Yes, we're still talking about sleep.
Did I mention that he barely cried during the whole sleep strategy adventure? Yes, we used the dreaded Ferber method and he barely cried. His longest bout was 15 minutes. His others were 5 minutes, 90 seconds, and 3 seconds. That was it.
I have spent months hearing moms talk about the horrible Ferber method of getting your baby to sleep. They had me convinced that it was the worst thing you could do to your child, and that I would be in tears by the end of it. (Give me another week without sleeping, and then I'd be in tears). But Jett was ready; we had very little crying. After reading the entire book, it's even a theory that I can support. So quit with the drama, Ferber-haters.
My baby is fast asleep and after a few more nights, I'll be functioning like a real human being again. A real human being who sleeps.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Sleep, Glorious Sleep!
Another night of good sleeping. In fact, Jett slept through the night for the first time in 7 1/2 months.
I'm trying not to sound smug, but as you can see, Jett is very advanced. He's obviously spent the last 7 1/2 months staying up at night reading the sleep books. He probably had them hiding under his crib mattress.
We love this kid! He's always giving us bragging rights.
I'm trying not to sound smug, but as you can see, Jett is very advanced. He's obviously spent the last 7 1/2 months staying up at night reading the sleep books. He probably had them hiding under his crib mattress.
We love this kid! He's always giving us bragging rights.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Maybe We Should Have Tried This Sooner (the books, not the wine)
This is the wine
sipped by the mom
who read the books
sipped by the mom
who read the books
that laid the plan
which convinced the dad
who settled the baby
which convinced the dad
who settled the baby
who laid in the crib
and fell asleep
on his own.
and fell asleep
on his own.
Two nights in a row.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Bath
I'm sorry it's been so long since the last post. We'll have a lot more to talk about by the end of this weekend, because we are trying a sleep strategy with Jett, and you know how much I like to talk about sleep. We started our strategy last night, and it's too early to tell if it's working or not. I'm sure it isn't consuming your thoughts the way it's consuming mine, but I'll share all the minute details at the end of the weekend.
In the meantime, here is a picture of yesterday's bath. Happy weekend!
In the meantime, here is a picture of yesterday's bath. Happy weekend!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
One Year Later
We have this photo from Jett's ultrasound. He's just a one-dimensional, black and white little peanut with his thumb in his mouth. I remember that we watched him kicking me on the ultrasound screen, but I couldn't feel it, he was that tiny. That was just 365 days ago.
Exactly one year ago today.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Seven Months
Today Jett turned seven months old.
At seven months, you are out of the smallest clothes. He's outgrown his socks (size 0 - 6 months), outgrown his white onesies (3 - 6 months) and most of his pants, which are now too short.
In the last month or so Jett has learned how to sit up by himself with only the occasional toppling over. He can lean front and to the side, while he's sitting, to reach a toy. He now cries when we take his favorite toy away (his favorite toy is the tv remote first, and our cell phones second). But we can still fool him by throwing a blanket over them - he thinks they've disappeared and quits looking.
Jett has also started eating solid food and so far his favorite is bananas. We usually let him play with his food, and his spoon, and the bowl. Today at baby yoga I found last night's bananas in Jett's little neck folds. Oops. Did I mention that all of his bibs are in the clothes hamper, so he's been eating bibless the last couple of days? It's a mess, but it can't be helped, bib or no bib, so we just let him make a mess. Tomorrow he starts on the acorn squash, which should be easier to find in his neck folds, since it's bright orange.
Oh, Jett's hair. Some days it looks blonde, some days it looks brown, and some days it even looks reddish. So we haven't figured out the color, but he is getting more of it - so much so that sometimes his hair is messy and needs to be patted down. I know those of you who saw him last week won't believe me, but he seems to have had a growth spurt on his head this week.
Another milestone is his move to his crib. Unfortunately this was followed by an exhausting habit of waking up every 2 hours and wanting to nurse. But it's his birthday, so we won't dwell on the difficulties of a seven month old who doesn't sleep through the night.
Most of all, Jett loves to bounce. He bounces in the exersaucer, bounces on my knee, in my arms, on the floor, in the car seat - anywhere he can pump his arms, pump his legs, and move his butt up and down is a good place for him. And when you turn the music on - look out. He's a bouncing machine.
He's our bouncing machine and we love him. Happy birthday, Jett.
At seven months, you are out of the smallest clothes. He's outgrown his socks (size 0 - 6 months), outgrown his white onesies (3 - 6 months) and most of his pants, which are now too short.
