Oh, the spit up! I have blogged about it before in a light hearted way. I am no longer laughing. The volume and sheer force of the spit up have increased. It's every where. It's projectile. It's all over me/Bean/hubby/floor/car/Exersaucer/dog/my hair. It's constant. I can't take it any more!
OK, venting complete. *sigh*
I love my spitty Bean.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Bean's latest trick
Bean has always used a pacifier to fall asleep. Her preferred model is the green Soothie. We were all hoping she would eventually find her thumb as a method of self-soothing that didn't have to be replaced...at 12, 2, and 4 AM. That never happened. These days, though, she's adept at finding her Soothie when she needs it (and at falling back to sleep without it).
Interestingly enough, her latest trick combines the pacifier with thumb sucking: she puts her thumb inside the Soothie and sucks away. When she takes her thumb out, the pacifier stays stuck on there, for convenient access. It's too darn cute.
So as I was looking up the Soothie to include a link with this post, I discovered the Wannanub. How cute are those? I wish I knew about them before! I might have to order one now anyway... (What did moms do before the Internet?)
Saturday, March 17, 2007
The ol' mare ain't what she used to be
So have you seen the new Suave commercial that claims, "89% of moms say they've let themselves go"?
It's a cute ad, and they're smart to target the harried mom demographic, but you know what, honey? It takes a lot more than a little Suave. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself reflected in the grocery store window and gasp, forced to look away in horror.
I was in Walmart the other day, chastising myself for being unable to silence the voice in my head from saying things like, "Oh, sweetheart, that is really not your color," or "Are you sure you need the double-size value pack of Snickers?" Now, I know I'm the last person who should throw stones, but my inner monologue remains evil.
Anyway, feeling quite superior having identified all that's wrong with the Sunday-afternoon Walmart crowd, I get home and look in the mirror. Hair: unwashed and nesty. Face: pasty white and in dire need of eyeliner, mascara, and maybe a little lip gloss. Sweatshirt: emblazoned with a HUGE, crusty, dried up patch of spit up. NICE.
Cruel irony aside, is it really that we moms have let ourselves go? Or are we just focusing on what's important?
I haven't quite decided. (But I need to re-read this post before I head off to Walmart again...or at least remember to check the mirror first.)
It's a cute ad, and they're smart to target the harried mom demographic, but you know what, honey? It takes a lot more than a little Suave. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself reflected in the grocery store window and gasp, forced to look away in horror.
I was in Walmart the other day, chastising myself for being unable to silence the voice in my head from saying things like, "Oh, sweetheart, that is really not your color," or "Are you sure you need the double-size value pack of Snickers?" Now, I know I'm the last person who should throw stones, but my inner monologue remains evil.
Anyway, feeling quite superior having identified all that's wrong with the Sunday-afternoon Walmart crowd, I get home and look in the mirror. Hair: unwashed and nesty. Face: pasty white and in dire need of eyeliner, mascara, and maybe a little lip gloss. Sweatshirt: emblazoned with a HUGE, crusty, dried up patch of spit up. NICE.
Cruel irony aside, is it really that we moms have let ourselves go? Or are we just focusing on what's important?
I haven't quite decided. (But I need to re-read this post before I head off to Walmart again...or at least remember to check the mirror first.)
I heart DST
So, I was a bit concerned (i.e., obsessed) about how the Bean would react to her first Daylight Savings Time (DST). Since it was "spring" ahead, I figured she'd go to bed a little later and therefore sleep a little later at first, but I wasn't sure how it would all play out in the long run. As any parent of an infant knows, anything that messes with baby's sleep is, quite literally, a nightmare.
These days, Bean usually sleeps 7 PM - 6:30/7 AM. So, on the first night of DST I kept her up until close to 8, and she slept until about 8 the next morning. I gradually got her bedtime back to 7, but for the past two days she's still slept until 8! And she's had a two-hour nap instead of her usual one-hour nap each morning. (I'm knocking on wood with each keystroke...praying that the very act of putting this phenomenon in writing doesn't jinx me.)
I'm not sure if it's DST or a growth spurt or a passing fluke or...maybe, just maybe, she'll be a 7 PM - 8 AM baby. I know, I know, flying pigs and hell freezing over are not in the forecast for today. But this momma got two hours of work done before the Bean got up yesterday and stayed in bed until 8 today - and I'm holding on to the dream.
