Sleep at Last

As you know, we have had some adventures with Mathias and his sleeping pattern. After the last breakthrough, we settled into an acceptable pattern of him waking up twice to eat, once right before we went to bed and once more sometime in the 2:00 to 3:00 am time period. Things were looking good, even if I still had to get up at night.

Then he stopped wanting to nurse during the day. Sorry, Bud, but that is not acceptable. Mathias would nurse well at night, and then not nurse much until dinner time. To me, there is nothing worse than wanting to feed my baby and to have him refuse, expressing his desire with wiggles, screams and bites.

Luckily, I spoke to a wise friend at church (the wisdom coming from having six kids) who said that she had had the same problem with some of her kids and that the only way to fix it was to stop nursing them at night. Inspired by her experiences and the hope that there was a solution to the problem (that I would be happy with), we started that night.

A week and a half later, I'm happy to say that Mathias is well on his way to sleeping through the night. I started by just cutting out the second feeding, but the last couple of nights, he has cut out the first one as well. I've been getting so much sleep that I am just exhausted! And even better than that, Mathias has nursed well during the day ever since I started. He doesn't get as distracted as he used to so I don't have to shut myself up in a room and warn Anna to stay away or else.

Hurray for Sleep!

Do you hear angels singing?

Anna has something she wants to show everyone.

 

Yep, that's underwear. Underwear that she wore today. All day. Do you see where I'm going with this?

After months of slowly teaching Anna what to do with that lovely porcelain device in our bathrooms, we finally have some results. Our first, very first, accident free day.

You have to understand that this is a miracle. Less than a week ago, Anna started screaming any time we tried to sit her on the potty and was asking for a diaper. In fact, the whole time we've been trying to potty train her, it has been a struggle. However, after this last Sunday, I was about ready to put her in diapers until she was 20. But I didn't. Instead, I was forced to recognize that Anna and I were having major power struggle issues and if anyone was going to change, it was going to have to be me.

So, I discussed things with Hubby, and Aunt Ebis who happened to be in town, decided on somethings that I needed to change and hashed out a new plan for this whole potty training torture.

What we decided to do was a bit contrary to just about any advice I had been given. Instead of having her sit on the potty every hour or so, like everyone says that you should do, we stopped having her sit on the potty at all, except for right before naps and any time we left the house. I wouldn't mention it. Then, each time her underwear was wet, I would calmly respond and have her remove her underwear all by herself (not a fun task). Putting all the responsibility on her helped me to let go of the anger I felt each time Anna had an accident. Suddenly it wasn't my fault any more and she wasn't doing it to thwart my efforts to get her on the potty.

Of course, the first couple of days were messy, to say the least, but then she stopped pooping in her underwear, but would sit on her little potty when she felt it coming. And today she chose to sit on the potty several times, all on her own, and managed to keep her underwear clean and dry.

Yes, I know it isn't going to be perfect from now on, but at least I've been given a glimpse of what it is going to be like when this is all over. So, thanks to everyone who kept me sane. The end is in sight.

Cloth Diaper Anniversary

Six months ago this week I started washing my first batch of cloth diapers. Ah, what a great change that was! Other than a brief hiatus when the prefolds we had were far to small, we've hardly used any disposables at all. And I have loved just about every minute of it.

Even when Mathias started solid foods, it still wasn't so bad. Yes, I didn't like the toilet swishing, but we found a solution for that.

 

Thanks to the internet, and this site, we managed to find instructions on making our own diaper sprayer. All it took was a kitchen spray hose and some brass fittings, and we were ready to get spraying.

 

We did make a change to the original instructions. Hubby got a needle valve (per the Lowe's salesperson's recommendation) and installed it after the filter connector splicer. With that, we didn't have to get the compression connector. However, I would recommend getting a ball valve instead of a needle valve as you don't have to turn it as much to get maximum pressure.

Oh, and asking for help at the hardware store? Priceless. (Just make sure you and they know what you are talking about. Home Depot didn't, but then neither did I.)

Next in the cloth diaper scene? Visuals of some of the amazing diapers my sister-in-law made for us.

Piggyback Squared

It really is cute how our kids mimic the things we do (as long as what we do is cute). Lately, I've noticed Anna trying to copy another motherly aspect of my life. Everytime I strap Mathias to my back, Anna runs and gets her little leash/backpack (only used once for it's actual purpose) and snaps it on.