In the last month or so Jett has learned how to sit up by himself with only the occasional toppling over. He can lean front and to the side, while he's sitting, to reach a toy. He now cries when we take his favorite toy away (his favorite toy is the tv remote first, and our cell phones second). But we can still fool him by throwing a blanket over them - he thinks they've disappeared and quits looking.
Jett has also started eating solid food and so far his favorite is bananas. We usually let him play with his food, and his spoon, and the bowl. Today at baby yoga I found last night's bananas in Jett's little neck folds. Oops. Did I mention that all of his bibs are in the clothes hamper, so he's been eating bibless the last couple of days? It's a mess, but it can't be helped, bib or no bib, so we just let him make a mess. Tomorrow he starts on the acorn squash, which should be easier to find in his neck folds, since it's bright orange.
Oh, Jett's hair. Some days it looks blonde, some days it looks brown, and some days it even looks reddish. So we haven't figured out the color, but he is getting more of it - so much so that sometimes his hair is messy and needs to be patted down. I know those of you who saw him last week won't believe me, but he seems to have had a growth spurt on his head this week.
Another milestone is his move to his crib. Unfortunately this was followed by an exhausting habit of waking up every 2 hours and wanting to nurse. But it's his birthday, so we won't dwell on the difficulties of a seven month old who doesn't sleep through the night.
Most of all, Jett loves to bounce. He bounces in the exersaucer, bounces on my knee, in my arms, on the floor, in the car seat - anywhere he can pump his arms, pump his legs, and move his butt up and down is a good place for him. And when you turn the music on - look out. He's a bouncing machine.
He's our bouncing machine and we love him. Happy birthday, Jett.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
The Crib
Jett's full-time in the crib these days. We even had the guts to take down the co-sleeper today and put it into our storage area (i.e. the least crowded corner of our bedroom). So far whenever I crawl in to bed I miss Jett and the sound of his sleeping, and the knowing that in a few short hours he'd be laying right next to me, snuggled up against me with his sweet little breath on my cheek. But then I pick up my book and turn on the lamp next to my bed, and Charlie and I talk above a whisper, and I realize that there's something to be said for Jett sleeping in his own room.
After the first few nights of this, I even put away the monitor that lets us spy on Jett with our ears. We just don't need it. Maybe it's because our condo is so small, but I swear I could hear him sigh from down the block if I had to. Sometimes Charlie and I wake up to Jett's noises, and one of us rushes to his room, sure that he's been awake and crying for hours, only to find that his pacifier is still in his mouth, his eyes are still shut, his head is barely off the mattress, and we probably woke up to his inhale that came before this, the quietest cry in the world, because he is basically still asleep.
Asleep. Jett is, so I should be too. Good night.
After the first few nights of this, I even put away the monitor that lets us spy on Jett with our ears. We just don't need it. Maybe it's because our condo is so small, but I swear I could hear him sigh from down the block if I had to. Sometimes Charlie and I wake up to Jett's noises, and one of us rushes to his room, sure that he's been awake and crying for hours, only to find that his pacifier is still in his mouth, his eyes are still shut, his head is barely off the mattress, and we probably woke up to his inhale that came before this, the quietest cry in the world, because he is basically still asleep.
Asleep. Jett is, so I should be too. Good night.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Happy New Year
Obviously Charlie was a very good boy this year - check out what Santa left in his stocking.
It's difficult to say what Jett's favorite present is. The toy train? The building blocks? His own toes? No matter. We had a fabulous holiday. I hope you all did too.
Happy New Year.
It's difficult to say what Jett's favorite present is. The toy train? The building blocks? His own toes? No matter. We had a fabulous holiday. I hope you all did too.
Happy New Year.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
I'm the Grinch
or
Why Jett Won't Be Sitting on Santa's Lap
Because I am in Super Mom Mode. Because kids hate it. Because malls take advantage. Because it's not about my entertainment. But mostly because he's just too young to ask.
Why Jett Won't Be Sitting on Santa's Lap
Because I am in Super Mom Mode. Because kids hate it. Because malls take advantage. Because it's not about my entertainment. But mostly because he's just too young to ask.
Strategic Thinking
We're working on a lot of things over here at the Johnson household. Lots of things. Lots of Jett related things. Lots of Jett related things related to sleep. Like how to sleep more. And where to sleep. And how to fall asleep. When to fall asleep. How to stay asleep. You get the idea.
