I am having an awful week/few weeks. To be honest, it's a mix of a few things: Stress from work, said stress from work is making me feel like a crappy mom and an impending anniversary. I have more to say about all of this and I have a lot of update you on but I was hoping to have more news by now. More on the latter part when I can write without wanting to cry.
So, I just need to focus on some positive things right now because I'll go to a bad place if I don't. Driving into work last week, the radio station I was listening was talking about how something little happened and it made their day. We hear so much of the awfully bad, the ugly and the downright dirty but not so much of all the good in life. It's little victories as a mom that get me through each day and we need to celebrate them!
I put Brady down for a nap and he went to sleep! Actually, when he was sicker this weekend, he ASKED to go to sleep!
Little victory for momma
Brady played for hours with a new toy
Little victory for Momma
I made lasagna for the first time and Brady ate it up!
Little victory for Momma
While eating said lasagna, he didn't throw it on the floor!
Even bigger victory for Momma
Brady calls me momma again
Victory, again!
Brady vs Cat.
Cat victory. The cat always wins because she is fast and can hide.
Brady woke up at 5 am last Weds but managed to get him to cuddle with me until our normal wake-up time.
Go, momma!
Brady woke up at 5 am again yesterday but I managed to get him back to sleep by 6 and he slept till 8am ( that is a record , peoples!)
HUGE victory for this mom.
Brady runs around the house chasing the cat, saying, "kitty!' Kitty! "Go?'
We survived Brady's first sickness!
He now independently asks for milk by signing and saying, "a dink' :)
Brady likes to cuddle on the couch with his milk, blanket all while rubbing my hair or holding my hand (the hand holding melts me every time!!)
After an awful day yesterday, my little boy ran to me with his arms open and just sat with his head on my shoulder, patting my back for what felt like an eternity. I soaked it up and the awful day was a distant memory.
What are your little victories?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
I'm loving....
I found these at Barnes & Noble and since I brought them home, they have been played with constantly. It's perfect for him to take in and out, in and out. Open, close. Plus, the bottoms have different shapes to match to the carton and the faces on the eggs match with the top shell. Best part? I spent 9.99!
I had no idea that this simple idea would be something I now feel like is a staple in our house. Brady has been (ok, i have been) lucky not to have really been sick. He's had a few tiny colds but he got his first snotty nose. These things are not only awesome for wiping noses but to actually get off dried on snot! Coming from a mom of a kid who HATES having his face or nose wiped, these are genius. They smell yummy too! Our favorite is the grape!
Jen over at I heart Organizing. Seriously, addicting. I'm sucker for organization but sometimes lack the ideas to do it. Go there. You'll be addicted too and you'll find lots of great ideas! I finally organized all of our paperwork and man, does that feel good! I mean look at this space!
Last but not least.....
This kid. Each day he looks bigger and bigger to me. Since the big haircut, I find myself trying to capture each moment more because I know he won't be this little for much longer. He cracks me up with the things he does and the hugs he gives melt my heart. One of his new things is to say, "oh no!" then hits his knees all while with the most shocking look on his face!
All of these ideas and products are ones I really like and I was not asked or paid to post about them. I just like em! The kid, he's my own and I'm pretty keen on him too.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Life after Reflux: Sleep
Reflux. Oh, I've talked a lot about this on this blog but it consumed a lot of our life the first year and while he is doing much better, I thought I would show you how reflux has evolved. A lot of times I felt lost and if I can help one mom find her way, then I'll be happy! Reflux to me was more than just projectile vomiting, it was so much more to us. Since sleep was one of the most affected areas so I will start there. I know a few moms who are going through reflux hell right now and it's hard. You bring this baby home and the honeymoon period ends and you are never prepared for seeing your baby in pain. I also think that recognizing the signs are so important (and how we treated it) so my next post will talk more about those.
