Happy New Year!!

Bryan and I are officially the lamest people this New Year's eve!  (although we've never been big NYE fans...get dressed up to pay $$$ to go to an over-crowded bar and then fight for a cab back home.  No thank you!)  But this year is lamer than ever....and I'm not ashamed of it one bit!  Nolan and I went for a run, we met some friends for an early dinner, and now we are relaxing on the couch while the little guy sleeps.  I have no plans to be awake at midnight and that's just fine by me!

I hope that whatever you are doing tonight, you have a happy and healthy New Year!! 

Bottoms up everyone!

"Wait until he's 6 months..."

When Nolan was 2 months old, I was talking to a friend at a wedding who has a 2 year old and another one the same age as Nolan.  She said something to me that I distinctly remember.

"Just wait until he is 6 months old...you will fall so much more in love with him."  

I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly love him more than I currently did...but she was right.  For us, it happened closer to 5 months and has just continued from there.  Don't get me wrong, I have ALWAYS loved my son but over the past two months I've often found myself getting teary eyed not from frustration or lack of sleep, but from the overwhelming amount of love I have for him.  Yes, this is when we sleep trained him so that cut a lot of the stress I was feeling down so I was less sleep deprived making me able to enjoy life more.  But its also when he started interacting more and he became so much fun!  Now instead of smiling just for the heck of it, he smiles when he sees my face.  Instead of aimlessly batting for a toy, he actually plays with things (his favorites activities include ripping the pages out of magazines and watching his stuffed animals fall off the book shelf).  Instead of just lying on the floor, he crawls (yes, he started crawling at 6 months and 1 week!) to give me a hug or to meet Bryan at the back door after work.  He melts my heart on a daily basis.

Everyone always says the first 6 weeks are the toughest with a baby.  I think we were lucky that Nolan wasn't too difficult at the beginning.  For us, months 3 and 4 were the hardest.  I often questioned whether I was cut out to be a stay at home mom.  Heck, I questioned whether I was even cut out to be a mom at all!  I had feelings of "why did we do this??" and "what were we thinking having a baby?!?" which of course made me feel guilty and even worse than I already felt.  But the past two months, I can not imagine my life any different.  I am truly blessed that Bryan's career allows me to stay at home with Nolan because I couldn't imagine missing a single smile on his little face.  We still have our rough days (and nights) where he's overly fussy, clingly, and won't nap (like right now when his 4th...yes 4th!! tooth is trying to break through), but I am better able to handle them because they are the exception, not the norm from a few months ago.

Everyone also says that things, good and bad, are just a phase and will change soon.  While you know that to be true, when you're in the midst of a bad phase you feel like it will never end.  I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel because no one could tell me how long that tunnel was.  Those two months were like being on a treadmill that never stops, each step making you more and more exhausted.  I dreaded the days because nap time was such a struggle and I dreaded the nights because I never knew if I'd get to sleep for 1 hour or 4 hours before Nolan woke up.  Dr. Ferber and Dr. Weissbluth were my sleep training saviors.  These two men deserve a blog post of their own because they are that brilliant!

I had been meaning to write this post for some time as my friend's comment kept popping into my head.  Now that Nolan is one day away from being 7 months old, I can only imagine that my love for him is going to continue to grow each and every day.

From our family to yours

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!

Love,

Sarah, Bryan, and Nolan

Its never to late to be thankful!

While we typically think of Thanksgiving as the day to be thankful, since I'm a few weeks late with this blog post, I figure today is just as good to be thankful!  This year, my family decided to head down to Bend, OR a cute resort town where Mt. Bachelor is located.  While it was a little different than our Thanksgiving last year that we spent in Zion (Nolan was 13 weeks old in my belly then), we had a fun time hiking around, relaxing, and spending family time together.

What I'm most thankful for!

 First hike in his big boy backpack!

Hiking is hard work!

My little bear in the snow

Bend was great and we are hoping to get back down there this winter to do some skiing at Bachelor.  For the end of November, the mountain looked like it was doing pretty well and there were already lots of skiers out enjoying the snow.

