We have success. Since Windows sucks and my PC was stuck in a continuous reboot loop yesterday I'm just getting to this now.
On Saturday night Baby C slept ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Yay! He made a repeat performance last night, only getting up once to whine for a minute. I hope this is the end of our sleepless nights!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Ferber Night 6
Last night we reached the Holy Grail - Baby Charlie slept through the night! Went down around 7:45 with a little bit of whining, but it's now 5:30 and he's still sleeping!
Unfortunately I can't take advantage of the situation because I'm headed off to the goat rodeo that is the Mom's of Multiples Semi-Annual Used Baby Crap Sale. I'm planning to get there by 7:30 and that makes me a straggler. Moms line up for this thing at 6 o'freaking clock! I'm not hoping to score anything huge, so I don't need to punish myself that badly.
Unfortunately I can't take advantage of the situation because I'm headed off to the goat rodeo that is the Mom's of Multiples Semi-Annual Used Baby Crap Sale. I'm planning to get there by 7:30 and that makes me a straggler. Moms line up for this thing at 6 o'freaking clock! I'm not hoping to score anything huge, so I don't need to punish myself that badly.
Friday, March 27, 2009
My Initiation
I completely forgot. Last night after dinner C was flying Baby Charlie around a little too quickly, which isn't something you should do when he has a full stomach. Of course, some of the contents of his stomach came back up, and I caught them. IN MY HAND. Ew.
Ferber Night Five
Bedtime: No crying!
Night Waking 1: No crying!
Night Waking 2: 15 minutes
Night Waking 3: No crying!
Hmm, I'm not too sure what went on with all of the waking up at night, but at least he went right back to sleep 2 out of 3 times. I had to go back in his room after he was asleep to get the diaper laundry and I noticed that he's taken to sleeping scrunched up in the corner of he crib. I suspect that he's bumping his head against the crib bars and waking himself up.
Night Waking 1: No crying!
Night Waking 2: 15 minutes
Night Waking 3: No crying!
Hmm, I'm not too sure what went on with all of the waking up at night, but at least he went right back to sleep 2 out of 3 times. I had to go back in his room after he was asleep to get the diaper laundry and I noticed that he's taken to sleeping scrunched up in the corner of he crib. I suspect that he's bumping his head against the crib bars and waking himself up.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Ferber Night Four
Bedtime: No crying!
Night Waking: 3 minutes!
This is better than I ever could have hoped. It seems like he's really learned how to put himself back to sleep and he's also eating better during the day - not as many of the 2-3oz "snack bottles" that he used to take. He's also doing it all without the help of the pacifier! It almost seems too good to be true. Charlie is just amazed at how quickly it's working. His night waking wasn't even at 2:30, it was at 11:30, so even after getting up to check on him I still got 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!
I don't feel the mommy-guilt anymore, either. Based on his quick progress I'm looking at this as a nudge in the right direction rather than a complete unlearning of everything he ever knew to be true. I still believe that doing everything on demand is the best course of action for at least the first 6 months, but I'm glad he's learning how to sleep.
Night Waking: 3 minutes!
This is better than I ever could have hoped. It seems like he's really learned how to put himself back to sleep and he's also eating better during the day - not as many of the 2-3oz "snack bottles" that he used to take. He's also doing it all without the help of the pacifier! It almost seems too good to be true. Charlie is just amazed at how quickly it's working. His night waking wasn't even at 2:30, it was at 11:30, so even after getting up to check on him I still got 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!
I don't feel the mommy-guilt anymore, either. Based on his quick progress I'm looking at this as a nudge in the right direction rather than a complete unlearning of everything he ever knew to be true. I still believe that doing everything on demand is the best course of action for at least the first 6 months, but I'm glad he's learning how to sleep.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Ferber Night Three
Bedtime: 10 minutes!
Night Waking: 10 minutes and 10 minutues!
Wow, we definitely had some improvement last night! At bedtime, Baby Charlie fell asleep pretty much right away. He whined for a few minutes but that was it. We didn't even have to go back in once! His 2:00 night waking was also better than usual - I went in after 10 minutes and talked to him and rubbed his back, then left again. He was still upset, and I thought for sure we'd be back in there after the second wait period, but to my surprise he fell asleep before the second 10 minute mark!
I hope this wasn't just a fluke and that tomorrow goes just as well, if not better.
I also got to watch the Yankees beat the crap out of the red sux in a spring training game. I know it doesn't mean anything, but it's fun nonetheless :)
Night Waking: 10 minutes and 10 minutues!
