9-10 AM wake up time and all of the extra cuddling we snuck in during my week at home with him! :-)
starting to think about weaning and whether that will happen at 1 year like i originally thought. pretty sure if theo had his way, we would never wean...he's very anti-formula. and really, i don't mind nursing him either. in a lot of ways it's convenient, and there really is a bonding aspect to it that i could have never understood before having a child of my own. but of course, there would definitely be some perks to giving it up as well...1) being able to have dairy again! and 2) not having to pump at work!!! and of course, possibly 3) maybe theo could stop waking up to nurse so many times at night?? clearly, it won't be as simple as just giving him whole cow's milk like a lot of other moms do. and i know my other options...the front runners being rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, soy formula. these thoughts weigh heavily on my mind lately. i guess only time will tell whether we'll be ready for this big change in the next few months.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
8 month update
what? my little boy is 8 months old? you have to be kidding me. how did we get here so fast??
well, onto theo's latest mad skillz: pulling up to a kneeling position, going from laying on his back to sitting up completely on his own, sleeping longer stretches (by theo standards, which means 3-5 hours) at night, and still with all the babbling. he's got the army crawl down and he can even crawl backwards pretty well (he worked his way under a chair the other night), but that forward crawling thing is still eluding him. mostly, he loves to stand and will now cry to be lifted up into a standing position (at which point he starts smiling and babbling again). and he absolutely LOVES when we make him "walk" around the room or up the stairs. :-)
which means we are now baby proofing! gates, and cabinet latches, and corner covers, oh my! really hoping our landlord doesn't notice all of the "improvements" we're making right now.
also, we officially started theo on reflux meds (prevacid solutabs) last month. they seem to be helping with his nighttime sleep, so we're very thankful for that. it's no miracle drug, but i'll take whatever small improvements we can get!
well, onto theo's latest mad skillz: pulling up to a kneeling position, going from laying on his back to sitting up completely on his own, sleeping longer stretches (by theo standards, which means 3-5 hours) at night, and still with all the babbling. he's got the army crawl down and he can even crawl backwards pretty well (he worked his way under a chair the other night), but that forward crawling thing is still eluding him. mostly, he loves to stand and will now cry to be lifted up into a standing position (at which point he starts smiling and babbling again). and he absolutely LOVES when we make him "walk" around the room or up the stairs. :-)
which means we are now baby proofing! gates, and cabinet latches, and corner covers, oh my! really hoping our landlord doesn't notice all of the "improvements" we're making right now.
also, we officially started theo on reflux meds (prevacid solutabs) last month. they seem to be helping with his nighttime sleep, so we're very thankful for that. it's no miracle drug, but i'll take whatever small improvements we can get!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
7 month update
theo's mastered quite a few skills in the past several weeks, including saying "mamama" and "babababa" just yesterday! it is just the cutest thing, and it also makes me suddenly very aware that we are going to have a little PERSON living in the house with us in the near future. meaning, he is going to have things to SAY and independent THOUGHTS to express! it's very exciting, weird, and a little bit scary to realize how much more we'll be able to get to know him once he starts talking. scary, because once he starts talking that also means he'll be able to start correcting us and arguing back! sheesh.
still no official crawling yet, but he's now rocking back and forth on his hands and knees and will practically jump out of your arms when he sees something he wants. unsupported sitting is totally old hat now. standing is the new obsession...if you have him in your lap, he will bounce up or push himself up to standing if he wants.
the stomach issues continue, and in fact i think they've gotten worse since we started solids. i stopped giving him any type of cereal since they seemed to upset his stomach a lot. so far he's doing well on sweet potatoes, squash, pears, and prunes. the prune idea came from the new pediatric GI specialist we've been seeing. she thinks all of his nighttime stomach problems are due to constipation. so we now include prunes and prune juice in his daily repertoire. he does sleep noticeably better on the days when he poops. but getting him into a daily schedule has been a challenge...even WITH the prune juice!
christmas was a lot of fun. my wonderful mom and mother in law were so thoughtful to prepare plenty of dairy-free options for me to eat, so that was a nice perk. and of course, we had a blast giving theo all of his presents and visiting family. it snowed in virginia on christmas day, which meant that theo got to play (well, actually just sit) in the snow for the first time! and it also meant that we got to stay in virginia an extra day because that same snow storm hit philadelphia 2 days later. no big celebration for new year's eve...tyler and i went out and saw harry potter in the theater and were back and in bed by 10pm. happy new year!
still no official crawling yet, but he's now rocking back and forth on his hands and knees and will practically jump out of your arms when he sees something he wants. unsupported sitting is totally old hat now. standing is the new obsession...if you have him in your lap, he will bounce up or push himself up to standing if he wants.
the stomach issues continue, and in fact i think they've gotten worse since we started solids. i stopped giving him any type of cereal since they seemed to upset his stomach a lot. so far he's doing well on sweet potatoes, squash, pears, and prunes. the prune idea came from the new pediatric GI specialist we've been seeing. she thinks all of his nighttime stomach problems are due to constipation. so we now include prunes and prune juice in his daily repertoire. he does sleep noticeably better on the days when he poops. but getting him into a daily schedule has been a challenge...even WITH the prune juice!
christmas was a lot of fun. my wonderful mom and mother in law were so thoughtful to prepare plenty of dairy-free options for me to eat, so that was a nice perk. and of course, we had a blast giving theo all of his presents and visiting family. it snowed in virginia on christmas day, which meant that theo got to play (well, actually just sit) in the snow for the first time! and it also meant that we got to stay in virginia an extra day because that same snow storm hit philadelphia 2 days later. no big celebration for new year's eve...tyler and i went out and saw harry potter in the theater and were back and in bed by 10pm. happy new year!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
6 month check-in
Is it really possible that it's already been half a year since I had Theo?? Our little boy will be 6 months old on Sunday. That whole newborn phase seems so long ago already!!
Well, onto the updates. Theo is now sitting up unsupported quite well. He still topples over from time to time, but that's usually as a result of him leaning too far to grab a toy or to reach towards something and not as much because of lack of back strength anymore. He likes to lunge at things...he's got this funny, mysterious way of moving several feet away from where he starts out even though he can't actually crawl yet. It's mostly the result of lunging and rolling and scooting. He's started trying to climb out of his bouncers. He's also figured out that if he's laying on a blanket and his toy is just out of reach, he can pull the blanket so the toy comes closer to him. Little stinker.
In the past 2 months, we celebrated Theo's first Halloween (Fozzie Bear) and his first Thanksgiving. Have I mentioned that I've cut out all dairy because it makes Theo scream?? I miss it very much, more so with every passing day (and especially on holidays!!). Since my last update, we also went to an infant chiropractor to see if that would help with Theo's sleep/gas issues. While he was very nice and I learned a lot, I didn't see any improvement. Currently, we're giving him baby probiotics for his sensitive stomach. No obvious improvements yet, but I'll keep you posted. We also started regularly feeding him solids about a week and a half ago. He does well with the rice cereal and oatmeal cereal, but I'm still not sure if the bananas are sitting well in his stomach.