I know I've talked about it over and over here that Brady has never been the best sleeper and to say that is probably an understatement. I thought the newborn days were hard when my newborn who I was told should sleep most of the day was up for most of the day. Then, as he got older his sleeping patterns got worse and worse. I could remember going to work and not even remembering driving there or leaving my cell phone on the roof of my car in a rainstorm. I'm suprised I didn't manage to lose Brady. Then again, if I had done so, I might not have remembered that I did. At the same time, work had ramped up into our busiest time and I was so overwhelmed.
Looking back, I know my hernia surgery was a bit of a blessing in disguise. I got the rest I desperatly needed and Brady got a break from me which he needed. He started sleeping a bit better and then teething started. Reflux+teething=hell. The extra saliva from teething often increases reflux symptoms which paired with an already umcomfortable baby doesn't bode well for dreamland. Throw in some seperation anxiety issues and dreamland is a distant memory!
You know you are desperate when you come home from Target with ten different kinds of pacifiers, 5 lovies and several 'sleep' books. After reading those books and trying everything in our power to get him to sleep, I read something that clicked. Babies with reflux often have sleep issues not only because of the pain they are in but because they are in pain they often do not learn to self-soothe.
Looking back, this was so true for us. I have talked about Brady and his lack of love for sleep over and over and people look at me like, oh yeah, baby's don't sleep but unless you are in that situation you don't quite get it. Most babies don't really sleep like a baby, reflux or not but having a baby who wakes up because he is in pain is a whole other story. Once I got past that idea that he was going to sleep through the night, things got much better for me. Don't get me wrong, I was still tired but I wasn't ready to run away anymore. Oh, yeah, the thought of running to a hotel for the night crossed my mind a few times or ten hundred. I dreamt about fluffy pillows and soft, cozy comforters. Ok, more like day dream...there was NO dreaming going on in my house.
When Brady turned ten months old, the pukies finally slowed down. He went from puking 10+ times a day to maybe ten times a week. By the time he was a year old, the pukies stopped. Sleep got a bit better for a while. He found ways to self-soothe (rubbing his hair <3)
At 15 months old, we still have rough nights and have been dealing with some super early morning wake-ups (meaning the kid wants to be up for the day anywhere between 4-530 am when he was previously waking up at 6:30...way too early for this mom!) for a few months now. Since the teething started up again, I believe we are having some minor reflux issues again. It's nothing we can't handle but it is definalty causing us to all lose some sleep.
My point in all of this is that for us there was no magic trick, special device or magic number that worked and I think I tried everything in every book! The only thing that worked for us was time. When Brady was ready, he slept. I know how hard that is to accept when you are so desperate for sleep that is not compromised of blocks here and there. Broken sleep is so much worse than no sleep. I've worked full 8 hours plus two hours of commuting on both and niether are fun but something about broken sleep just causes your body not to want to function right (hence the whole roof and cellphone incidents. Yes, there was more than one.)
I read a lot of books and sadly, only one I read even slighly touched reflux or kids with medical problems which is the reason for this post. Most sleep training and techniques do not work with these kiddos and I think that was where I felt lost. No one had good advice and even though they meant well, sometimes things I was told made me feel like I was failing as a mom. I was told babies his age didn't need to get up to eat and I just needed to feed him more during the day (if I have learned anything, food does NOT equal sleep, people!)
I would wake up exhausted and would question myself. The books say he is going to become dependant on a night feed and he will be still waking up when he's five if we keep going. They said that me getting up with him was going to make him dependant and he'll never be able to STTN. I knew what the books said. They didn't know my kid. I was not about to let my refluxy baby cry so that it could make his reflux worse (yes, crying just makes it worse. It's a lovely cycle.) They didn't know that eating made his tummy feel better and to me if was not a coinicdence that he weaned himself and started STTN the same time the pukies stopped.
Babies are way smarter than we give them credit for. For reals.
I'm not saying that books are not helpful or they do not know what they are talking about because I did learn a lot and they are written by very smart, educated people who do know their stuff. Every baby is different and we found something that worked for us. I trusted my instinct and even though I doubted myself sometimes, in the end, we are alright. A little tired but we are alright.
