Sleep: Serious Business

I have a love-hate relationship with sleep. I always have. 

As a kid, I was a non-napper, a bed wetter, and I was am afraid of the dark. I have always felt that by sleeping, I would be missing out on something exciting. Whether it be a TV show, great conversation, thunder and lightning, shooting stars, or the arrival of Santa and the reindeer.

I remember being a toddler and demanding that my mom sit in the hallway before I fell asleep. Yes, it's already been determined that I was a brat. I needed my covers just right, the perfect pillow, my Critter tucked under my arm, my door halfway open and the hallway light on. 

As a kid, bedtime was the perfect time for me to think about my house burning down and alligators all over my bedroom floor.

At some point in high school, I loved staying up late and I learned to sleep in. Getting up before 10 on the weekends was unheard of.

When I was pregnant, the most difficult part for me was sleeping. I needed pillows shoved here and propped there. I couldn't lay on my stomach and wasn't supposed to lay on my back. I woke up a million times throughout the night to use the bathroom! I swear, the child thought my bladder was a trampoline. Some nights I was so exhausted I even went to bed before my husband, which NEVER happens. And some mornings I was awake before him, which also NEVER happens. Bonus: being pregnant and waking up at 5am.....you get TWO breakfasts!!! SCORE!!!

FACT: There is nothing that can prepare you for the sleep deprivation you will experience with a newborn. (I'm sure there are worse scenarios out there that I just haven't experienced. Like when my husband went fishing in Alaska and they would work for 72 hours straight, or something crazy like that.) But personally speaking, this shit is crazy.

For us, the first 2 nights in the hospital were absolute bliss. We had this perfect little bundle of love that slept like an angel. We couldn't keep our eyes off of him. Just staring at him, watching him sleep. 

Our first night at home was a much different story. He had found his scream, decided he was hungry, and wasn't thrilled about our novice swaddling skills. It did not take us long to figure out, this parenting stuff isn't for wimps. 

Each sleep milestone has been a bigger adjustment for me than anyone else. Like the first night we put him to bed upstairs by himself. I couldn't keep my eyes off the monitor. And the first night he slept in his crib. I woke up every hour to check on him.

It has almost been 7 months now and Bennett's sleep has been consistently inconsistent. Like his mother, he has decided that naps are pretty much unnecessary. There is just way too much fun to be had during the day! And he's really quite good at falling asleep when he's warm and snuggled. But isn't such a fan of being left alone in his crib. 

This past week has been especially tough. It was a battle to get him to sleep Monday night and then we were up and at 'em at 3:45 Tuesday morning. Tuesday night was the breaking point. I got up with him at: 11:00, 2:30, 3:45, 6:30 and 7:45. Something had to change. And if it didn't, I was going to lose my mind. (again)

One thing I have learned as a parent: never say never. 
I promised myself that I would never let the baby sleep in our bed. But I did and I loved it.
I also decided I was never going to let him 'cry it out'....

My husband is incredibly patient. Wednesday night he battled it out with the baby for an hour and 15 minutes. Eventually, he stopped crying and fell asleep. And then I started crying and eventually fell asleep. Poor Jon.

Our plan of attack for Thursday night was to put him in his crib and if he cried, we would check on him every 3 minutes to assure him we were still here. No picking him up. No feeding him to calm him. No lying in the big bed with him. 3 minutes seemed like an eternity and it took every ounce of restraint in my body to not pick him up. After the 4th trip upstairs, the crying faded and he appeared to be asleep. IT WAS A MIRACLE!!! Not to mention, he stayed asleep for 8.5 hours that night! By morning, I already felt like a new woman!

Friday night was quite similar, but we extended our waiting period to 5 minutes. By the time Jon went up to check on him for the first time, he was quiet and asleep. That night, he slept for 9 hours and 45 minutes! WHAT?!?! I could not believe this!!!

Saturday night, even easier! Put him down, he squeaked twice and in 3 minutes was out. This was AMAZING!!!

I'm afraid to get too excited because routines don't seem to stick around for too long in this house, but for now, I'm going to celebrate and enjoy this one! (With wine)

It's been exactly a week since we decided to tackle this sleep issue and what a difference it has made! And for the record, last night I laid him down, tucked him in, gave him kisses, and closed his door. Not a squeak. Not a peep. He was asleep in 2 minutes.

Good job Baby Boy. We're so proud of you!

Writer's Workshop: Talk about something your child learned this week.

I guess you could say I took a little break from the blog world. Going back to work was a bit of an adjustment and really, now that my baby is such an active Little Grub, there isn't as much time to just relax and write. My new goal is to try and post something at least once a month week. We shall see how that goes.

