Monday, July 30, 2012
Baby Laughs
Reid started laughing this weekend. Cute little chuckles, I love it. He's such a laid back, happy baby. Unless he's tired. But usually he's totally go with the flow. He'll start chuckling if you laugh at him. or if you take his shirt off and start to tickle him. Hopefully I can get something on video soon.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Adult Time / Parent Time
First ... Reid ate 10 OUNCES at daycare on Friday. He usually eats about 4, so this was HUGE. Way to go lil man. (Monday (yesterday) he ate 5, but still more than the norm, so I'll take it!)
Yesterday Ryan and I took off work. Our kids still went to daycare. We went and saw Dark Knight Rises in IMAX at 9am. After we had a relaxing sit down breakfast. And we followed the movie with a relaxing sit down lunch (adult beverages included). It was so nice to talk. So nice to just be us. So nice to not be responsible for any one else, for just that short time. We have been very lucky that our family is close enough that they usually babysit for us when they come into town so Ryan and I can get out for dinner or a movie. It really helps reset everything. I missed the boys a ton. But I also got an awesome nap, a nap with no baby monitor to wake me up. And it was great sleep. I think getting out to do adult activities away from your kids is important. Important to parents' sanity and to a marriage.
After our morning / early afternoon of independence, the boys were picked up and we were back in family mode. Both boys are a bit Mommy-centric. Rogan just flat out prefers me to Ryan right now, and I know that's hard for Ryan. Rogan will yell at Ryan, saying things like "no, not YOU!!", "go away!!", and the inevitable "i want mommy". We are trying to work on this. And I think it's gotten a tad bit better, but not a lot. And Reid is still nursing, so that requires me too. So I take whoever needs me the most, and Ryan runs defense, dealing with a possibly upset boy who's not with me. When the boys are around, and now that we have 2, both of us are pretty much always in "parent mode".
Parent mode: hearing improves to listen for curious toddler getting into things they shouldn't be or babies starting to fuss. eyesight improves to react quickly and tell curious toddlers that they should NOT be doing whatever they are doing. reflexes like a cat: to catch whatever is being knocked over.
Last night Rogan put both Ryan and I through the ringer, deciding he was "not sleepy anymore" at 1:30am. ugh. His mid-night desires included: juice (ok), being rocked while standing (ok until my arms give out), sleeping in our bed (errr... no), going downstairs (NO!), and the ipad (which we eventually gave to get him to lay back down in bed). It took over 2 hours to get him back to sleep. He's only done this a few times. He's usually a very good sleeper. So my night was: asleep at 10pm, Reid up to eat at 12am, Rogan up at 1:30, Reid up to eat at 3:30 (Rogan yelled at Ryan most of the time), Rogan asleep at 3:40, me asleep at 4 (after my nerves settled back down), alarm goes of at 5:20 for work. yuck... yawn.
but... after all that... i still really miss them right now. ahh the joys of parent time.
Yesterday Ryan and I took off work. Our kids still went to daycare. We went and saw Dark Knight Rises in IMAX at 9am. After we had a relaxing sit down breakfast. And we followed the movie with a relaxing sit down lunch (adult beverages included). It was so nice to talk. So nice to just be us. So nice to not be responsible for any one else, for just that short time. We have been very lucky that our family is close enough that they usually babysit for us when they come into town so Ryan and I can get out for dinner or a movie. It really helps reset everything. I missed the boys a ton. But I also got an awesome nap, a nap with no baby monitor to wake me up. And it was great sleep. I think getting out to do adult activities away from your kids is important. Important to parents' sanity and to a marriage.
After our morning / early afternoon of independence, the boys were picked up and we were back in family mode. Both boys are a bit Mommy-centric. Rogan just flat out prefers me to Ryan right now, and I know that's hard for Ryan. Rogan will yell at Ryan, saying things like "no, not YOU!!", "go away!!", and the inevitable "i want mommy". We are trying to work on this. And I think it's gotten a tad bit better, but not a lot. And Reid is still nursing, so that requires me too. So I take whoever needs me the most, and Ryan runs defense, dealing with a possibly upset boy who's not with me. When the boys are around, and now that we have 2, both of us are pretty much always in "parent mode".
Parent mode: hearing improves to listen for curious toddler getting into things they shouldn't be or babies starting to fuss. eyesight improves to react quickly and tell curious toddlers that they should NOT be doing whatever they are doing. reflexes like a cat: to catch whatever is being knocked over.
Last night Rogan put both Ryan and I through the ringer, deciding he was "not sleepy anymore" at 1:30am. ugh. His mid-night desires included: juice (ok), being rocked while standing (ok until my arms give out), sleeping in our bed (errr... no), going downstairs (NO!), and the ipad (which we eventually gave to get him to lay back down in bed). It took over 2 hours to get him back to sleep. He's only done this a few times. He's usually a very good sleeper. So my night was: asleep at 10pm, Reid up to eat at 12am, Rogan up at 1:30, Reid up to eat at 3:30 (Rogan yelled at Ryan most of the time), Rogan asleep at 3:40, me asleep at 4 (after my nerves settled back down), alarm goes of at 5:20 for work. yuck... yawn.
but... after all that... i still really miss them right now. ahh the joys of parent time.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Big Chubby Baby
I just bought size 3 diapers for my 12 week old. Oh my. He's quite a lovely little chunk.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Bottles vs. Nursing
When Rogan was a newborn, he wanted nothing to do with nursing. He was never great at it, and after he had jaundice and we had to supplement him with formula, there was no changing his mind. So I pumped for 10 weeks and then he was given formula until he turned 1.
