As mentioned in the previous post, we recently transitioned Ethan to the crib for nighttime sleeping. Our timeline for this was pushed up considerably when young Ethan discovered how to roll from back to belly, and I woke up to find him in the swing with his butt up in the air, his face smashed into the headrest, and his legs precipitously close to the edge. So that night (a week prior to last Thursday) was his first night in the crib. And it was a rough one. He lasted an hour, which had been his previous record for naps in the crib, and once he woke up, he was adamant about not returning to the crib. Finally, I brought him to the swing, where he lasted for three hours before I woke up to find him again face-down, so I woke him up and brought him into bed, where he slept as I held him until around 3 AM when I fed him and passed him off to Daddy. Thankfully, he was taking the day off of work, so he played with Ethan and let me get some sleep. The next night, we decided to try him in the bassinet feature of the Pack-n-Play. Once again, he lasted an hour. I was too afraid to put him in the swing, so I brought him straight to bed. After two hours, he was completely out of it, so I decided to try sneaking him into the bassinet. No such luck, as he woke up immediately and began screaming. For another night, I held him until I could pass him off.
By this point, I was completely sleep deprived and willing to try anything. For starters, we began moving up his bedtime by an hour so that he's asleep now by 8-8:30. That night, he woke up after about 30 minutes. I tried to soothe him in the crib, but he kept fussing and trying to flip onto his tummy. Finally, I gave up, unswaddled him, and let him flip, despite my concerns. He went immediately to sleep! An hour later (which I spent researching SIDS risks), there wasn't a peep from the nursery so I went in to check on him. He was sleeping soundly and continued to do so for a total of 5 hours!!! At that point, I nursed him and attempted to put him back in the crib, but he wasn't having any of it. Thankfully, we'd discovered during naps that he'll tolerate being strapped into the swing, so he spent the rest of the night back in his swing but unable to scare us by flipping over. The next night, after his 30 minutes on his back, I just went in and flipped him onto his tummy, and he slept a 7-hour stretch! He still refused to go back in his crib after nursing, though, so our routine became: Put him in his crib on his back. Wait 30 minutes-an hour. Unswaddle and flip him onto his tummy. Sleep 4-7 hours. Nurse. Strap him into the swing. Sleep another 2-5 hours. I was content with this routine, knowing that eventually he'd sleep long enough that the transition to the swing wouldn't be necessary. However, the past two nights, I've been able to get him back down in the crib (on his tummy) after nursing, so we haven't had to use the swing at all!
Now, the admission: Most nights I'm flipping him onto his tummy rather than letting him flip himself. However, he's capable of flipping himself onto his tummy; he just can't do it every time he wants to. AND, he CAN flip himself belly to back any time he wants, and he's been doing that for about a month now. He holds his head up with ease (the problem with putting him back in the crib after nursing used to be that he thought it was playtime, so he'd hold his head straight up and babble, refusing to lie down and sleep), and after removing the bumpers and all extraneous items from the crib, I'm no longer worried about him smothering himself. Is there still an increased risk of SIDS? Perhaps. However, I know he can maneuver to get more air, he can get onto his back if he wants, and it's the only way anyone is going to get any sleep!
So, for now, he's not quite sleeping as long as he did in the swing, but he's waking up at about the same time as he used to start stirring before; I would just push the swing and he'd go back down, which I can't do now that he's in the crib. And while it's only been two days now, I feel pretty confident I'll be able to keep getting him back down in the crib, so our need for the swing at night may soon be nonexistent! Overall, it was definitely rough the first couple of days, but I'm so glad we made the crib transition. Now we just need him to learn to get himself to sleep! Maybe next month.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Above, you'll see the best impulse, Kroger-checkout purchase EVER! As cute as Ethan is, this hat increases his adorableness to an immeasurable amount. And as you can see, he loves it! Ethan is not a hat baby, at all, but for some reason, this little red stocking cap just works, don't you think?