So we've been working on all of these strategies that are unspoken, that change by the minute, that work against each other, that we can't even remember the next day. No wonder none of us are sleeping.
But that's changed. Because at dinner on Sunday, Charlie and I planned a sleep strategy. We wrote it down and stuck it on the fridge. And - I know this is hard to believe, but it's true - Jett read it.
Seriously. Sunday night he did all his sleeping in his cosleeper, right where he is supposed to. Monday night, ditto. Tuesday night, ditto. (So far). I'm telling you, the kid can read.
Just to be clear, it's not that Jett is sleeping through the night (he isn't). It's that for the last two days he's falling asleep the way we want him to, when we want him to, and where we want him to.
Is tonight the night we sleep for longer than 2 hours at a stretch? I doubt it. But we're getting there.
Special note to Charlie: When Jett wakes up for the third time in the night do not suggest that I take us back to square one and bring him in to bed with us so I can get to sleep. Three o'clock in the morning is not a fair time to tempt me with uninterupted sleep. We're sticking to the strategy.
So we've been working on all of these strategies that are unspoken, that change by the minute, that work against each other, that we can't even remember the next day. No wonder none of us are sleeping.
But that's changed. Because at dinner on Sunday, Charlie and I planned a sleep strategy. We wrote it down and stuck it on the fridge. And - I know this is hard to believe, but it's true - Jett read it.
Seriously. Sunday night he did all his sleeping in his cosleeper, right where he is supposed to. Monday night, ditto. Tuesday night, ditto. (So far). I'm telling you, the kid can read.
Just to be clear, it's not that Jett is sleeping through the night (he isn't). It's that for the last two days he's falling asleep the way we want him to, when we want him to, and where we want him to.
Is tonight the night we sleep for longer than 2 hours at a stretch? I doubt it. But we're getting there.
Special note to Charlie: When Jett wakes up for the third time in the night do not suggest that I take us back to square one and bring him in to bed with us so I can get to sleep. Three o'clock in the morning is not a fair time to tempt me with uninterupted sleep. We're sticking to the strategy.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Birthday Dinner
The baby book says that it takes a few tries before the baby learns how to eat from a spoon. The book says the baby will push the cereal out of his mouth with his tongue. It says he might wrinkle up his nose and not like it. Book schmook.
Today Jett turned six months old so we prepared a special dinner for him - his first taste of rice cereal. His first taste of any solid - ok, mushy - food. To Charlie and me it was a big milestone. I had to get his special silver baby spoon down from the closet shelf. When I put it away up there a few months ago I couldn't even imagine ever needing it. But here we are. Jett is six months old.
Charlie pretended to eat the cereal first and Jett was completely entranced. We sat down on the floor, Jett in Charlie's lap. I held the spoon up to Jett's face so he could see it, and that's all he needed. He leaned forward, open up his little mouth, stuck out his little pink tongue and lapped up that rice cereal like he had been eating it all his life. Way to go, Jett!
Today Jett turned six months old so we prepared a special dinner for him - his first taste of rice cereal. His first taste of any solid - ok, mushy - food. To Charlie and me it was a big milestone. I had to get his special silver baby spoon down from the closet shelf. When I put it away up there a few months ago I couldn't even imagine ever needing it. But here we are. Jett is six months old.
Charlie pretended to eat the cereal first and Jett was completely entranced. We sat down on the floor, Jett in Charlie's lap. I held the spoon up to Jett's face so he could see it, and that's all he needed. He leaned forward, open up his little mouth, stuck out his little pink tongue and lapped up that rice cereal like he had been eating it all his life. Way to go, Jett!
Six Months
Today Jett is six months old. He can almost sit unassisted. He laughs at our jokes. He reaches for me, which is completely endearing. He watches me when I leave the room, and turns his head to look for me when I walk away. He still sleeps in until 9am on the weekends, and he is the most agreeable baby Charlie and I have ever met. He still makes it look like we know what we're doing, even when we're doing it wrong. And wow, do we do a lot of things wrong.
Thankfully, we've done a few things right. At least they're right for us. Personally I'm patting myself on the back for getting through six months of breastfeeding. It's not easy and it takes time and it requires about 4 hands and it means pumping if you're going to leave the house for 8 or 10 hours at a time, and it means hauling that big bulky pump back and forth to work, on and off the bus, but we did it, and we're mighty proud of it thank you very much. And yes, I'm still patting myself on the back.