This week, I'm going to link up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop and describe: something my child learned this week.

Honestly I feel like he learns something new everyday. It is so crazy how fast he is growing and changing! I miss the tiny, little snuggle bundle that he was as a newborn, but he seriously is getting more fun by the minute!

This week, the newest skill that Bennett has tackled is backward scooting. This child has always been a mover! Even at my 12 week ultrasound, when he was literally 4 cm long, the doctor said "WOW! This is an active baby!" He couldn't have been more accurate. And my ribs took a pretty violent beating for most of my pregnancy. I loved every minute of it and miss those kicks and punches like crazy!

The first time it happened, backward scooting was a complete accident. In an attempt to grab a toy that was just beyond his reach, he ended up stuck against our recliner. The look on his face really says it all. "How the heck did I end up over here?!?"

  
Throughout the week, the backward scooting became more intentional. Although, he did manage to get himself stuck again. He wasn't so happy about this location though and made it very clear by the screams that followed this picture.

I'm sure crawling is in the near future, which truly excites me and terrifies me all at the same time. Just knowing his feisty personality and determination, I can only imagine what our lives will be like when he is on the move. For now, I'll just enjoy this stage and perhaps, join him in a little yoga. He seems to have mastered the downward dog pose.

Actually, he might think he is a dog.

3 Month Mommy Must Haves

I can't believe my Little Grub is already 3 months old! Time is flying by WAY too fast! When he was first born, I would always get so sad when I noticed him changing or thought about him getting older. I have loved every stage he has gone through, but the older he gets, the more fun everything is. I'm not gonna lie though, I still get sad when he grows out of his clothes. :( 

1. Aden and Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets: These blankets are perfect for summer! I love that they are so light-weight and breathable! They are pretty big too, so they worked better for us once he was a little bigger. He wiggles himself out of a blanket swaddle, but these are perfect for the stroller, the swing and for snuggle time.

 

2. B.O.B Stroller: We were so excited when Bennett was finally old enough to fit in his B.O.B!!! There are so many great things about this beast! I highly recommend it! It's a bit spendy, but it can do EVERYTHING and go EVERYWHERE!! It also has a weight capacity of 70 lbs, so he'll be able to use it for a long time! I'm also really glad I bought the handlebar console and the snack tray for when he's older.

 

3. Summer Swaddlers: These worked so much better for us once he was a bit older. For some reason, he doesn't seem to mind having his arms wrapped anymore, so these prevent him from whacking himself in the face when he sleeps.

 

4. Bumbo: Bennett LOVES to be sitting up and looking at everything! We've only used his Bumbo a few times because his head still gets a little wobbly after awhile. I always make sure it's pushed up against the couch to give him a little head support just in case.

 

5. Kirkland Diapers: We made this little discovery a few weeks ago at Costco. I've always been partial to Pampers since he was a newborn, but figured it was worth trying something new to save a few bucks. I'm so happy we did! I love them!

 

6. Motorola Video Monitor: Bennett is still sleeping in our room, but I've used the monitor during the day for naps. As a new mom, I was so nervous to walk into a different room at first. I love this monitor!! The sound is so clear and the picture is great too! I also like how it shows the temperature of the room.

 

7. Fisher Price Play Mat: Bennett LOVES this!!! When he was just a week or two old, I started laying him on it and he would stare at the big, blue elephant pillow. Now he loves to hit and kick all the hanging rattles and his favorite part is the music and the blinking lights. He seriously gets the biggest smile on his face when I turn them on for him! It's so cute!

8. Munchkin Night and Day Bottle Warmer: Never really thought we would need a bottle warmer since I was planning to breastfeed. When Bennett was about a week and a half old, and I had reached full-blown-bat-shit-crazy mode, my doctor suggested that Jon feed him once during the night so I could get a few more hours of sleep. It was so nice to have everything upstairs and ready to go when it was Daddy's turn for feeding. It's also been super helpful to travel with and keep 2 bottles cold when we're on the go.

 

9. Temporal Thermometer: We have used this little gem multiple times! Luckily, Bennett hasn't ever had a fever, but it has been so easy to check and rule it out as a possibility. I'm a total worrier so this is a must for me!

 

10. Graco Stroller Frame: My fabulous friend, Diana, has given us SOOOO many great hand-me-downs! This baby was the jackpot!!! It's super easy to fold up and throw in the car for short little outings! We were able to use it right away since you just snap the infant car seat in. Way easier to maneuver in small places than the giant B.O.B!





