(Feel free to skip this post if you're tired of reading about Nick's sleeping habits. This is all documentation for my future "Nick's First Year" blog book, which I plan to use as reference for any future babies)
Nick had a hard time getting comfortable to fall asleep last night. I'm pretty sure it was the fact that I thought it would be interesting to see if he'd be more comfortable in a fleece sleep sack, as opposed to the footie pj's and swaddle (from the waist down) that he had been wearing.
So after his bath, I lotioned him up and zipped him into the fleece sleeper.
After over an hour of restless tossing and turning he finally woke up crying (during Jersey Shore...come on, bud!) so I ran in to grab him (during a commercial of course) and found him clammy and sweaty. Eek!
My first thought was he had a fever, but I took his temp, and it was a cool 97.8. So I figured it was the fleece sleeping bag (hello, I'm a dumb ass...who puts their kid in a fleece sack in the summer??). I flipped on the light, which was stupid because it turned Nick from half-asleep fussy guy, into fully-awake happy guy.
I changed him into footie pj's per the usual but decided to leave off the swaddle -- since he was so sweaty -- and rocked him back to sleep.
Put him back in his crib and he passed out...and didn't make a peep the rest of the night. When Todd was heading off for work at 6:00am, I panicked because I hadn't heard Nick all night -- and when I looked at the monitor, he was sleeping on his belly!
Of course I made Todd go in and flip him back over to his back, which lead to another hour of restless sleep for Nick until we had to get up at 7:00am.
But it made me wonder if he slept better because we had dropped the swaddle, and he had slept on his stomach... He must really take after his mommy -- I have always been a better stomach sleeper than back. Of course ever since being pregnant with Nick, I've slept on my side -- a habit I just can't seem to drop.
Regardless, I'll still be putting him down to sleep on his back. But I am glad to have my good sleeper back in action!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Earthquake in VA!
Holy smokes. Sitting at my desk, working away per the usual at 2:00pm on a Tuesday and all of a sudden my entire office started to rumble and vibrate.
My initial reaction was "good LORD those people on the floor above us are running around like maniacs!" Until the rumbling got louder, and the vibrating turned to all out shaking.
I jumped to the door frame and looked into the hall to see every other office doorway being filled with people. People wondering the same thing: "what the HELL was that?"
Naturally working mere miles from our nation's capitol, I immediately panicked that we were under terrorist attack. But the nice gentleman in the doorway across from mine could see the fear on my face and said "I'm from California...THAT was an earthquake." Which he followed up by asking me 15 times "are you ok?" "are you sure you're ok?" "you've never been in an earthquake before?"
Nope. Never experienced it.
I was in a tornado when I was 3 years old. My brother saved my life. Literally. We were in a pop-up trailer when a storm started brewing. My parents ran out of the trailer to secure my dads boat, thinking that maybe the winds might blow it down river. But as they tied up loose ends outside the trailer, they watched as the trailer, with their two babies inside, was grabbed by the tornado, lifted off the ground, and flipped upside down on the wrong side. They had no idea that inside that trailer, my brother had grabbed me and pulled me underneath the dining table and covered me with his entire body, shielding me from any danger. Chokes me up to think about it. Imagine how hard my mom cries every time she has a flashback.
Naturally my first instinct was to call the babysitter and make sure Nick was ok. But our phone lines were jammed. EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON. in Northern VA was calling their loved ones.
Ironically enough I was doing research on the state of our homeland security this morning and found that since 9/11, one of the most failed cornerstones of our homeland security lies in that of technology and cyber security. And in one report that I read, I came across a line that said "students can teach their parents information-age survival skills, such as texting, which may offer the only means to communicate when cellular networks are overloaded (800 text messages consume the same bandwidth as a one-minute call)".
Of course I don't have the babysitters cell number to text her, but I was able to text my parents to make sure they were ok. And to yell in my panicked text message voice "MOM, CAN YOU CALL THE BABYSITTER?!?!"
She assured me Nick was fine. Then she told me that my dad was working out in the yard when it happened, and he didn't feel a thing. Nothing. Amazing.
So I continued to freak out as I couldn't get through the phone lines. But finally I got through, and you know what the babysitter told me?
Nick slept through it. Even napped through her ushering all the kids into the bathroom for safety. And as I talked to her, she said "yes...Nick is STILL sleeping". Bless his little heart.