I've spent the last two months counting ounces of milk in my head every day, trying to predict how much I have in the freezer versus how much Jett is going to drink tomorrow versus how much I can pump this afternoon, coupled with when am I going to get home and how long is the ice pack going to stay cold and how am I going to carry this all home plus the laptop and all my work, and thankgod I get on the bus at the first stop because at least I'm guaranteed a seat, and please please don't let Jett refuse the bottle even though we put infant decongestant drops in the bottle and they tasted awful and now he won't even let us put the bottle in his line of vision, but he has to take it because tomorrow is Monday and I have to go back to work just to pump another bottle for him that he might not take, and now it's 5:15 on Monday and I didn't pump as much as I wanted to, but I'm just going home to nurse him anyway, but maybe he's drinking a bottle right now, which means he won't want to nurse for another two hours so maybe I should stay at work just to pump, but why stay at work to pump if I could be home nursing him, except what if he's not hungry when I get home, then I should have stayed to pump, and how many ounces are still in the freezer?
It's not that supplementing with formula is out of the question, it's just that I set a goal and was determined to reach it. Just like that first marathon I ran and that first house I built. Now I'm a runner, a home builder, and a breastfeeder. Can I have a medal?
Not just yet. They say it takes a village to raise a child? Well it takes a village to breastfeed one too. I've thought a lot about it, and if you want to work outside the house and exclusively breastfeed your child for six months (which is the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended amount of time) you need the following:
1. The desire to breastfeed (obviously).
2. An agreeable baby.
3. Time with your baby to figure it out.
4. A friend who has done it before who can help you figure it out.
5. Someone to hold the blanket the first 20 times you try to feed your baby in public, and the ability to stop being embarrassed about nursing your baby in public (or you will never be able to leave the house).
6. The ability to get over needing a blanket to nurse your baby in public.
7. Someone to get you everything you need while you're sitting on the couch nursing the baby. Everything you need is a glass of water, the cordless phone, your cell phone, the tv remote, a magazine, the book you were reading, the camera, a pen and paper, a pillow, another pillow, a sweater, someone to help you put the sweater on because you're holding the baby (duh), socks, someone to put the socks on your feet (you're still holding the baby), a burp cloth, a blanket for the baby, someone to turn the lamp on, except it puts a glare on the tv, so someone to turn the lamp off, a sandwich, someone to make dinner while you nurse the baby, and a refill on your water.
8. $200 for an electric pump.
9. A pumping-friendly work environment.
10. A fridge to store the milk.
11. A freezer to keep the icepack cold.
12. The ability to carry the pump to and from work or a husband to carry the pump to the bus stop for you even when you make him late for work.
13. An encouraging friend, husband, or partner.
14. The ability to wake up and go back to sleep multiple times in the night while remaining functional during the day.
15. A running calculator in your mind of how many ounces you need to pump today, for your baby to drink tomorrow.
Is it no wonder why only 30% of mothers are still breastfeeding their babies after six months? (Now don't go quoting me - I've looked, but I can't find the magazine where I read that number. It might be wrong. But I think it's right).
So give Charlie a medal. Give Jett a medal. Give my doula a medal. Give my workplace a medal. And then give me a lapel pin.
Tonight we've got 12 ounces of milk in the fridge and seven in the freezer. That's about three more ounces than Jett is going to drink tomorrow and those extra three ounces won't last long. I see a bit of formula in our future.
But I'm not dwelling on it. We made it to six months. Six fabulous, happy, grateful months.
We love you, Jett. Happy Birthday.
Thankfully, we've done a few things right. At least they're right for us. Personally I'm patting myself on the back for getting through six months of breastfeeding. It's not easy and it takes time and it requires about 4 hands and it means pumping if you're going to leave the house for 8 or 10 hours at a time, and it means hauling that big bulky pump back and forth to work, on and off the bus, but we did it, and we're mighty proud of it thank you very much. And yes, I'm still patting myself on the back.
