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 :)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
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!"
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!
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!
Friday, November 11, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Bipolar Parenting
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!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
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!!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
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
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
Friday, October 21, 2011
So that's what this thing is for!
Last night, Nolan figured out what he's supposed to do in the jumperoo :)
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