Turns out it was a 5.9 on the Richter scale. And reached NY, Detroit, NC, Chicago, and GA. But so far I'm not hearing many reports of damage and no casualties. Other than flight delays, it looks like all is good in the 'hood.
Of course this just furthers my theory that the world is ending. Hurricanes, Tsunami's, and everything in between... Mother Nature -- she's ANGRY!
My initial reaction was "good LORD those people on the floor above us are running around like maniacs!" Until the rumbling got louder, and the vibrating turned to all out shaking.
I jumped to the door frame and looked into the hall to see every other office doorway being filled with people. People wondering the same thing: "what the HELL was that?"
Naturally working mere miles from our nation's capitol, I immediately panicked that we were under terrorist attack. But the nice gentleman in the doorway across from mine could see the fear on my face and said "I'm from California...THAT was an earthquake." Which he followed up by asking me 15 times "are you ok?" "are you sure you're ok?" "you've never been in an earthquake before?"
Nope. Never experienced it.
I was in a tornado when I was 3 years old. My brother saved my life. Literally. We were in a pop-up trailer when a storm started brewing. My parents ran out of the trailer to secure my dads boat, thinking that maybe the winds might blow it down river. But as they tied up loose ends outside the trailer, they watched as the trailer, with their two babies inside, was grabbed by the tornado, lifted off the ground, and flipped upside down on the wrong side. They had no idea that inside that trailer, my brother had grabbed me and pulled me underneath the dining table and covered me with his entire body, shielding me from any danger. Chokes me up to think about it. Imagine how hard my mom cries every time she has a flashback.
Naturally my first instinct was to call the babysitter and make sure Nick was ok. But our phone lines were jammed. EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON. in Northern VA was calling their loved ones.
Ironically enough I was doing research on the state of our homeland security this morning and found that since 9/11, one of the most failed cornerstones of our homeland security lies in that of technology and cyber security. And in one report that I read, I came across a line that said "students can teach their parents information-age survival skills, such as texting, which may offer the only means to communicate when cellular networks are overloaded (800 text messages consume the same bandwidth as a one-minute call)".
Of course I don't have the babysitters cell number to text her, but I was able to text my parents to make sure they were ok. And to yell in my panicked text message voice "MOM, CAN YOU CALL THE BABYSITTER?!?!"
She assured me Nick was fine. Then she told me that my dad was working out in the yard when it happened, and he didn't feel a thing. Nothing. Amazing.
So I continued to freak out as I couldn't get through the phone lines. But finally I got through, and you know what the babysitter told me?
Nick slept through it. Even napped through her ushering all the kids into the bathroom for safety. And as I talked to her, she said "yes...Nick is STILL sleeping". Bless his little heart.
Turns out it was a 5.9 on the Richter scale. And reached NY, Detroit, NC, Chicago, and GA. But so far I'm not hearing many reports of damage and no casualties. Other than flight delays, it looks like all is good in the 'hood.
Of course this just furthers my theory that the world is ending. Hurricanes, Tsunami's, and everything in between... Mother Nature -- she's ANGRY!
We have teeth!
Well...sort of, anyway!
On Sunday morning I strapped Nick in to his high chair for breakfast. Just as I was about to shovel the first spoonful of banana/oatmeal/mush mixture into his mouth, I saw something on his bottom gums.
Much to his dismay, instead of a mouthful of banana junk, he got a mouthful of my hand...and sure enough, two little white teeth are beginning to poke through the bottom of his formerly toothless smile!
This is very bittersweet. I'm glad they are starting to break through, as I'm sure they've been bothering him (although aside from the drooling, chewing on everything, and constant congestion, you'd really never know because he doesn't cry). But this is just another little milestone helping him grow from baby to toddler -- and I'm just not ready for that yet!
I have tried to take pics of the budding teeth, but every time I stick my fingers in his mouth now, he knows what's coming and sticks his tongue out, covering them up. I'll keep trying. Definitely want to document this.
In other Nick related news, he is days away from being able to sit on his own. Every time he's in a seated position (car seat, bouncer, sitting on our laps, swing, etc.) he pulls himself forward. And yesterday as he was sitting on my lap, he kept catching himself when he would start to fall backwards. When I put him on the floor to sit, he wants to lean as far forward as possible to grab whatever my be in front of him...and then he falls on his face. So we're not quite there, but ohsoclose!