Reid is the complete opposite. A nursing champ, and always has been. I wanted to keep it that way, so we didn't give him a bottle until he was 4 weeks old, and now, he's 12 weeks, and he's still not a huge fan. argh.
And because I had 1 boy who did nurse and 1 who didn't, I totally don't judge ANYONE who does one or the other. Really. Sometimes nursing works, othertimes it doesn't. And that's ok. It's a personal decision everyone has to make themselves, and sometimes it's out of your hands. And they shouldn't be pressured to do one or the other. I felt a ton of pressure when Rogan wouldn't nurse. And a sense of "failing" that I think really hindered me from enjoying his first few weeks. And look at him... he's FINE. More than fine, the kid's awesome and smart and funny. ok, back the the post.
I feel like he's slowly getting better, especially with Ryan and I. He'll usually take a bottle from me, maybe a little more of a fuss from Ryan, but he'll drink at least SOME.
But at daycare he's definitely not drinking a lot. 4 oz typically in a span of 10 hours... that's not enough. it should be more like 10-12. I haven't weighed him since he started at daycare, but he doesn't seem to be losing any weight. So that puts my mind slightly at ease. And he nurses in the evenings and throughout the night so I know then he's getting all he needs. But it's FRUSTRATING! I don't like knowing that my baby is possible hungry all day. EAT, LITTLE BOY, EAT! I have been assured that he's not crying all day (thank goodness), and he's generally a happy baby. And he is all those things when he's with me, too. So I don't think any damage is being done by him not taking a bottle well. Hrmph.
He will be 3 months next week, and at 4 months we will start introducing rice cereal and eating from a spoon. So even if he still hates bottles then, at least he'll get a little more by being spoon fed then.
Then the other issue is: when can I stop nursing? I love the ease of it in the middle of the night. Yes, we bond, but I don't think it's any more of a bond than I had while feeding Rogan a bottle. The closeness is still there with both. And while it's super easy to nurse him in the middle of the night rather than make a bottle, it's a PAIN other time. (TMI warning) It's messy! Pumping at work is annoying. Having to wear tops with support or bras at all time is annoying. Having your boobs HURT because you've been away from your kid/pump too long is annoying. So when will I stop??? Well I definitely can't stop until Reid likes bottles a lot more. Do I wait until he sleeps through the night so I don't have to make bottles half asleep? hmm. I'm just taking it 1 week at a time.
Reid is the complete opposite. A nursing champ, and always has been. I wanted to keep it that way, so we didn't give him a bottle until he was 4 weeks old, and now, he's 12 weeks, and he's still not a huge fan. argh.
And because I had 1 boy who did nurse and 1 who didn't, I totally don't judge ANYONE who does one or the other. Really. Sometimes nursing works, othertimes it doesn't. And that's ok. It's a personal decision everyone has to make themselves, and sometimes it's out of your hands. And they shouldn't be pressured to do one or the other. I felt a ton of pressure when Rogan wouldn't nurse. And a sense of "failing" that I think really hindered me from enjoying his first few weeks. And look at him... he's FINE. More than fine, the kid's awesome and smart and funny. ok, back the the post.
I feel like he's slowly getting better, especially with Ryan and I. He'll usually take a bottle from me, maybe a little more of a fuss from Ryan, but he'll drink at least SOME.
But at daycare he's definitely not drinking a lot. 4 oz typically in a span of 10 hours... that's not enough. it should be more like 10-12. I haven't weighed him since he started at daycare, but he doesn't seem to be losing any weight. So that puts my mind slightly at ease. And he nurses in the evenings and throughout the night so I know then he's getting all he needs. But it's FRUSTRATING! I don't like knowing that my baby is possible hungry all day. EAT, LITTLE BOY, EAT! I have been assured that he's not crying all day (thank goodness), and he's generally a happy baby. And he is all those things when he's with me, too. So I don't think any damage is being done by him not taking a bottle well. Hrmph.
He will be 3 months next week, and at 4 months we will start introducing rice cereal and eating from a spoon. So even if he still hates bottles then, at least he'll get a little more by being spoon fed then.
Then the other issue is: when can I stop nursing? I love the ease of it in the middle of the night. Yes, we bond, but I don't think it's any more of a bond than I had while feeding Rogan a bottle. The closeness is still there with both. And while it's super easy to nurse him in the middle of the night rather than make a bottle, it's a PAIN other time. (TMI warning) It's messy! Pumping at work is annoying. Having to wear tops with support or bras at all time is annoying. Having your boobs HURT because you've been away from your kid/pump too long is annoying. So when will I stop??? Well I definitely can't stop until Reid likes bottles a lot more. Do I wait until he sleeps through the night so I don't have to make bottles half asleep? hmm. I'm just taking it 1 week at a time.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Yes, I'm alive, and Reid William is (has been) here!
He's here! Born 4/24/12 at 6:31pm, 8lbs 8oz, 20 inches long. I'm very happy to be the mom to two healthy boys, and to not be pregnant anymore! And 99% sure not to be pregnant ever again! Our family feels complete. Reid's birth: They broke my water and started pitocin at 9am, epidural around noon, epidural started to fade around 4pm, argh, and after 15 minutes of pushing he was born!
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