Ethan has had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas thus far. He was quite a happy baby yesterday and was a little angel during the Christmas Eve service. While other kids were talking and crying throughout, Ethan smiled happily, yawned occasionally, and drew heaps of praise from fellow worshipers. He watched patiently while Mommy read the scripture and greeted me with a huge smile upon my return. Then, on the 5-minute drive home, he fell asleep without a peep and stayed asleep once we got him inside, allowing me to cook and us to eat without having to worry about him, a rare occurrence in this house. After a good night's sleep (which deserves a separate blog post in the days to come because we finally transitioned him to the crib, and he's spent the entire past two nights in his crib exclusively!), he was ready to greet Christmas morning... sort of. While he wasn't fussy, he refused to smile while we opened presents, so we didn't get many good pictures of him. However, after a nap and another feeding, he was in a better mood and showed a little more interest in his new toys, particularly the Jack-in-the-Box.
The Christmas festivities won't stop here, though! Tomorrow we'll head down to Atlanta for a week with family. Ethan will meet his uncles and one of his aunts for the first time (his other aunt is staying in Maine for the holidays), as well as most of his great-grandparents, some great-aunts and -uncles, and other members of his extended family. Unfortunately (well, fortunately, but not since we're trying to travel), it's going to be a White Christmas, and we're expecting 2-4" of snow today and another 3-5" tomorrow, so this is all dependent on our being able to get out of town tomorrow. We'll see what happens!
We hope you and your families are having a wonderful holiday season!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Baby Talk
Ethan loves to talk. OK, so it's more babble, but it's no less adorable. He talks when he's happy. He talks when I'm talking. He talks when he's trying to go to sleep (this is perhaps the cutest of all). His vocabulary mostly consists of "AH-goo!" "Goo!" "Ach!" and random noises punctuated by blowing raspberries. This morning, he (finally) added giggling to his repertoire.
I read somewhere that you should repeat baby babbles back so that they understand how conversation works so I usually match him "Goo" for "Goo." Normally no one but Calvin is around to hear my baby talk, but this habit led to a fun scene on Tuesday morning. I was in the middle of a conversation with our pastor about membership, baptism, preaching, and the Christmas Eve services. Ethan was bundled up in my arms, grinning at me and babbling constantly. A few minutes into our conversation, I realized the pastor was trying to keep his amusement from showing on his face because my half of the conversation went something like this: "I'll have to look AH-goo at the lectionary and get back to you." "Were you GOO! thinking more along the lines of a scripture reading or a reinterpretation? Goo-AH!"
It's good to be a mom.
I read somewhere that you should repeat baby babbles back so that they understand how conversation works so I usually match him "Goo" for "Goo." Normally no one but Calvin is around to hear my baby talk, but this habit led to a fun scene on Tuesday morning. I was in the middle of a conversation with our pastor about membership, baptism, preaching, and the Christmas Eve services. Ethan was bundled up in my arms, grinning at me and babbling constantly. A few minutes into our conversation, I realized the pastor was trying to keep his amusement from showing on his face because my half of the conversation went something like this: "I'll have to look AH-goo at the lectionary and get back to you." "Were you GOO! thinking more along the lines of a scripture reading or a reinterpretation? Goo-AH!"
It's good to be a mom.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Three Months
Dear Ethan,
The fourth trimester is complete. You are three months old, and I can't imagine life without you! You are such an amazingly good baby, so much so that I fear you've spoiled us for your future siblings. Last night, you slept a full 10-hour stretch without crying once and only stirring a couple of times. It's hard to believe you've already come this far after that first night in the hospital when you refused to sleep a wink! Speaking of growing, you're beginning to pack on the ounces, leading to an adorably plump figure, complete with squishy thighs and arms. While I still worry about your weight, you're proving that you are thriving! And boy are you smart! You seem to learn new things every day, from new "words" to rolling yourself over. What will you learn next?