I know I've talked about it over and over here that Brady has never been the best sleeper and to say that is probably an understatement. I thought the newborn days were hard when my newborn who I was told should sleep most of the day was up for most of the day. Then, as he got older his sleeping patterns got worse and worse. I could remember going to work and not even remembering driving there or leaving my cell phone on the roof of my car in a rainstorm. I'm suprised I didn't manage to lose Brady. Then again, if I had done so, I might not have remembered that I did. At the same time, work had ramped up into our busiest time and I was so overwhelmed.
Looking back, I know my hernia surgery was a bit of a blessing in disguise. I got the rest I desperatly needed and Brady got a break from me which he needed. He started sleeping a bit better and then teething started. Reflux+teething=hell. The extra saliva from teething often increases reflux symptoms which paired with an already umcomfortable baby doesn't bode well for dreamland. Throw in some seperation anxiety issues and dreamland is a distant memory!
You know you are desperate when you come home from Target with ten different kinds of pacifiers, 5 lovies and several 'sleep' books. After reading those books and trying everything in our power to get him to sleep, I read something that clicked. Babies with reflux often have sleep issues not only because of the pain they are in but because they are in pain they often do not learn to self-soothe.
Looking back, this was so true for us. I have talked about Brady and his lack of love for sleep over and over and people look at me like, oh yeah, baby's don't sleep but unless you are in that situation you don't quite get it. Most babies don't really sleep like a baby, reflux or not but having a baby who wakes up because he is in pain is a whole other story. Once I got past that idea that he was going to sleep through the night, things got much better for me. Don't get me wrong, I was still tired but I wasn't ready to run away anymore. Oh, yeah, the thought of running to a hotel for the night crossed my mind a few times or ten hundred. I dreamt about fluffy pillows and soft, cozy comforters. Ok, more like day dream...there was NO dreaming going on in my house.
When Brady turned ten months old, the pukies finally slowed down. He went from puking 10+ times a day to maybe ten times a week. By the time he was a year old, the pukies stopped. Sleep got a bit better for a while. He found ways to self-soothe (rubbing his hair <3)
At 15 months old, we still have rough nights and have been dealing with some super early morning wake-ups (meaning the kid wants to be up for the day anywhere between 4-530 am when he was previously waking up at 6:30...way too early for this mom!) for a few months now. Since the teething started up again, I believe we are having some minor reflux issues again. It's nothing we can't handle but it is definalty causing us to all lose some sleep.
My point in all of this is that for us there was no magic trick, special device or magic number that worked and I think I tried everything in every book! The only thing that worked for us was time. When Brady was ready, he slept. I know how hard that is to accept when you are so desperate for sleep that is not compromised of blocks here and there. Broken sleep is so much worse than no sleep. I've worked full 8 hours plus two hours of commuting on both and niether are fun but something about broken sleep just causes your body not to want to function right (hence the whole roof and cellphone incidents. Yes, there was more than one.)
I read a lot of books and sadly, only one I read even slighly touched reflux or kids with medical problems which is the reason for this post. Most sleep training and techniques do not work with these kiddos and I think that was where I felt lost. No one had good advice and even though they meant well, sometimes things I was told made me feel like I was failing as a mom. I was told babies his age didn't need to get up to eat and I just needed to feed him more during the day (if I have learned anything, food does NOT equal sleep, people!)
I would wake up exhausted and would question myself. The books say he is going to become dependant on a night feed and he will be still waking up when he's five if we keep going. They said that me getting up with him was going to make him dependant and he'll never be able to STTN. I knew what the books said. They didn't know my kid. I was not about to let my refluxy baby cry so that it could make his reflux worse (yes, crying just makes it worse. It's a lovely cycle.) They didn't know that eating made his tummy feel better and to me if was not a coinicdence that he weaned himself and started STTN the same time the pukies stopped.