Oh yes. And now we need to devote an entire paragraph to teething. Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you that teething SUCKS! Those two little tooth buds have been hanging around for three months now, just ready to burst through and the side effects (constant drool, fussiness/screaming spells, diarrhea, nasal congestion, etc.) just keep getting worse with no actual teeth in sight!! Literally, all I want for Christmas is for Theo's two front teeth to pop through! I've met several parents who've told me that this can go on for another 2-3 months. Please please please PLEASE don't let this be the case! We've tried Tylenol, homeopathic remedies, teething toys, teething toys in the fridge, wet rags in the fridge, a metal spoon in the fridge, comfort nursing (ouch!), and even an amber necklace (that Tyler believes is a scam anyway)! I've been told to give him a chicken bone to gnaw on (no thank you). I've also been advised to just scrape at his gums with my fingernails to help the teeth cut through (also, no thank you). I recently learned that back in the day, pediatricians used to lance the baby's gums so the teeth would come through. But my (wonderful!) pediatric nurse practitioner mother-in-law has told me that none of these will actually solve the problem and that those little teeth just have to find their own way out, in their own time. So we continue to wait, fingers crossed that it happens soon!
Well, onto the updates. Theo is now sitting up unsupported quite well. He still topples over from time to time, but that's usually as a result of him leaning too far to grab a toy or to reach towards something and not as much because of lack of back strength anymore. He likes to lunge at things...he's got this funny, mysterious way of moving several feet away from where he starts out even though he can't actually crawl yet. It's mostly the result of lunging and rolling and scooting. He's started trying to climb out of his bouncers. He's also figured out that if he's laying on a blanket and his toy is just out of reach, he can pull the blanket so the toy comes closer to him. Little stinker.
In the past 2 months, we celebrated Theo's first Halloween (Fozzie Bear) and his first Thanksgiving. Have I mentioned that I've cut out all dairy because it makes Theo scream?? I miss it very much, more so with every passing day (and especially on holidays!!). Since my last update, we also went to an infant chiropractor to see if that would help with Theo's sleep/gas issues. While he was very nice and I learned a lot, I didn't see any improvement. Currently, we're giving him baby probiotics for his sensitive stomach. No obvious improvements yet, but I'll keep you posted. We also started regularly feeding him solids about a week and a half ago. He does well with the rice cereal and oatmeal cereal, but I'm still not sure if the bananas are sitting well in his stomach.
Oh yes. And now we need to devote an entire paragraph to teething. Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you that teething SUCKS! Those two little tooth buds have been hanging around for three months now, just ready to burst through and the side effects (constant drool, fussiness/screaming spells, diarrhea, nasal congestion, etc.) just keep getting worse with no actual teeth in sight!! Literally, all I want for Christmas is for Theo's two front teeth to pop through! I've met several parents who've told me that this can go on for another 2-3 months. Please please please PLEASE don't let this be the case! We've tried Tylenol, homeopathic remedies, teething toys, teething toys in the fridge, wet rags in the fridge, a metal spoon in the fridge, comfort nursing (ouch!), and even an amber necklace (that Tyler believes is a scam anyway)! I've been told to give him a chicken bone to gnaw on (no thank you). I've also been advised to just scrape at his gums with my fingernails to help the teeth cut through (also, no thank you). I recently learned that back in the day, pediatricians used to lance the baby's gums so the teeth would come through. But my (wonderful!) pediatric nurse practitioner mother-in-law has told me that none of these will actually solve the problem and that those little teeth just have to find their own way out, in their own time. So we continue to wait, fingers crossed that it happens soon!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
4 month update!
Theo went for his 4 month check up on friday. he now weighs 14 lbs 9 oz and is 25 3/4 in long. that's 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height!
he is now fantastic at supported sitting and can even keep himself propped up for 1-2 seconds before falling over. but he absolutely LOVES practicing; we prop him up with the boppy pillow around his belly and he can sit like that for 10 minutes or more! he's been "talking" a lot more in the past few weeks. even though he's not saying actual words, you can tell he definitely has a message that he wants to convey when he makes a sound...whether it's out of excitement, curiosity, silliness, sleepiness, or frustration, he always lets you know! he's also recently discovered his feet and is starting to enjoy tummy time a whole lot more. last weekend, he rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time ever! there haven't been any repeat occurences, so sadly tyler missed it, but it was still pretty exciting. he just looked up at me afterwards with the most surprised look on his face! i'm pretty sure he would have started crying had i not been there smiling back at him to tell him what he did was actually exciting and not scary.
we haven't made much progress in the sleep department. the night before he turned 4 months old, he got a 5 hour stretch of sleep. but he's been back to stirring every 1-3 hours ever since. he's not necessarily always hungry when he stirs (i don't say "wakes" because he never actually opens his eyes, he just cries in his sleep until we figure out what he needs and calms back down)...most of the time he needs to pass gas and this upsets him, and other times we have no idea what's wrong and he just cries until we can help him get back to sleep either by rocking him, rubbing his feet (which works surprisingly well!), or comfort nursing him. co-sleeping is the only way i am getting enough sleep to function. and while co-sleeping wasn't my original plan, i actually really enjoy it and sometimes feel sad when i think about the fact that we won't be able to do this forever. it definitely does have its downsides though...the main problem being that he won't fall asleep at night unless i'm in bed with him, which means i am going to bed between 8:30 and 9 pm every night. it's doable for now, since i'm still waking up every few hours so i really need the extra sleep. but once he starts sleeping for longer spurts, this is going to be a silly time for me to be going to bed. especially since i work till 7 pm monday-thursdays. hmph.
we tried offering him solid foods once he turned 4 months. yeah, that didn't go so well. he hated the rice cereal and actually grimaced when we offered him banana a few nights later! he's definitely showing all the signs of being ready for solids, but after those two initial tries, we're going to wait until 5 months to try anything else. he had the worst night of sleep ever the night we gave him the banana...so yeah, there's no need to rush back into that in my opinion.
he is now fantastic at supported sitting and can even keep himself propped up for 1-2 seconds before falling over. but he absolutely LOVES practicing; we prop him up with the boppy pillow around his belly and he can sit like that for 10 minutes or more! he's been "talking" a lot more in the past few weeks. even though he's not saying actual words, you can tell he definitely has a message that he wants to convey when he makes a sound...whether it's out of excitement, curiosity, silliness, sleepiness, or frustration, he always lets you know! he's also recently discovered his feet and is starting to enjoy tummy time a whole lot more. last weekend, he rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time ever! there haven't been any repeat occurences, so sadly tyler missed it, but it was still pretty exciting. he just looked up at me afterwards with the most surprised look on his face! i'm pretty sure he would have started crying had i not been there smiling back at him to tell him what he did was actually exciting and not scary.