We also learned a lot about traveling with a baby at this age that will affect some of our plans for the next couple months.  He's definitely not as portable as he was a few months ago!  While we don't plan on putting our lives on hold, we are rethinking some trips we were planning.  His sleep (and ours!) is just too important right now and we found its the first thing to go when you travel at this age.  Luckily we are all back on track and sleeping well...until our next trip on Friday.

Blog Abandonment

I apologize for my lack of blogging the past 2 weeks.  If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that I go through phases of blog abandonment.  But I always come back!

This most recent break can only be blamed on one thing.  No, not a lack of sleep or being too busy.  I blame it on The Hunger Games.  I recently decided to pick up my much neglected Kindle (funny I haven't touched it in 6 months!) and read a non-baby book.  I was searching Amazon for a book to read and saw The Hunger Games.  I had no idea what it was about but I knew I had heard good things about it.  Let's just say that I was hooked from page one.  Luckily the three book series is a fast read because I was using as many of Nolan's nap times to read as I could get away with and not let my house completely fall apart!

Last night I finished book three and I'll admit I was slightly disappointed with it, but I always do this with books I love....the ending just never seems good enough for me.  Now that I'm done, I promise to make a blog return because I have lots to talk about.  Our Thanksgiving trip, Nolan's first tooth, 6 month old stats...the list goes on!

See you soon :)

November 15, 2010

Dear Nolan,

One year and 3 days ago, you had been growing in mommy's belly for about 11 weeks.  Only a few people knew about you, but Mommy and Daddy were so excited to begin to tell people about you soon.  We were especially excited to tell your great grandparents because they had been waiting (and asking!) when we would have a baby for quite some time.

One year and three days ago all that changed.  This is the day that mommy found out that your Great Grandma P (GGP) had a stroke and was in the hospital.  We prayed that she would get better but one year ago today God decided it was time for her to come be with him.  Although Mommy never did get to tell GGP about you, Grandpa was able to sit down with her before she died and told her that you were coming.  We all think that she understood him and fought a little harder to get better so that she'd get a chance to meet you.

I'm writing this to you today so that you can get to know your GGP and your Great Grandpa P through stories about them.  Your GGPs were so loving and special to your mommy and the rest of your family.  You would have been their first great grandson and they would have been so proud of you.  You would have been part of the new big-four and they would have taken you on surprise trips to the Please Touch Museum and The Franklin Institute after camping in the dining room.  They would have made you pancakes on Saturday mornings and given you quarters to put in the offering plate on Sunday mornings.  They would have made sure the jar on the coffee table was always filled with peanut M&Ms and both GGP and mommy would teach you the proper order to eat those M&Ms (I learned later in life that your GGP and I shared a need to put our candy in order...I wonder if you inherited that bizarre trait from us?).  But most of all, they would have loved you more than any GGPs could ever love their grandson.  I have no doubt that GGP had a big smile on the inside when your grandpa told her about you and that her and Great Grandpa P smile down from heaven every day at you.

I will do my best to tell you lots of stories about them over the years so that you can get to know what wonderful people they were.  For now, I'll continue to sing Teddy Bear's Picnic to you every night while we get ready for bed and think of your GGP each and every time.

Love you,
Mommy


*On a side note, I need to stop taking trips to states that I will move to in the future!  My grandpa died while I was in Utah and we moved there two years later.  My grandma died while we were in Oregon for Bryan's job interview.  No more moving...I only have two grandparents left :)
 

Sick day and another must-have

As a stay at home mom, I don't get sick days.  I definitely should have taken advantage of my sick days more when I was working outside the home!  Unfortunately both the little guy and I have colds...his first :( Nolan is handling his like a champ and with the exception of a cough and lots of boogies, you wouldn't know he's sick.  Momma on the other hand is desperate for some Sudafed but unfortunately that's on the no-no list while breast feeding.  Apparently it dries up more than just your sinuses and we don't need a sick AND hungry baby!  So we are laying low and enjoying some extra cuddles.

         Not a bad way to spend a sick day!                                                      "I'll help you blow your nose mom!"

Even when he's sick, this kid doesn't stop smiling!