Your mommy and daddy are learning, too. We've learned how to get you to sleep, even in the crib for naps! We've learned when to worry about your cries and when to just cuddle you closer. We've learned how to love someone so intensely that it hurts to be apart from him. Your baby babbles cause us to beam at one another and at you, in awe of this precious life we've somehow created. Even your cries can make us smile, as you pucker your bottom lip out to comical proportions.
This next month holds new adventures for all of us. It will be your first Christmas, and in the days that follow, you'll meet your aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents. It'll also be your first time staying away from home, but don't worry! Your grandparents are more than prepared for your arrival! It will be our first long trip so we'll see how well you (and we) do spending hours in the car. It should be an exciting time!
This is also my last month to spend exclusively at home with you because the day you turn four-months-old, I'll be going back to school. So I need to be sure to soak in this time where my only worries and obligations concern you. I get the feeling that may still be mostly the case after I start my classes, but for now I don't have to feel guilty about it!
So keep growing, keep learning, and keep thriving! We are so very proud of all that you are and all you will be!
Love,
Mommy
The fourth trimester is complete. You are three months old, and I can't imagine life without you! You are such an amazingly good baby, so much so that I fear you've spoiled us for your future siblings. Last night, you slept a full 10-hour stretch without crying once and only stirring a couple of times. It's hard to believe you've already come this far after that first night in the hospital when you refused to sleep a wink! Speaking of growing, you're beginning to pack on the ounces, leading to an adorably plump figure, complete with squishy thighs and arms. While I still worry about your weight, you're proving that you are thriving! And boy are you smart! You seem to learn new things every day, from new "words" to rolling yourself over. What will you learn next?
Your mommy and daddy are learning, too. We've learned how to get you to sleep, even in the crib for naps! We've learned when to worry about your cries and when to just cuddle you closer. We've learned how to love someone so intensely that it hurts to be apart from him. Your baby babbles cause us to beam at one another and at you, in awe of this precious life we've somehow created. Even your cries can make us smile, as you pucker your bottom lip out to comical proportions.
This next month holds new adventures for all of us. It will be your first Christmas, and in the days that follow, you'll meet your aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents. It'll also be your first time staying away from home, but don't worry! Your grandparents are more than prepared for your arrival! It will be our first long trip so we'll see how well you (and we) do spending hours in the car. It should be an exciting time!
This is also my last month to spend exclusively at home with you because the day you turn four-months-old, I'll be going back to school. So I need to be sure to soak in this time where my only worries and obligations concern you. I get the feeling that may still be mostly the case after I start my classes, but for now I don't have to feel guilty about it!
So keep growing, keep learning, and keep thriving! We are so very proud of all that you are and all you will be!
Love,
Mommy
Monday, December 6, 2010
Reunited and it feels so good!
Well, we survived! This past weekend was our weekend away for the office Christmas party. It's always a lot of fun, but this year it meant leaving my baby for the first real time, which made it slightly less relaxing. However, it was also the first year I haven't come back to exams, so I guess that was nice! Anyway, as mentioned before, my parents came up to watch him while we were gone, and everything went wonderfully. They kept him on schedule (thanks Mom & Dad!), he was his adorable baby self, and I made it through with minimal tears and only two calls to check in.
Since I've had such issues with supply, I was unable to pump anything of substance for my absence, so Ethan was an all-formula baby for a day, which he seemed to tolerate fine. Unfortunately, he's been fighting me at the breast most feedings since we got home, so I'm worried he's become too used to bottles. Speaking of supply, I of course was pumping during every feeding in order to maintain it, and I ended up with 8 ounces to take home. I was thrilled to get 2 oz. the first pumping session since previously I'd only ever gotten about 1/3 oz. However, with the exception of the following morning, I held steady at about 1 oz. a session every other time, which was disappointing. I know Ethan is able to extract more than the pump, but I think that definitely shows my issue is a low supply, which refuses to be corrected no matter what steps I take. It makes sense, after all, though. My body didn't want to conceive Ethan without medical assistance, my body may not have carried Ethan without medical assistance, so it follows that my body won't feed Ethan without medical/technological assistance, and I just need to be grateful for all we have. I feel my dedication to breastfeeding was pretty evident, though, considering I had the joy of leaving the party for 25 minutes while I sat out in the car in sub-freezing temperatures to pump, all the while paranoid someone would come out to investigate. Needless to say, I got less than an ounce that session!