we haven't made much progress in the sleep department. the night before he turned 4 months old, he got a 5 hour stretch of sleep. but he's been back to stirring every 1-3 hours ever since. he's not necessarily always hungry when he stirs (i don't say "wakes" because he never actually opens his eyes, he just cries in his sleep until we figure out what he needs and calms back down)...most of the time he needs to pass gas and this upsets him, and other times we have no idea what's wrong and he just cries until we can help him get back to sleep either by rocking him, rubbing his feet (which works surprisingly well!), or comfort nursing him. co-sleeping is the only way i am getting enough sleep to function. and while co-sleeping wasn't my original plan, i actually really enjoy it and sometimes feel sad when i think about the fact that we won't be able to do this forever. it definitely does have its downsides though...the main problem being that he won't fall asleep at night unless i'm in bed with him, which means i am going to bed between 8:30 and 9 pm every night. it's doable for now, since i'm still waking up every few hours so i really need the extra sleep. but once he starts sleeping for longer spurts, this is going to be a silly time for me to be going to bed. especially since i work till 7 pm monday-thursdays. hmph.
we tried offering him solid foods once he turned 4 months. yeah, that didn't go so well. he hated the rice cereal and actually grimaced when we offered him banana a few nights later! he's definitely showing all the signs of being ready for solids, but after those two initial tries, we're going to wait until 5 months to try anything else. he had the worst night of sleep ever the night we gave him the banana...so yeah, there's no need to rush back into that in my opinion.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
1/4 year old!!
ladies and gentleman, we have officially turned a corner! last week, theo finally started to eat more during each feeding, which means we are no longer feeding him every hour!! it's amazing...he had a big growth spurt in which he suddenly drank up all the milk i had saved up (both fridge and freezer) over the course of two days, then i was with him friday-monday for the long holiday weekend and by friday afternoon we were suddenly on a very clear eat-play-sleep schedule, with theo only needing to eat every 2.5-3 hours! before when i would try to feed him, he would only take one side then be done with it, but now he's finally interested in both sides for every feeding!
he's also laughing a TON now, is slowly starting to tolerate tummy time a little more, and is starting to (clumsily) move objects towards his face with his hands! yesterday in the car he gnawed on his stuffed giraffe for a good ten minutes or so. :-) it's really amazing how much more aware he suddenly is of his surroundings.
also, over the weekend he got to meet his aunts and uncles on the baber side, which he absolutely loved! grandpa charlie also volunteered to give him his first tractor ride, but i (as politely as i could) declined. :-P for now, we just took a mini tractor photo shoot.
he's also laughing a TON now, is slowly starting to tolerate tummy time a little more, and is starting to (clumsily) move objects towards his face with his hands! yesterday in the car he gnawed on his stuffed giraffe for a good ten minutes or so. :-) it's really amazing how much more aware he suddenly is of his surroundings.
also, over the weekend he got to meet his aunts and uncles on the baber side, which he absolutely loved! grandpa charlie also volunteered to give him his first tractor ride, but i (as politely as i could) declined. :-P for now, we just took a mini tractor photo shoot.
Monday, August 30, 2010
12 weeks - some updates on my boy :-)
enough whining, here are some fun little updates on Theo!
lately he's been discovering his hands, which is lots of fun! when he focuses hard enough, he can aim and swat at various objects (faces, toys, books, etc). yesterday i caught him just sitting and staring at his hands for a long time while we were in the car! :-) he's also been eating his hands and sucking on his fingers for a few weeks now, which i'm VERY excited about since he doesn't take the pacifier for any long amount of time. i think we've definitely got a thumbsucker on our hands. :-)
he's also been squealing for a few weeks now, and it is just the best sound ever! we've only caught him belly laughing two or three times now, but the squealing is now part of the morning routine. :-) he just wakes up so happy in the mornings and he loves laying on the changing pad! so most mornings we just lay him down and play with him for a few minutes on the changing pad and he kicks and squeals himself silly. :-)
over the weekend, Theo got to meet his second cousin, Tank (technically i think there's a "once removed" in there or something, but who's keeping track??). Tank (formally, Frank Howard Baber V) is 6 weeks younger than Theo. it's already so hard to remember Theo being that small!! it was also really great to catch up with Tank's mom, Tana and to swap stories and experiences. we're definitely looking forward to many years of those two growing up and playing with each other. :-)
last night, Theo gave me a 4 hour stretch of sleep, which was really nice! we've started using some of the sleep tips from The No Cry Sleep Solution book and so far i really like it. personally, this book makes more sense to me than some of the "cry it out" books out there, because it emphasizes more behavioral training and forming positive sleep associations rather than the idea that the baby will eventually just get so frustrated and fed up that he'll wear himself out. i know that's NOT the main premise of the cry it out books, but i just can't imagine how anyone could learn how to relax when they're basically crying themselves to sleep. so anyway, this is what's working for us. mostly, i've adjusted to his schedule so that i can get enough sleep and feel rested for the day, and i've learned to be very happy with ANY signs of progress. :-)
lately he's been discovering his hands, which is lots of fun! when he focuses hard enough, he can aim and swat at various objects (faces, toys, books, etc). yesterday i caught him just sitting and staring at his hands for a long time while we were in the car! :-) he's also been eating his hands and sucking on his fingers for a few weeks now, which i'm VERY excited about since he doesn't take the pacifier for any long amount of time. i think we've definitely got a thumbsucker on our hands. :-)
he's also been squealing for a few weeks now, and it is just the best sound ever! we've only caught him belly laughing two or three times now, but the squealing is now part of the morning routine. :-) he just wakes up so happy in the mornings and he loves laying on the changing pad! so most mornings we just lay him down and play with him for a few minutes on the changing pad and he kicks and squeals himself silly. :-)
over the weekend, Theo got to meet his second cousin, Tank (technically i think there's a "once removed" in there or something, but who's keeping track??). Tank (formally, Frank Howard Baber V) is 6 weeks younger than Theo. it's already so hard to remember Theo being that small!! it was also really great to catch up with Tank's mom, Tana and to swap stories and experiences. we're definitely looking forward to many years of those two growing up and playing with each other. :-)
last night, Theo gave me a 4 hour stretch of sleep, which was really nice! we've started using some of the sleep tips from The No Cry Sleep Solution book and so far i really like it. personally, this book makes more sense to me than some of the "cry it out" books out there, because it emphasizes more behavioral training and forming positive sleep associations rather than the idea that the baby will eventually just get so frustrated and fed up that he'll wear himself out. i know that's NOT the main premise of the cry it out books, but i just can't imagine how anyone could learn how to relax when they're basically crying themselves to sleep. so anyway, this is what's working for us. mostly, i've adjusted to his schedule so that i can get enough sleep and feel rested for the day, and i've learned to be very happy with ANY signs of progress. :-)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
breastfeeding is (still) hard
so maybe this blog has turned out to be more of a forum for me to whine than an actual place to give baby updates! oh well. today's topic is breastfeeding (again) and the many lessons i've had to learn about it.