Babies are way smarter than we give them credit for. For reals.
I'm not saying that books are not helpful or they do not know what they are talking about because I did learn a lot and they are written by very smart, educated people who do know their stuff. Every baby is different and we found something that worked for us. I trusted my instinct and even though I doubted myself sometimes, in the end, we are alright. A little tired but we are alright.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Gone, baby, gone.
The time had come.
It had really come. It was time to get a haircut. Now, please do not think I allowed my child out of the house like that. Ok, I might have a few times. This is how it looked like after he woke up or after I poofed it up for the camera. or all the time.
We went to a place called, The Hairy Elephant which is a kid's 'salon.' Blake joked that only I would find a place that is out of our way and has a silly name but I wanted the first haircut to be a good experience.
Mostly, I didn't want him to fidget and scream and come out looking like he cut his own hair. For reals.
We knew the appointment was early afternoon and most days he still takes a morning nap, well not this one. We tried for over an hour to get him to fall asleep and he passed out on the way there.
I had to wake him up and this is why he looks as if he has no idea where he is....
The first few snips. Watching his curls fall to the floor? Oh man.
A big kid is emerging! As she was cutting it, she commented it on how 'crazy' his hair is because of the cowlick trifecta. His hair is so thick in the middle, she commented that he has a natural mohawk. Why yes he certainly did for at least seven months of his life until the rest of the hair grew in!
He did FANTASTIC. With a small head shake or two when she cut his bangs, he stayed mostly still for her. I still cannot believe it. Well, the whole sitting in a car thing and having a TV on with Dora helped.
Ta-da! He's shocked he looks so good :)
The trifecta is GONE!
His own certificate for the baby book! It reads:
Brady (Insert last name which is covered up by a Gap coupon) was very brave and didn't scream or fuss that much even though they brought me to this strange place and covered me in a sheet thing and cut my hair! As of Today, Feb 12, 2011, I am a big kid and really cool.
Insert big mommy tears. My baby keeps growing up....sigh.
We went to a place called, The Hairy Elephant which is a kid's 'salon.' Blake joked that only I would find a place that is out of our way and has a silly name but I wanted the first haircut to be a good experience.
Mostly, I didn't want him to fidget and scream and come out looking like he cut his own hair. For reals.
We knew the appointment was early afternoon and most days he still takes a morning nap, well not this one. We tried for over an hour to get him to fall asleep and he passed out on the way there.
I had to wake him up and this is why he looks as if he has no idea where he is....
This is zoned out Brady.
The trifecta is GONE!
He's enjoying a blue messy sucker.....
Patiently waiting for his post haircut pizza.
Diving head first into some cheesy goodness.
Can someone please tell me when my baby got so big?
All he needs is a remote control!
His own certificate for the baby book! It reads:
Brady (Insert last name which is covered up by a Gap coupon) was very brave and didn't scream or fuss that much even though they brought me to this strange place and covered me in a sheet thing and cut my hair! As of Today, Feb 12, 2011, I am a big kid and really cool.
Insert big mommy tears. My baby keeps growing up....sigh.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Time
This picture makes me want to cry.
Maybe it has a little bit to do with the fact that he is getting his first haircut today or maybe it's because he is looking less and less like a baby each day.
Either way, my baby is growing up. I try to stop time but that has not panned out so well-just like those dang lottery numbers.
Last night, he literally fell asleep in my arms (that is what not napping will do to you) and I asked myself how long it had been since he had done that. I couldn't remember. The kid only stops moving for food and to zone out on whatever is on TV.
I remember that rainy day in October that we brought him home from the hospital, we both looked at each other like, 'ok, what now?' I fed him and he fell asleep in my arms. That moment instantly stitched a place in my heart. Those were always moments I cherished, ones I looked forward to each night. The moments between sleepiness and dreamland might have been full of snuggles and kisses but they were simple moments chiseled out in time just for the two of us.