On Sunday morning I strapped Nick in to his high chair for breakfast. Just as I was about to shovel the first spoonful of banana/oatmeal/mush mixture into his mouth, I saw something on his bottom gums.
Much to his dismay, instead of a mouthful of banana junk, he got a mouthful of my hand...and sure enough, two little white teeth are beginning to poke through the bottom of his formerly toothless smile!
This is very bittersweet. I'm glad they are starting to break through, as I'm sure they've been bothering him (although aside from the drooling, chewing on everything, and constant congestion, you'd really never know because he doesn't cry). But this is just another little milestone helping him grow from baby to toddler -- and I'm just not ready for that yet!
I have tried to take pics of the budding teeth, but every time I stick my fingers in his mouth now, he knows what's coming and sticks his tongue out, covering them up. I'll keep trying. Definitely want to document this.
In other Nick related news, he is days away from being able to sit on his own. Every time he's in a seated position (car seat, bouncer, sitting on our laps, swing, etc.) he pulls himself forward. And yesterday as he was sitting on my lap, he kept catching himself when he would start to fall backwards. When I put him on the floor to sit, he wants to lean as far forward as possible to grab whatever my be in front of him...and then he falls on his face. So we're not quite there, but ohsoclose!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Do we stink??
So, as I'm sure you all know, Nick is a spitter. Everything he eats is eventually seen again - either on his shirt, or mine...or Todd's...or Gramma's...or the floor...or his play mat...you get the point. He has had an issue with spitting up since the day he came out...and it's pretty disgusting. But after 6.5 months, we're pretty used to it, and now when Nick spews on Todd's shirt, instead of geeking out about the fact that it was his "only clean white shirt, dammit!", now Todd just yanks off whatever he's wearing and let's Nick grab hold of his five chest hairs and dribble leftover lunch carrots down his stomach because "the hell if I'm washing TWO stained t-shirts in one day!"
Naturally because of this issue, we arm ourselves (or Nick rather) with tons of bibs. We have every kind of bib from plastic backed, to thick and absorbent, to stylish bibs for those in-between meals moments where we're hopeful he doesn't spit up and stain the cute bib, but glad it's there when bananas come out 3 hours after he last ate them.
Obviously, the babysitter likes to have lots of bibs on hand as well, considering Nick spends 90% of his weekdays in her house, and she would prefer to not have baby-vomit stains on her carpet and sofa. So, we bring an arsenal of bibs to her house each week.
On Wednesday afternoon, when I picked up Nick from daycare, our babysitter said "I need more bibs". I wasn't surprised considering Nick's laundry basket at home was overflowing with clothes that desperately needed washing...including most of his bibs. So I assured her I'd bring a stack with me on Thursday morning.
That night I went home and sorted Nick's laundry, and threw the majority of his bibs in the washer and then the dryer.
On Thursday morning, I walked into daycare with Nick on my hip, took one look at the babysitter, and cursed myself (possibly out loud, I can't be sure) because I realized I had completely forgotten the bibs. They were clean, but they were still in the dryer waiting for me to untangle them from the mess of baby laundry they were velcroed to.
I made it a point to grab three clean bibs from Nick's room to bring with me back to daycare on Thursday afternoon, JUST IN CASE I forgot to bring more on Friday morning. I handed the babysitter the three bibs as she handed me Nick, and we scurried on home.
Fast-forward to this morning. I made sure to sort through all of the laundry in the dryer and came up with a stack of 8 or 9 freshly cleaned, plastic-backed bibs. *side note -- we use Dreft detergent for Nick's clothes in the washer, and BabyGanics baby-fresh-scent dryer sheets in the dryer - and both smell GOOD*.
We arrived at daycare and I proudly handed over my kid, and then my stack of clean bibs. To which the babysitter instantly replied "why do they stink?"
Me: "Huh? Stink?"
Her: "yes, yesterday the three you gave me smelled like rotten eggs so I had to Lysol them."
Me: "I have no idea...I didn't smell anything"
Her: "Smell these" (waving the freshly cleaned bibs under my nose) "See? They stink!"
Me: "I swear I cannot smell anything...they smell normal to me"
Her: (giving me a very surprised look like she is shocked I can't smell them) "It smells like rotten eggs. Does he spit up a lot at home?"
