The first 2 weeks after we brought Oliver home were pretty rough. The biggest problem for John and I? Sleep deprivation! Everything is so much worse when you're exhausted. So we quickly realized that we had to get the baby sleeping at night if we ever wanted to function normally. The whole "sleep when they sleep" during the day thing is garbage. When would I check email, do laundry, take a shower, eat a meal, or catch up on my TV shows?! I know, I know– you're not supposed to do any of those things when you have a new baby. But for me, I really needed to do those things as it kept me sane. If all I did was sleep and nurse my newborn, I'd go crazy! So if I got sleep at night, then all would be well in the world. This didn't look very promising the first couple of weeks as Oliver slept in our room. He made a lot of noise during sleep, all of which I thought were his way of asking for my help. John would tell me over and over again to leave him alone, but I just HAD to peek over the side of the cradle and touch him or pick him up so he knew I was here if he needed me. That usually woke him up and then he'd cry and the only thing I knew how to do was nurse him back to sleep. So then I'd turn the light on and wake John up and I was awake, and once again we're losing sleep. After the cradle didn't seem to work well, I thought having him in our bed would be better (HA!) The snuggle nest took up so much room that John and I were both squished and practically hanging off our sides of the bed, while tiny Oliver was super comfortable in the middle, STILL not sleeping soundly. Finally John convinced me to put him in his crib and like I mentioned in a past blog post, I am SO glad we did that. John was right, I was wrong! Oliver slept better and we slept better. Thank God. After 3 or 4 weeks, he started sleeping a 4-6 hour stretch after we first put him down at night, then after nursing him he'd go down for another 2-3 hours. This was great and I always woke up feeling like I had gotten good sleep. That is until the past two nights... I put him to bed at 11pm, and didn't hear a peep until 6am. HOLY CRAP I haven't felt so refreshed and well-rested since before I got pregnant! I still woke up a few times throughout the night and got up to check on him, but still felt like I had completely uninterrupted sleep. I have no idea how long we can expect this to last, but even if it was just the past 2 nights, I feel like I've finally caught up on lost sleep since having a baby.
So why and how is Oliver sleeping so well? It could just be the kid is that tired and would sleep like this no matter what we did. But I also think we're helping him by creating the right mood at night. I started reading a book called The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley which is really good to help older babies and toddlers sleep for longer stretches without having them cry it out. I realized we're already practicing some of her methods which could be why he sleeps so well. At night, we keep the lights low and volume down in the living room when we're all in there hanging out. We change him into pajamas, and the past week we've warmed up a bottle of milk to feed him in the glider in his room. We like the bottle feedings because we can tell exactly how much he's taking in– sometimes during breast feeding he falls asleep and I'm not sure if I should wake him up to keep eating, or if he's fallen asleep because he's full! After he's done eating, we swaddle him (which wakes him up a bit), give him a pacifier, turn on the womb sounds and lights go off. He'll lie awake in the crib for 15-20 minutes, sometimes making noises but not crying. And then... He falls asleep on his own! A couple weeks ago, I hated putting him down awake and felt bad that he was just lying there while I went into my own bed to try to fall asleep. But it's what we're supposed to do! Dr. Bengtson told us at our first pediatrician visit that it's good to put them to bed before a deep sleep so they see where they are. If they wake up soon after, they'll look around and realize they're in their sleepy spot, and can put themselves back to sleep. I trust Dr. B, but still felt uneasy about this... Until I realized he's right. Oliver won't wake up crying until he's hungry and needs us, which doesn't happen until he's been asleep for 4-7 hours. It's awesome and I can only hope this pattern will continue!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A wonderful labor & delivery... Am I crazy?