Meanwhile, my parents dressed Ethan up in a Christmas outfit from my grandmother and proceeded to take dozens of pictures of him under the tree for their Christmas card photo. He was obviously happy to play with his grandparents:
I'm still sad about one thing from the absence. It just so happened that the weather chose this weekend for Ethan's first snow, something I had (admittedly inexplicably) looked forward to since before he was born. Yes, I know he has no clue what's going on, but it's something I'd been waiting for, and we missed it. Thankfully, there was still plenty of snow on the ground when we returned, but I missed him seeing it fall. My parents said he was enraptured with it and kept staring at the snow-covered trees. ::sigh:: After we got home on Sunday morning, I bundled him up for some exploration, and my dad got a few pictures:
So now things are basically back to normal. After having slept 9 hour stretches the three nights before we left, he only went 5 hours while we were away but was back up to 7 hours last night so maybe that won't last. Hopefully the fighting at the breast is just temporary, and I won't have to keep forcing him to nurse during those feedings when he's being difficult. I had about a foot of hair chopped off at the Pinehurst spa, which is making it more difficult for him to grab ahold of, so that's a welcome change for me. While the weekend was enjoyable, I'm very happy to be back with my baby boy!
Since I've had such issues with supply, I was unable to pump anything of substance for my absence, so Ethan was an all-formula baby for a day, which he seemed to tolerate fine. Unfortunately, he's been fighting me at the breast most feedings since we got home, so I'm worried he's become too used to bottles. Speaking of supply, I of course was pumping during every feeding in order to maintain it, and I ended up with 8 ounces to take home. I was thrilled to get 2 oz. the first pumping session since previously I'd only ever gotten about 1/3 oz. However, with the exception of the following morning, I held steady at about 1 oz. a session every other time, which was disappointing. I know Ethan is able to extract more than the pump, but I think that definitely shows my issue is a low supply, which refuses to be corrected no matter what steps I take. It makes sense, after all, though. My body didn't want to conceive Ethan without medical assistance, my body may not have carried Ethan without medical assistance, so it follows that my body won't feed Ethan without medical/technological assistance, and I just need to be grateful for all we have. I feel my dedication to breastfeeding was pretty evident, though, considering I had the joy of leaving the party for 25 minutes while I sat out in the car in sub-freezing temperatures to pump, all the while paranoid someone would come out to investigate. Needless to say, I got less than an ounce that session!
Meanwhile, my parents dressed Ethan up in a Christmas outfit from my grandmother and proceeded to take dozens of pictures of him under the tree for their Christmas card photo. He was obviously happy to play with his grandparents:
I'm still sad about one thing from the absence. It just so happened that the weather chose this weekend for Ethan's first snow, something I had (admittedly inexplicably) looked forward to since before he was born. Yes, I know he has no clue what's going on, but it's something I'd been waiting for, and we missed it. Thankfully, there was still plenty of snow on the ground when we returned, but I missed him seeing it fall. My parents said he was enraptured with it and kept staring at the snow-covered trees. ::sigh:: After we got home on Sunday morning, I bundled him up for some exploration, and my dad got a few pictures:
So now things are basically back to normal. After having slept 9 hour stretches the three nights before we left, he only went 5 hours while we were away but was back up to 7 hours last night so maybe that won't last. Hopefully the fighting at the breast is just temporary, and I won't have to keep forcing him to nurse during those feedings when he's being difficult. I had about a foot of hair chopped off at the Pinehurst spa, which is making it more difficult for him to grab ahold of, so that's a welcome change for me. While the weekend was enjoyable, I'm very happy to be back with my baby boy!
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