Wow, we definitely had some improvement last night! At bedtime, Baby Charlie fell asleep pretty much right away. He whined for a few minutes but that was it. We didn't even have to go back in once! His 2:00 night waking was also better than usual - I went in after 10 minutes and talked to him and rubbed his back, then left again. He was still upset, and I thought for sure we'd be back in there after the second wait period, but to my surprise he fell asleep before the second 10 minute mark!
I hope this wasn't just a fluke and that tomorrow goes just as well, if not better.
I also got to watch the Yankees beat the crap out of the red sux in a spring training game. I know it doesn't mean anything, but it's fun nonetheless :)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Ferber Night Two
Bedtime: 5-5-10
Last night's bedtime went better than the previous night's. We started his routine a little bit later, and I think he was tired anyway from all of the crying he did the night before. He had his bath, got his PJs on, and read a book (The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. Definitely a classic). We put him in the crib and said our goodnights. I stuck a small stuffed animal in there with him, hoping that he might latch onto it for comfort if he woke up during the night. He played with his crib toy for a few minutes, then the whining/crying/screaming began. We waited 5 minutes, then I went upstairs and sat with him for a minute, rubbed his back and talked to him. Still crying. At the next 5 minute mark C took his turn to go in and comfort him. Still crying. Thankfully, sometime in the 10 minute wait window he fell asleep.
Night Waking: 5-5-10-10-15-15
This was an absolutely miserable hour. He woke up around 2:00, which is his normal wake-up time. I went in to check on him and he didn't need to be changed, so we waited 5 minutes and then did the comfort routine. He would scream at the top of his lungs for a minute, then whine for another few minutes, then calm down. A minute later it would start all over again. We took turns watching the clock and going in to sit with him. Having the tag team effort made things easier. He finally fell back to sleep shortly after 3:00.
Those 15 minute overnight wait periods were torture. I questioned the decision, questioned myself, came very close to breaking down and going in to grab him. It was so hard to let him cry, but I know when all is said and done with it will make everyone much happier. All three of us will be well-rested and he will know how to fall asleep on his own.
Last night's bedtime went better than the previous night's. We started his routine a little bit later, and I think he was tired anyway from all of the crying he did the night before. He had his bath, got his PJs on, and read a book (The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. Definitely a classic). We put him in the crib and said our goodnights. I stuck a small stuffed animal in there with him, hoping that he might latch onto it for comfort if he woke up during the night. He played with his crib toy for a few minutes, then the whining/crying/screaming began. We waited 5 minutes, then I went upstairs and sat with him for a minute, rubbed his back and talked to him. Still crying. At the next 5 minute mark C took his turn to go in and comfort him. Still crying. Thankfully, sometime in the 10 minute wait window he fell asleep.
Night Waking: 5-5-10-10-15-15
This was an absolutely miserable hour. He woke up around 2:00, which is his normal wake-up time. I went in to check on him and he didn't need to be changed, so we waited 5 minutes and then did the comfort routine. He would scream at the top of his lungs for a minute, then whine for another few minutes, then calm down. A minute later it would start all over again. We took turns watching the clock and going in to sit with him. Having the tag team effort made things easier. He finally fell back to sleep shortly after 3:00.
Those 15 minute overnight wait periods were torture. I questioned the decision, questioned myself, came very close to breaking down and going in to grab him. It was so hard to let him cry, but I know when all is said and done with it will make everyone much happier. All three of us will be well-rested and he will know how to fall asleep on his own.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ferber Night One
So we decided to bite the bullet and start the Ferber process. Last night was night one. I don't want to start a debate over whether or not sleep training is "right" or "good." I've already done my research, read the books, consulted the journals, and decided on the course of action that I think is best for us at this point in time. Baby C will still eat when he needs to, have clean diapers, and get lots of love and cuddles. I feel bad enough as it is, I don't need negative comments from random interweb peeps going all Judgy McJudgerson.
I suppose you could say that what we're actually doing is more "Ferber Lite" than the full-on Ferber method. I'm not 100% comfortable with the prescribed waiting period and their incremental build-up, so we're going to start smaller and work our way up.
That being said, on to night one. I think we got off to a bad start because our bedtime routine was altered right from the beginning. Our usual routine starts around 7:20 - bath (as needed), change diaper, get into PJs, read a book, bottle, and then into the crib. Unfortunately, there was a massive diaper issue* around 6:30 so he was already in his PJs. Is that enough to throw things off?
