SOMEONE has decided that napping is not something to be done in a crib (or a swing, for that matter; and let's not even talk about the carseat...) for any extended period of time. No, only a pair of arms will do. And that's only after crying hysterically for a few minutes to get the point across that she's REALLY TIRED, PEOPLE!! We're hoping it's a side effect of the growth spurt which will disappear (any day now?) when said spurt is over. If not, well, it's only 4 months or so until I'm comfortable going through some sleep training of the Cry-It-Out variety...
Anyway, I'd like to be all flexible and laid-back about sleep, one of those moms who just gets her child(ren) up from a failed nap with a cheerful smile and goes about her day. Unfortunately, even though my children (Finn was the same way for a long time, and even now occasionally pulls this kind of stuff with naps) don't seem to want to sleep for long periods of time, they get really upset about being awake. It's the whole "I'm really tired and want to sleep, but I just can't get there or stay there myself" problem. So we do what we can to make sure sleep is obtained, because otherwise, EVERYONE is miserable.
Actually, as I type this, Lucy is sleeping in the swing. She tried to wake up too early (less than an hour in) from her first nap, and miraculously, popping her in the swing while still swaddled has bought me a bit more blog-reading/typing and coffee-drinking time. She stirs, though, so I'm clearly on borrowed time here.
In other news, M. and I have hired a cleaning lady. The crumbs and dust bunnies and cat hair all mounted an attack, wore down our defenses, and forged a treaty that involves us shelling out $75 twice a month for someone else to clean up our messes. Though we cannot afford this luxury at all, it's the best money I've ever spent. Honestly, the cleaning just wasn't getting done. I could blame it on Lucy, but in reality we've struggled with this since Finn was born over two and a half years ago.
Though he voiced the idea first, M. then punted and put me in charge of finding a cleaning service. I called a couple of companies I found online to get estimates, all of which were gasp-inducing. I blame the extremely vertical layout of our house. It's not just a 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom townhouse. Those rooms are spread out over not the typical 3 floor layout, but instead FIVE floors (you'd think, after 2 years in this house, I'd have gluts of steel, but sadly I do not), with all the accompanying carpeted stairs you might expect. Whatever formula they use to calculate cleaning costs clearly equates my little house, which only technically has two teeny exterior walls of its own, with a mini-mansion of sorts.
Enter neighbor recommendations. Apparently, to my surprise, we are the only suckers that have been cleaning (or not cleaning, as the case may be) our own house. Just about all the neighbors we are friendly with pay for a cleaning service. That's how I found Irma - she cleans at least 2 other houses in my end of the neighborhood. She started yesterday, and I must say, the house has never looked better. It's due mostly to her cleaning skills (she was a tornado of cleaning for over 5 hours), but also partially to our mad scramble to declutter/pick up so that surfaces could be exposed for cleaning. Yes the confounding but age-old "cleaning before the cleaners come" conundrum.
This couldn't have come at a better time, as my sisters (one of whom is very jealous of my new cleaning lady, I'm sure) will be arriving this weekend, and M.'s parents are coming for a visit two weeks later. They can sleep safely on the pull-out couch or futon without fear of paralyzing cobwebs or sentient hair balls.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Battening Down the Hatches
I think we have come upon that phase that all newborn parents dread, the Six Week Growth Spurt. Finn's lasted about a week and a half, and left me scarred for life. I can remember on the last day of it, I held him, boobs aching, and cried "I don't know what you want from me!" As he cried too, of course. Then he fell asleep for 4 hours, I had one of the best naps of my maternity leave, and it was over. Just in time for me to go back to work.
Lucy will be six weeks tomorrow, so I have been antipicating with dread the onset of the SWGS. One clue that it was coming should have been the wonderful day we had on Tuesday. It was truly a great day, the kind of day I imagined they would all be like as I waddled my pregnant self around work and thought about how much better my second maternity leave would be now that I'm An Experienced Parent (Ha!). Lucy and I got on fabulously. She ate well, and slept at all the expected times. We had some really fun "play" time, and there was barely any crying. Even once Finn was home, peace reigned, everyone was happy, and dinner was prepped on time. I actually thought I was getting the hang of things, finally.
The day that Finn's SWGS started, he was exactly 6 weeks old, and we took him in to my work to show him off. M. was home that day so that I could go to my post partum check-up. It was a nice day, and as we walked around our neighborhood late in the afternoon, we actually had a conversation for the first time that didn't focus on the prospect of Finn being an only child. We vocalized thoughts that parenting was actually pretty fun, and maybe we could do this again sometime so that Finn could have a sibling. Clearly the powers-that-be didn't want us to be comfortable in our roles as parents just yet, because that night all hell broke loose. I don't even really remember the details of it, my memory has failed me, probably as a survival tactic. But I do know that I have never been so sleep deprived for so long in my life.