And with Nolan's cold, I have a new favorite thing to share with you.  Now this one is kind of gross, but I swear all new mom's need this!  Its called the Nose Frida and it is quite possibly the best snot sucker out there!  Yes, you use your mouth to suck out the snots.  No, you don't get any boogies in your mouth!  There is lots of tubing and a filter to prevent this from happening.  Why is this so much better than the traditional bulb aspirator?  Because you control the sucking, you get continuous suction to get out the snot.  With the bulb, you get the boogies half way out but then have to pull the bulb away to depress it and inevitably the baby sucks the boogie right back in.  I'm telling you, the Nose Frida with a little saline solution first and you'll be amazed at what you can get out of that little nose!

The Little Things

You know how there are certain things in life that are fairly trivial to most people but for some reason just make you happy.  The little things that go unnoticed by most but put a smile on your face.  I have three of these things that I want to share with you.

First is opening a fresh can of whole coffee beans.  Something about peeling back the lid and allowing the smell of the beans to escape for the first time.  The shiny coffee beans just waiting to be brewed.  No matter how early in the morning it is or how rough my night was, I get surprisingly happy if I get to open a new can.

Second is the sound of leaves crunching under my feet while I run.  This is why I love running this time of year because there are thousands of leaves to crunch.  I play a little game with the leaves where I pick one that looks extra crunchy in front of me and I'll alter my stride just so I can crunch down on top of it.

Third is the first day I get to use a new compact of face powder or tube of mascara.  I'm not sure what it is about this act, but I think its the clean new brush or wand that I get to take the first perfect swipe in the powder or tube.  Maybe I just watch too many Cover Girl commercials but this always makes me happy and sometimes I buy new makeup even when the old one isn't fully finished yet. (Don't tell Bryan!)

Now that I have a child, there are many other little things I'm learning to cherish.  But I'm also having fun sharing my little things with Nolan.  Although I don't think he will ever be excited by mascara, I have shared the other two with him.  Now I know he's too young to drink the coffee, but I want him to experience that new can feeling with me.  He probably doesn't appreciate it the way I do, but I like exposing him to the smell of the beans and the smile it puts on my face.

We can also crunch leaves together while on our runs.  Instead of using my feet, we target an extra crunchy leaf and crunch it with the tires of the running stroller.  The best is when there is a whole pile of leaves on the path and we crunch right through them all!  This makes both of us smile.

While developmental milestones and other big firsts that Nolan experiences are important and fun, I'm finding that sharing the little things in life with my little guy are just as amazing.  I look forward to the day when Nolan discovers his little things and hopefully shares them with me.

Bipolar Parenting

The past week has taught me one thing...having a baby makes you biopolar!  I didn't think it was possible to feel so high one moment and not even 5 minutes later to feel so low.  Let me back up and explain...

Since getting back from my uncle's wedding in Phoenix last weekend, I've been really working on Nolan's naps.  He's gotten pretty good at putting himself to sleep at night without any sleep associations (pacifier, rocking, the boob) but naps have been more difficult.  I had this whole little shuffle that included the pacifier, lots of bouncing, patting, and gently trying to put him in his crib only to have him wake up 30 minutes on the dot later.  This wasn't terrible except for two things:  1) Nolan's getting heavy and my back was killing me and 2) I was the only one that could put him down because no one else could do this shuffle.  The other option which produced longer naps was to hold him the entire time...great for catching up on my DVR, but not so great for getting things done, like showering!

So I decided he needed to learn to put himself to sleep for naps too.  Here's where the bipolar part comes in.  The first two days, things went pretty well.  We had about 10-15 minutes of fussing at each nap time and then he'd fall asleep.  We got a couple 40-45 minutes naps too!  I was starting to feel pretty good about things.  The second two days went even better.  Less than 10 minutes of crying and then a 2 hour nap!!  We did have one skipped nap because he wouldn't go down, but let's just say I was dancing around the house thinking we had finally turned a nap corner.

And then the weekend hit...not only were the two hour naps gone but ALL naps were gone.  On Sunday morning he went 6 hours without sleeping at all.  We'd put him down like normal and he would fuss and cry for 30-60 minutes.  He was so obviously overtired but just would. not. sleep.  He cried, I cried...the high I was feeling the previous two days was gone.  Long gone.

Now its Monday morning.  He's gone down for two naps so far today with less than 5 minutes of fussing.  The second nap is currently at 1 hour and 15 minutes and still going!  Seriously kid?  What's is up with you???  Either way, I want week day napping Nolan to stick around!