Anyway, we do the rest of the activities and then get him settled in the crib. We "plug him in," turn on his sleepy sheep and the fan, and then leave the room, closing the door behind him.
I swear, the squeaky hinges on that door are going to be the death of me. We need to WD40 the damn thing because that is always his cue to have a mini-meltdown. He wasn't hungry because we fed him until he was full and his diaper was clean. Baby freak-out, nonetheless. We went downstairs and set the timer for 5 minutes. I didn't even bother turning the monitor on, that would have just made the situation worse. When the timer went off I went back up to assess the situation. He was a very unhappy baby. Gave him back his plug, rubbed his back, talked to him, got him calmed down. Thought he was drifting off to sleep, so I turned to leave. Begin baby freak-out number two. Closing that door was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
I'll spare you the rest of the details, but it took 3 5-minute rounds and a 10-minute round before he fell asleep. It really sucked, and I didn't think it could get any worse.
I was wrong. He got up to eat around 2:00, which was fine. He almost always gets up to eat, and I'm not in the business of starving the poor thing. I gave him his bottle and tried to put him back in the crib. He wanted no part of going back to sleep. Thankfully this time it only took 3 5-minute rounds. He was up again at 4, but back to sleep within 10 minutes (I made sure he wasn't hungry or dirty). It's so much worse in the middle of the night - the agony seemed magnified in my half-asleep stupor. I don't know if it's easier to continue with the program and hope for improvement or to just give in :P
Tonight we'll try again, but I want to see if a slightly later bedtime helps. Maybe he's just not tired enough when we start. I do have to say that I'm surprised to see how much support I've gotten on this issue. Whenever the sleep training debate comes up it seems like people are reluctant to admit to using the method, so I was relieved to find that many of my mommy friends have tried it and succeeded. If nothing else, at least Dunkin will make some profits off of me until we're finished.
* The issue in question was miraculously contained within the BumGenius. Unfortunately, no diaper has yet been created that can keep a baby's hands out of his own mess.
I suppose you could say that what we're actually doing is more "Ferber Lite" than the full-on Ferber method. I'm not 100% comfortable with the prescribed waiting period and their incremental build-up, so we're going to start smaller and work our way up.
That being said, on to night one. I think we got off to a bad start because our bedtime routine was altered right from the beginning. Our usual routine starts around 7:20 - bath (as needed), change diaper, get into PJs, read a book, bottle, and then into the crib. Unfortunately, there was a massive diaper issue* around 6:30 so he was already in his PJs. Is that enough to throw things off?
Anyway, we do the rest of the activities and then get him settled in the crib. We "plug him in," turn on his sleepy sheep and the fan, and then leave the room, closing the door behind him.
I swear, the squeaky hinges on that door are going to be the death of me. We need to WD40 the damn thing because that is always his cue to have a mini-meltdown. He wasn't hungry because we fed him until he was full and his diaper was clean. Baby freak-out, nonetheless. We went downstairs and set the timer for 5 minutes. I didn't even bother turning the monitor on, that would have just made the situation worse. When the timer went off I went back up to assess the situation. He was a very unhappy baby. Gave him back his plug, rubbed his back, talked to him, got him calmed down. Thought he was drifting off to sleep, so I turned to leave. Begin baby freak-out number two. Closing that door was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
I'll spare you the rest of the details, but it took 3 5-minute rounds and a 10-minute round before he fell asleep. It really sucked, and I didn't think it could get any worse.
I was wrong. He got up to eat around 2:00, which was fine. He almost always gets up to eat, and I'm not in the business of starving the poor thing. I gave him his bottle and tried to put him back in the crib. He wanted no part of going back to sleep. Thankfully this time it only took 3 5-minute rounds. He was up again at 4, but back to sleep within 10 minutes (I made sure he wasn't hungry or dirty). It's so much worse in the middle of the night - the agony seemed magnified in my half-asleep stupor. I don't know if it's easier to continue with the program and hope for improvement or to just give in :P
Tonight we'll try again, but I want to see if a slightly later bedtime helps. Maybe he's just not tired enough when we start. I do have to say that I'm surprised to see how much support I've gotten on this issue. Whenever the sleep training debate comes up it seems like people are reluctant to admit to using the method, so I was relieved to find that many of my mommy friends have tried it and succeeded. If nothing else, at least Dunkin will make some profits off of me until we're finished.