 

And yes, Jeanerbee, that is a Ergo I'm wearing. Oh, how I love that carrier! If I could recommend just one carrier, it would be an Ergo. It doesn't hurt my back like other carriers I have used. Also, it is nice to be able to use it in so many different positions (front, back, and hip). I'd like to wax eloquent here, but I'm just not that talented of a writer to do so. Just take my word for it that this is the best carrier I've ever used.

Nighttime, Unplugged

It happened accidentally. Mathias woke up during the night (a regular and frequent occurrence) and I turned the monitor volume off so as to let Hubby sleep (he was sick), fully intending to turn it back on again once I was back in bed so that I would not miss the next wake-up cry. But it didn't happen. That is, I forgot to turn the volume back on and what a blessed mistake! I'm not sure if Mathias woke up sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., but I know I didn't! To top it all off, nobody suffered significant trauma because I didn't wake up to feed him after the arbitrary 5 hour minimum between feedings (only at night, of course).

There is no point in using a baby monitor at night if the baby is sleeping right across the hallway, right? We didn't use it at night with Anna. Instead, we left her door cracked and ours open and let her wake us up when she really needed something.

I chose to use a monitor with Mathias because I wanted to keep him from waking Anna up during the night. A noble desire, I am sure, but it meant that Mathias was waking me up 3+ times a night, which can be difficult for someone as dependant on sleep to be a happy person as I am. Because of my "mistake", I was actually able to sleep for a decent length of time.

Practically giddy with success and sleep, I decided it was time to go completely unplugged. Last night, the baby monitor was consigned to the kitchen table and we just left our door open so that we could hear Mathias' cries when they became desperate. And you know what? He only woke up once last night. At least as far as I know. I was asleep.

Wonder of Wonders

Sometimes miracles do happen. Let me tell you about our most recent one.

Last week, the last impediment to moving Mathias from our bedroom was removed, literally, thanks to Craig's List. With the prospect of Oma and Opa coming up for the weekend and needing to sleep in our room (Opa just had back surgery), I knew we had to get Mathias out of our room and into Anna's so that we could at least have some time to get used to it.

Here's an image to describe how I felt that first evening: Imagine you are swinging on a rope towards a large solid object, like a rock. Time seems to slow down as you approach and you tighten into a ball as much as possible, a cringe on your face as you anticipate the crunch of your bones on the rock face. Yes, that is how I felt. I could just imagine the sleepless nights as Mathias woke Anna up when he got hungry and Anna woke Mathias up because she was awake and had nothing better to do.

However, the rock was not a rock but rather a nice soft cushy pillow (perhaps like this one, he he). That's right. The anticipated difficulties have yet to arrive. That first night, Mathias woke up 2-3 times and each time Anna peacefully slumbered on. And it has been the same each night since.

Yes, I know that there will be times when the night will not go so well, but for right now, the transition has gone miraculously smoothly. I just hope that having Mathias sleeping in another room will help him to sleep through the night.

Musings of an Exhausted Mother: On my Way

Kids just don't get it. Honestly, what is so hard to understand about the fact that mom is a much better mother if she gets some sleep. Sleeping through the night = happiness all around. Waking up every couple of hours = unhappiness all around.

You would think that this formula for happiness would be self evident, but apparently it is not to most children under the age of three.

In any case, this is just temporary. I've made so secret of the fact that basically I'm on my way to Australia.

What was I thinking...

This morning when we woke up, we found Anna completely naked in the bathroom trying to get onto the toilet. That in combination with all the other signals she's been giving us must mean that she is ready to be potty trained, right? Oh, I hope that I'm not getting myself in too deep...

Mathias, Wonder Boy

As all newborns do, Mathias has been growing and developing with lightning speed. His smiles are adorable, he is almost starting to laugh, he is starting to sleep more at night, and he nurses well and has a noticable affinity to his thumb.

Mathias is a big boy. He started big and has kept up the pace ever since. At his first doctor visit at a week old, he had gained 12 ounces over his birth weight. And then came his two month visit. Let me state that Mathias is not chubby, despite what his weight may imply, but he weighed in at 15 pounds and 11 ounces. When his pediatrician took a look at him, she thought she was playing it safe by asking if he was four months old. She thought he might be six months! He is just a large little boy. (And no, I don't feed him straight cream.)

As you can see, he has already reached the limits of his bassinet.


We just borrowed another bassinet from a friend so that we don't have to move him to a crib and into Anna's room. I'm just not ready for that!