The other day, I posted a comment on my cousin Kristina's Facebook page. She was about to have her baby at any time, and I wanted to send her my best wishes. I said, "I hope you have a wonderful labor & delivery and that everything goes smoothly." One of her friends (that I've never met) later commented, "Wow... Who has a WONDERFUL labor?? Define D-E-L-I-V-E-R!" Immediately I was annoyed. First of all, why would someone who doesn't know me take what I said so literally? And why say that to my cousin who is about to give birth?? Sure, Kris knows it's going to be difficult but it would be nice if people wouldn't throw that in her face a day before she has to push a baby out. It got me thinking about all the horror stories people told me during my pregnancy, warning me that it's not a very pleasant experience. I appreciated the honesty from certain people, who were just sharing their stories with me and giving me insight so I knew what I was getting myself into. But there were also people who were clearly upset with their experiences and would vent to me about how horrible, painful and scary it was. When I went into labor, I forgot everything anyone ever told me and focused on my own experience. I threw my own birth plan out the window and it went completely the opposite of what I wanted. I begged for an epidural and ended up with that dreaded c-section, and you know what? I wouldn't re-do the birth of Oliver if someone paid me. (Ok, if you're able to pay me millions AND turn back time, we can talk. But you know what I mean). Maybe I have a touch of "momnesia", but I look back at our experience and can honestly say it was wonderful. Yes, it was painful and emotional and expensive (oh Lord, was it expensive) but overall it was amazing. Our doctor, the midwife, and all the nurses were absolutely incredible and we left the hospital on a total high. By writing that comment on Kristina's page, I was simply wishing the same for her. That no matter how many hours of labor she endured, or how much it hurt to push a baby out, she would look back at the experience and say it was wonderful for her, too. I hope she's treated well by all the doctors and nurses, that her baby is healthy and happy, that her body recovers well, and she leaves the hospital ready and confident for motherhood. So perhaps I'm crazy, but I think it's possible to have a wonderful experience. If you don't agree with me or if you had a horrible experience, that's totally fine and I'm sorry. Just do me a favor and keep that to yourself for now, and share that with a VERY pregnant woman after she has had her baby :)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
7 Weeks
Dear Oliver,
Today you turned 7 weeks old. It's amazing how fast time is flying by! I can't believe how much you are growing each day. You continue to amaze me on a daily basis– your coos have gotten louder and stronger, and you always seem to be on the verge of giggling. You love to lay on your back on the ottoman in the living room, and every once in awhile if you're in the right spot you're able to turn onto your side. I won't be surprised if someday soon you're suddenly on your belly! You are really good at holding your head up, too, which you will only do when we hold you upright over our shoulder. You aren't interested in trying that during tummy time but I'm sure soon enough you will be. You absolutely love your daddy, and you kick your legs and flail your arms in excitement when you see him. You love listening to him play guitar, and you seem to pay attention when he reads you books. You now love the pacifier, but only the Winnie the Pooh brand from Target. I've tried several other brands, but you spit them out immediately (you're very good at telling us what you do and don't like!) I'm so glad you take it now because sometimes it's all you need to calm down and fall asleep.
Most days you take 20-45 minute naps, and you sleep great at night. After you eat around 9 or 10pm, we wrap you in a swaddle blanket and put you in your crib. You are drowsy and usually lie awake for 20 minutes, and then you fall asleep on your own (with the help of the womb sounds on the iPod). Some nights you'll sleep 5 or even 6 hours, only waking for 45 minutes to nurse, then back to sleep for another 3 hours. There have been a few nights where you wake up more often, but you always go back to sleep after nursing or being rocked or swayed in our arms. You are quite the cuddler, and sometimes that's all you need. I love it.
We've been feeding you breast milk from a bottle the past week since you're still not a terrific breastfeeder, and I wasn't sure you were getting enough food. At first we did it to make sure you were gaining weight, but now I'm finding I enjoy it more than nursing you. When I breastfeed, you have to lay sideways and you stare at the wall. But with the bottle I can prop you up and cuddle you, and you're able to look right into my eyes. Sometimes you stop eating just to smile at me. You have no idea how incredible it feels to be so loved by you.
Thank you for blessing our world, Oliver. You are the light of our lives and we love watching you grow day by day. There is so much ahead of us and we can't wait for all that is to come. Your dad and I love you more than you will ever know.
Love,
Your Mama
Today you turned 7 weeks old. It's amazing how fast time is flying by! I can't believe how much you are growing each day. You continue to amaze me on a daily basis– your coos have gotten louder and stronger, and you always seem to be on the verge of giggling. You love to lay on your back on the ottoman in the living room, and every once in awhile if you're in the right spot you're able to turn onto your side. I won't be surprised if someday soon you're suddenly on your belly! You are really good at holding your head up, too, which you will only do when we hold you upright over our shoulder. You aren't interested in trying that during tummy time but I'm sure soon enough you will be. You absolutely love your daddy, and you kick your legs and flail your arms in excitement when you see him. You love listening to him play guitar, and you seem to pay attention when he reads you books. You now love the pacifier, but only the Winnie the Pooh brand from Target. I've tried several other brands, but you spit them out immediately (you're very good at telling us what you do and don't like!) I'm so glad you take it now because sometimes it's all you need to calm down and fall asleep.
Most days you take 20-45 minute naps, and you sleep great at night. After you eat around 9 or 10pm, we wrap you in a swaddle blanket and put you in your crib. You are drowsy and usually lie awake for 20 minutes, and then you fall asleep on your own (with the help of the womb sounds on the iPod). Some nights you'll sleep 5 or even 6 hours, only waking for 45 minutes to nurse, then back to sleep for another 3 hours. There have been a few nights where you wake up more often, but you always go back to sleep after nursing or being rocked or swayed in our arms. You are quite the cuddler, and sometimes that's all you need. I love it.
We've been feeding you breast milk from a bottle the past week since you're still not a terrific breastfeeder, and I wasn't sure you were getting enough food. At first we did it to make sure you were gaining weight, but now I'm finding I enjoy it more than nursing you. When I breastfeed, you have to lay sideways and you stare at the wall. But with the bottle I can prop you up and cuddle you, and you're able to look right into my eyes. Sometimes you stop eating just to smile at me. You have no idea how incredible it feels to be so loved by you.