* The issue in question was miraculously contained within the BumGenius. Unfortunately, no diaper has yet been created that can keep a baby's hands out of his own mess.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Mommy Brain Strikes Again
I get up to get something and forget what I need when I get there. I've developed what I refer to as "web-ADD," where I open a tab on Firefox intending to visit a specific website and forget where I'm going by the time I get through the www. I read an article that reminds me of something else I need to look at and then by the time I'm done reading I've forgotten where I said I needed to go. I need a mental note pad.
All of that is bad enough, but then this morning I stopped at a light and forgot how to drive. The light was red, and I was sitting there waiting, listening to Mike & Mike while Baby C slept in his carseat, and all of a sudden I realized that I didn't know which pedal was the clutch. It was a momentary lapse, and luckily muscle memory is a powerful force, because I didn't actually forget how to drive, but at that moment there was no way I could tell you which pedal was which. I also forgot how to shift through the electronic display menu. I'm a geek, and I like numbers and data, so I routinely flip through the stats of my current trip - average speed, average fuel consumption, miles remaining on tank, etc, while performing mental calculations to see how off base my fuel gauge is. I flip through the menu a few times each drive, and I drive at least twice a day, so there was no reason to forget how to switch the display. I tried everything - every button, every lever, every switch, and just could not for the life of me remember how to change it.
That's something else no one tells you. The lack of sleep seriously affects your short-term memory and ability to function normally.
All of that is bad enough, but then this morning I stopped at a light and forgot how to drive. The light was red, and I was sitting there waiting, listening to Mike & Mike while Baby C slept in his carseat, and all of a sudden I realized that I didn't know which pedal was the clutch. It was a momentary lapse, and luckily muscle memory is a powerful force, because I didn't actually forget how to drive, but at that moment there was no way I could tell you which pedal was which. I also forgot how to shift through the electronic display menu. I'm a geek, and I like numbers and data, so I routinely flip through the stats of my current trip - average speed, average fuel consumption, miles remaining on tank, etc, while performing mental calculations to see how off base my fuel gauge is. I flip through the menu a few times each drive, and I drive at least twice a day, so there was no reason to forget how to switch the display. I tried everything - every button, every lever, every switch, and just could not for the life of me remember how to change it.
That's something else no one tells you. The lack of sleep seriously affects your short-term memory and ability to function normally.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
What is that?
That little graphic, there, on the bottom of my screen?
Is that...? Could it be...?
The YES Network!! The DirectTV guy is my new BFF. Now I have unlimited access to the pinstriped boys of summer. Woot!
Is that...? Could it be...?
The YES Network!! The DirectTV guy is my new BFF. Now I have unlimited access to the pinstriped boys of summer. Woot!
Monday, March 16, 2009
I <3 my car
Yes, I "carrot three" my car. I drove to Toledo yesterday for Angi's baby shower. It was a great party and I got to spend time with the fabulous Nesties again. I love them, and wish we didn't live so far away. There's a certain passive-aggressive snarkiness that we share that I just haven't found anywhere else (with the exception of two lovely Cincinnati ladies who will remain nameless for their own protection).
It was only a day trip because I'm having an overnight trip in April for the NKOTB concert and I can only handle so many nights away from the house. More accurately, C can only handle me being away so many nights, and I miss my Charlies when I'm gone.
I made it, round-trip, in just under 5 hours. Heading up I was able to tail some idiot who was pushing 100MPH, easily. I passed one cop the whole way. There were more cops on the way home, but I still averaged 85, thanks to the caravan of SUVS who were hauling ass to Cincinnati. The problem (?) with my car is that it doesn't feel like you're going as fast as you are. I'm always shocked when I catch the speedometer out of the corner of my eye.
I've decided that I'm adding another dream vacation to my list: Bonneville Salt Flats. Oh my god, I would love to get my car out there. Might even top ESPN: The Weekend, which is currently leading my list of places/events I want to go to.
On a side note, there is NOTHING on the radio between Dayton and Toledo. Not even a fuzzy NPR station. Another reason why Ohio blows.
It was only a day trip because I'm having an overnight trip in April for the NKOTB concert and I can only handle so many nights away from the house. More accurately, C can only handle me being away so many nights, and I miss my Charlies when I'm gone.
I made it, round-trip, in just under 5 hours. Heading up I was able to tail some idiot who was pushing 100MPH, easily. I passed one cop the whole way. There were more cops on the way home, but I still averaged 85, thanks to the caravan of SUVS who were hauling ass to Cincinnati. The problem (?) with my car is that it doesn't feel like you're going as fast as you are. I'm always shocked when I catch the speedometer out of the corner of my eye.
