Sleeping is my one true talent. OK, so maybe not my ONE true talent, because right up there with sleeping is my ability to consume rich desserts in large quantities, which would mean I'm blessed with TWO true talents, not just one. When I did Junior Miss in high school, I sincerely thought about bringing a mattress on stage and demonstrating my God-given ability to snooze.
Around Chez Reese right now the hours I get to spend practicing my talent are limited to say the least.
The broken hours I do spend sleeping are filled with dreams about, what else, but breast feeding.
I guess it's pretty natural to dream about what you spend a good 95% of your day doing. My child loves to eat (which may be evidence that the second talent I mentioned has been genetically passed along as well).
Sometimes I wake up to Kaden stirring, ready to eat, in a state of befuddled confusion, because I think I am already feeding him.
Usually, Kaden naps quite a bit during the day (demonstrating that the sleeping talent may be genetic, we just have to work on timing that talent). While he takes his first morning nap I get ready for the day and do a few things around the house before he wakes up again. Later, when he takes another nap, I try to join him for a brief snooze, to prevent myself from going insane with sleep deprivation.
Notice the word at the start of that last paragraph? USUALLY.
About that.
Today, was not a usual day.
Kaden slept for a total of one hour today.
30 minutes of that hour were spent in the stroller, while we took a brisk jaunt through the neighborhood, so mommy can work on losing her last 15 pounds of baby weight.
When we got home, he promptly woke up.
No problem.
I was actually excited we were having awake time during the DAY, instead of the usual 4:30 a.m. routine.
"I'll put on my makeup and do some laundry when he takes a nap after he eats," I thought.
That nap never came, my friends.
Kaden wanted to be held ALL day today or he was screaming. The bouncy seat failed to entice him. The swing seemed completely uninteresting. The mobile in his crib would thrill him until he realized he was being tricked. No pacifier was pacifying. He fell asleep in my arms multiple times, but each time I lay him in his crib a good five minutes later the baby monitors would announce his extreme displeasure at having been deposited somewhere other than Mommy's lap. I finally gave up trying to put him down, and let him fall asleep in my arms so he could get his 2nd 30 minutes. He was so over-tired and cranky.
When Chad came home at 5:00, he put Kaden on top of the dryer in his car seat.
An hour and a half later, he had finally fallen asleep.
He's still out.
I think I have approximately 4 minutes before he decides it's time to eat again.
I'm surprised we've lasted this long.
So miserable! Hopefully just an off day for Mr. Foxy. Can I call him that? No? Ok...
ReplyDeleteHere is some really annoying unsolicited advice just in case he tries to make today a habit. Ignore at will, especially the stuff I will probably get yelled at for admitting.
1 - If he keeps being super cranky, you can watch what you eat cause a lot of newborns are really sensitive to flavors or types of foods. Broccoli, onions, chocolate (I know, worst ever) cabbage, anyway, you get the point
2 - (this is the one I get yelled at for) My kids are tummy sleepers. I tried to resist but it was either a 10 minute nap followed by screaming on their back or a normal nap schedule. A woman can only take so much! The funny part is once i admitted it out loud, I can't even tell you how many people said, "oh yeah, my kid too, I just don't tell anyone!" Some kids just are!
3 - If he is really having a stinker day, the sling is the best thing ever. I don't like the baby bjorns as much but a ring sling or pouch sling are the best things ever! Rhode slept during almost every errand we ran in the sling and on days when he wanted to be held I could actually get dinner made. My friend demonstrates one here if you have no idea what I'm talking about :) http://snugabugslings.blogspot.com/
Ok, unsolicited advice time over.
Oh and just have to add, really wish you would have chosen mattress sleeping for your junior miss talent because, no matter how great your sleeping skills, I really doubt you could have kept it under the 1:30 time limit. Automatic disqualification means title to me! Or Katie Kilpatrick.... I lied. Glad you chose singing.
Longest comment ever right?
Get a Moby wrap... they are like slings, but I've been told they are better for the baby because they evenly distribute the weight (for you and your shoulders too), and don't cut circulation or breathing off for the baby. I had to use one all the time with Ruston because he wouldn't let me put him down either. Some kids are just like that some days. Ruston was also a tummy sleeper, although I tried my hardest to resist that until I knew he could roll over (he did that at 10 weeks though).
ReplyDeleteWant some more unsolicited advice? ;-) I'm just chiming in because that sounds EXACTLY like what Alessia was doing. It drove me crazy and we were exhausted because the only way she could sleep was leaning up against our chests. We broke out the Swaddle me blankets and she magically slept for 4 straight hours without me holding her! She could break out of regular swaddling but with those blankets she would actually sleep. (I've heard the Miracle blanket is also wonderful but we were given Swaddle me blankets.) Also, I have a Moby style wrap and they are nice but there is a lot of fabric and it gets hot, plus I found that once she weighed around 10 pounds it totally hurt my back because it would stretch and pull. We bought a Kozy Carrier and it is wonderful. It has head support for babies that don't have head control and there isn't so much fabric. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I have been there and it is exhausting, but believe it or not it really does get better. There were times when I wondered if it ever would. I wish I was closer so I could give you a break so you could practice your talent!
ReplyDeletei am no supermom but i can tell you that babywearing is fabulous! a hotsling, baby k'tan, baby belle, baby bjorn... i had them all. i don't know how mothers live without them.
ReplyDeletecaroline has always been a terrible sleeper. she would stay up all of the time. anyway, i would put her in the carrier and place the vacuum cleaner right beside her. it does the same thing that the dryer/carrier situation does. however, with the vacuum, you can actually get some work done.
hope things get better. he is absolutely beautiful! he looks jut like the reese boys ;-)
It does get better I promise!
ReplyDeleteoh the zombie days...just thinking about it gives me an anxiety attack. It will get better. and hopefully it was just a fluke day. But i second the eating issue. Dairy is also a HUGE issue for some babies. Also have you tried the gas relief drops? Cambree lived off of those. Good Luck, it can be so hard sometimes since ALL BABIES are SO different! It will get better though!
ReplyDeleteOh the joys of newborns. There has to be some difficulties with them otherwise we'd never let them leave that tiny, precious state. Don't worry, it'll all get ironed out... with time. No other trick worked for me except for them to get a little older. Some days will be better than others. Swaddle me blankets have been the lifesaver now that Henry's a couple months old. Hang in there!
ReplyDelete