Me: "No more than he does here or anywhere else...I honestly don't smell anything! They just came out of the washer. Oh my gosh -- does my house just stink all the time?!"
She just gave me another 'yikes...your whole house probably smells that bad' look and said "That's ok, I'll wash them again".
So I kissed Nick goodbye, turned and left, and got in my car. And then I started to cry. (ugh, hormones)
I remember going to friends houses growing up and thinking "ew, their house smells different".
By the time I was in middle school, I realized that every family had their own "house smell", and I came to embrace it -- and actually enjoyed smelling other people's house smells. To this day, my brother and I still take extra deep breaths when we come across a smell that reminds us of our Grandparents old houses.
But today, with one small comment, our babysitter has made me completely self conscious. I honestly did not smell ANYTHING on those bibs. They didn't have any sort of smell to me at all. Now I'm worried that we have a house smell -- and that our house smell is fart. All morning I've been intermittently sniffing items around the house, while sniffing myself, to see if I can figure out the culprit. I still don't smell anything but "normal".
Now I'm wondering if people that know us think "well, they must just always smell like fart". I'm totally bothered by this...especially because it's one of those things that I may never find an answer for. Why did the bibs smell to her? Why couldn't I smell what she smelled? Does our house really smell awful? Would you tell me if it did? Do we stink??
Naturally because of this issue, we arm ourselves (or Nick rather) with tons of bibs. We have every kind of bib from plastic backed, to thick and absorbent, to stylish bibs for those in-between meals moments where we're hopeful he doesn't spit up and stain the cute bib, but glad it's there when bananas come out 3 hours after he last ate them.
Obviously, the babysitter likes to have lots of bibs on hand as well, considering Nick spends 90% of his weekdays in her house, and she would prefer to not have baby-vomit stains on her carpet and sofa. So, we bring an arsenal of bibs to her house each week.
On Wednesday afternoon, when I picked up Nick from daycare, our babysitter said "I need more bibs". I wasn't surprised considering Nick's laundry basket at home was overflowing with clothes that desperately needed washing...including most of his bibs. So I assured her I'd bring a stack with me on Thursday morning.
That night I went home and sorted Nick's laundry, and threw the majority of his bibs in the washer and then the dryer.
On Thursday morning, I walked into daycare with Nick on my hip, took one look at the babysitter, and cursed myself (possibly out loud, I can't be sure) because I realized I had completely forgotten the bibs. They were clean, but they were still in the dryer waiting for me to untangle them from the mess of baby laundry they were velcroed to.
I made it a point to grab three clean bibs from Nick's room to bring with me back to daycare on Thursday afternoon, JUST IN CASE I forgot to bring more on Friday morning. I handed the babysitter the three bibs as she handed me Nick, and we scurried on home.
Fast-forward to this morning. I made sure to sort through all of the laundry in the dryer and came up with a stack of 8 or 9 freshly cleaned, plastic-backed bibs. *side note -- we use Dreft detergent for Nick's clothes in the washer, and BabyGanics baby-fresh-scent dryer sheets in the dryer - and both smell GOOD*.
We arrived at daycare and I proudly handed over my kid, and then my stack of clean bibs. To which the babysitter instantly replied "why do they stink?"
Me: "Huh? Stink?"
Her: "yes, yesterday the three you gave me smelled like rotten eggs so I had to Lysol them."
Me: "I have no idea...I didn't smell anything"
Her: "Smell these" (waving the freshly cleaned bibs under my nose) "See? They stink!"
Me: "I swear I cannot smell anything...they smell normal to me"
Her: (giving me a very surprised look like she is shocked I can't smell them) "It smells like rotten eggs. Does he spit up a lot at home?"
Me: "No more than he does here or anywhere else...I honestly don't smell anything! They just came out of the washer. Oh my gosh -- does my house just stink all the time?!"
She just gave me another 'yikes...your whole house probably smells that bad' look and said "That's ok, I'll wash them again".
So I kissed Nick goodbye, turned and left, and got in my car. And then I started to cry. (ugh, hormones)
I remember going to friends houses growing up and thinking "ew, their house smells different".
By the time I was in middle school, I realized that every family had their own "house smell", and I came to embrace it -- and actually enjoyed smelling other people's house smells. To this day, my brother and I still take extra deep breaths when we come across a smell that reminds us of our Grandparents old houses.