Writer's Workshop: My Favorite Summer View

I'm a newbie to the blogging world. I have recently been introduced to Mama Kat. She's hilarious. I'm obsessed with her blog. I want to be her friend.

Each week, she does a Writer's Workshop with a list of writing prompts to choose from. I'm a teacher, so of course this excites me. The prompt I chose to write about this week is: My Favorite Summer View.....

Since my mom has retired, she has discovered a new hobby: hiking. Tuesdays are hiking days. Since we are temporarily summer roommates with my parents, Bennett and I joined the 'Tuesday Trekkers' on their adventure last week. We had so much fun!!! And when I say we, I really mean I.

As a new mom, it always makes me a little nervous to go on new adventures. There are so many things to think about and I seem to always forget something important.... a blanket, a burp rag, baby wipes, diapers, a binkie. It never fails. This time I actually managed to remember it all. But of course, there is always something:

We were all packed and ready to head out the door. Not wanting to make the other ladies late, I was attempting to wheel my giant stroller out to the car and get everything loaded. Truman, our manipulative, conniving Terrier, bolted out the door and decided to go hang out next to the big, scary Rottweiler next door. Perfect timing. I'm no dog whisperer and in fact, if he could, Truman would probably flip me off with his paw everyday. Instead, he just mean-mugs me.
Luckily, our hiking partners arrived and of course, he needed to viciously bark uncontrollably at them and growl at their feet. My mom, who is the Truman whisperer, got him in the house and away we went.

So, my favorite summer view?

 
One of many beautiful places along our hike. I love everything about this picture! It really encompasses so much of my hometown and reminds me how much I love and miss it!


Another favorite view from our adventure:

 

That face seriously melts my heart. He loved laying on that huge rock, looking at everything around him, kicking his legs like crazy.



And, I learned something new: how to change a diaper in the stroller in the woods. Check that one off my list!

I also learned how to feed him, standing up in the woods, but I'll spare you and not post that picture.


Overall, we had a perfect day!

Bennett gives hiking 2 thumbs up! Can't wait for another adventure this Tuesday!!!

breastfeeding: the good, the bad and the ugly

Disclaimer: This post includes detailed reality that may freak you out. Read with caution.

I guess you could say, that when I was pregnant, I was a tad emotional. I would burst into tears at any given moment, for no reason in particular. Sometimes these were brief tear-fests. And sometimes these were full blown, mascara dripping, Kleenex destroying, hysterical meltdowns. My poor husband.

At times, the mere mention of breastfeeding would jumpstart one of these snot-fests. I really can't explain why. Honestly, I have no idea.

I knew I wanted to breastfeed and was determined to make it work. My husband, the ultimate 'helper', would secretly research this and watch videos in order to fill me in on what I needed to know. One day, I finally asked him "How are you such an expert at this?" To which he spilled his guts and admitted to his extensive internet searches.

As my due date got closer, the reality of this was starting to set in. One of my best friends brought me her Medela pump and gave me a quick tutorial on how to hook up to the intimidating milk machine. I was so disturbed, I left the damn thing sitting on the end table for the next three weeks, secretly hoping it would disappear. It didn't.

Fast forward to April 10, 2013, 24 hours after I had gone into labor. There I was. Exhausted, having slept only 20 minutes in the last 40 hours, holding my red, wrinkly, 8lb, bundle of happiness in the post-partum recovery room. All I wanted was to soak up every second of this moment with my brand-new little family.

Nothing ruins the joyous moment like a nurse you've never met before, barging in the room to squeeze your boob and throw your nipple into your peacefully sleeping baby's tiny mouth. (Anyone ever tell you, modesty goes out the window when you become a mom?)

Needless to say the first week and a half of breastfeeding was hardly enjoyable. And it would have been really easy to give up. There really isn't anything glamorous about painful blood blisters, rubbed raw skin, greasy lanolin, rubber nipple shields, staining every shirt that actually fits your squishy body, and copious amounts of spit-up. Not to mention, the fear and worry that comes from questions like: Is he getting enough milk? Is he overeating? Is his spit-up supposed to look like that? Did I burp him long enough? Am I burping him too hard? Will he choke if he spits up in his sleep? How do I use this damn Boppy? The list goes on.

The best thing I did, was to stick with it. It took awhile for my little piranha and me to get into a good routine, but it did eventually happen. Even now, it isn't flawless. But some of my favorite times together are when he's eating. It melts my heart when he stops slurping, stares into my soul with his big, blue eyes and gives me a HUGE, milk dripping smile. It really is the absolute best. I wouldn't change it for anything. 

