OK - I guess the accurate count is 4: Colette, Emi, Bear and Chewie.
Scott left on Saturday morning for the academy. The worst part of his leaving was the last 2 days, we were both sick. So rather than enjoy the time together before he left, we were both drugged up on cold medicine and trying not to touch the baby and get her sick. Fortunately, she seemed to escape catching whatever it is we have (knock on wood). I am wondering if Scott got it first - because he mentioned a scratchy throat a few days before I got mine, and he seemed to peak right around Sat/Sun. Tonight, I have started with the runny nose and have a little cough, which is where he was on Thursday. So we'll see what kind of shape I am in tomorrow morning.
The next worst thing about Scott's leaving is that Emi was sleeping when we got to the airport, and Scott didn't want to take her out of her car seat and wake her up. So he didn't get to give her a big hug and kiss goodbye. But the thought of Scott coming home for Thanksgiving, even if it's just for 2 nights, is comforting and I hope that it works out. I can only imagine how much Scott is missing Emi.
We had a good first 2 nights alone. In the evenings, every time she woke up, she woke up crying (maybe it's because she misses her daddy, and his giving her the last bottle of the night). But I was able to calm her down, and she slept pretty well both nights. This morning came earlier than usual (4:30am), but she went right back to sleep after a feeding.
Emi got her first boo boo today, and fortunately there is no mark or band aid to show for it (just the memory of her crying). There is a shelf above the changing table, which I thought may not be a good idea the first day we hung it - but managed to avoid bumping into it until now. Grandma and I were trying her Halloween costume on this afternoon, and Grandma picked her straight up without thinking of the shelf and she bumped her head on the edge of it (hard, the shelf bounced a little). For one second, it was quiet, then suddenly there was a scream (from Emi, and possibly from me) and then crying. It was the saddest thing to see her like that, even sadder than when she got her first shots. It was just unexpected, and followed by worry of red marks, bumps and lumps, soft spots on her head, and brain damage. But she calmed down, and then started acting like herself, and even smiling. So it all turned out ok, but the guilt and worry was the most emotion I think I've ever felt (not to mention Grandma who felt horrible and cried herself a little). Scott, if this shelf is no longer there when you come home for Thanksgiving, now you know why...
For the rest of the night, I have felt very protective of Emi, and even feel like I love her a little more now. There is no doubt that I loved her before today, but it's just a little more intense now. There was always a sense of having to care for her, but now it's a sense of having to protect her of things (even though I know there will be lots of scrapes and cuts in our future), and never wanting to see her cry or be hurt in any way. When I put her to bed tonight, looking at her peaceful sleeping face made my heart melt, and made me want to just hold her and kiss her and protect her from all things scary or hurtful. Wow, I never thought I would say this, but I feel like a mom.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
2 months - 10.5 lbs, 23 inches
Emi,
I am so amazed at how fast you have grown, and that you are developing into your own little person already. We have finally gotten over the nursing hardships, and I can tell you are definitely getting enough to eat by the way you have grown. People always say that babies don't stay small long, and it's so true. I look at your early pictures, and hardly recognize that little monkey. You are starting to outgrow your newborn clothes (which is so sad), and we'll have to start putting you into your 3 months clothes soon.
The 2 comments that we get all the time - literally, from every stranger who takes a look at you:
OMG, look at all that hair!
She is so alert, looking at me and everything around her.
You love going outside. Sometimes when you are fussy (and believe me, you still have your moments!), we just take you outside and you calm right down. You also love being in your car seat, and going for car rides. I'm also grateful for the swing that we got for you - since you love it and sometimes that's the only place you will take a nap. We have gotten the hang of the moby wrap, and we need to get you out for more walks (more for mommy exercise time, rather than for you).
You got your first shots last week, and although you cried, you recovered pretty quickly (maybe it was that bottle that we shoved into your mouth after you stopped screaming). You're still figuring out if you are going to be a big kid (90th percentile for weight) or a small kid (50th percentile for height). We need to work on getting you turn your head to the left more often, and you need to sleep on your side and get more tummy time so you don't have a flat head (maybe that's why your hair sticks straight up like a rooster where it's flat?). We also need to work on your sleep and nap routine. It's all over the place right now - but I think you'll start sleeping in your crib soon and hopefully develop somewhat of a schedule.