I've spent the last two months counting ounces of milk in my head every day, trying to predict how much I have in the freezer versus how much Jett is going to drink tomorrow versus how much I can pump this afternoon, coupled with when am I going to get home and how long is the ice pack going to stay cold and how am I going to carry this all home plus the laptop and all my work, and thankgod I get on the bus at the first stop because at least I'm guaranteed a seat, and please please don't let Jett refuse the bottle even though we put infant decongestant drops in the bottle and they tasted awful and now he won't even let us put the bottle in his line of vision, but he has to take it because tomorrow is Monday and I have to go back to work just to pump another bottle for him that he might not take, and now it's 5:15 on Monday and I didn't pump as much as I wanted to, but I'm just going home to nurse him anyway, but maybe he's drinking a bottle right now, which means he won't want to nurse for another two hours so maybe I should stay at work just to pump, but why stay at work to pump if I could be home nursing him, except what if he's not hungry when I get home, then I should have stayed to pump, and how many ounces are still in the freezer?
It's not that supplementing with formula is out of the question, it's just that I set a goal and was determined to reach it. Just like that first marathon I ran and that first house I built. Now I'm a runner, a home builder, and a breastfeeder. Can I have a medal?
Not just yet. They say it takes a village to raise a child? Well it takes a village to breastfeed one too. I've thought a lot about it, and if you want to work outside the house and exclusively breastfeed your child for six months (which is the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended amount of time) you need the following:
1. The desire to breastfeed (obviously).
2. An agreeable baby.
3. Time with your baby to figure it out.
4. A friend who has done it before who can help you figure it out.
5. Someone to hold the blanket the first 20 times you try to feed your baby in public, and the ability to stop being embarrassed about nursing your baby in public (or you will never be able to leave the house).
6. The ability to get over needing a blanket to nurse your baby in public.
7. Someone to get you everything you need while you're sitting on the couch nursing the baby. Everything you need is a glass of water, the cordless phone, your cell phone, the tv remote, a magazine, the book you were reading, the camera, a pen and paper, a pillow, another pillow, a sweater, someone to help you put the sweater on because you're holding the baby (duh), socks, someone to put the socks on your feet (you're still holding the baby), a burp cloth, a blanket for the baby, someone to turn the lamp on, except it puts a glare on the tv, so someone to turn the lamp off, a sandwich, someone to make dinner while you nurse the baby, and a refill on your water.
8. $200 for an electric pump.
9. A pumping-friendly work environment.
10. A fridge to store the milk.
11. A freezer to keep the icepack cold.
12. The ability to carry the pump to and from work or a husband to carry the pump to the bus stop for you even when you make him late for work.
13. An encouraging friend, husband, or partner.
14. The ability to wake up and go back to sleep multiple times in the night while remaining functional during the day.
15. A running calculator in your mind of how many ounces you need to pump today, for your baby to drink tomorrow.
Is it no wonder why only 30% of mothers are still breastfeeding their babies after six months? (Now don't go quoting me - I've looked, but I can't find the magazine where I read that number. It might be wrong. But I think it's right).
So give Charlie a medal. Give Jett a medal. Give my doula a medal. Give my workplace a medal. And then give me a lapel pin.
Tonight we've got 12 ounces of milk in the fridge and seven in the freezer. That's about three more ounces than Jett is going to drink tomorrow and those extra three ounces won't last long. I see a bit of formula in our future.
But I'm not dwelling on it. We made it to six months. Six fabulous, happy, grateful months.
We love you, Jett. Happy Birthday.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
This is...
why I can leave for work in the morning
and why I stay home on Fridays.
I thought I'd use Fridays to straighten up a bit.
But I do stuff like this instead.
Still, somehow it all gets done. (Mostly by the superwoman in the first photo). I'm pretty sure we wouldn't survive without her.
and why I stay home on Fridays.
I thought I'd use Fridays to straighten up a bit.
But I do stuff like this instead.
Still, somehow it all gets done. (Mostly by the superwoman in the first photo). I'm pretty sure we wouldn't survive without her.
Monday, December 04, 2006
The Wheel, Sliced Bread, and The Exersaucer
It arrived last Wednesday with perfect timing. I put it together on Friday, the day Jett came down with his first cold. He wouldn't take the infant decongestant drops, he wouldn't let us put the saline drops up his nose, but he would play in the exersaucer, in the steamy bathroom, while we sat next to him, wiping up the boogers as they dripped on out of each little nostril.
You really wanted to hear about that, didn't you?
Sunday, December 03, 2006
It's all fun and games until Mama gets a hickey
| It's not the clearest video because I'm a novice and Charlie took it with his camera, but it's still kind of funny. | |
Although this isn't a great picture of me, it illustrates the point...
Monday, November 27, 2006
You wouldn't sleep either...
if these were your cousins.
