Frantic Baby Search

Week 5

The first question that everyone asks me right now is "how is he sleeping" or "are you getting any rest". I cringe every time because I hate answering this question. Not because I'm a sleep deprived pile of nerves but because I don't want to jinx things or have an angry mob of frazzled parents hunt me down and pin my eyes open. The truth is that so far we have a sleepy head and we sleep fine *crosses fingers and knocks on wood*.

In fact, I get more rest now than I have in years. Now... that's not to say that I've gotten more than 5 hours at a time, but let's face it - I've been up every three hours to pee for about a year in a half now, so I have gotten pretty use to catching a full night sleep in small increments. Also there are days that I never change out of my PJs and that don't seem to 'start' until dinner time... but those are also the days that I'm usually napping the entire day when I'm not feeding or changing him. So, right now the problem isn't a lack of sleep, but too much which leaves me groggy, lethargic and unmotivated.

So... since this blog was originally about my dreams - you may ask what it is that I'm dreaming with all this lovely sleep I'm getting. Well, the truth is I don't remember any dreams right now except for one... the same one I have about twice a day.

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I've fallen asleep with the baby in my arms and I wake up in a panic because I've lost him!. I sit bolt upright certain that I've smothered him or he's fallen. I turn on the lights to search the covers and check the side of the bed or the floor by the couch only to realize (once again) that I put him down in his crib like I ALWAYS do and that the only thing that was ever in bed with me is my pillows.
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I've never fallen asleep holding him or even napped with him in bed, but for some reason that's always my dream. Well, that and occasionally I'll try to trick myself in my sleep and dream that I've already woken up and fed him, but that's what alarms are for. Unfortunately it's rare that I'm ever woken by the alarm because I'm usually up doing the frantic baby search just a few minutes before it ever has a chance to go off. Then I'm doing the new parent thing and getting up to check that he's still breathing since he's been unbelievably quiet for so long... which more often then not ends up waking him up and starting the next cycle. So, the majority of my sleep issues are my own paranoia rather than a fussy kid right now.

However, as a good friend recently advised me - the one thing you can count on in parenthood is that nothing lasts forever! So I'm sure there will be some point in the future when I look back on this post and laugh with deep dark circles under my eyes.

In preparation for that day... here is a page from my new favorite book by Adam Mansbach called "Go the Fuck to Sleep":



Baby Stuff:
Dunstan Baby Language:
    Ow = Tired    Neh = Hungry    Heh = Uncomfortable (hot/cold/wet)
    Eh = Need to burp    Eairh = Need to fart

Happiest Baby on the Block and the 5 "S's":
    Swaddle    Side    Shhh    Swing    Suck

Babywise PDF (Parent Dirrected Feeding):
    Time + Hunger cues + Parental Evaluation = Time to Eat
    Flexible schedule with fixed times for first & final feedings can get baby sleeping through the night fast!

Firsts:
Trip into mommies work, Dim Sum, Smiles (more predictable now when we play & smiling with whole face now)

Dehydrated

Weeks 2 - 4

So much to catch up on already! We lazed through our second week spending most of the time holding baby and catching up on bad TV. In week 3 our cord finally fell off and we got our first bath, we saw the doctor for a clogged tear duct and Aunt Amy came to visit. It was lovely. We got to celebrate her recent divorce and spend some quality sister time together. She helped us navigate our first bottle and Blaine gave me the evening out with the girls. I had no idea how much I missed scotch!

We had a wonderful time - well at least for most of us did. Blaine got sick the second day, in fact the evening that Amy left was one of the most terrifying nights of my life. I had to call some friends over at about midnight to take Blaine into the E.R. I don't know why these thing only happen in the dead of night, but he had gotten dehydrated to the point of shuddering in delirium. By the time he made it to the hospital his B.P. had dipped to 60/40 and they had to admit him and keep him for another two days to get him back to normal. I was so scared for him. When he did come home he still couldn't touch the baby for a while so I got a glimpse of what it might be like to juggle the little one all on my own. I can't imagine it. My heart goes out to single Moms everywhere.

Once Blaine was on the mend though we got to celebrate Wyatt's 1 month milestone with a trip out to the park for fencing practice then Chinese dinner with friends.

Next came mother's day and the sudden realization that my name is now "Mom" for the rest of my life... WEIRD! We spent a lovely afternoon with a houseful of friends for what was dubbed "Babies, Beer & BBQ" it was wonderful. At one point my friends were playing music as I sat in my rocker nursing, it made me so happy I cried a little. I love my house, my friends, my life. All is well.

Baby Stuff:
He coos now, it's so fun to hear the new noises he makes daily.
Gettin' wiggly! Managed to roll from his back to his side on his own.
Working on sleeping through the night, we are up to 5-6 hour stretches now.

Firsts: Bath, Bottle, Fencing Practice, Dinner out, BBQ