A baby won't change your life THAT much. Right????

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend who told me "well, having a baby won't change our lives that much." It was all I could do to hold back my laughter. (Keep in mind, we were having this conversation at a housewarming party where I had to microwave a cup of water in order to heat up a bottle to feed a screaming baby because I was too modest and nervous to nurse him amongst a bunch of non-parents.)

Today, I am laughing at that statement once again.

My sister is leaving tomorrow for a short trip to Vegas and too send her off, my mom and I decided to meet her for lunch in Ellensburg, 30 minutes away. (The hubster is working on his Masters degree at Central, so we are currently bunking up with my parents.)

I thought it might be nice to stop at the college to visit Jon during his lunch break. After 10 minutes of driving around the campus to find a 'Visitor's Parking Lot', I threw Bennett in the stroller and started the hike towards the Rec Center. We arrived to find a table full of silent grad students, pencils grinding away at their homework. (A perfect place for a 3 month old and his talkative mom) I chatted a bit with Jon and then decided it was probably time to head to Wing Central. My absolute favorite place to eat in Ellensburg!!!

By this time, Bennett had discovered his wet diaper and was starting to get hungry. Made a quick stop to change his diaper on a random table in the Rec Center. Got a few weird looks and an awkward comment about my "nice changing table", but seriously, wet diapers call for desperate measures.

Made it back to the car and figured I should probably try to feed him since a dry diaper hadn't fixed the problem. Of course today was the first day in 3 months I hadn't worn a nursing bra. But instead decided to try out my new, cute, wireless, XL, teal, over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder, since I packed a bottle to warm up at the restaurant. (Plan=Failed)

Thank goodness Jon walked back to the car with me so he could fold up the stroller as I got situated to feed the babe. He also dug my nursing cover out of the diaper bag to avoid a weird, boob hanging out, run-in with a college student. 10 minutes later, we were finally en route to deep-fried, hot wing, deliciousness!!

Let's assess: so far, I'd say this trip is MUCH different than it was last summer.

Finally sat down at Wing Central, wedged Bennett's car seat in the booth next to me and got ready to order my delicious lunch that I had been anxiously awaiting. And......boom, fussy-pants continued. Of course, ANOTHER wet diaper. And no changing table in the bathroom at this college hangout. With Gramma and Auntie's help, we managed to change his diaper on my lap in record time. Now I knew he would fall asleep.

NOPE! He loves to fight taking a nap these days and still seemed hungry. I asked the waitress for a cup of hot water about half full. She looked at me with confusion at first and then said "well, we'll have to microwave it, because we don't have anything hot back here." That was fine and dandy. Just had to wait a few minutes for the water to get hot and then a few more for the bottle to warm up.....She finally brought out some barely lukewarm water in a plastic soda cup. (Yeah, not gonna work.) So, my mom convinced me to "Just feed him, hun. You don't know anybody here."

Alright. I was going to do it. My FIRST OFFICIAL public nursing!!! Clumsily got ready and....in walks one of my ex-boyfriend's friends. Awesome. (BTW, I think I nailed the 'act like you didn't see him' routine) And then, out walked the cook. Somebody else I knew.

By this time, I was so hot and sweaty you would have thought I had just finished running a 5K. Meanwhile, our appetizer had been brought out and I managed to eat about 5 fries, left-handed. By the time I was done feeding Bennett, there wasn't a crumb of Fahrenheit Fries left. DAMN!!! Guess Mom and Sis were as hungry as Bennett.

Out comes our meal, that I had crazily agreed to split with my sister. Didn't cut it quite in half, so ended up eating about 1/3 of the burger. By this time, Bennett was still unsettled so I shoved a few more bites of burning hot streak fries into my mouth and headed out to the car. I figured I had driven everyone else in the restaurant crazy enough and just needed a change of scenery. Got 2 quick rounds of Candy Crush in before he started to cry again so decided to give him a driving tour of my alma mater. He fell asleep instantly once the car started to move.

Sooooooo....let's assess once more. Compared to my past experiences at Wing Central, which often included a cold beverage or two, relaxed conversation, a long enjoyable meal, and a belly ache from eating WAY too much, this 30 minute, frantic, debacle, in which I left still hungry, was not quite the same.

So yeah, I'd say that a baby, does in fact, change your life in major ways. The best kind of ways. Even when it gets pretty crazy being Bennett's mom is way better than anything I used to do. It's just different.