If these were your cousins, and you had two whole days of cousins, Thanksgiving dinner with the cousins, decorating the Christmas tree with the cousins, taking a walk with the cousins, playing all day with the cousins, you wouldn't waste any time with naps. You'd savor every waking minute. And at night you'd wake up every couple of hours, just thinking about how they would entertain you tomorrow.
You would love it, if these were your cousins.
If these were your cousins, and you had two whole days of cousins, Thanksgiving dinner with the cousins, decorating the Christmas tree with the cousins, taking a walk with the cousins, playing all day with the cousins, you wouldn't waste any time with naps. You'd savor every waking minute. And at night you'd wake up every couple of hours, just thinking about how they would entertain you tomorrow.
You would love it, if these were your cousins.
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Roll Over
We love this kid.
Who else rolls over (for the first time), naked - except for a Sir Poopsalot hat?
And how is it that I just happend to have my camera in my hand as it was happening?
Does it get any better than this?
Who else rolls over (for the first time), naked - except for a Sir Poopsalot hat?
And how is it that I just happend to have my camera in my hand as it was happening?
Does it get any better than this?
Monday, November 13, 2006
Five months old
Dear Jett,
Yesterday you turned 5 months old.
Yesterday you hardly napped at all, but you rallied like a super star. You kept up your smiles and giggles for Great Grandma Quigly even though you looked exhausted, and you should have been, what with all the waking up in the middle of the night.
Tonight you are still awake and it's 10:15. I just spent an hour and a half trying to put you to bed. You finally slept for a minute, laying on your side in the co-sleeper, while I laid my head next to your belly and my hand on your back. But then a butterfly in Brazil flapped its wings and woke you up. Now you're snuggling with Daddy on the couch, like that's what you wanted to do all along, and why did it take me so long to figure that out?
We don't really mind that you're still awake. It's just that we're so tired.
So much has happened. You weigh about 15 pounds now, which is perfectly average - something we like in a baby. Your eyelashes are luscious - you didn't have any when you were born.
You prefer to sleep on your side, and if we blew on you you'd finally roll over. Sometimes you try to sit up and roll over at the same time. I think if you let go of the sitting up you'd have the rolling over part, but you've got the strongest abs I've ever seen in a baby, so maybe you just can't help it. You're hair is coming in slowly, slowly. But your nails - they grow faster than we can clip them. Daddy and I are pretty proud that we haven't accidentally missed and clipped your skin instead, but we can't brag. We usually let your nails grow pretty long before we try to cut them - which explains the scratches on your forehead and belly. Sometimes I bite them off for you, which sounds really weird until you have a baby with long nails, and you try it, just this once, because somebody told you it would work, and it did, and so you try it again, and it works again. And now you're the mama who bites her baby's nails.
Unfortunately I think you're growing out of your co-sleeper, which means we either have to set up the pack-n-play in our bedroom or put you in your crib to sleep. Neither option pleases me. The pack-n-play takes up major floor space, but your crib is in your bedroom - so far away! - even though our apartment is only about 1000 square feet.
You're so strong. Everyone says so. Tummy-time (the bane of so many babies' existance) is no problem for you. Sometimes you lay on your tummy on the floor with your arms folded up under your chest, kicking your feet, eyes looking up at the TV, (until I realize that you're looking at the TV - then I turn it off) and you look just like a little kid watching an after-school special. And your hands, those good little grippers. They grab my hair, my neck, and your own shirt sleeves. You'll suck on anything you can get your hands on. Including my hands.
Your favorite place is the changing table. You love it there. You talk and talk and talk and we pretend we know what you're saying. We kiss your belly and nibble your toes and you laugh and laugh and laugh. We play games there. Like the sitting up game, where you hold on to our fingers and pull yourself up to a sitting position. There you sit, holding our fingers, smiling at the room, like "Hey! Look where I am! I'm checking out the view!"
You drool on everything. We've started putting a bib on you like it's a normal part of your outfit. You can drool through two or three bibs in one day. And your hands are constantly in your mouth and dripping with your drool. I don't know how they aren't wrinkled up like little raisins. I guess they get a chance to dry out every time you get your toes in your mouth. Your toes, which are constantly full of sock lint. It's amazing how much lint those little toes can hold. We're constantly cleaning out the lint so your toes are at least clean when you start to suck on them. The lint shows up in your bathwater: little gray flecks floating on the surface, taunting us.