Hopefully this weekend was an isolated event.  A slight regression in the nap training process maybe?  Also, Nolan has also been obsessed with his daddy lately.  He smiles whenever he sees Bryan and will follow him with his eyes all over the room.  It seriously melts my heart...just not at nap time.  We are wondering if he knew that daddy was home over the weekend and didn't want to waste time sleeping. Or maybe its the phase of the moon!

Whatever it is, I'm not going to spend too much time trying to figure it out because it will just drive me crazy.  I'm already bipolar so I don't need any more crazy in me!

Happy (Belated) Halloween!

Happy Halloween from my little guy!

Its a bird....its a plane....no, its SUPERMAN!!

Superman's first trip to the pumpkin patch

Hope you all had a great halloween!!

Awake Training for Parents

I knew it!!  The below letter confirms what I suspected....the babies of the world are uniting against us mommies!!  I saw this posted online yesterday and literally laughed out loud at many parts.  Maybe I've read too many sleep training books, but hopefully you'll find it funny too :)  


Dear Fellow Babies, 

OK, here's my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 5 months. The first few months were great – I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, around the clock. Then something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. 

I've talked to other babies, and it seems like its pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 5-6 months. Here's the thing: these Mommies don't really need to sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep – they just don't need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle.

It goes like this: 

Night 1 – cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's hard. It's hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good. 

Night 2 – cry every 2 hours until you get fed. 

Night 3 – every hour. 

Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights. Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I know it's hard! But she really does not need the sleep; she is just resisting the change. If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it. 

The other night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with: 

-My sleep sack tickled my foot. 
-I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. 
-My mobile made a shadow on the wall. 
-I burped, and it tasted like rice cereal. I hadn't eaten rice cereal since breakfast, what's up with that? 
-The dog said "ruff". I should know. My Mommy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. 
-Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room. 
-Too hot, too cold, just right – doesn't matter! Keep crying!! 
-I had drooled so much my sheets were damp and I didn't like it touching me. 
-I decided I was sick of all the pink in my room so I cried. 

It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mommies' internal clocks. 

Sometimes my Mommy will call for reinforcements by sending in Daddy. Don't worry Daddies are not set up for not needing sleep the way Mommies are. They can only handle a few pats and shhing before they declare defeat and send in the Mommy. 

Also, be wary of the sleep sheep with rain noises. I like to give Mommy false hope that listening to the rain puts me to sleep sometimes I pretend to close my eyes and be asleep and then wait until I know 
Mommy is settling back to sleep to spring a surprise cry attack. If she doesn't get to me fast enough I follow up with my fake cough and gag noise that always has her running to the crib. At some point I am positive she will start to realize that she really doesn't really need sleep. 

P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, no milk will come out. 

Trust me. 

Sincerely, 
Baby J

So that's what this thing is for!

Last night, Nolan figured out what he's supposed to do in the jumperoo :)

4 Month Stats

Its hard to believe that our Nolan is 4 months old already...that's 1/3 of a year!!  He continues to amaze us every day as his personality develops and he becomes more of a little person.  Yesterday we had his 4 month pediatrician visit.  Here's his stats:

Weight:  16lb 4oz (73%)

Height:  26.5 in (91%)

Head:  47cm (88%)

Looks like my boy is getting long and lean!  His weight percent dropped a little from his 2 month appointment so he's slimmed a bit but he remains a tall boy.  That's probably why he still fits in some 3 month clothes width wide but he's too long for them.

Keep up the good work buddy!!

Our "must-haves"

Now that Nolan is 4 months old, I wanted to review some of our favorite and not-so-favorite baby items.  I've seen many other bloggers do this and always thought it was extremely helpful.  Of course every baby and parent are different so just because we liked or didn't like something doesn't mean it will hold true for every family.  But I know I love hearing real mom advice so here you go....

Things we love and can't live without for birth to 4 months!

Aden and Anais swaddle blankets:  These are by far the best and most versatile blanket out there.  We used them a bit for swaddling but more so as an all-purpose blanket.  Its light enough for the summer, but big enough to fold several times when more warmth is needed.  I seriously do not leave the house without one of these blankets either in my bag or over Nolan!  And I suggest you spend the extra money and get the real ones (not the cheaper ones from Target or Babies R Us) because they are a bit bigger and nicer quality fabric.