But today, with one small comment, our babysitter has made me completely self conscious. I honestly did not smell ANYTHING on those bibs. They didn't have any sort of smell to me at all. Now I'm worried that we have a house smell -- and that our house smell is fart. All morning I've been intermittently sniffing items around the house, while sniffing myself, to see if I can figure out the culprit. I still don't smell anything but "normal".
Now I'm wondering if people that know us think "well, they must just always smell like fart". I'm totally bothered by this...especially because it's one of those things that I may never find an answer for. Why did the bibs smell to her? Why couldn't I smell what she smelled? Does our house really smell awful? Would you tell me if it did? Do we stink??
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I shouldn't have said it
Or rather typed it out, in this case.
Sure enough, last night was not a very good night of sleep.
Granted, he went down easily, and stayed down the first several hours of the night. But around 2:00am, he woke up a bit fussy. I tried to let him fuss for a bit, but I've found if I rush in and replace his pacifier before his fussing wakes him up, then most likely he'll pass back out. So just as he was on the brink of full out crying, I raced to his room as quietly as possible, felt around the crib for his pacifier, and snuck it back in his mouth without him seeing me.
Or so I thought.
15 minutes later he was wide awake and crying hard. I asked Todd to go in and replace his pacifier again, for fear of him seeing me another time and wanting to play.
So Todd went in and tried to soothe him for a few minutes. Well that didn't work, and Todd ended up having to pick him up and rock him for a bit.
About 15 more minutes later, Todd came back to bed and Nick appeared to be sleeping soundly in his crib.
Silly me.
He started fussing almost immediately. This time it was small intermittent cries, and sounded almost as if he was fighting sleep with tears. But after nearly 10 minutes, his fussing progressed further so I jumped up and ran in to rescue him.
I know, I know -- that's not sleep training...but it breaks both of our hearts to hear him cry and I just can't help it.
So I picked him up and rocked him in the glider for about 20 minutes. And at the end of those 20 minutes he was out like a light. So I placed him back in the crib and watched as he immediately rolled to his side -- his new favorite sleeping position.
I was certain he would wake up again, but I tiptoed back to our room, cursing the creaky old floors of our hallway, and plopped back in bed.
And within 5 minutes, I was passed out. And I'm pretty sure Nick slept the rest of the night, but at that point I was so exhausted that if he fussed at all, I didn't hear it.
This morning as Todd was kissing a half-asleep me goodbye, he told me that when he picked up Nick in the middle of the night, he instantly had several big farts. Which had also happened when I picked him up. So we both agreed his fussing was probably from gas, and the picking him up helped him squeeze out the air bubbles.
It was actually a fairly easy night compared to some we've had where Nick would wake up 40 minutes after going down and continue to do so the rest of the evening.
I'm planning on giving him some easy fruit (apples, pears or peaches) tonight for dinner because I've noticed he doesn't spit up with any of those fruits, and doesn't have gas with them. (Last night he had bananas for dinner and proceeded to have several banana burps - which stunk to high heaven - and should have been an indicator for his gas level). Then I'm hoping to take him on a nice long stroll around the neighborhood, so long as the weather stays fairly cool. Hopefully these combined items will help him sleep better.
Truthfully, I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night. Yes, I'm groggy, and yes I love to sleep, but as soon as I pick him up and he nuzzles his little face in to the crook of my neck and sighs his sweet little sighs as he drifts off to sleep, all becomes right in the world again, and the sleep doesn't matter quite as much.
Sure enough, last night was not a very good night of sleep.
Granted, he went down easily, and stayed down the first several hours of the night. But around 2:00am, he woke up a bit fussy. I tried to let him fuss for a bit, but I've found if I rush in and replace his pacifier before his fussing wakes him up, then most likely he'll pass back out. So just as he was on the brink of full out crying, I raced to his room as quietly as possible, felt around the crib for his pacifier, and snuck it back in his mouth without him seeing me.
Or so I thought.
15 minutes later he was wide awake and crying hard. I asked Todd to go in and replace his pacifier again, for fear of him seeing me another time and wanting to play.
So Todd went in and tried to soothe him for a few minutes. Well that didn't work, and Todd ended up having to pick him up and rock him for a bit.
About 15 more minutes later, Todd came back to bed and Nick appeared to be sleeping soundly in his crib.