My heart melts every morning when I wake up and take my first look at you. We'll have a lot of daddy time in the next couple of weeks before he leaves, and I can't wait to see what the next months have in store for us.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Bad night/ Good night (trial and error begins)
After talking to some of the moms to 6 month old babies about night sleeping, I decided to experiment. Boy, Emi really hated me for doing that (and Scott, I'm sure who had to go to work the next day!).
Some moms were saying that their babies were sleeping through the night (and I mean from 7 - 7 or so), and that they started doing that at about 3 months. Sure, Emi is not that old yet, but it's never too early to start trying right? Wrong! I also told one of them that we wake her up after falling asleep in her swing, take her to bed and feed her, at about midnight every night. This started me thinking - if we put her to bed instead of the swing, I wonder how long she will sleep?
Bad night:
- Tried to put Emi to bed at 8pm. We let her cry and fuss for about 10 minutes, checked and she was wide awake so we brought her back downstairs with us
- We fed Emi at about 9pm because she was fussy(she's usually asleep and doesn't eat at this time, so maybe this was a sign that it was going to be a bad night)
- Put Emi to bed around 9:45. She was awake, but tired
- Emi woke up at 12:15 (only 15 minutes later than when we usually wake her up). Nursed her instead of giving her a bottle
- Woke up at 3:30. I thought she was just unswaddled and needed a diaper change, which I asked/ordered Scott to do (I now realize that was mean, sorry hon). He put her back to bed, and she cried and howled. So I got up and fed her, then put her back to bed
- Emi was unswaddled again at 4:30. Tried to swaddle and put back to bed, but she started crying again. I picked her up and walked around with her for about 20 minutes (she calmed down when I got my glass of water, but then started crying hard again when we went back upstairs). So as a last resort, I put her on the boob and she fell asleep after 10 minutes or so. Back to bed
- Awake again at 7am. Fed and start of the day
Good night:
Maybe we changed too many things at one (no swing, no bottle, ealier time to bed), so we armed ourselves with a bottle ready for the first wake up
- Bath, then feed at 8pm
- In bed by 9:45 or so
- I went to bed at 10:30, with bottle ready to be made at the bedside for the next time she wakes up
- Woke up at 4am, completely surprised that she didn't wake up. Checked to make sure she was still breathing and alive, sigh of releif, and waited for her to start crying for about 15 minutes convinced that I jinxed it. When no crying came, decided to go down and pump since I could not roll over in bed, I was so engorged.
- Emi woke up around 5:15 - Scott and I were in shock and amazement. Fed and back to bed.
- Awake at 8:15. Fed and start of the day
So was it the bath? Was it Murphy's reverse law, that I was armed and prepared with a bottle? Or was it that she was so tired from the bad night, that she needed this good night to catch up on her beauty sleep? I guess we'll find out tonight if some kind of pattern is emerging...
Some moms were saying that their babies were sleeping through the night (and I mean from 7 - 7 or so), and that they started doing that at about 3 months. Sure, Emi is not that old yet, but it's never too early to start trying right? Wrong! I also told one of them that we wake her up after falling asleep in her swing, take her to bed and feed her, at about midnight every night. This started me thinking - if we put her to bed instead of the swing, I wonder how long she will sleep?
Bad night:
- Tried to put Emi to bed at 8pm. We let her cry and fuss for about 10 minutes, checked and she was wide awake so we brought her back downstairs with us
- We fed Emi at about 9pm because she was fussy(she's usually asleep and doesn't eat at this time, so maybe this was a sign that it was going to be a bad night)
- Put Emi to bed around 9:45. She was awake, but tired
- Emi woke up at 12:15 (only 15 minutes later than when we usually wake her up). Nursed her instead of giving her a bottle
- Woke up at 3:30. I thought she was just unswaddled and needed a diaper change, which I asked/ordered Scott to do (I now realize that was mean, sorry hon). He put her back to bed, and she cried and howled. So I got up and fed her, then put her back to bed
- Emi was unswaddled again at 4:30. Tried to swaddle and put back to bed, but she started crying again. I picked her up and walked around with her for about 20 minutes (she calmed down when I got my glass of water, but then started crying hard again when we went back upstairs). So as a last resort, I put her on the boob and she fell asleep after 10 minutes or so. Back to bed
- Awake again at 7am. Fed and start of the day
Good night:
Maybe we changed too many things at one (no swing, no bottle, ealier time to bed), so we armed ourselves with a bottle ready for the first wake up
- Bath, then feed at 8pm
- In bed by 9:45 or so
- I went to bed at 10:30, with bottle ready to be made at the bedside for the next time she wakes up
- Woke up at 4am, completely surprised that she didn't wake up. Checked to make sure she was still breathing and alive, sigh of releif, and waited for her to start crying for about 15 minutes convinced that I jinxed it. When no crying came, decided to go down and pump since I could not roll over in bed, I was so engorged.