These days, Bean usually sleeps 7 PM - 6:30/7 AM. So, on the first night of DST I kept her up until close to 8, and she slept until about 8 the next morning. I gradually got her bedtime back to 7, but for the past two days she's still slept until 8! And she's had a two-hour nap instead of her usual one-hour nap each morning. (I'm knocking on wood with each keystroke...praying that the very act of putting this phenomenon in writing doesn't jinx me.)
I'm not sure if it's DST or a growth spurt or a passing fluke or...maybe, just maybe, she'll be a 7 PM - 8 AM baby. I know, I know, flying pigs and hell freezing over are not in the forecast for today. But this momma got two hours of work done before the Bean got up yesterday and stayed in bed until 8 today - and I'm holding on to the dream.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Good ol' H20
I realized something the other day as I indulged in a 15 minute, make-your-skin-red-it's-so-hot shower - such a luxury now - I never appreciated water until I got pregnant. I've always loved to swim, and of course I drink the stuff. But I developed a new appreciation for water once there was a Bean in my belly. Oh, the many ways water comforts:
1. Early pregnancy baths. I had 20 weeks of 24-hour-a-day nausea at the beginning of my pregnancy. The only time I felt well was when I was asleep....or taking a bath. Somehow the warm water relaxed me and took my mind off the swirling maelstrom in my stomach. In early pregnancy 'they' advise against bathing in water hotter than 100 degrees, and, being that it was winter, and I'm a tall woman with a small bath tub, these early baths were usually pretty chilly and therefore pretty short. But, nonetheless, they were worth it.
2. Second and third trimester hot tubs. I got big fast, and as a result had a lot of round ligament pain, which my midwife aptly described as feeling like "you're a Barbie doll that someone is ripping the rubbery legs off of" every time you walk or roll over in bed. After the first trimester, I was allowed to take a hot tub (still around 100 degrees, but at least now I could be immersed up to my neck). In the tub I was weightless and carefree. I felt wonderful. I could have stayed in there forever. My friends are tired of hearing me say, "Whatever you do - when you buy a house, make sure it has a hot tub or a whirlpool tub that you can submerge your pregnant belly in." Regardless of whether you have discomfort during pregnancy, being weightless - even for a short time - is heaven.
3. Water birth. Even though I wasn't able to have the water birth I planned for the Bean, I am still a firm believer in the soothing, relaxing, healing power of water during labor and delivery. I did spend my early labor in our hot tub, relaxed and pain-free. If we have another baby, s/he will be a water baby.
4. That first shower after delivery. I won't go into detail here, but it's an experience.
5. The it's-my-only-escape shower. There's no getting around it - even with a newborn, you have to find a way to take a shower everyday. And, as guilty as I felt lathering my hair knowing that Hubby or Grandma or Auntie was trying to calm the screaming Bean, the running water drowned out all sounds. Sometimes those 5 minutes are the only peace you get in a day.
1. Early pregnancy baths. I had 20 weeks of 24-hour-a-day nausea at the beginning of my pregnancy. The only time I felt well was when I was asleep....or taking a bath. Somehow the warm water relaxed me and took my mind off the swirling maelstrom in my stomach. In early pregnancy 'they' advise against bathing in water hotter than 100 degrees, and, being that it was winter, and I'm a tall woman with a small bath tub, these early baths were usually pretty chilly and therefore pretty short. But, nonetheless, they were worth it.
2. Second and third trimester hot tubs. I got big fast, and as a result had a lot of round ligament pain, which my midwife aptly described as feeling like "you're a Barbie doll that someone is ripping the rubbery legs off of" every time you walk or roll over in bed. After the first trimester, I was allowed to take a hot tub (still around 100 degrees, but at least now I could be immersed up to my neck). In the tub I was weightless and carefree. I felt wonderful. I could have stayed in there forever. My friends are tired of hearing me say, "Whatever you do - when you buy a house, make sure it has a hot tub or a whirlpool tub that you can submerge your pregnant belly in." Regardless of whether you have discomfort during pregnancy, being weightless - even for a short time - is heaven.