Silly me.
He started fussing almost immediately. This time it was small intermittent cries, and sounded almost as if he was fighting sleep with tears. But after nearly 10 minutes, his fussing progressed further so I jumped up and ran in to rescue him.
I know, I know -- that's not sleep training...but it breaks both of our hearts to hear him cry and I just can't help it.
So I picked him up and rocked him in the glider for about 20 minutes. And at the end of those 20 minutes he was out like a light. So I placed him back in the crib and watched as he immediately rolled to his side -- his new favorite sleeping position.
I was certain he would wake up again, but I tiptoed back to our room, cursing the creaky old floors of our hallway, and plopped back in bed.
And within 5 minutes, I was passed out. And I'm pretty sure Nick slept the rest of the night, but at that point I was so exhausted that if he fussed at all, I didn't hear it.
This morning as Todd was kissing a half-asleep me goodbye, he told me that when he picked up Nick in the middle of the night, he instantly had several big farts. Which had also happened when I picked him up. So we both agreed his fussing was probably from gas, and the picking him up helped him squeeze out the air bubbles.
It was actually a fairly easy night compared to some we've had where Nick would wake up 40 minutes after going down and continue to do so the rest of the evening.
I'm planning on giving him some easy fruit (apples, pears or peaches) tonight for dinner because I've noticed he doesn't spit up with any of those fruits, and doesn't have gas with them. (Last night he had bananas for dinner and proceeded to have several banana burps - which stunk to high heaven - and should have been an indicator for his gas level). Then I'm hoping to take him on a nice long stroll around the neighborhood, so long as the weather stays fairly cool. Hopefully these combined items will help him sleep better.
Truthfully, I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night. Yes, I'm groggy, and yes I love to sleep, but as soon as I pick him up and he nuzzles his little face in to the crook of my neck and sighs his sweet little sighs as he drifts off to sleep, all becomes right in the world again, and the sleep doesn't matter quite as much.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Dare I say it?
Nick has...*gasp* slept completely through the night since Friday. And when I say completely through the night, I mean 10-12 hours through. Can I get a hallelujah?!
Let me back it up. On Friday afternoon Todd, my Aunt Sis, Dad, and my brother went out to play golf. So my sis-in-law and I went over to Mom's (Nick came too) and had an array of delicious appetizers and a few glasses of wine.
The golfers got home shortly after 8:00pm. Nick was just polishing off his last bottle of the evening when they got home, so naturally he quickly snapped out of his milk coma at the sounds of his daddy, grampa, tio, and GAS (what we're calling his Great Aunt Sis...hilarious, no? We like it).
Nick entertained the masses with his giggles and smiles and screeches for a short while, but quickly passed out in GAS's arms. We all sat around on mom & dad's back porch enjoying the beautiful, cooler weather we've been blessed with, and before we knew it, it was after 11:00pm, and poor Whinnie was sitting at home crossing her legs and wondering if this was like the time we told her she was going to camp, only instead we took her to a kennel where she was crated for 11 days and when we finally came back to get her she moped around the house for two days to be sure we knew she was pissed. Oh yeah, that was just two weeks ago when we were in Myrtle.
Anyway, Nick slept the entire car ride home (having been asleep since before 9:00pm). He woke up briefly when we got home, and I quickly changed his diaper, and rocked him for maybe 5 minutes before he was back in dreamland. I laid him in his crib and ran to our room to hop in bed before he woke up...and sure enough? He slept all night. Granted, I heard him fuss a few times, but I chose to let him fuss to see how long he would do so -- and that combined with my lack of sleep and several glasses of wine helped to keep me semi-comatose, so the fussing didn't phase me as much as usual. And you know what? He put himself back to sleep each time. By 7:00am he was awake, but we weren't quite ready. So Todd went and scooped him up and brought him to our bed. I planned to just lay there staring at him until 7:30am when it was time for breakfast, but we all (including whinnie) accidentally fell back asleep until 8:30am. It was GLORIOUS.
I was certain that was a fluke night, but wasn't too concerned seeing as Nick was spending the next night (Saturday) at my parents house for his first overnight stay (while we went to a concert), and if he wanted to wake up several times in the night while visiting them, so be it -- we wouldn't need to get up with him -- Gramma would! But lo and behold, he slept all night again at their house.