  

1 and 2 Month Mommy Must Haves

One of the first things I wanted to share is a list of Mommy Must Haves for the first 2 months. I spent WAY too many hours researching baby things that I needed to register for in in preparation for my little bugaboo. I found a few super helpful blogs and asked my mom-friends TONS of questions. This is a list of my absolute favorite things that have been lifesavers for the first two months! 




1. Fisher Price Snugabunny Swing: This thing is an absolute MUST for us! Bennett seriously spends hours sleeping in his swing. He loves everything about it: the music, the adorable birdie mobile and his new fave is staring at his cute little face in the mirror.

2. Fisher Price Luv U Zoo Bouncer: We love this chair! We usually put it on the table when we're eating dinner and Bennett just hangs out with us. It's been perfect and was so easy to throw in the car for our weekend at the beach.

3. Boon Lawn Drying Rack and Boon Stem: We use this everyday! It's perfect for drying all the bottle parts and looks super bright and cute! I almost registered for the Boon Grass size, but I would highly recommend the Lawn. It's always full!

4. Aden and Anais Burpy Bib: We have 4 of these babies and wish we had more! They're perfect for saving outfits and PJs from major spit-up and are SUPER absorbent!! We were washing a load of laundry a day just so we had a clean pile of these every night.

5. Avent Natural Bottles: It took me forever to decide what kind of bottles to register for! I'd walk down the bottle aisle and get so confused and overwhelmed! I ended up choosing a couple different kinds just in case, but these are the ones we ended up getting and didn't have any trouble! Bennett hogs his bottle down at night like a champ! Word of advice: make sure you pull the nipple all the way up until the rounded part is flush with the ring. (Or you could put them together wrong for 2 months like we did!)

6. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bibs: Love these!!! If you have a piggy eater (like I do), you'll end up with milk from ear to ear, dripping down their chin. These bibs have a really absorbent ring around the neck that soaks up the milk before it escapes into their neck rolls and down their onesies. My husband even came back from Target one day with another pack because we were using them so often.

7. Halo Sleep Sack: Two things I love the most about this- it zips from the top down, which makes for much easier diaper changes at 3:00 am and you can swaddle arms in or out. It also keeps them really snuggly and they come in really cute patterns. I'm so sad that Bennett has grown out of his!

8. Avent Soothie Pacifier: Everything we read encouraged to not introduce pacifiers too early until breastfeeding was well established. Well, that philosophy went out the window the first night we came home from the hospital and Bennett wouldn't quit crying! I popped this little miracle worker into his mouth and we've loved them ever since! We have 4 and I wish we had more!

9. Ergo Baby Carrier: I asked my mom-friends for suggestions about carriers and got the most feedback about the Ergo. So far, we've only gotten to use it as a front pack, but this bad-boy can go on your back and your side once the babe is a bit bigger. Make sure you get the infant insert so you can use it right away. I used ours for the first time when Bennett was 3 weeks old. It's got a hood that snaps on the shoulder straps to protect your little peanut from wind, rain and sun. So awesome!!

10. Cloud B Gentle Giraffe: How cute is this?!?! This little guy is perfect to hang on the crib and has 4 different sound options to help the little babes sleep. We always use the 'mom's heartbeat' option at night time, and until this week, Bennett has been a pretty good sleeper.

11. Medela Hands Free Pumping Bra: I was so embarrassed to register for this beast at first! It just looks so ridiculous on the box and trust me, it feels even MORE ridiculous the first time you put it on! I felt like I was a superhero that should be able to shoot bullets from my boobs. (Not gonna lie, I even made the machine gun noise and pretended to shoot my living room. Major sleep deprivation. Remember?) But seriously, this thing is genius and I couldn't imagine pumping without it.

12. Medela Breast Pump: Best. Pump. Ever. It's spendy, but TOTALLY worth it!

13. Baby Gloves:I always used to think babies looked so silly with little gloves on their tiny hands, but they are AMAZING!!! First of all, baby's fingernails are like little razors and they grow insanely fast. It's so sad to me when Bennett scratches his own face with his out-of-control flailing hands. Not to mention, the damage he can do when he digs his claws into my skin. Also, his hands get cold sometimes, so it's nice to throw his gloves on so he's more comfortable and can sleep better. 

14. Summer Infant Bath Seat: We love this bath seat! Bennett just lounges in this chair and LOVES taking baths. I really like that he isn't just sitting in gross, soapy water and the mesh seems way more comfy than cold, hard plastic bath tubs. He is starting to get more wiggly, so I just always make sure I've got a hand on him so he doesn't roll himself off his seat. Bonus: when he poops or pees during his bath, it just washes away!!!