so the last two months are basically a blur at this point, but to get you caught up to speed, we were doing well at some point in there. theo's latch problems are a thing of the past and i was really becoming in tune with his eating needs. then, about two weeks ago, i downloaded this app to my ipod that helped me track his every move throughout the day, since i couldn't figure out why we still couldn't successfully leave the house for any amount of time even though he'd hit the 2 month mark. it turns out, he was still eating EVERY SINGLE HOUR! so i tracked it for 2 weeks and basically just adapted to his schedule. but then i started work and realized that we can't keep this up forever. he's still only eating about an ounce per hour, no matter when or how much food we offer him.
and now that i'm back to work i'm pumping 4x a day (working 10 hr days). it sucks. pumping is (still) annoying and cleanup is a hassle and pumping 4x per day means that that's 4 clients that i can't see every day, which adds up pretty darn quickly!
so yesterday i talked to a lactation consultant on the phone. she pretty much confirmed what i'd already suspected...an oversupply of milk. which is funny because it's not like i'm pumping 6-8 oz every time like some moms you read about on the babycenter message boards. nope, still only pumping about 3-4 oz on for both sides on a good day. also, this is especially ironic after re-reading my last post about having to get my supply up! but she thinks that i have a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, which is leading theo to feel less satisfied at each feeding, which is leading him to get hungry again every single hour.
so, the lactation consultant now has me on a block feeding/pumping schedule, where i'm only using one side to feed or pump for 6 hour time chunks. for example, today from noon to 5:59 i'm on the right side. then at 6, i'll pump on the left and continue using the left until tonight at 11:59, and so on. it doesn't matter how many times i pump or feed on each side during that time chunk, it just matters that i'm only stimulating one breast at a time to send my body the message "hey, quit making so much milk!" that way, my body will be more in line with his needs and then there will be more of the fatty hindmilk for him to eat at each feeding. in the meantime, i'm feeling very lopsided. and it hurts. i never really understood how engorgement would hurt, but it really really does. ugh.
all of that to say, i feel like a freaking science experiment most days! between the hindmilk issue, the reflux, the possible dairy sensitivity, and the just general unexplained fussiness, there are just too many potential variables to account for and i am overwhelmed. we now live in a society with maybe TOO MUCH information, which leaves newbie parents like me getting confused and overwhelmed and always questioning myself and overdiagnosing my problems. a big part of parenting, i'm learning, is just trial and error with a lot of unsolicited advice thrown in for good measure. and then eventually they grow out of that stage anyway and you never really know if what you did actually worked or if they just moved on.
so yeah, i'm learning a lot. i think. or at least i'm trying a lot. and that has to count for something, right?
so the last two months are basically a blur at this point, but to get you caught up to speed, we were doing well at some point in there. theo's latch problems are a thing of the past and i was really becoming in tune with his eating needs. then, about two weeks ago, i downloaded this app to my ipod that helped me track his every move throughout the day, since i couldn't figure out why we still couldn't successfully leave the house for any amount of time even though he'd hit the 2 month mark. it turns out, he was still eating EVERY SINGLE HOUR! so i tracked it for 2 weeks and basically just adapted to his schedule. but then i started work and realized that we can't keep this up forever. he's still only eating about an ounce per hour, no matter when or how much food we offer him.
and now that i'm back to work i'm pumping 4x a day (working 10 hr days). it sucks. pumping is (still) annoying and cleanup is a hassle and pumping 4x per day means that that's 4 clients that i can't see every day, which adds up pretty darn quickly!
so yesterday i talked to a lactation consultant on the phone. she pretty much confirmed what i'd already suspected...an oversupply of milk. which is funny because it's not like i'm pumping 6-8 oz every time like some moms you read about on the babycenter message boards. nope, still only pumping about 3-4 oz on for both sides on a good day. also, this is especially ironic after re-reading my last post about having to get my supply up! but she thinks that i have a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, which is leading theo to feel less satisfied at each feeding, which is leading him to get hungry again every single hour.
so, the lactation consultant now has me on a block feeding/pumping schedule, where i'm only using one side to feed or pump for 6 hour time chunks. for example, today from noon to 5:59 i'm on the right side. then at 6, i'll pump on the left and continue using the left until tonight at 11:59, and so on. it doesn't matter how many times i pump or feed on each side during that time chunk, it just matters that i'm only stimulating one breast at a time to send my body the message "hey, quit making so much milk!" that way, my body will be more in line with his needs and then there will be more of the fatty hindmilk for him to eat at each feeding. in the meantime, i'm feeling very lopsided. and it hurts. i never really understood how engorgement would hurt, but it really really does. ugh.
all of that to say, i feel like a freaking science experiment most days! between the hindmilk issue, the reflux, the possible dairy sensitivity, and the just general unexplained fussiness, there are just too many potential variables to account for and i am overwhelmed. we now live in a society with maybe TOO MUCH information, which leaves newbie parents like me getting confused and overwhelmed and always questioning myself and overdiagnosing my problems. a big part of parenting, i'm learning, is just trial and error with a lot of unsolicited advice thrown in for good measure. and then eventually they grow out of that stage anyway and you never really know if what you did actually worked or if they just moved on.
so yeah, i'm learning a lot. i think. or at least i'm trying a lot. and that has to count for something, right?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
adventures in breastfeeding!
i had no idea feeding a baby would be such hard work!! the past two and a half weeks have been exhausting, both physically and emotionally. of course, everyone warned me it would be...but the ups and downs of being a new parent is apparently one of those things you just have to learn the hard way.
it all started on day one, when theo first tried to nurse. he had an incredibly strong "chomping" latch, which badly bruised my left nipple and only woke for 2 feedings that first 24 hours. i wish someone had gotten more suspicious about this before we left the birth center, but alas, we didn't know any better.
on day 2, when he still wasn't waking for feedings or latching very well, i looked in his mouth and realized that he was tongue-tied. luckily, we had the number for a lactation consultant and got an appointment later that week to get it evaluated and clipped.
days 3-7 are a blur. his bilirubin level went up high enough that we had to go to the hospital, and after 11 hours under the bili lights and a full night of formula feeding (which i was FURIOUS about), he was much much better. also, he got his tongue-tie clipped and we had to learn how to latch all over again. because of this, he wasn't eating enough and didn't gain enough weight in the first week.
days 7-14 - focus on fattening him up. 3 lactation consultation visits later, i am now offering the breast first, then supplementing with expressed breastmilk for every feeding. it SUCKS. pumping hurts more than that first terrible latch, it's boring (but a MAJOR shoutout to my wonderful husband for going out to buy me a pumping bra so i can have both hands free during these 20 minute pumping sessions and for renting a hospital grade pump all by himself!), and it really limits my ability to "sleep when the baby's sleeping" since i am basically a human milk machine at this point. pumping is not only helping him get the extra food he needs, but it's also working to increase my milk supply as well (which fell off when he wasn't eating well those first few days). but still. it sucks.
oh, also somewhere in there he had to get his tongue-tie clipped AGAIN because it had started healing up wrong and was interferring with his latch still. insert MORE re-learning how to latch work.
yesterday (day 16) - stayed up all night fussing and screaming. i think it might have been the broccoli i ate for dinner, since he also fussed a few nights last week when i had salad for dinner. guess this means no more green veggies for dinner anymore. luckily, we were both able to sleep for most of the day to make up for the craziness of this night. hoping this doesn't become a pattern.