Speaking of baths, you're a splasher. You usually start out by kicking the water everywhere, and by the end of the bath you've got your hands going too. We learned this the hard way. We used to put your bath tub on the kitchen counter, but it only took you a couple of big kicks to get us both soaked. That was hilarious - the water was everywhere - on the floor, on the counter, on the mail we leave laying on the counter, and all over us. So now we put your baby bathtub in the big bathtub. One of us puts on shorts and a t-shirt and gets in the bathtub behind you to hold you while the other one of us just leans over the tub and sudses you up, which you don't really seem to notice. You laugh and laugh and laugh. Sometimes after your bath we give you a massage. We thought this would be a good bedtime routine, but you have so much fun, it just gets you all hyped up.
Your bedtime routine is always the same, no matter how much we try to change it (which isn't much). You start nursing for the last time around 8:30pm. Daddy's usually doing the dishes because we just finished eating, and you and I are on the couch, nursing and talking to Daddy or watching TV. Around 9:00 I take you into the bedroom and try to rock you to sleep, which usually turns in to nursing you to sleep. When I think you're asleep, I lay you down in the co-sleeper and tiptoe out of the room. Lately you've been waking up about 2 minutes later, wanting to be held. One popular sleep theory says we shouldn't pick you up. But we can't help it. You cry, we pick you up, you feel better immediately. Works for us. Sometime between 5 and 7am you wake up. Daddy gets up and plays with you for about an hour and then brings you to me to nurse. When you're done I lay you in bed with us. You always fall right back to sleep - and stay asleep - when you're in bed with us. The only problem is that we don't sleep then. But we don't mind. We could spend hours watching you sleep. Like Daddy said, you're the best thing we've ever been a part of. Happy Birthday, Jett.
Fly, Pooperman! Fly!
Yesterday you turned 5 months old.
Yesterday you hardly napped at all, but you rallied like a super star. You kept up your smiles and giggles for Great Grandma Quigly even though you looked exhausted, and you should have been, what with all the waking up in the middle of the night.
Tonight you are still awake and it's 10:15. I just spent an hour and a half trying to put you to bed. You finally slept for a minute, laying on your side in the co-sleeper, while I laid my head next to your belly and my hand on your back. But then a butterfly in Brazil flapped its wings and woke you up. Now you're snuggling with Daddy on the couch, like that's what you wanted to do all along, and why did it take me so long to figure that out?
We don't really mind that you're still awake. It's just that we're so tired.
So much has happened. You weigh about 15 pounds now, which is perfectly average - something we like in a baby. Your eyelashes are luscious - you didn't have any when you were born.
You prefer to sleep on your side, and if we blew on you you'd finally roll over. Sometimes you try to sit up and roll over at the same time. I think if you let go of the sitting up you'd have the rolling over part, but you've got the strongest abs I've ever seen in a baby, so maybe you just can't help it. You're hair is coming in slowly, slowly. But your nails - they grow faster than we can clip them. Daddy and I are pretty proud that we haven't accidentally missed and clipped your skin instead, but we can't brag. We usually let your nails grow pretty long before we try to cut them - which explains the scratches on your forehead and belly. Sometimes I bite them off for you, which sounds really weird until you have a baby with long nails, and you try it, just this once, because somebody told you it would work, and it did, and so you try it again, and it works again. And now you're the mama who bites her baby's nails.
Unfortunately I think you're growing out of your co-sleeper, which means we either have to set up the pack-n-play in our bedroom or put you in your crib to sleep. Neither option pleases me. The pack-n-play takes up major floor space, but your crib is in your bedroom - so far away! - even though our apartment is only about 1000 square feet.
You're so strong. Everyone says so. Tummy-time (the bane of so many babies' existance) is no problem for you. Sometimes you lay on your tummy on the floor with your arms folded up under your chest, kicking your feet, eyes looking up at the TV, (until I realize that you're looking at the TV - then I turn it off) and you look just like a little kid watching an after-school special. And your hands, those good little grippers. They grab my hair, my neck, and your own shirt sleeves. You'll suck on anything you can get your hands on. Including my hands.
Your favorite place is the changing table. You love it there. You talk and talk and talk and we pretend we know what you're saying. We kiss your belly and nibble your toes and you laugh and laugh and laugh. We play games there. Like the sitting up game, where you hold on to our fingers and pull yourself up to a sitting position. There you sit, holding our fingers, smiling at the room, like "Hey! Look where I am! I'm checking out the view!"