So clearly, the powers-that-be again don't want me getting to comfortable as a parent of two, and I think we are entering this dreaded phase. Clues to support this theory:
- As mentioned, had a really great day this week, enjoyed being home with Lucy immensely
- Am planning to visit my work today to show Lucy off (weird coincidence?)
- Lucy decided on Wednesday evening that 4 ounces will no longer satisfy her, she now needs to eat at least 5. And she's not going any longer between feedings to compensate
- Starting yesterday afternoon, she became impossible to get to sleep. Not fussy, just wide awake. It took M. and I (mostly M., he was great) 2 and a half hours and some serious exercise ball-bouncing to get Lucy to sleep last night. Naps were limited to about 30 minutes each.
Lucy already seems so big to us (compared to Finn at that age), M. and I are predicting that she'll be wearing 2T by the end of the summer if this keeps up :-). I just hope for 3 things: 1) Having gone through this before, hopefully we can muster through with more patience and fortitude than we did with Finn (sorry, kiddo, we made lots of mistakes with you!); 2) I hope Lucy's SWGS is shorter than Finn's. I haven't blogged about this because I don't want to bore you AND it upsets me, but Lucy is no longer breastfeeding at all, and she's not even getting any pumped milk. The up side to that is that I know exactly how much food she eats at a sitting, and she doesn't have to grow like crazy with only the aid of my crappy milk supply - poor Finn had only my boobs, and that's probably why he needed 10 days to get throught he growth spurt. So maybe we can get through this with less collateral damage... 3)And if the SWGS can't be short, I at least hope it's over before my sister Stacey and her daughter Cameron arrive next Friday.
Wish us luck!
Lucy will be six weeks tomorrow, so I have been antipicating with dread the onset of the SWGS. One clue that it was coming should have been the wonderful day we had on Tuesday. It was truly a great day, the kind of day I imagined they would all be like as I waddled my pregnant self around work and thought about how much better my second maternity leave would be now that I'm An Experienced Parent (Ha!). Lucy and I got on fabulously. She ate well, and slept at all the expected times. We had some really fun "play" time, and there was barely any crying. Even once Finn was home, peace reigned, everyone was happy, and dinner was prepped on time. I actually thought I was getting the hang of things, finally.
The day that Finn's SWGS started, he was exactly 6 weeks old, and we took him in to my work to show him off. M. was home that day so that I could go to my post partum check-up. It was a nice day, and as we walked around our neighborhood late in the afternoon, we actually had a conversation for the first time that didn't focus on the prospect of Finn being an only child. We vocalized thoughts that parenting was actually pretty fun, and maybe we could do this again sometime so that Finn could have a sibling. Clearly the powers-that-be didn't want us to be comfortable in our roles as parents just yet, because that night all hell broke loose. I don't even really remember the details of it, my memory has failed me, probably as a survival tactic. But I do know that I have never been so sleep deprived for so long in my life.
So clearly, the powers-that-be again don't want me getting to comfortable as a parent of two, and I think we are entering this dreaded phase. Clues to support this theory:
- As mentioned, had a really great day this week, enjoyed being home with Lucy immensely
- Am planning to visit my work today to show Lucy off (weird coincidence?)
- Lucy decided on Wednesday evening that 4 ounces will no longer satisfy her, she now needs to eat at least 5. And she's not going any longer between feedings to compensate
- Starting yesterday afternoon, she became impossible to get to sleep. Not fussy, just wide awake. It took M. and I (mostly M., he was great) 2 and a half hours and some serious exercise ball-bouncing to get Lucy to sleep last night. Naps were limited to about 30 minutes each.
Lucy already seems so big to us (compared to Finn at that age), M. and I are predicting that she'll be wearing 2T by the end of the summer if this keeps up :-). I just hope for 3 things: 1) Having gone through this before, hopefully we can muster through with more patience and fortitude than we did with Finn (sorry, kiddo, we made lots of mistakes with you!); 2) I hope Lucy's SWGS is shorter than Finn's. I haven't blogged about this because I don't want to bore you AND it upsets me, but Lucy is no longer breastfeeding at all, and she's not even getting any pumped milk. The up side to that is that I know exactly how much food she eats at a sitting, and she doesn't have to grow like crazy with only the aid of my crappy milk supply - poor Finn had only my boobs, and that's probably why he needed 10 days to get throught he growth spurt. So maybe we can get through this with less collateral damage... 3)And if the SWGS can't be short, I at least hope it's over before my sister Stacey and her daughter Cameron arrive next Friday.
Wish us luck!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
A Lighter Post
M. says my last few posts have been too serious/complain-y, so I'm going to lay off the kid issues at least for today (it helps that both kids are doing very well today, and Finn is back at daycare).