I sat there and I watched his breath rise up and down like I did when he was fresh out of the womb.
He placed his little hand directly on my chest like he has done for as long as I can remember.
He curled up to me and I snuggled in closer.
I looked down at him and saw traces of the tiny newborn he once was. His pouty bottom lip drawn open and his toes curled in.
His hair has grown longer and blonder that he curls between his fingers.
The chunky rolls have changed into lanky arms that he uses to hug me.
His legs are longer and leaner from all the running.
His mouth is full of teeth but the adorable dimples remain the same.
His eyes are still blue as ever but in them I see more personality and strength behind them.
I can't say for sure but one thing I will never forget is how much I love this kid.
I am sure he'll never forget that either.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Sometimes....
I think at this point, 99% of us have the Winter Blues. The past two weeks we have had freezing weather dipping down to the single digits, sleet, snow and ice so we've spent quite a bit of time inside which can spell disaster with a toddler. Cabin Fever might set in but there are some simple cures. Follow my plan and you might only go half crazy and have a little fun while you are at it!
First, you must wear your winter hat inside. Don't forget to take a lot of pictures!
You have to embrace sunshine and warmth when we are blessed with it! Wait, what does that feel like?
I think we are all dreaming of more pictures like this, right?
If there is snow, play in it. Run around till your nose turns a nice shade of pink and Mommy gets tired. Usually, the latter happens first!
Maybe mow the lawn...
You have to laugh A LOT!
You can't forget to make a creepy looking snowman
Go inside, snuggle up with some hot tea (warm milk for him!)
You might just need to wear three hats at one time! Take more pictures.
The best thing to do?
Well, sometimes, you just have to wear mommy's sweater, your winter hat and your new summer sandals at the same time.
Add some accessories and you'll capture memories that you won't soon forget.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Chhhhanges....
I know I said that there was some construction going on but it's taking longer than I thought! Ha, story of my life right? Anyway, I finally added Brady's birth story up at the top! Just a warning, it's quite long!
Also, I'm curious to know who is out there! I've had a lot of new followers lately and I love finding new blogs. I'm also updating my blogroll and if you want me to add you, let me know!
Also, I'm curious to know who is out there! I've had a lot of new followers lately and I love finding new blogs. I'm also updating my blogroll and if you want me to add you, let me know!
Mommy Fail #238
My husband got me a hand-stamped necklace that I have been wanting. We actually ordered one for my MIL and when it came, I showed it to him. He got a confused look on his face.
husband: So, how did you get those names on there?
me: I included it with the order...
husband: um, so let's say you order one and....ok, so I got you one.
I laughed and emailed the seller and gave her the info.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, it finally came in the mail.
It was exactly what I wanted, well except for one thing.
I looked closely and noticed the birth date:
10-26-10
Now, that would be great if I had a THREE month old and not a 15 month old. He was born in 2009!
Oops.
Ok, so we all make mistakes.
I on the other hand? I can't just make one.
I made this so long ago and it's been hanging in his room for at least the past six months.
I walk by it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!
husband: So, how did you get those names on there?
me: I included it with the order...
husband: um, so let's say you order one and....ok, so I got you one.
I laughed and emailed the seller and gave her the info.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, it finally came in the mail.
It was exactly what I wanted, well except for one thing.
I looked closely and noticed the birth date:
10-26-10
Now, that would be great if I had a THREE month old and not a 15 month old. He was born in 2009!
Oops.
Ok, so we all make mistakes.
I on the other hand? I can't just make one.
I made this so long ago and it's been hanging in his room for at least the past six months.
I walk by it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!
Double oops.
I probably would not have noticed it if it were not for the necklace snafu. The saddest part? I checked it over and over for spelling errors. I obviously didn't check it for my own error of stupidity.
Since we are expecting a blizzard, I'll be stuck inside chanting my son's REAL birth date over and over in hopes that I do not accidentally sign him up for Kindergarten a year late or something.
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