You drool on everything. We've started putting a bib on you like it's a normal part of your outfit. You can drool through two or three bibs in one day. And your hands are constantly in your mouth and dripping with your drool. I don't know how they aren't wrinkled up like little raisins. I guess they get a chance to dry out every time you get your toes in your mouth. Your toes, which are constantly full of sock lint. It's amazing how much lint those little toes can hold. We're constantly cleaning out the lint so your toes are at least clean when you start to suck on them. The lint shows up in your bathwater: little gray flecks floating on the surface, taunting us.
Speaking of baths, you're a splasher. You usually start out by kicking the water everywhere, and by the end of the bath you've got your hands going too. We learned this the hard way. We used to put your bath tub on the kitchen counter, but it only took you a couple of big kicks to get us both soaked. That was hilarious - the water was everywhere - on the floor, on the counter, on the mail we leave laying on the counter, and all over us. So now we put your baby bathtub in the big bathtub. One of us puts on shorts and a t-shirt and gets in the bathtub behind you to hold you while the other one of us just leans over the tub and sudses you up, which you don't really seem to notice. You laugh and laugh and laugh. Sometimes after your bath we give you a massage. We thought this would be a good bedtime routine, but you have so much fun, it just gets you all hyped up.
Your bedtime routine is always the same, no matter how much we try to change it (which isn't much). You start nursing for the last time around 8:30pm. Daddy's usually doing the dishes because we just finished eating, and you and I are on the couch, nursing and talking to Daddy or watching TV. Around 9:00 I take you into the bedroom and try to rock you to sleep, which usually turns in to nursing you to sleep. When I think you're asleep, I lay you down in the co-sleeper and tiptoe out of the room. Lately you've been waking up about 2 minutes later, wanting to be held. One popular sleep theory says we shouldn't pick you up. But we can't help it. You cry, we pick you up, you feel better immediately. Works for us. Sometime between 5 and 7am you wake up. Daddy gets up and plays with you for about an hour and then brings you to me to nurse. When you're done I lay you in bed with us. You always fall right back to sleep - and stay asleep - when you're in bed with us. The only problem is that we don't sleep then. But we don't mind. We could spend hours watching you sleep. Like Daddy said, you're the best thing we've ever been a part of. Happy Birthday, Jett.
Fly, Pooperman! Fly!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
What's New
Every time someone asks me, "What's new?" I think, "Everything is new!" But Jett's almost five months old. That's not so new to the untrained eye. The untrained eye might expect more. Might think I've seen a movie, or read the paper, or at least can talk about something, anything, going on in the world today.*
What I can tell you is how to make a Jett sandwich, what his toes taste like,** and which brand of vitamin makes him wrinkle his nose. And half of that stuff I didn't know yesterday. Who knows what I'll be able to talk about tomorrow.***
Every single minute is new. But when someone asks me, "What's new?" I don't have anything to say. What can I say? Is anyone really interested in what Jett's toes taste like? Just like watching someone's vacation video, I'm pretty sure that most people are only interested in the first story or two. So I try to refrain. Sometimes I even claim that nothing is new. Same old, same old. But that's crazy talk. We're bursting at the seams with newness over here.
jett sandwich
those tasty toes
bursting at the seams
*Actually, I can. I can talk about Britney and her pending divorce from Fedex. But that's just because my coworkers keep me informed of the important stuff.
**No, Jett's not the only one who has tasted his toes. It's not weird, stop rolling your eyes.
***Please, please don't let it be how often he needs to eat in the middle of the night. There is nothing more I need to know about that.
What I can tell you is how to make a Jett sandwich, what his toes taste like,** and which brand of vitamin makes him wrinkle his nose. And half of that stuff I didn't know yesterday. Who knows what I'll be able to talk about tomorrow.***
Every single minute is new. But when someone asks me, "What's new?" I don't have anything to say. What can I say? Is anyone really interested in what Jett's toes taste like? Just like watching someone's vacation video, I'm pretty sure that most people are only interested in the first story or two. So I try to refrain. Sometimes I even claim that nothing is new. Same old, same old. But that's crazy talk. We're bursting at the seams with newness over here.
jett sandwich
those tasty toes
bursting at the seams*Actually, I can. I can talk about Britney and her pending divorce from Fedex. But that's just because my coworkers keep me informed of the important stuff.
**No, Jett's not the only one who has tasted his toes. It's not weird, stop rolling your eyes.
***Please, please don't let it be how often he needs to eat in the middle of the night. There is nothing more I need to know about that.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
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