Boppy Pillow:  This was essential at the beginning for breastfeeding!!  Now, we use it a lot to prop Nolan up in a seated position or for some tummy time.  He likes to sit on it on my bed and help me fold laundry :)

Fisher Price Jungle Play Mat:  We set this up for Nolan when he was 2 weeks old and he has probably spent some time in it every single day since then.  Its great for tummy time since there are so many things to look at, as well as for back time.  He loves the lights and now that he's reaching for toys more, he's really playing with it rather than just staring at everything.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe:  These are the ultimate baby burrito swaddlers!  Nolan was a little Hudini with the standard swaddle blankets but for a while these were inescapable for him.  Because of that darn Moro reflex where babies startle themselves in their sleep, these things were like magic for a while.

Good Burp Cloths: Don't even bother with those small little strips of fabric they call burp cloths.  Go with the Gerber Cloth Diapers.  And get a ton of them!  Between the laundry, diaper bag, and every room in the house, you will use a lot of them.

Ergo Carrier:  I seriously can not say enough about our Ergo carrier!  It is the most comfortable carrier, Nolan loves it, and my back doesn't hurt at all from wearing it.  Both Bryan and I have worn Nolan for several hours at a time while hiking, shopping, or just around the house and we both love it.  We got the Sport version since it was supposed to be cooler.  I was a little hesitant at first since the baby has to face you, unlike in the Baby Bjorn where they can face in or out, but that turned out not to be an issue at all.  Nolan almost always falls asleep in the Ergo and its a general rule for carriers not to let the baby sleep while facing out.  The last thing you want to do is have to risk waking your child up because they fell asleep front facing!  And I've heard from other mommas that the Bjorn KILLS your back and shoulders when the baby gets above 14ish pounds.  Save your money and get the Ergo!!!

 

Motorola Video Monitor:  This is one of the I-told-you-so items in our household.  I wanted a video monitor and Bryan thought it would be overkill.  Guess who was right??  He fully admitted early on that the video monitor was the way to go.  Now when we hear little cries, we can look at the monitor to see if Nolan really needs us or if he's just moving around to get comfortable rather than trying to silently peek into his room and risk waking him up even more.  These seem to range a lot in price but we've been really happy with this one and actually really like the temperature sensor to make sure his room isn't too hot or cold.  No problems with interference or static and we can sit outside without losing signal.

Sophie the Giraffe:  I wasn't sure about Sophie.  I've heard her refered to as an overpriced dog chew toy but other mom's love her.  We got her as a gift and in the past month, Nolan really loves her!   Before then, he didn't show any interest in her or other toys.  Something about the shape of her legs, ears, and face are perfect for his little hands and mouth.  And let's face it, she pretty darn cute!

 

BOB Revolution Stroller:  I love this thing!!!  This is currently the only stroller we have and I've never felt like we needed anything else (we'll get a small umbrella stroller when Nolan's bigger).  Yes, its a bit big, but its super easy to fold and unfold.  It manuvers like a dream when running (we have the infant car seat adaptor and yes I run with it...totally safe in my opinion even though the makers tell you not to) and its great when walking around town or through the mall.  If you are a serious runner, definitely get this stroller!

Moby Wrap:  I wasn't sold on the Moby Wrap at the beginning, mostly because it was summer time and that thing is darn hot!  But now that its cooler, I'm liking it more.  Also, I think I like it more now that Nolan is getting bigger (which is the opposite of what I originally would have thought).  I like using it for different holds, like facing out, and our newest favorite is the hip carry.  Overall, I would suggest getting some sort of wrap as they are fairly cheap compared to other carriers and there's nothing like having your baby snuggled up next to you!

A good camera:  This is one of the most important things I think you can invest in.  I got Bryan a Cannon DSLR for his 30th birthday and we both agree its one of the best gifts ever.  We just have a base model but he has many different lenses for it that really improve the quality of the pictures.  I've posted many pictures on here and on facebook that just wouldn't be as good with just a point and shoot camera. (I should give Bryan credit here for being a good photographer too!)