I've decided that I'm adding another dream vacation to my list: Bonneville Salt Flats. Oh my god, I would love to get my car out there. Might even top ESPN: The Weekend, which is currently leading my list of places/events I want to go to.
On a side note, there is NOTHING on the radio between Dayton and Toledo. Not even a fuzzy NPR station. Another reason why Ohio blows.
Random Musings on Parenthood, Installment I
Since it seems like all of my friends are either pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant, I've decided to dedicate part of my blog to the following topics:
Things no one tells you about being a mom/parent
Baby gear I can't live without
Things I said I'd never do, but did anyway
Random BS
So to kick things off, I realized yesterday that I have become "that parent." The parent who talks about their kid to anyone and everyone, without first asking or thinking whether that person might care, just assuming that everyone finds their child as cute as they do and wants to hear all about them.
Case in point: I was at a baby shower in Toledo yesterday and the mom-to-be opened up a pack of peepee-teepees. For those of you who aren't schooled in baby gear jargon, it provides the diaper-changer protection from projectile peeing. There was brief discussion about the product, and then, for no reason I can think of, I turned to my friend Susie and shared with her that I've never been peed on. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I remembered that no one really cares or wants to hear about baby pee habits. I turned back around to apologize for the verbal vomit.
This isn't an isolated incident, either. I'm trying to be conscious of the fact that not everyone thinks my baby is the cutest thing on earth and not everyone wants to see pictures or hear stories or watch a 2-minute long video of him playing with an empty bag of tortilla chips. (but if you're so inclined, you can see it here)
Things no one tells you about being a mom/parent
Baby gear I can't live without
Things I said I'd never do, but did anyway
Random BS
So to kick things off, I realized yesterday that I have become "that parent." The parent who talks about their kid to anyone and everyone, without first asking or thinking whether that person might care, just assuming that everyone finds their child as cute as they do and wants to hear all about them.
Case in point: I was at a baby shower in Toledo yesterday and the mom-to-be opened up a pack of peepee-teepees. For those of you who aren't schooled in baby gear jargon, it provides the diaper-changer protection from projectile peeing. There was brief discussion about the product, and then, for no reason I can think of, I turned to my friend Susie and shared with her that I've never been peed on. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I remembered that no one really cares or wants to hear about baby pee habits. I turned back around to apologize for the verbal vomit.
This isn't an isolated incident, either. I'm trying to be conscious of the fact that not everyone thinks my baby is the cutest thing on earth and not everyone wants to see pictures or hear stories or watch a 2-minute long video of him playing with an empty bag of tortilla chips. (but if you're so inclined, you can see it here)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
How I'll Celebrate My EPing Goal
I've been fantasizing about this for months now. Replace the copier with my Medela PISA, and you've got what I consider to be a perfect celebration.
I'm so tired of being tied to the stupid pump. I dropped to four times a day a few months back, which felt life-changing from 5 times, but now it's getting old again. The next step is to drop to three, which I'm planning to do at the end of this month, but that's not going to change my early morning or pre-bed sessions, and those are the two that I hate the most.
Poor baby C has an ear infection, so I was home with him Monday afternoon and all day yesterday. C was out of town (working!) and it was really hard to pump and entertain him at the same time. He boycotted his naps, so that made it even worse. Luckily he's feeling much better today. I thought that nothing could possibly be more difficult than getting a cat to take a pill. I was SO wrong. Baby C is on the "pink stuff," a medication that I remember not-so-fondly from my own childhood. It still smells as bad as it did then, like a mixture of chalk and bubble-gum. You'd think they would have come up with something better by now.
I'm so tired of being tied to the stupid pump. I dropped to four times a day a few months back, which felt life-changing from 5 times, but now it's getting old again. The next step is to drop to three, which I'm planning to do at the end of this month, but that's not going to change my early morning or pre-bed sessions, and those are the two that I hate the most.
Poor baby C has an ear infection, so I was home with him Monday afternoon and all day yesterday. C was out of town (working!) and it was really hard to pump and entertain him at the same time. He boycotted his naps, so that made it even worse. Luckily he's feeling much better today. I thought that nothing could possibly be more difficult than getting a cat to take a pill. I was SO wrong. Baby C is on the "pink stuff," a medication that I remember not-so-fondly from my own childhood. It still smells as bad as it did then, like a mixture of chalk and bubble-gum. You'd think they would have come up with something better by now.
Another sign of the times
An NBA team is offering "no-risk" season tickets. If you buy a package and then lose your job you're off the hook.
Interesting times, these are.
Interesting times, these are.
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