Sleep Update, Day 5

Jay slept from 11 to 7 without waking up once! He stirred once before eleven, but that's it! Eight hours of continuous sleep. Even A-train was a little concerned that the baby hadn't awoken us. He was fine! I woke him up to eat. Here's hoping for a repeat performance.

Sleep Update: Weekend Edition

Well, Jay was very ready to sleep on Saturday and Sunday night, but he was having serious abdominal pain. The little one's system was overloaded after being introduced to apple & banana baby food on top of rice cereal and his usual milk. We had to leave Sunday School early because he was having fits. Of course, he gives the nursery worker a huge smile once he's in Dad's arms.

Life has truly come full circle. My own parents have told me umpteen times about having to give me a glycerin stick you-know-where to encourage me to "cleanse my system". So, what do I reach for at CVS? You got it. I giggled at first, but now I can handle a suppository with the best of 'em! We had a little progress Sunday, but Jay didn't feel better until this afternoon. I'm really hoping it's smooth sailing tonight. I feel kinda weak and lethargic from so many times up and down last night. He honestly just woke up discomforted and feel back asleep quickly.

As for more things I didn't anticipate doing in the name of motherhood, I am making calls to schedule appointments for a financial advisor I meet in MOPS. Now it is not cold-calling, but I really have to dig my heels in to make these calls. I really understand that no one wants to be interrupted at home after a long day. I'm getting better and trying to talk very slowly. Also on the makin'-the-money-for-my-baby-and-home front, I got a response from the lead with the proofreading job. We will talk next week. This kind of work is right up my alley. Just me, my computer, and lots of grammar to correct!

Night night!

Sleep Update, Day 2

Um, could I have some privacy, please?

Why is she always in my face?

Happy, rested boy

Another step closer to uninterrupted sleep. Jay was down from 9:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. After two rounds of crying-waiting-comforting-crying, he went back to sleep. And I awoke at 7:00 a.m. wondering if we had slept in. It was great to wake up to the sunlight and not crying.

Naps are going better too. He fusses a bit, but is learning to put himself to sleep. With all his squirming, he usually ends up with his head facing the side rails and his feet toward the back of his bed.

All in all, success!

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!