Other thoughts:  I would suggest both a swing and a bouncy seat as they are helpful but Nolan neither loves or hates his.  He spends 20 minutes in the morning in his bouncy seat while I make coffee and my breakfast and he's been napping in his swing lately (interestingly, not while its swinging!).  The one thing I will suggest is to spend the extra money on a swing that plugs in so you don't have to worry about batteries.  We have this one.  And for the bouncy seat, get one that vibrates and does not have an automatic shut off.  We have been known to run across the room when we hear Nolan stirring from a nap when the vibration shuts off!

As for things we aren't as thrilled with, we really don't have anything like that.  We didn't go too crazy with unnecessary baby things.  For example, we skipped the Diaper Genie in leu of a regular trash can with a lid.  The Diaper Genie refills are expensive and its not that hard to put a new garbage bag in our can every day.  We didn't bother with a Bumbo as I think they are a waste of money and I've read they aren't the best for developmental reasons (they don't allow the baby to exercise the muscles used to sit up on their own).  I just use the Boppy pillow if I want to prop Nolan up in a seated position.  The one thing we did buy that I haven't used yet are The Ultimate Crib Sheet.  The book Baby Bargins recommends them but I haven't used them and it seemed harder to put this on and off the mattress than just switching the actual crib sheet.  We did buy a foam mattress so its lighter to pick up when changing the sheets compared to coils.

So there you have it!  I'll probably think of other "must-haves" and I'll update here if I do.  Other new mom's (or experience moms for that matter), please feel free to post some of your favorites or no-so-favorite baby items too!

Isn't it amazing how much stuff one tiny human needs??

Nolan's Noises

From the minute he was born, Nolan was a noisy baby.  He was always making these sweet sounds like he was talking to us.  Over the past 4 months, those noises have evolved into babbles, "aaah....gooos", and finally laugher.  I seriously think that baby giggles are one of the most amazing sounds in the world...they melt my heart!

So in honor of Nolan's 4th month birthday, here are two videos of my little man "talking"

An hour old and he already had a lot to say

4 months old.  I just love those giggles and that smile!

We have to train him?!?!

Why did no one tell me that you have to actually train your child how to sleep?  Here I was thinking that babies just knew how to sleep.  I mean, why else would people use the phrase "sleeping like a baby*"??

I naively thought that as babies got older, they would start sleeping more on their own.  I'm sure some babies do, but from what I've been reading, most babies have to learn to sleep.  How does one learn to sleep? Enter the phrase that has been uttered daily in our house for the last week:  Sleep Training.  Fortunately, there are tons of books written by sleep experts on this subject.  Unfortunately, there are tons of books written by sleep experts on this subject.  Why didn't my kid come with a personalized manual?  Sleep training does not have to be "put your kid in their crib and leave them crying until they fall asleep!"  If you take the time (not that I have much free time!), you can find a method that you are comfortable with and adapt it to what's right for your child and your family.  

As you can see, I've been doing some reading...and making multiple trips to the library!

The main issue for us...the dang pacifier!  

He falls asleep almost instantly when you give it to him, but guess what happens when it falls out??  Once or twice a night wouldn't be so bad, but as my inlaws can attest from their recent trip to visit, its become more like 6-8 times per night!  One night he woke up crying for the paci 3 times in an hour and 15 minutes...that's not healthy for him OR for us!!  So we are starting to train him not to need the paci to fall asleep and to self soothe (another phrase uttered daily in our house) so he can fall asleep and stay asleep by himself.  

Its been a week of sleep training and things are getting better but I'm not ready to say we have the paci problem solved yet.  I'll be sure to give a full update on what we are doings, how its working, and how things are going soon!

*Whoever coined this phrase obviously never had kids!  I might just punch the next person that says this to me when they see him sleeping peacefully.  Do they not know how much effort it sometimes takes just to get him to fall asleep....let alone stay asleep???

  

2:30am

The feel of your rhythmic breathing on my neck

The smell of sweet milky on your breath

The sound of your little coos

The sight of your dreamy smiles

Our cheeks next to each other as I rock you to sleep

Sometimes being awake at 2:30am isn't so bad...

East Coast Trip: Part 2

Let's just say, my last post was a bit premature and we are back to night wakings every 1-2 hours.  Because I don't think I could put two cognitive sentences together right now, instead I'll share some pictures of the second part of our East Coast trip.  After a week in PA with my family, we headed north to spend time with Bryan's family and some friends.  

