We’re in the double digits now! So crazy!
Here’s what’s been up with Kye this past week:
Rice Cereal:
As I mentioned in an earlier post Zach really wanted to try giving Kye rice cereal at night during his “dream feed” (the 11:30 feeding) to help him sleep better through the night. He’s already sleeping through the night but will wake up once or twice around 5:00, usually just pooping, and go back to sleep. Zach thought the cereal would help him STAY asleep the whole night. We tried it and it kinda back fired because then he wouldn’t take the bottle very well!!! At church Zach had to leave services to go feed him because he would not take the bottle! Luckily we quickly figured out that it was the rice cereal and we quit giving it to him! Thankfully he’s back taking the bottle with no issues 🙂
Sleep
Naps still aren’t great! He’ll sleep for the first 40 min but then not the second half at all. I’m so excited to move to the 4 hour schedule because I think he’ll do better with less naptime (and maybe I’ll be a little more sane too!)
He is doing wonderfully at night though! I bought a new book recommended on the Babywise Blog, it’s called The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems. I haven’t been able to read through it yet but I did read up on the dreamfeeding (his 11:30 feeding). It said that if the baby is waking up before 7 every morning (which he is…not for long but he does wake up) that maybe we should drop the 11:30 feeding. It says that if the baby is DEAD asleep at the 11:30 one and we’re waking him up, making him eat, then putting him back down that it could be causing him to mess up his sleep cycle and therefore not sleep as well the rest of the night.
Once we dropped the rice cereal we continued to give him a bottle for the dreamfeed so we could see how much he was eating…Monday night he only had one ounce! What’s the point in that??? Last night we decided to go cold turkey and just drop the thing. Kye ate at 8:30 then went to sleep at 9:30…and didn’t wake up until like 6:55!!! Zach gets up with him at night and said he grunted one other time but was just going poop! So he slept almost 10 hours! YAY!!! SO exciting! I wish I could have been more excited but I have had a migraine for three days straight and when I woke up it was SUPER intense so I was pretty much in a crappy mood, but I’m still so proud that he did it and hope it continues!
He’s down to eating 5 times a day now and sleeping great at night! Sure, naps are horrible but I think it’ll get better with time!
Diapers
His diapers have changed for sure! He’s always been a Poopy Boy with plenty of nasty ones for changing but this week he had the first one that literally made me gag. It was disgusting! He’s been pooping less so when he does do it they are MASSIVE. It looked like straight up butterscotch pudding and was all over him. It took two diapers and four wipes! Not fun!
Not to jinx myself but I can’t remember the last time he’s peed while I’ve changed his diaper. It’s been a long time for sure which is a welcome change! I don’t really know why the change has happened but I hope it stays that way 🙂
Talking
Kye has become so so vocal this week! He talks all the time (especially to the monkey sticker above the changing table when he has a diaper change). His favorite sound i “ahhh guh” Zach said it sounds like he’s saying the name of the UGA mascot! Haha Too bad we aren’t Bulldog fans!
Eating
He’s become a much faster eater which I read is normal for a baby his age. He gulps that junk down! He used to take about 45 min to eat from both breasts and now he’ll empty one in 8-10 min and the other as quickly as 5! I fed him an entire bottle today in 15 min! Life is just getting easier 🙂
Hands
Kye has fallen in love with using his hands. He’s always holding them together now (see above pictures) and opens them much more often. Before I had to force things into his palm but now he’s figured out how to grasp things himself! Hopefully soon he’ll figure out how to hold them better but it works for now.
I’m actually thinking we may try no swaddle this week. The Babywise Blog suggests trying with one arm out first and I may do that. He’s so into his hands that he breaks out of the swaddle quite often!
Zits
Zach and I can’t stand the little whiteheads Kye has on his face (and even some on his body) but I know they are normal and will eventually go away. When he was a newborn he had one on his eyebrow that seemed to last FOREVER and I remember the day I noticed it was gone how pumped I was! Well this morning he got rid of another one that was driving me nuts…he had one on the lower part of his left eye (you can see it in the picture below) and it’s gone! Yay!
Hair
I was so proud to have a baby with a head full of hair…do you notice something that changes as the time goes on? Yes, less and less hair! Ugh! I know it’s normal for it to fall out but I can’t stand it! I miss his hair…when will it come back?
Content
He’s still a very content baby! Usually when it’s time to eat he gets fussy but lately he’s been FINE even if I feed him a little late. He’s happy and playful and it’s so nice not to be stressing out and rushing to get my breast in his mouth to shut him up! I really think he’ll do awesome when his schedule moves next month to every 4 hours from every 3 1/2!