3. Water birth. Even though I wasn't able to have the water birth I planned for the Bean, I am still a firm believer in the soothing, relaxing, healing power of water during labor and delivery. I did spend my early labor in our hot tub, relaxed and pain-free. If we have another baby, s/he will be a water baby.
4. That first shower after delivery. I won't go into detail here, but it's an experience.
5. The it's-my-only-escape shower. There's no getting around it - even with a newborn, you have to find a way to take a shower everyday. And, as guilty as I felt lathering my hair knowing that Hubby or Grandma or Auntie was trying to calm the screaming Bean, the running water drowned out all sounds. Sometimes those 5 minutes are the only peace you get in a day.
6. The breastfeeding thirst. Never have I been so thirsty! And, if I don't drink tons one day, my milk supply is down the next.
7. Bath, glass of wine, candles. No, I'm not getting romantic on you. Some days, after the Bean is asleep, there's nothing more relaxing than a hot bath. (Once or twice I've fallen asleep in there and woken up shivering.)
8. I have time to shave my legs! Older Bean, longer showers. True luxury!
9. A bath with my Bean! This on falls in the fun, rather than relaxing, category. The water can't be blazing hot like I like it, and I can't slink down to stay warm because I need to make room for the Bean to splish and splash. But what FUN! She squeals with delight and her gummy smile never fades.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
101 Reasons to Breastfeed
This is a fantastic article: 101 Reasons to Breastfeed
Each reason is either backed by common sense (e.g., breastfeeding saves you a ton of money) or scientific research, which is properly cited.
There's no question: breastfeeding is great for baby, mommy, daddy, the environment, and society as a whole. Also, it's what nature intended. (How people can think breastfeeding is "gross" or "obscene" is beyond me...but I think that's better addressed in a separate post.)
I realize, of course, that breastfeeding is not possible in all circumstances, and it's not always possible to continue after 3 or 6 months. And, especially in the beginning, it is not easy. Bean wanted to nurse constantly, and often it seemed that the breast was the only thing that would comfort her. For a new mother, this is quite intense, exhausting, and overwhelming. But it got better, and quickly. Those 40-minute nursing sessions every 2 hours eventually got shorter, and now the Bean has a quick 10 minute meal every 3 hours during the day and (cue the angels singing in the background) sleeps 11-12 hours at night.
I am grateful every day that I've been able to nurse the Bean thus far, and I hope I can continue until she's at least a year old. Sure, it's difficult to be away from her for any length of time, and pumping is a chore, and my freezer stock is dangerously low. But I know I'm giving her the best possible nourishment, and, beyond that, that when she is nursing, she is comforted, safe, and happy. The feeling of joy and contentment that I get when I look down at that little face, snuggled up and nursing drowsily before bed, is something I'd never experienced before motherhood.
Though it will represent a bit of freedom for me, I know I'll be sad when the Bean weans.
Each reason is either backed by common sense (e.g., breastfeeding saves you a ton of money) or scientific research, which is properly cited.
There's no question: breastfeeding is great for baby, mommy, daddy, the environment, and society as a whole. Also, it's what nature intended. (How people can think breastfeeding is "gross" or "obscene" is beyond me...but I think that's better addressed in a separate post.)
I realize, of course, that breastfeeding is not possible in all circumstances, and it's not always possible to continue after 3 or 6 months. And, especially in the beginning, it is not easy. Bean wanted to nurse constantly, and often it seemed that the breast was the only thing that would comfort her. For a new mother, this is quite intense, exhausting, and overwhelming. But it got better, and quickly. Those 40-minute nursing sessions every 2 hours eventually got shorter, and now the Bean has a quick 10 minute meal every 3 hours during the day and (cue the angels singing in the background) sleeps 11-12 hours at night.
I am grateful every day that I've been able to nurse the Bean thus far, and I hope I can continue until she's at least a year old. Sure, it's difficult to be away from her for any length of time, and pumping is a chore, and my freezer stock is dangerously low. But I know I'm giving her the best possible nourishment, and, beyond that, that when she is nursing, she is comforted, safe, and happy. The feeling of joy and contentment that I get when I look down at that little face, snuggled up and nursing drowsily before bed, is something I'd never experienced before motherhood.
Though it will represent a bit of freedom for me, I know I'll be sad when the Bean weans.
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