This time I was CONVINCED it was coincidence and that he just was really tired -- well that, and I was certain he preferred sleeping in the Pack 'n Play. But Sunday night? Again, out all night. In his crib!
And then last night? AGAIN! In fact, he slept so hard last night, that at 7:20 this morning, I panicked that we were going to be late to daycare, and had to go in and wake him up. Something he does NOT enjoy. He must get that from his momma.
He is really starting to get mobile, rolling back and forth, but he still prefers to sleep on his back or on his side with one arm draped across his forehead. So long as he can find a comfortable position, and find his thumb to chew on (no, we still haven't mastered the sucking of the thumb, but at least it has found his mouth) when his pacifier falls out, he'll soothe himself back to sleep.
So far, I'm feeling relieved that the earlier fussing and string of sleepless nights were not in fact due to separation anxiety, but more probably due to teething and the 6 month shots that left his legs bruised, red, and swollen for two days.
I'm still knocking on wood that this good sleep sticks around. He's always been such a great sleeper, so I was shocked to have those few nights of sleeplessness...which in turn left me feeling pretty helpless not knowing what was wrong. But now I'm pretty sure I've figured it out, and if he gets shots at the 9 month appointment, I will be armed with Tylenol -- and I'll be sure to take a nap myself that day in preparation for a long night.
Now let's see if I jinxed myself...will he sleep through the night tonight? Stay tuned...
Let me back it up. On Friday afternoon Todd, my Aunt Sis, Dad, and my brother went out to play golf. So my sis-in-law and I went over to Mom's (Nick came too) and had an array of delicious appetizers and a few glasses of wine.
The golfers got home shortly after 8:00pm. Nick was just polishing off his last bottle of the evening when they got home, so naturally he quickly snapped out of his milk coma at the sounds of his daddy, grampa, tio, and GAS (what we're calling his Great Aunt Sis...hilarious, no? We like it).
Nick entertained the masses with his giggles and smiles and screeches for a short while, but quickly passed out in GAS's arms. We all sat around on mom & dad's back porch enjoying the beautiful, cooler weather we've been blessed with, and before we knew it, it was after 11:00pm, and poor Whinnie was sitting at home crossing her legs and wondering if this was like the time we told her she was going to camp, only instead we took her to a kennel where she was crated for 11 days and when we finally came back to get her she moped around the house for two days to be sure we knew she was pissed. Oh yeah, that was just two weeks ago when we were in Myrtle.
Anyway, Nick slept the entire car ride home (having been asleep since before 9:00pm). He woke up briefly when we got home, and I quickly changed his diaper, and rocked him for maybe 5 minutes before he was back in dreamland. I laid him in his crib and ran to our room to hop in bed before he woke up...and sure enough? He slept all night. Granted, I heard him fuss a few times, but I chose to let him fuss to see how long he would do so -- and that combined with my lack of sleep and several glasses of wine helped to keep me semi-comatose, so the fussing didn't phase me as much as usual. And you know what? He put himself back to sleep each time. By 7:00am he was awake, but we weren't quite ready. So Todd went and scooped him up and brought him to our bed. I planned to just lay there staring at him until 7:30am when it was time for breakfast, but we all (including whinnie) accidentally fell back asleep until 8:30am. It was GLORIOUS.
I was certain that was a fluke night, but wasn't too concerned seeing as Nick was spending the next night (Saturday) at my parents house for his first overnight stay (while we went to a concert), and if he wanted to wake up several times in the night while visiting them, so be it -- we wouldn't need to get up with him -- Gramma would! But lo and behold, he slept all night again at their house.
This time I was CONVINCED it was coincidence and that he just was really tired -- well that, and I was certain he preferred sleeping in the Pack 'n Play. But Sunday night? Again, out all night. In his crib!
And then last night? AGAIN! In fact, he slept so hard last night, that at 7:20 this morning, I panicked that we were going to be late to daycare, and had to go in and wake him up. Something he does NOT enjoy. He must get that from his momma.
He is really starting to get mobile, rolling back and forth, but he still prefers to sleep on his back or on his side with one arm draped across his forehead. So long as he can find a comfortable position, and find his thumb to chew on (no, we still haven't mastered the sucking of the thumb, but at least it has found his mouth) when his pacifier falls out, he'll soothe himself back to sleep.