today (day 17) - he has gained enough of his birth weight back that the pediatrician is no longer as worried about him. however, we still have to pump until his latch gets good enough that he can transfer all the milk i have to offer. and my supply still isn't where it should be either. i've started taking the herbs fenugreek and blessed thistle to help increase my milk supply. i take it in this tincture form that is also 50% grain alcohol, so it basically feels like taking a shot of whiskey 3 times a day. not fun, but hopefully it'll help. also, since my internal clock is a lot less flexible than his, i am still awake at 2:15 AM while he is fast asleep. guess i can't win either way.
i've heard this gets easier as time goes on.
it all started on day one, when theo first tried to nurse. he had an incredibly strong "chomping" latch, which badly bruised my left nipple and only woke for 2 feedings that first 24 hours. i wish someone had gotten more suspicious about this before we left the birth center, but alas, we didn't know any better.
on day 2, when he still wasn't waking for feedings or latching very well, i looked in his mouth and realized that he was tongue-tied. luckily, we had the number for a lactation consultant and got an appointment later that week to get it evaluated and clipped.
days 3-7 are a blur. his bilirubin level went up high enough that we had to go to the hospital, and after 11 hours under the bili lights and a full night of formula feeding (which i was FURIOUS about), he was much much better. also, he got his tongue-tie clipped and we had to learn how to latch all over again. because of this, he wasn't eating enough and didn't gain enough weight in the first week.
days 7-14 - focus on fattening him up. 3 lactation consultation visits later, i am now offering the breast first, then supplementing with expressed breastmilk for every feeding. it SUCKS. pumping hurts more than that first terrible latch, it's boring (but a MAJOR shoutout to my wonderful husband for going out to buy me a pumping bra so i can have both hands free during these 20 minute pumping sessions and for renting a hospital grade pump all by himself!), and it really limits my ability to "sleep when the baby's sleeping" since i am basically a human milk machine at this point. pumping is not only helping him get the extra food he needs, but it's also working to increase my milk supply as well (which fell off when he wasn't eating well those first few days). but still. it sucks.
oh, also somewhere in there he had to get his tongue-tie clipped AGAIN because it had started healing up wrong and was interferring with his latch still. insert MORE re-learning how to latch work.
yesterday (day 16) - stayed up all night fussing and screaming. i think it might have been the broccoli i ate for dinner, since he also fussed a few nights last week when i had salad for dinner. guess this means no more green veggies for dinner anymore. luckily, we were both able to sleep for most of the day to make up for the craziness of this night. hoping this doesn't become a pattern.
today (day 17) - he has gained enough of his birth weight back that the pediatrician is no longer as worried about him. however, we still have to pump until his latch gets good enough that he can transfer all the milk i have to offer. and my supply still isn't where it should be either. i've started taking the herbs fenugreek and blessed thistle to help increase my milk supply. i take it in this tincture form that is also 50% grain alcohol, so it basically feels like taking a shot of whiskey 3 times a day. not fun, but hopefully it'll help. also, since my internal clock is a lot less flexible than his, i am still awake at 2:15 AM while he is fast asleep. guess i can't win either way.
i've heard this gets easier as time goes on.
Friday, June 11, 2010
birth day
to simplify things, i'm going to tell you our birth story in timeline form. otherwise, i might never get this thing typed!!
6/3/10
4:30 PM - started the usual nightly contractions, about 5 min apart, lasting one min long for several hours. the birth center's orders were to call when they were 4 min apart, lasting one min long, for at least one hour.
bedtime - still having contractions, getting more intense but not consistently close enough to call the birth center.
6/4/10
9 AM - rough night. slept between contractions, but not through them. no progress, very tired. called the birth center, decided to go in early for our 40 wk appt that day.
11 AM - birth center appt. finally got my cervix checked, VERY frustrated to learn that although i was 100% effaced, i was still only 1 cm dilated. sent home with a prescription for ambien to get some rest before active labor, was told i would probably have my baby in the next day or two.
2:30 PM - ambien helped me to sleep for maybe an hour or two, but still felt every contraction and they were still getting worse. feeling EXHAUSTED.
3 PM - called friend rose to find a recommendation for a free doula.
4 PM - doula identified, on her way. i got in the bath, it didn't help.
4:30 PM - introduced myself to our doula, a complete stranger prior to this experience, entirely in the nude. didn't care; contractions HURT!
4:30-7ish PM - tried various comfort measures and deep breathing...got through them okay. no longer feeling as frustrated about all the previous false alarms but ready for this to be pronounced as REAL.
7 PM - called the birth center, was told to wait another hour till they were under 4 min apart.
7:30 PM - i pronounced that it was TIME TO LEAVE. the birth center responded by saying "okay". used my hypnobirthing tape in the car for the 40 min ride and it helped.
8:10 PM - arrived at birth center. cervix check: 5 cm. midwife made a guess that we would have our baby first thing the next morning, when the birds started chirping outside. i insisted it would be sooner than that.
8:10 - midnight - active labor. lots of fanning me off, cold washcloths, trying comfortable positions, deep breathing. got in the jacuzzi for a bit, but didn't like the jets turned on. the water felt great, but couldn't find a comfortable position to sit for very long. also had to get an IV because i wasn't staying hydrated enough. disappointed, but took it like a champ.
6/5/10
12:30ish - cervix check. 7 cm. IS THAT ALL??? ugh.
12:30 - 2:30 AM - more active labor. let the moaning begin. i had no idea i would be so...primal...during labor. i was just like all of those women you see in the birth videos groaning through every contraction and i totally didn't care. tyler later compared the sounds to "being in a haunted house".
2:30 AM - another cervix check. STILL 7 cm. almost started to cry, i was so frustrated. OMG. midwife gave us two options. 1) transfer to the hospital to get pitocin. 2) break my water and take some stadol to help me get through transition. reassess in 2 hours, once the stadol wears off. we opted for option #2. broke the water, found some bits of meconium. momentary scare, thought we'd still have to go to the hospital. but they decided it was only a few small clumps and not enough to warrant a transfer. if he came out and wasn't active and fussy, they'd have to take immediate measures.
3:30 AM - contractions were 30 sec apart. the stadol made me just trippy enough that i remember starting out having some random short dream and then through each contraction i just kept thinking to myself "just let me get through this one so i can get back to that dream!" continue lots of scary moaning and out of body levels of intensity. cervix check: 10 cm. holy crap, i just dilated 3 cm in ONE HOUR!!!
3:50 AM - i started feeling the urge to push. midwife told me to listen to my body but that she wouldn't start coaching me through pushing until 4:30, once the stadol wore off. i remember feeling frustrated that i couldn't get down on the floor to squat it out like i'd hoped i would. because of the stadol, they made me stay in the bed. i was on my side, with one leg up on a birth ball. i started pushing anyway, because how the heck are you supposed to stop something like that?? i later compared this feeling to "needing to throw up, but at the other end". there's just no stopping it.