I can't avoid some complaining, though - in this case, with regard to the quality of daytime television. Can't TV programmers have a little sympathy for me and my fellow "temporarily not working" peers? I don't have a long standing relationship with a daytime soap opera (once upon a time, in middle school, I was a General Hospital/One Life to Live fan, and I could probably pick out many of the characters to this day since they never change/always come back, but that was a long time ago and I'm really not interested anymore). I can't stand shows like Dr. Phil, Tyra Banks, etc (even, gasp, Oprah! The one exception is Ellen - she is hilarious - but I always seem to miss her show somehow). I can't even watch the last hour of the Today show (way too much fluff). I adore HGTV, but they don't air my favorite shows during the day. Instead of House Hunters or Designed to Sell, I'm stuck with Decorating Cents and Designer's Challenge - blech. Now that I no longer have time to cook, I just can't sit through hours of the Food Network the way I used to (so sad, because I really, really enjoyed that stuff once upon a time, i.e. pre-kids). Having just gone through childbirth, I really can't sit through shows like Birth Day, Bringing Home Baby, Adoption Stories, etc - the norm of channels like TLC and Discovery Health during the day. I get bored out of my mind, but I also cry every time the baby is born or the parents meet their to-be-adopted child for the first time (I'm such a sucker), two reasons not to watch.
One day USA aired a House marathon, a show I had never really watched before. I discovered I really like it, and I was in good company that day through a few feedings and several loads of laundry. But the experience has not been repeated - USA has stuck to other shows like Law and Order or one of the CSI's every day since. I also find that I (**blush**) enjoy Tori Spelling's reality show - she and Dean are actually a pretty funny and cute couple. But I have already seen all the re-runs, apparently, as every time I flip by it's an episode I recognize.
What's a gal to do? I could try to get House on Netflix, but we signed up for the cheapest plan available to save money, and only get 2 DVDs a month. What I really want is some intelligent, funny programming that I can watch regardless of where I come in during the episode. Less reality TV (is that heresy?). Anyone else frustrated with a lack of quality television programming while on maternity leave?
Lest you think me awful and lazy, let me also say that I do get out of the house - I try to run errands and go on a walk every day. But with the summer heat coming on, there is a limit to how much outside stuff I can do with an infant. I also have books to read, and I am currently working my way through the "Wicked" sequel, "Son of a Witch" (so far I really like it).
OK, non-kid-related complaining over. Now is time for the cute kid photos:
First trip of the summer to the neighborhood pool
Just adorable, right? Even with croup, the kid is a sight for sore eyes!
Putting his new dump truck to good use as a shoe organizer
Modeling the sweater made by great-grandmother Mimi
Smiling for Mommy
I can't avoid some complaining, though - in this case, with regard to the quality of daytime television. Can't TV programmers have a little sympathy for me and my fellow "temporarily not working" peers? I don't have a long standing relationship with a daytime soap opera (once upon a time, in middle school, I was a General Hospital/One Life to Live fan, and I could probably pick out many of the characters to this day since they never change/always come back, but that was a long time ago and I'm really not interested anymore). I can't stand shows like Dr. Phil, Tyra Banks, etc (even, gasp, Oprah! The one exception is Ellen - she is hilarious - but I always seem to miss her show somehow). I can't even watch the last hour of the Today show (way too much fluff). I adore HGTV, but they don't air my favorite shows during the day. Instead of House Hunters or Designed to Sell, I'm stuck with Decorating Cents and Designer's Challenge - blech. Now that I no longer have time to cook, I just can't sit through hours of the Food Network the way I used to (so sad, because I really, really enjoyed that stuff once upon a time, i.e. pre-kids). Having just gone through childbirth, I really can't sit through shows like Birth Day, Bringing Home Baby, Adoption Stories, etc - the norm of channels like TLC and Discovery Health during the day. I get bored out of my mind, but I also cry every time the baby is born or the parents meet their to-be-adopted child for the first time (I'm such a sucker), two reasons not to watch.
One day USA aired a House marathon, a show I had never really watched before. I discovered I really like it, and I was in good company that day through a few feedings and several loads of laundry. But the experience has not been repeated - USA has stuck to other shows like Law and Order or one of the CSI's every day since. I also find that I (**blush**) enjoy Tori Spelling's reality show - she and Dean are actually a pretty funny and cute couple. But I have already seen all the re-runs, apparently, as every time I flip by it's an episode I recognize.
What's a gal to do? I could try to get House on Netflix, but we signed up for the cheapest plan available to save money, and only get 2 DVDs a month. What I really want is some intelligent, funny programming that I can watch regardless of where I come in during the episode. Less reality TV (is that heresy?). Anyone else frustrated with a lack of quality television programming while on maternity leave?