First we took the train up to NY to Bryan's parent's house

We spent a beautiful day on Lake George

Then we were off to Boston so Nolan could meet his Great Nana

Poppy was so happy to finally meet Nolan!

 We took a trip to have lunch with my old coworkers.  Here's Nolan with the ladies :)

I'd like to thank our wonderful friends A and R for letting us stay at their place while we were in Boston.  Nolan got to test out their house for when Baby S arrives!  

With all the travel, time zone changes, and people, Nolan did AWESOME and of course everyone loved meeting him.  Lucky us that he decided to save his sleep strike for when we got home :)

A light...

...at the end of the growth spurt tunnel!

I am happy to report that after a loooong 10 days and even longer 10 nights, Nolan seems to be resuming his normal* sleep patterns.  I really think the regression was part of his three month growth spurt since it started the same week he turned 3 months (on a side note, how is my baby already 3 months old!?!?).  This was the first growth spurt that really hit us this hard and for this many days so it was rough on all of us.  There were quite a few tears, (his and mine), lots of night wakings, and too short naps, but hopefully we are on the tail end of things.

With the exception of last night when he had some bad gas that was waking him up (note to self...don't eat any more flax seed muffins while breastfeeding), he's been going down at night around 8:00-8:30pm and not waking up until 4:00-4:30am.  Yes, you read that right...8 hours of sleep!!  Not even a peep looking for his paci.

We're still working on lengthening his naps more since he seems to wake up after about 40 minutes for every single nap.  We'll get there...one nap at a time!  Baby steps, right?

Thank you to all who emailed me with their support, suggestions, and words of encouragement.  I know I'm not the first to go through this, but its nice to hear reassurance from other parents out there!

*I'm learning that there isn't truly a normal for a baby...once you think they are on a schedule BAM...they change it!!  But that's what keeps you on your toes, right?? :)

Regressing :(

Its been a rough couple of nights in our home.  Nolan had been doing so well with sleeping at night.  In fact, he's always been a good night sleeper, even at the beginning he'd go about 3 hours, eat, and go right back to bed.  Last week we were up to a few nights of 7-7.5 hours and it was heavenly...absolutely heavenly!!  He'd go to sleep around 9pm, sleep until 4am-ish, eat, and go right back to sleep until 7-8am.  He'd wake 2-3 times otherwise and just need his pacifier put back in but otherwise he slept pretty well.  And so did mom!

Unfortunately the last 4 nights we've regressed...regressed hard core!  Not only is he wanting to eat twice a night, but he's very restless and waking up every HOUR squirming and grunting in his crib.  That means that mommy is waking up every hour too :(  This is worse than when he was a newborn!  Add to this that his naps have been sub-par or non-existant recently too and you have one tired mommy and daddy (but let's face it, he sleeps through most of it!).

I'm really hoping this is just a phase (3 month growth spurt perhaps?) and that my sweet little boy goes back to his 7 hour stretches soon (please Nolan, PLEASE).  At least he's not too cranky during the day as a result.  Man, I hope I didn't just jinx myself now!

P.S.  And that whole "sleep while the baby sleeps" thing....yeah right!  I'd love to know any mom that can actually accomplish this!

East Coast Trip: Part 1

This summer we traveled back east for two weeks to see family and friends.  Obviously we were a little nervous about traveling with Nolan who was 2 months old at the time, but he did great!  The first part of our trip was to PA to see my family.  Despite the 95+ degree temperatures (thank God for A/C!!), Nolan had fun meeting all my crazy family.

Nolan's first flight...he even got his wings!

Meeting his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa for the first time

 

Hanging with Grandma and Grandpa.  It was too hot for clothes!

Tried escaping the heat by heading to Avalon at the Jersey Shore

                      "Hey ladies!.........                                                      ........Where's Snookie??"

   

  

 Then we went swimming in Uncle Danny and Aunt Rachelle's pool.  The water was so warm from the heat that Nolan probably thought it was bath time!

Just chilling with Uncle Danny

So you can see we packed a lot into our week in PA and saw a lot of people!  

Next up, NY and Boston!