4:20ish - midwife started coaching me through pushing. i was so focused at this point, i couldn't open my eyes and i really wasn't aware of anything outside of my own body. whenever anyone started talking too much, i could only say "shhhh!" i didn't have time to think about the "ring of fire", because i was so focused on just getting this whole thing over with. at various points, things got so intense that i swear i didn't even care if my baby was born JUST GET HIM OUT OF ME!!! of course, this feeling immediately wore off once the midwife told me to feel down at my crotch to feel his head crowning. wow, there's a real person coming out of me!!! utter excitement and new motivation to keep going.
5:03 AM - wow, so that's what a head feels like coming out of you. the rest of the body easily slipped out. theo was placed on my chest and i was in love. tyler cut the cord, i got 3 stitches. nothing else mattered besides this new little man in my life (7 lbs 15 oz, 20.5 inches long). begin: parenthood.
6/3/10
4:30 PM - started the usual nightly contractions, about 5 min apart, lasting one min long for several hours. the birth center's orders were to call when they were 4 min apart, lasting one min long, for at least one hour.
bedtime - still having contractions, getting more intense but not consistently close enough to call the birth center.
6/4/10
9 AM - rough night. slept between contractions, but not through them. no progress, very tired. called the birth center, decided to go in early for our 40 wk appt that day.
11 AM - birth center appt. finally got my cervix checked, VERY frustrated to learn that although i was 100% effaced, i was still only 1 cm dilated. sent home with a prescription for ambien to get some rest before active labor, was told i would probably have my baby in the next day or two.
2:30 PM - ambien helped me to sleep for maybe an hour or two, but still felt every contraction and they were still getting worse. feeling EXHAUSTED.
3 PM - called friend rose to find a recommendation for a free doula.
4 PM - doula identified, on her way. i got in the bath, it didn't help.
4:30 PM - introduced myself to our doula, a complete stranger prior to this experience, entirely in the nude. didn't care; contractions HURT!
4:30-7ish PM - tried various comfort measures and deep breathing...got through them okay. no longer feeling as frustrated about all the previous false alarms but ready for this to be pronounced as REAL.
7 PM - called the birth center, was told to wait another hour till they were under 4 min apart.
7:30 PM - i pronounced that it was TIME TO LEAVE. the birth center responded by saying "okay". used my hypnobirthing tape in the car for the 40 min ride and it helped.
8:10 PM - arrived at birth center. cervix check: 5 cm. midwife made a guess that we would have our baby first thing the next morning, when the birds started chirping outside. i insisted it would be sooner than that.
8:10 - midnight - active labor. lots of fanning me off, cold washcloths, trying comfortable positions, deep breathing. got in the jacuzzi for a bit, but didn't like the jets turned on. the water felt great, but couldn't find a comfortable position to sit for very long. also had to get an IV because i wasn't staying hydrated enough. disappointed, but took it like a champ.
6/5/10
12:30ish - cervix check. 7 cm. IS THAT ALL??? ugh.
12:30 - 2:30 AM - more active labor. let the moaning begin. i had no idea i would be so...primal...during labor. i was just like all of those women you see in the birth videos groaning through every contraction and i totally didn't care. tyler later compared the sounds to "being in a haunted house".
2:30 AM - another cervix check. STILL 7 cm. almost started to cry, i was so frustrated. OMG. midwife gave us two options. 1) transfer to the hospital to get pitocin. 2) break my water and take some stadol to help me get through transition. reassess in 2 hours, once the stadol wears off. we opted for option #2. broke the water, found some bits of meconium. momentary scare, thought we'd still have to go to the hospital. but they decided it was only a few small clumps and not enough to warrant a transfer. if he came out and wasn't active and fussy, they'd have to take immediate measures.
3:30 AM - contractions were 30 sec apart. the stadol made me just trippy enough that i remember starting out having some random short dream and then through each contraction i just kept thinking to myself "just let me get through this one so i can get back to that dream!" continue lots of scary moaning and out of body levels of intensity. cervix check: 10 cm. holy crap, i just dilated 3 cm in ONE HOUR!!!
3:50 AM - i started feeling the urge to push. midwife told me to listen to my body but that she wouldn't start coaching me through pushing until 4:30, once the stadol wore off. i remember feeling frustrated that i couldn't get down on the floor to squat it out like i'd hoped i would. because of the stadol, they made me stay in the bed. i was on my side, with one leg up on a birth ball. i started pushing anyway, because how the heck are you supposed to stop something like that?? i later compared this feeling to "needing to throw up, but at the other end". there's just no stopping it.
4:20ish - midwife started coaching me through pushing. i was so focused at this point, i couldn't open my eyes and i really wasn't aware of anything outside of my own body. whenever anyone started talking too much, i could only say "shhhh!" i didn't have time to think about the "ring of fire", because i was so focused on just getting this whole thing over with. at various points, things got so intense that i swear i didn't even care if my baby was born JUST GET HIM OUT OF ME!!! of course, this feeling immediately wore off once the midwife told me to feel down at my crotch to feel his head crowning. wow, there's a real person coming out of me!!! utter excitement and new motivation to keep going.
5:03 AM - wow, so that's what a head feels like coming out of you. the rest of the body easily slipped out. theo was placed on my chest and i was in love. tyler cut the cord, i got 3 stitches. nothing else mattered besides this new little man in my life (7 lbs 15 oz, 20.5 inches long). begin: parenthood.
Monday, May 31, 2010
we're having our first fight.
yes, i am currently feeling angry at my unborn son. see, the problem is, he sees himself as completely comfortable in my belly and i disagree. my abs hurt from all the contractions (every single night) this past week, i'm frustrated that i missed out on a lot of fun things this holiday weekend so we could stay close to home "just in case", and i'm starting to feel like he just might prove everyone wrong and decide to never come out. i've found myself wondering what the world record is for "longest labor".
my friend haley mentioned the other day that she thinks a baby's labor can usually be linked to their personality later on in life. it made perfect sense to me...i was born 3-4 weeks early and i am incredibly impatient! what worries me is that this perfectly content baby boy is going to grow up to frustrate his impatient mother time and time again (not unlike his father, who is also one of the most easygoing people i've ever known!).
our health insurance is changing as of june 1, which is also making me anxious. i don't think it's going to change very much...but we all know how fun it is to receive surprise insurance bills weeks after having some kind of medical procedure! it just would have been so much easier if he'd been born today or earlier. but that doesn't look like it's in the cards right now. i've been doing all the "natural induction" methods...pineapple, spicy foods, walking...you name it, we've done it! the problem isn't that i can't get contractions to start...the problem is KEEPING THEM GOING!!
anyway, my complete state of grumpiness is now turning me into a recluse. don't be surprised if you e-mail, call, or text me and i don't respond. i just don't see the point in turning my wrath on some innocent, curious friend or bystander for now.
the answers to your questions are:
yes, i'm still pregnant
no, i'm not feeling comfortable
yes, we're very READY for this baby to be born!