Lest you think me awful and lazy, let me also say that I do get out of the house - I try to run errands and go on a walk every day. But with the summer heat coming on, there is a limit to how much outside stuff I can do with an infant. I also have books to read, and I am currently working my way through the "Wicked" sequel, "Son of a Witch" (so far I really like it).
OK, non-kid-related complaining over. Now is time for the cute kid photos:
First trip of the summer to the neighborhood pool
Just adorable, right? Even with croup, the kid is a sight for sore eyes!
Putting his new dump truck to good use as a shoe organizer
Modeling the sweater made by great-grandmother Mimi
Smiling for Mommy
Monday, June 1, 2009
First One Thing, Then Another
Lucy seems to be doing a bit better on the reflux meds. She actually slept from 8:30 pm until about 3:00 am last night. We are still working on the pooping issue (switching her formula AGAIN), but she is less fussy and a bit more comfortable with just the addition of Pre.vacid.
Finn is decidedly less comfortable, unfortunately. Because he somehow contracted croup. Aargh. He has been miserable and waking up quite a bit at night. It has also been really hard to keep him away from Lucy - he doesn't understand why he can't touch her and kiss her right now. Saturday night he woke up at around 9:30 with a coughing fit, and couldn't breathe. It was actually pretty scary for M. and me. He woke up off and on all night long, shaking with fever and coughing uncontrollably. We've been doping him with pain relievers, and he has been on a steroid medication for a day and a half now to help open his airways. He is doing better, and will hopefully (I fervently hope!) be going back to daycare tomorrow. But he is still unbelievably whiny and clingy. My first foray into having both kids home with me all day has been more than a little trying, and we still have at least 4 more hours to go until M. gets home. I'm trying to have patience, but it doesn't help that at soon as I got the second child (Lucy) down for an afternoon nap, her older brother woke up not 10 minutes later. This happens often on the weekends, too - it seems like the two of them have some kind of sensor that goes off whenever the house is temporarily a quiet, adult-only zone.
In other news, Lucy starting giving us real, actual smiles on Saturday, of the social variety. Not the "oh my, I just farted or had a fleeting pleasant thought" variety, the "Mommy is smiling at me and talking to me so I must smile back" variety. I am terrible at record-keeping for my kids (Finn's baby book consists of a piece of printer paper with a list of dates and milestones on it), so let this blog show that at 5 weeks old, Lucy began smiling. For real. And it's adorable. She is also starting to explore her tongue, but it's more lizard-like than cute at this point so I won't gush on and on about it.
How do stay at home moms do it? We're already, shamefully, on about hour #5 of television, today, had a trip to Target, and about 40 minutes of playground play. How do you entertain two kids of vastly different ages and developmental stages, both of whom (one due to age and the other due to illness) want you to hold them all the time? And how do you get them to nap at the same time??
Lucy crying, must go!
Finn is decidedly less comfortable, unfortunately. Because he somehow contracted croup. Aargh. He has been miserable and waking up quite a bit at night. It has also been really hard to keep him away from Lucy - he doesn't understand why he can't touch her and kiss her right now. Saturday night he woke up at around 9:30 with a coughing fit, and couldn't breathe. It was actually pretty scary for M. and me. He woke up off and on all night long, shaking with fever and coughing uncontrollably. We've been doping him with pain relievers, and he has been on a steroid medication for a day and a half now to help open his airways. He is doing better, and will hopefully (I fervently hope!) be going back to daycare tomorrow. But he is still unbelievably whiny and clingy. My first foray into having both kids home with me all day has been more than a little trying, and we still have at least 4 more hours to go until M. gets home. I'm trying to have patience, but it doesn't help that at soon as I got the second child (Lucy) down for an afternoon nap, her older brother woke up not 10 minutes later. This happens often on the weekends, too - it seems like the two of them have some kind of sensor that goes off whenever the house is temporarily a quiet, adult-only zone.
In other news, Lucy starting giving us real, actual smiles on Saturday, of the social variety. Not the "oh my, I just farted or had a fleeting pleasant thought" variety, the "Mommy is smiling at me and talking to me so I must smile back" variety. I am terrible at record-keeping for my kids (Finn's baby book consists of a piece of printer paper with a list of dates and milestones on it), so let this blog show that at 5 weeks old, Lucy began smiling. For real. And it's adorable. She is also starting to explore her tongue, but it's more lizard-like than cute at this point so I won't gush on and on about it.
How do stay at home moms do it? We're already, shamefully, on about hour #5 of television, today, had a trip to Target, and about 40 minutes of playground play. How do you entertain two kids of vastly different ages and developmental stages, both of whom (one due to age and the other due to illness) want you to hold them all the time? And how do you get them to nap at the same time??
Lucy crying, must go!
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