Sleep Update

Jay was so sleepy last night that he wasn't interested in his last feeding at 10 p.m. He briefly stirred at 11 and 4:30 and then awoke at 5:15 a.m. I feed and changed him and he put himself to sleep for about another hour. We slept almost 6 consecutive hours!

Maybe it's working!

Doctor's visit and a new label

Question: If I think of Facebook status updates when I am engaged in ordinary activities, does this make me an Internet addict? Jaybird is... unsure.

Our main activity this week has been to the pediatrician to see if the reflux medicine is working for Jay. In my zeal not to over-medicate my firstborn, I was giving him .2 ML of medicine instead of the 2 ML he was prescribed. Oops. Pay attention to decimals, kids. The doctor prescribed kiddie Prevacid because Jay is still experiencing a good bit of irritation due to his reflux. The good news is that he now weighs over 17 pounds! This means he has doubled his birth weight and we can really get going on more solid food.

As to labels: Jay could be dubbed a TRAINED NIGHTTIME CRIER. Dum, Dum, Dum. How could a conscientious young mother allow this to happen??? When Jay was around 3 months, I enacted the "cry it out" method to help him break the habit of waking up and demanding food. I would let him cry for 10 minutes, comfort him, leave, and repeat. If it didn't work, he'd eat. After about a week, he was sleeping through the night fairly regularly. This lasted almost a month.

For the last two months, I have been comforting Jay with feeding and/or rocking due to many variables. Growth spurt. Wet himself. Trapped gas. Spit up. Plain mad.

This has caused what my doctor dubbed his "mommy fix". Thus, we begin the journey to Jay's becoming a TRAINED NIGHTTIME SLEEPER. Which means I sit and watch the clock while he whimpers and wails. I was up twice around 1:00 a.m. last night. He faked me out and fell into a light sleep only to change his mind a few minutes later. However, I did not rock or feed the little one. When he awoke again around 5:30, I had no more fight in me. Thankfully, he was down again to 7. All this is to say that I made myself a "comfort prop" for my baby. Brazen woman. Can you imagine?

As you can see, I'm in the throes of follow-the-rulebook vs. live your life while meeting your child's needs. I know there is a happy medium.

On the positive side, Jay is just a mess of energy, smiles, and joy. I have a lead on some proofreading work from home and also began making some calls for a woman I meet through MOPS. If I pick up the proofreading job, I would have 3 little quarter-time jobs. I find this both amusing and a source of pride. If you ever watched "In Living Color" way back when, you'll know the skit that I'm relating too. I'm off to my 72nd job...

That's all the minutiae that's fit to print.

Sweet Dreams!

Playdate!

Lot 187

"Seriously, Mom?"

Little Jay got so many compliments on his outfit!

Today we enjoyed getting out and "playing" with some other moms and kids. I did get my prerequisite pumpkin pictures and I am so relieved. The three of us went to see our house lot. The plumbing is being put down and the foundation will be poured soon.

Today it took me about 1 1/2 hours to change the sheets on my bed because I was having so much fun with the little guy. It is endlessly fascinating to roll around with him and try to make him laugh. And so bizarre when he will shriek in terror for no apparent reason and then go back to a state of contentment.

It was a good day.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The expression says it all!

Me, Mamaw, Jay, and Dad

True fall weather has finally arrive to middle Georgia, and I believe it's here to stay. J and I are going to a playdate tomorrow with our MOPS groups, which has been thankfully moved indoors. However, that means no hayride! And no pumpkins! How will I live without a pumpkin patch picture? Will they revoke my mommy license?

Though day to day life may seem repetitive at times, J more than makes up for it. He loves to be "flown" around and picked up by his ankles. That was his dad's doing, of course.

Something that I have realized about being a new parent is, and this is very profound, no two babies are alike. Really. I have about 4 baby books such as Your Baby Week by Week, Focus on the Family, Caring for your Baby and Young Child and Babywise. And though time tested principles have proven helpful, such as the wake-feed-sleep philosophy of Babywise, it is just not the Gospel truth. Every day is different. And even though we are still working towards sleeping through the night consistently, this does not mean I am a failure. Or that there is anything wrong with J. And rocking him to sleep works for us. So there, all you experts! Can you tell I'm a little sensitive?

I end with some more pictures from this last week. Enjoy, my readership of 4!

The J-Boy: Fall Highlights

Since I now live away from immediate family, I thought it would be nice to post some pictures of the little guy.

What you lookin' at, fool?

What I was really thinking: Get my baby away from those stinking llamas!

The GA "National" Fair

What is this woman doing to me?

J-boy in his bouncy seat (Thanks, Ms. D)

J-Boy Trivia:

1. My nicknames are (this week): Beauty Boy & J-Man

2. I have SERIOUS intestinal fortitude.

3. I have worked my way up to sleeping until 6 a.m. and back down again until 7:30 a.m.

(Yes, Lord, make it so!)

4. I am the love of the love and the bug of the bug. (It makes sense to me and Mom).

5. I have acid reflux and dry skin. High maintenance.

6. The nursery ladies say I'm good looking. So it's objectively quantified.

7. I can somehow worm my way down to the foot of the bed and get my arms out of a Velcro-ed swaddle without breaking the Velcro bond.

8. I have excellent taste in music.

9. I enjoy web chats with my grandparents.

10. I get excited when I see Daddy come home.

I'm just crazy about this little guy.