- Emi woke up around 5:15 - Scott and I were in shock and amazement. Fed and back to bed.
- Awake at 8:15. Fed and start of the day
So was it the bath? Was it Murphy's reverse law, that I was armed and prepared with a bottle? Or was it that she was so tired from the bad night, that she needed this good night to catch up on her beauty sleep? I guess we'll find out tonight if some kind of pattern is emerging...
Meeting up again
Last summer, when Scott was gone for the month of July (link), I found Meetup.com and made some new friends and started going out more. The only group that we continued to meet up with regularly was the Brussels Griffon group. Now, I have discovered another group for first time moms.
So far, I have gone to 2 meetups, and I think this is going to be great. Last week, I went on a walk at the beach. Everyone brought their strollers, and all the babes slept through the entire walk. Emi was the second to youngest baby there (kudos to mom of a 5 week old who is already getting out and about), and it felt really good to get out of the house and talk to some other people. Most of the conversations revolved around babies and sharing experiences and tricks of the trade - but once I get to know these folks a little more I have a feeling that "adult" conversations will come soon. I must say that I was pretty out of shape, I got winded from 2 laps of Carlsbad!
This week, I went to a story time picnic at the park. Buddy Todd park is right down the street, and I have never been there. But it was so nice and they allow dogs on leashes, that this may have to be a regular spot for us. Again, Emi slept through the entire meetup - but I read the book that I brought to all the other kids anyway. I'm not reading to her yet, and it's going to take some getting used to reading out loud. I used to read out loud to my stuffed animals all the time when I played school with them - I guess I have to channel that geeky kid again.
I also enrolled in a Mommy and Me yoga class. The class starts out with singing little songs and playing with the babes - again, I feel so silly! But it's good because I don't know any kid songs, or at least forgot all about them. When we sang "row, row, row your boat" the first time, I was thinking "Oh yeah, I remember this song!". The second half of class is yoga for me, which I need and hopefully will start getting me back into shape. After 12 months of little to no exercise, my body is squishy!
So things are getting much better, I am venturing out of the house, and getting used to being a parent. This is really making me not want to go back to work! Ha - in my dreams...
So far, I have gone to 2 meetups, and I think this is going to be great. Last week, I went on a walk at the beach. Everyone brought their strollers, and all the babes slept through the entire walk. Emi was the second to youngest baby there (kudos to mom of a 5 week old who is already getting out and about), and it felt really good to get out of the house and talk to some other people. Most of the conversations revolved around babies and sharing experiences and tricks of the trade - but once I get to know these folks a little more I have a feeling that "adult" conversations will come soon. I must say that I was pretty out of shape, I got winded from 2 laps of Carlsbad!
This week, I went to a story time picnic at the park. Buddy Todd park is right down the street, and I have never been there. But it was so nice and they allow dogs on leashes, that this may have to be a regular spot for us. Again, Emi slept through the entire meetup - but I read the book that I brought to all the other kids anyway. I'm not reading to her yet, and it's going to take some getting used to reading out loud. I used to read out loud to my stuffed animals all the time when I played school with them - I guess I have to channel that geeky kid again.
I also enrolled in a Mommy and Me yoga class. The class starts out with singing little songs and playing with the babes - again, I feel so silly! But it's good because I don't know any kid songs, or at least forgot all about them. When we sang "row, row, row your boat" the first time, I was thinking "Oh yeah, I remember this song!". The second half of class is yoga for me, which I need and hopefully will start getting me back into shape. After 12 months of little to no exercise, my body is squishy!
So things are getting much better, I am venturing out of the house, and getting used to being a parent. This is really making me not want to go back to work! Ha - in my dreams...
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