So far, I'm feeling relieved that the earlier fussing and string of sleepless nights were not in fact due to separation anxiety, but more probably due to teething and the 6 month shots that left his legs bruised, red, and swollen for two days.
I'm still knocking on wood that this good sleep sticks around. He's always been such a great sleeper, so I was shocked to have those few nights of sleeplessness...which in turn left me feeling pretty helpless not knowing what was wrong. But now I'm pretty sure I've figured it out, and if he gets shots at the 9 month appointment, I will be armed with Tylenol -- and I'll be sure to take a nap myself that day in preparation for a long night.
Now let's see if I jinxed myself...will he sleep through the night tonight? Stay tuned...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Birthday wish list
Seeing as my birthday is less than a month away, and we've been really trying not to spend any money on frivolous objects, I've been lusting after a few things that I've seen on other blogs and I've decided to put some of them on my birthday wish list. If you're interested in gifting me with any of these items, know that I will love you just a little bit more. ;) So what am I currently wishing for?
An Erin Condren life planner. Perhaps with a sweet picture of Nick on the front...or maybe just a pretty design. Since having Nick, I feel like I make plans and then immediately forget I've made them. Keeping important dates, birthday's, anniversary's, appointments, events, and holiday's straight has become tedious. And I'm terrible about checking my iPhone calendar. I'd much prefer to have somewhere to write down something I need to remember. And I know my sweet hubby would benefit from being able to check the schedule as well. For the past month I've been using a blank calendar that I printed off of Outlook, and have been filling it in with colored markers to make it appealing. But oh, how I'd love a pretty planner to put in my purse/work bag.
A Tervis Tumbler (or two). I've been lusting after a Tervis tumbler for a LONG time now...and my desire only intensified as I watched my sister-in-law jump waves with her tervis full of sangria - and she never spilled a drop. PLUS, no ocean water got in her cup, and had the cup been knocked out of her hand by a wave, it would have floated. At least for a short while. But my favorite feature about the Tervis is that it keeps your ice frozen for a LONG time, meaning your drink stays cold for a VERY long time, and the cup itself doesn't sweat! Again, I'm not too picky on design...maybe a George Mason Patriot's cup or a University of Michigan cup to use during my hubby's favorite time of the year (i.e. football season). Anything goes...so long as it comes with a lid and a straw -- a must in my book!
So far that's all I have on my list. Sad, I know. Only two items. But I'm sure as September 8th (aka the most wonderful day of the year) rolls around, I'll think of some fantastic things that I just can't live without and I will update this list.
Until then, please keep in mind that these items do not need to be birthday presents. They can also serve as "I just really wanted to give you a gift for the hell of it" presents. And I ALWAYS accept those.
An Erin Condren life planner. Perhaps with a sweet picture of Nick on the front...or maybe just a pretty design. Since having Nick, I feel like I make plans and then immediately forget I've made them. Keeping important dates, birthday's, anniversary's, appointments, events, and holiday's straight has become tedious. And I'm terrible about checking my iPhone calendar. I'd much prefer to have somewhere to write down something I need to remember. And I know my sweet hubby would benefit from being able to check the schedule as well. For the past month I've been using a blank calendar that I printed off of Outlook, and have been filling it in with colored markers to make it appealing. But oh, how I'd love a pretty planner to put in my purse/work bag.
A Tervis Tumbler (or two). I've been lusting after a Tervis tumbler for a LONG time now...and my desire only intensified as I watched my sister-in-law jump waves with her tervis full of sangria - and she never spilled a drop. PLUS, no ocean water got in her cup, and had the cup been knocked out of her hand by a wave, it would have floated. At least for a short while. But my favorite feature about the Tervis is that it keeps your ice frozen for a LONG time, meaning your drink stays cold for a VERY long time, and the cup itself doesn't sweat! Again, I'm not too picky on design...maybe a George Mason Patriot's cup or a University of Michigan cup to use during my hubby's favorite time of the year (i.e. football season). Anything goes...so long as it comes with a lid and a straw -- a must in my book!
So far that's all I have on my list. Sad, I know. Only two items. But I'm sure as September 8th (aka the most wonderful day of the year) rolls around, I'll think of some fantastic things that I just can't live without and I will update this list.
Until then, please keep in mind that these items do not need to be birthday presents. They can also serve as "I just really wanted to give you a gift for the hell of it" presents. And I ALWAYS accept those.
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