no, i don't know if i'm dilated or effaced
yes, i'm still having contractions
no, there's nothing we can do to help speed this thing along to accommodate your busy schedule
now, if you're not here to bring me watermelon or some other delicious treat, you can be on your way.
my friend haley mentioned the other day that she thinks a baby's labor can usually be linked to their personality later on in life. it made perfect sense to me...i was born 3-4 weeks early and i am incredibly impatient! what worries me is that this perfectly content baby boy is going to grow up to frustrate his impatient mother time and time again (not unlike his father, who is also one of the most easygoing people i've ever known!).
our health insurance is changing as of june 1, which is also making me anxious. i don't think it's going to change very much...but we all know how fun it is to receive surprise insurance bills weeks after having some kind of medical procedure! it just would have been so much easier if he'd been born today or earlier. but that doesn't look like it's in the cards right now. i've been doing all the "natural induction" methods...pineapple, spicy foods, walking...you name it, we've done it! the problem isn't that i can't get contractions to start...the problem is KEEPING THEM GOING!!
anyway, my complete state of grumpiness is now turning me into a recluse. don't be surprised if you e-mail, call, or text me and i don't respond. i just don't see the point in turning my wrath on some innocent, curious friend or bystander for now.
the answers to your questions are:
yes, i'm still pregnant
no, i'm not feeling comfortable
yes, we're very READY for this baby to be born!
no, i don't know if i'm dilated or effaced
yes, i'm still having contractions
no, there's nothing we can do to help speed this thing along to accommodate your busy schedule
now, if you're not here to bring me watermelon or some other delicious treat, you can be on your way.
Friday, May 28, 2010
39 weeks today!
still contracting. i'm basically always having contractions at this point, so no need to ask. i'm just one big, walking braxton hicks contraction.
thank you rachel for sharing this link with me. i think it sounds wonderful! really takes the weight off a new parents' shoulders when i'm sure our minds will be fuzzy and we won't really know what to ask for in those first few days. my personal favorites are the ones about cleaning out the fridge and emptying all the trash cans in the house. so practical!!
http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=34
also, i've got a chiropractic appointment scheduled for this evening, right after our 39 week check-up. i'm hoping some alignment support will help this little guy get in the right position for labor (not to mention help me sleep a little better at night with the mile-wide hips i've got going on right now!).
maybe we'll go to the zoo tomorrow for a nice, long walk?? i'm hoping the extra birthing hormones in the air from the animals will give this little guy the hint. ;-)
thank you rachel for sharing this link with me. i think it sounds wonderful! really takes the weight off a new parents' shoulders when i'm sure our minds will be fuzzy and we won't really know what to ask for in those first few days. my personal favorites are the ones about cleaning out the fridge and emptying all the trash cans in the house. so practical!!
http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=34
also, i've got a chiropractic appointment scheduled for this evening, right after our 39 week check-up. i'm hoping some alignment support will help this little guy get in the right position for labor (not to mention help me sleep a little better at night with the mile-wide hips i've got going on right now!).
maybe we'll go to the zoo tomorrow for a nice, long walk?? i'm hoping the extra birthing hormones in the air from the animals will give this little guy the hint. ;-)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
prep work
it's been called to my attention recently that this is the path i've chosen by wanting to go completely natural and med-free with my labor. i realized that after all of these false alarms this past week, i'm pretty sure if i was being treated in a hospital setting, they would have hooked me up to different types of monitors, realized i was in pre-labor, and then convinced me to just induce and get the whole thing over with by now. which...might not be a problem in many of your eyes, but it's just not the path i've chosen with this little guy. as frustrating as it is that my midwives don't check my cervix for dilation/effacement...and as inconvenient as it's been to already have packed my bags and mentally prepared to have my baby TODAY only to be let down on more than one occasion...and as much as my abs hurt all the time now from all of these constant contractions...it's still worth it in my mind. call me crazy, but i'm really looking to letting my body do its thing when the big day arrives. and i'm also grateful that in the meantime, my body is working well enough that it's doing all this prep work ahead of time...hopefully that means labor will be slightly easier/shorter on the actual day! at least, that's what i'm now telling myself. :-)
that being said, i officially started my maternity leave yesterday. it wasn't what i'd planned to do, but i realized that the stress and anxiety of juggling all of these contractions with my job was just getting to be too much. so here i am...day one of staying at home. i really do mean to be productive with this time off. but it's also soooo tempting to just sit around and watch movies all day until our little guy arrives! hopefully i'll be able to find a good balance of relaxation and productivity. and i hope even MORE that this little boy decides to make his grand entrance into the world very soon!!!
that being said, i officially started my maternity leave yesterday. it wasn't what i'd planned to do, but i realized that the stress and anxiety of juggling all of these contractions with my job was just getting to be too much. so here i am...day one of staying at home. i really do mean to be productive with this time off. but it's also soooo tempting to just sit around and watch movies all day until our little guy arrives! hopefully i'll be able to find a good balance of relaxation and productivity. and i hope even MORE that this little boy decides to make his grand entrance into the world very soon!!!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
nothing's bruised except my ego
another day of false labor yesterday. and yes, i know you're not "supposed" to call it "false labor" because it's still getting your body ready for labor so it's still productive and blah blah blah. but in my opinion, "false labor" gets taken more seriously than "practice contractions" and so that's what i'm calling it.
anyway, don't worry, i'm still completely comfortable physically (unfortunately). this is something i didn't really understand about pregnancy before. physically, at least for me, it really hasn't been all that uncomfortable at all. i mean, yeah, rolling over in bed is a major pain and bending over has now turned into the ever-so-ladylike squatting down. there are a million little things to complain about. but what i've realized though, is that the most uncomfortable part of pregnancy is the emotional part.
i've always been a worrier by nature, so the hardest part for me throughout this pregnancy has been the anxiety. every step of the way, i've imagined the worst...when really, i've probably had one of the most normal, healthy, relatively comfortable pregnancies imaginable! but the emotional roller coaster of "what if's" have toyed with my emotions one too many times. first it was the "will we be able to conceive?" question, then the morning sickness, then the constant worries about miscarriage, then trying to keep my growing belly hidden from my clients at work, then the anatomy ultrasound, then the blood sugar and the weight gain, then the risks of pre-term labor, then the group B strep test, and now WHEN WILL MY BABY BE BORN?!?! and you know what? this baby has been so healthy and completely NORMAL this whole pregnancy, i'm seriously starting to wonder if he's just going to keep being a tease for the next week or so and then miraculously appear on his actual due date!
i'm tired of getting my hopes up, waking up with contractions and thinking "this is the day my son will be born!" it's emotionally exhausting, and each time it doesn't actually happen it just makes me feel more and more frustrated. i've been nesting and contracting and falsely getting my hopes up for over 3 weeks now and i feel drained. not to mention, i also feel more and more foolish each time i have to slink back to work to tell everyone "false alarm! no baby yet!" you'd think the veteran moms there would be more supportive and understanding, but instead i just get the "knowing" glances that make me feel completely patronized and idiotic. you know the look..."oh, bless her heart...she thought those were REAL contractions! just wait till she's actually in labor, we'll see how her 'natural labor' goes then!" why are women so darned competitive??!?! well, i guess that's another rant for another day. but anyway, i'm tired. completely physically capable to keep working and going about my normal day, but just feeling so emotionally drained. and i know none of this is going to get any easier once this little boy is born, because there will ALWAYS be things to worry about and there will ALWAYS be other moms to make me feel like an idiot.