Out and About
I took him on a walk this week (yes, a walk…I NEED to do this more often but it’s so hard to find the time!) and I did right before the begining of his naptime thinking he’d sleep through it like usual, but he was WIDE awake so I ended up RUNNING to get him home to be able to put him down for his nap on time! I also noticed when I took him out to the mall that he was staying awake a little longer than usual in the car seat. I think he’s realized that we are somewhere new and he wants to check out everything
We did go to Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday and it was wonderful! I’ve been missing it these past 10 weeks that’s for sure! They had a lunch at The Ravine and it was AWESOME! Kye did great and DID sleep wonderfully in his car seat the whole time 🙂
Here we are getting ready to go…doesn’t he look adorable? All the ladies in the class (it’s an elderly lady class) cheered when we walked in and couldn’t stop talking about how adorable he is and how much he smiles 🙂
Rolling Over
He hasn’t rolled over ONCE this ENTIRE week!!! It really scared me at first but then I thought about it and he’s LOVING time on his belly. He has realized that when he is propped up he can look around and he enjoys that so much that by the time he remembers to try to roll over he is too tired. I still let him practice as much as I can but when he gets fussy I have him stop. I wonder if I should let him keep trying while he cries?
Independent Playtime
I’ve started reading Babywise Two and am learning a lot already! One of the things that I think is important is for Kye to have time by himself. If I’m always playing with him every awake time then he’s going to be dependent on me and not know how to entertain himself. I had Zach set up the pack and play in the dining room and I’ve been putting him in there for about 15 minutes a day. He loves it!
Speaking of the pack and play…guess what? Our little porker is already too heavy for the bassinet thing at the top! Haha! I put him in it the other day and it sagged down so I looked it up and it only goes up to 15 lbs…Kye is 14 but with a dirty diaper and full tummy I’m sure he’s about 15!!!
He looks really scared in these pictures which is hilarious to me..this was his first time having independent playtime!
Me
This week wasn’t enjoyable for me, and it should have been. Kye had a great week but I didn’t even appreciate that! I feel very drained and very tired. I’ve been suffering through this migraine and dealing with all the body image issues still. While it’s a blessing that he sleeps so wonderfully at night it’s so so so hard to deal with his horrible naps all day. My back is KILLING me from being constantly bent over the crib and always hearing crying will wear on you. It has made me in an awful mood and I can’t remember the last time I had one solid day where I was happy the whole day. I’ve been a total butthole to Zach all week and I know it but can’t help myself! It’s like I’m so miserable so shouldn’t he be miserable too? So not fair but it’s how I feel.
Zach isn’t around Kye all day every day and isn’t able to understand why it affects me so much. I try and try all different things to get him to sleep a full nap but he won’t. It’s a mega self-esteem killer b/c at his age he SHOULD be sleeping better for naps dangit! And then I feel so alone b/c I don’t have anyone to talk to about it! Zach doesn’t get it and IF Kye does have a great nap it’s ALWAYS when Zach is home and it makes it seem like I’m just making things out worse than they are ya know? Isn’t that typical?
My weight is really making it all that much worse…I weighed in today and only lost 1/2 lb last week. YUCK. I know I need to start working out but with a baby crying every 3 min for his paci who has the time? If I could wish for one wish right now it’d be a full 24 hours ALONE. Just completely alone. Not at this house either! No baby, No house, No dogs, Not even Zach…just ME. What would I do? No clue but it’d still be wonderful. Honestly, I’d probably sit there reading a freaking baby book haha.
I really need to find a hobby that I enjoy. It seems like everything I love doing ends up feeling like a chore. I used to love laying out but now it’s more like “I have to lay out or I’ll lose my tan” and I don’t enjoy it anymore. I used to love writing on the blog but now it’s “I HAVE to blog” and therefore I don’t enjoy it anymore. Guys have it so easy. Zach can go play basketball. He can play nintendo (yes, I still call it that…to me all game systems are nintendo). He has so many things he enjoys. What do I have? Nothing! Maybe someday I’ll figure all this out and feel good about myself and my little place in the world again!!! Maybe week 11 will be a week filled with great full naps and a happier Mommy 🙂
I completely understand the ALONE thing. Since Jason was deployed until Clayton was 1 I was his only caretaker and when he got home I asked for a day in a hotel. he gave me my wish and I was so excited to get back home to them but I needed the break and you do too. On another note Clayton still wakes up in the middle of the night at 14months old…why? B/c he misses me. Really I can go in there and tell him hey and to go back to sleep and he does, but he will cry until I go in there. Babies are a mystery but a fun one I think
Just wanted to let you know that the feelings you are feeling are totally NORMAL. There is not a mom out there that hasn’t felt this same way. As for the naptime, you definately need it. It will help you keep your sanity. Any normal person needs a little peace and quiet. That is my favorite part of the day when my 4 year old and 2 year old nap from 12:45-3:00. That is MY TIME!! Have you tried the swing for naps. My kids LOVED the swing. I have never done the babywise thing. I just did what I needed to keep my sanity. Sometimes if you try too much structure it will stress you out which might be the reason he is cranky during the day. Kids seem to pick up on our mommy feelings. It always helped me to get together with other moms (many of which had kids the same age). We would share stories and it would get me out of the house and being by myself with THE SCREAMING child. I want to encourage you to be HAPPY with who you are and how you look. The weight will come off but don’t rush it. Your husband and baby love you just the way you are. I am sure you are bothered by it but give yourself some time, you just had a BABY, girl. I would like to recommend a fun book. You can read it in your “spare time” (ha!). It is called The Girlfriend’s Guide to the First Year. It is a funny book and will allow you to laugh because all of this will pass soon, even the lack of napping 🙂 Take care of yourself. Just remember you are not the only one with those feelings. All of us moms are with you!!!