On another note, Mathias has begun sucking his thumb with a vengence. He sucks his thumb when he is in bed.

He sucks his thumb at play.


I'm still not quite sure how I feel about thumb sucking. I remember vividly the struggle my parents had trying to get one of my brothers to stop and there is always the concern of dental issues. At the same time, what a great self soother. He can never lose a thumb like you can a pacifier!

We are so proud of our little boy.

Cloth Diapers and the Reason for Green

Though I threatened to start with Anna, I just couldn't bring myself to use cloth diapers, until now. Over a week ago, I overcame my fear of buying the "wrong" prefolds and covers and took the plunge. And I must say, I'm pretty happy with it! The prefolds are easy to put on (thanks to a Snappi) and the covers that I bought do a wonderful job of holding everything in. We haven't had a poop stain on Mathias' clothes yet! I also made, with the help of my mom, many cloth diaper wipes which work amazingly well. Most importantly, Mathias looks great in them.



Now comes the big question: Why? Why do I want to use cloth diapers? There are several questions that one could ask me that would fall in this catagory. Why do I use cloth bags at the grocery store? Why do I save my produce bags and reuse them? Why do I recycle my food waste? Because I'm crazy? Unfortunately, the only response to those questions that I can think of is "Why not?". I have spent time thinking about why I do the green things I do and it is not because I am passionate about saving our environment. I was just fine not doing those things before. I do those things because I can.

Here in Seattle, there is a significant portion of the population that actively seeks to have a "green" lifestyle. I was quite astonished when we moved here by what people do and talk about. And here I thought that my neighborhood in California was pretty progressive because we had recycling. I didn't even know that I had a "carbon footprint" until I had lived her for a year or two. In any case, the city of Seattle makes it easy to be green. I can take the bus just about anywhere. I can put my food scraps in our yard waste container to be made into compost (which is then used by the city to fertilize all their landscaping and is also sold fairly cheaply at the store). I can buy cheap cloth bags at the grocery store and then get a bag refund each time I use them. So, why not? It's easy enough.

To end a long musing, I like being green. And though it may be easy right now, I don't plan on stopping if/when it gets harder (ie we move). It makes me feel good that I am doing things to help our environment even though I don't go overboard doing so (at least in comparison to some that I know). So, here's to green and cloth diapers!

What I have learned...

I have now been the mother of two for a week and I just have to share what I have learned from this experience. Please be advised that there will be talk of "bodily" functions, but nothing that will turn your stomach.

1. The first child will learn/regress to an action that makes life more difficult, like learning to open one's bedroom door and not wanting to go to bed peacefully.

2. It is possible to have one's milk come in and not have problems with engorgement.

3. It is possible for a baby to lose weight at the hospital and still weigh 12 oz more than his birth weight after one week. See #2.

4. Being woken up in the middle of the night is no longer a novelty.

5. A bedtime of 8:30 sounds so appealing.

6. All babies are potentially dangerous during diaper changes.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it sure sums up this first week. Thank goodness for grandmas!

Getting Excited

So, Hubby and I were surprised last month when my period didn't show up. We were being careful, but somehow by the end of the month I was lying down on the couch suffering from morning sickness.

Now, don't get me wrong, it is not a problem that I am pregnant. In fact, we had discussed this timing previously, knowing that if I got pregnant in December or January, our kids would be about 2 years apart. Not bad timing for us. Then we discovered that Hubby forgot to sign me up for his insurance, which he has to do at the begining of each school year. Now, he immediately signed me up, but it wouldn't start until January, so December was out. So, because of that and because I am just plain scared of having more than one child running around, I wanted to put off the conception until this summer. Well, that obviously didn't happen.

Am I excited to be pregnant? Let's just say that I am working on it. Like I mentioned, I had mentally prepared myself for getting pregnant several months in the future. Also, I'm afraid that other women that I know will think that we are irresponsible. Because we live in such a liberal area, I get the impression that people that have kids only two years apart (or even just have kids) are looked down upon. Somehow, and I don't know how this happened, women are seen as not being true to themselves if they have children. I certainly don't agree with this, but I still worry about what others think of me.

And the biggest reason I'm still working on being excited? Well, it is rather simple. Very shortly after I found out that I was pregnant, the nausea set in. I really didn't have any time to prepare myself before I was sick. So, once the sickness goes away, I'll really be able to get excited. :)