but still. i want my baby out and i want him out now. that is all.
anyway, don't worry, i'm still completely comfortable physically (unfortunately). this is something i didn't really understand about pregnancy before. physically, at least for me, it really hasn't been all that uncomfortable at all. i mean, yeah, rolling over in bed is a major pain and bending over has now turned into the ever-so-ladylike squatting down. there are a million little things to complain about. but what i've realized though, is that the most uncomfortable part of pregnancy is the emotional part.
i've always been a worrier by nature, so the hardest part for me throughout this pregnancy has been the anxiety. every step of the way, i've imagined the worst...when really, i've probably had one of the most normal, healthy, relatively comfortable pregnancies imaginable! but the emotional roller coaster of "what if's" have toyed with my emotions one too many times. first it was the "will we be able to conceive?" question, then the morning sickness, then the constant worries about miscarriage, then trying to keep my growing belly hidden from my clients at work, then the anatomy ultrasound, then the blood sugar and the weight gain, then the risks of pre-term labor, then the group B strep test, and now WHEN WILL MY BABY BE BORN?!?! and you know what? this baby has been so healthy and completely NORMAL this whole pregnancy, i'm seriously starting to wonder if he's just going to keep being a tease for the next week or so and then miraculously appear on his actual due date!
i'm tired of getting my hopes up, waking up with contractions and thinking "this is the day my son will be born!" it's emotionally exhausting, and each time it doesn't actually happen it just makes me feel more and more frustrated. i've been nesting and contracting and falsely getting my hopes up for over 3 weeks now and i feel drained. not to mention, i also feel more and more foolish each time i have to slink back to work to tell everyone "false alarm! no baby yet!" you'd think the veteran moms there would be more supportive and understanding, but instead i just get the "knowing" glances that make me feel completely patronized and idiotic. you know the look..."oh, bless her heart...she thought those were REAL contractions! just wait till she's actually in labor, we'll see how her 'natural labor' goes then!" why are women so darned competitive??!?! well, i guess that's another rant for another day. but anyway, i'm tired. completely physically capable to keep working and going about my normal day, but just feeling so emotionally drained. and i know none of this is going to get any easier once this little boy is born, because there will ALWAYS be things to worry about and there will ALWAYS be other moms to make me feel like an idiot.
but still. i want my baby out and i want him out now. that is all.
Friday, May 21, 2010
pregnancy used to be fun
38 weeks -
ugh, i just need to vent today. i've been having pretty consistent cramping (like the feeling before you get your period) since yesterday around 2 PM. at 5:30, i had a sudden extreme bout of restlessness so tyler and i took a nice, quick-paced walk around the neighborhood (i haven't walked that fast since before i got pregnant!). hoping it would bring on some actual contractions, i also bounced on my birth ball for about an hour or so (which caused some definite pain, but still no contractions). i went to bed feeling like maybe the baby had dropped a little lower. but other than that, no real signs of progress yet...just lots of cramps and general discomfort.
and the moodiness!!!! i'm extremely tired today and i just don't feel like being around people one bit. i'm tired of these stupid maternity clothes (and the heat isn't making it any easier), i'm tired of the constant guessing game (will this sudden pain lead to full-blown contractions?), and i'm tired of the rude and ridiculous comments i get from total strangers (either "wow, you're about to pop!" or "oh, you've still got a while left"), none of which have been helping me feel any more patient or relaxed about this baby's timing! i've had people tell me not to let my water break on them (um, like i have a choice?) and i'm absolutely LOVING the "you're STILL pregnant?!" comments! in the beginning of this pregnancy, i thought things might be a little easier at the end if i just didn't tell anyone my due date. this really only served to piss off my friends and family, who i now realize would have been nothing but excited and supportive...and it still hasn't helped to ward off the rude and nosy strangers! sometimes when strangers ask when i'm due, i'll try the sarcastic "not soon enough!" response, hoping that will appease their curiosity...but it's amazing to me how some people still absolutely INSIST that you tell them an actual date!! do you know how small the percentage is of women who actually have their babies on their due date??? it's a completely arbitrary day to me, so much so that most days i honestly even forget what it is! but...since i've realized most people have pretty much figured it out by now anyway, i'm going to tell you what it is. ready?? my due date is june 4th. there, i said it. now, that being said, i still want you to forget the date i just told you, stop reading this wherever you are, and start sending prayers/thoughts/vibes/whatever that i will have this baby TODAY because i can almost guarantee that if i'm still pregnant on june 4th, i will be an absolute MONSTER and should not be held accountable for anything i might say, do, or think from that day forward.
ugh, i just need to vent today. i've been having pretty consistent cramping (like the feeling before you get your period) since yesterday around 2 PM. at 5:30, i had a sudden extreme bout of restlessness so tyler and i took a nice, quick-paced walk around the neighborhood (i haven't walked that fast since before i got pregnant!). hoping it would bring on some actual contractions, i also bounced on my birth ball for about an hour or so (which caused some definite pain, but still no contractions). i went to bed feeling like maybe the baby had dropped a little lower. but other than that, no real signs of progress yet...just lots of cramps and general discomfort.
and the moodiness!!!! i'm extremely tired today and i just don't feel like being around people one bit. i'm tired of these stupid maternity clothes (and the heat isn't making it any easier), i'm tired of the constant guessing game (will this sudden pain lead to full-blown contractions?), and i'm tired of the rude and ridiculous comments i get from total strangers (either "wow, you're about to pop!" or "oh, you've still got a while left"), none of which have been helping me feel any more patient or relaxed about this baby's timing! i've had people tell me not to let my water break on them (um, like i have a choice?) and i'm absolutely LOVING the "you're STILL pregnant?!" comments! in the beginning of this pregnancy, i thought things might be a little easier at the end if i just didn't tell anyone my due date. this really only served to piss off my friends and family, who i now realize would have been nothing but excited and supportive...and it still hasn't helped to ward off the rude and nosy strangers! sometimes when strangers ask when i'm due, i'll try the sarcastic "not soon enough!" response, hoping that will appease their curiosity...but it's amazing to me how some people still absolutely INSIST that you tell them an actual date!! do you know how small the percentage is of women who actually have their babies on their due date??? it's a completely arbitrary day to me, so much so that most days i honestly even forget what it is! but...since i've realized most people have pretty much figured it out by now anyway, i'm going to tell you what it is. ready?? my due date is june 4th. there, i said it. now, that being said, i still want you to forget the date i just told you, stop reading this wherever you are, and start sending prayers/thoughts/vibes/whatever that i will have this baby TODAY because i can almost guarantee that if i'm still pregnant on june 4th, i will be an absolute MONSTER and should not be held accountable for anything i might say, do, or think from that day forward.
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