Thank you for blessing our world, Oliver. You are the light of our lives and we love watching you grow day by day. There is so much ahead of us and we can't wait for all that is to come. Your dad and I love you more than you will ever know.
Love,
Your Mama
Friday, January 22, 2010
Baby's first cold (I think)
Yesterday, Oliver woke up sounded a little congested. I couldn't see anything in his nose but it definitely sounded like something was up there. He didn't have any trouble nursing and wasn't feverish, but was extra cuddly and mellow so I thought he may have the beginnings of a cold. By late afternoon, he sounded fine, and when John got home around 7pm, he was cooing and baby-talking up a storm. He slept from 10pm until 3am, woke up to nurse and went right back to sleep. So I figured whatever was going on had made its way out of his little body. Well, this is what I woke up to at 7am:
The horrible thoughts began to run through my mind... Oh no, Oliver has a cold. Or maybe pneumonia?? OHDEARGOD my baby has swine flu!!! Suddenly all the things I had learned in the baby care class, heard from friends, or experienced during my baby-sitting days had left my brain! I had no idea what to do. The first thought was to call his pediatrician. He'd want to hear if Oliver was sick, right? So I called the office and got the answering machine telling me they don't open until 9. Crap. What do I do for 2 hours? I tried to nurse him, but he couldn't latch on because he was trying to breathe through his mouth since his nose was totally stuffed. He fell asleep for a little bit and then woke up again crying and snorting. Nothing could soothe him! We were supposed to have coffee with a friend of mine from high school, Alicia, who had a baby a few weeks before me, so I called her to ask if we could reschedule. She also happens to be a nurse, so I asked her what to do. She said to turn on the shower in the bathroom and closed the door so it filled with steam, then hang out in there for 10-15 minutes so the gunk in Oliver's nose would get soft and I could suck it out with a bulb syringe. So I undressed my screaming baby and the moment we stepped in the steamy bathroom, he stopped crying. He was still snorting, but after 10 minutes I used the bulb syringe and sucked out a huge and gross glob of snot from Oliver's poor tiny nose. The second that booger left his nose, I had my happy baby back! The sniffles and snorts were totally gone and he was cooing and smiling up at me as if to say "Thank you Mommy!" He was still extra cuddly the rest of the day but overall seems much better. So who knows what all this was– a cold or just boogers in his nose?! Either way, I'm glad they're gone and I know what to do next time!
Oliver the piglet from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.
The horrible thoughts began to run through my mind... Oh no, Oliver has a cold. Or maybe pneumonia?? OHDEARGOD my baby has swine flu!!! Suddenly all the things I had learned in the baby care class, heard from friends, or experienced during my baby-sitting days had left my brain! I had no idea what to do. The first thought was to call his pediatrician. He'd want to hear if Oliver was sick, right? So I called the office and got the answering machine telling me they don't open until 9. Crap. What do I do for 2 hours? I tried to nurse him, but he couldn't latch on because he was trying to breathe through his mouth since his nose was totally stuffed. He fell asleep for a little bit and then woke up again crying and snorting. Nothing could soothe him! We were supposed to have coffee with a friend of mine from high school, Alicia, who had a baby a few weeks before me, so I called her to ask if we could reschedule. She also happens to be a nurse, so I asked her what to do. She said to turn on the shower in the bathroom and closed the door so it filled with steam, then hang out in there for 10-15 minutes so the gunk in Oliver's nose would get soft and I could suck it out with a bulb syringe. So I undressed my screaming baby and the moment we stepped in the steamy bathroom, he stopped crying. He was still snorting, but after 10 minutes I used the bulb syringe and sucked out a huge and gross glob of snot from Oliver's poor tiny nose. The second that booger left his nose, I had my happy baby back! The sniffles and snorts were totally gone and he was cooing and smiling up at me as if to say "Thank you Mommy!" He was still extra cuddly the rest of the day but overall seems much better. So who knows what all this was– a cold or just boogers in his nose?! Either way, I'm glad they're gone and I know what to do next time!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A 6-week milestone
The baby books tell us around this time, Oliver should be able to hold on to objects for several seconds– it's starting to become more intentional than just a reflex. We tested it out with a toy he could easily hang on to, and it worked! When I placed it in his right hand, he held on. But when John put it in his left (determined to make him a lefty), he hung on to it even longer and swung it around a bit. Look!
Side note: this is the second time Oliver has worn this OSU onesie from Yia yia Irene, and the second time he promptly pooped right through it! We didn't know it at the time but as we shot this video, he pooped right up his back. The first time this happened, I joked it must mean he wants to be a Duck. Now I'm convinced, and John is, too! Well, maybe we'll have to put him in his Gonzaga t-shirt and see what happens... :)
Side note: this is the second time Oliver has worn this OSU onesie from Yia yia Irene, and the second time he promptly pooped right through it! We didn't know it at the time but as we shot this video, he pooped right up his back. The first time this happened, I joked it must mean he wants to be a Duck. Now I'm convinced, and John is, too! Well, maybe we'll have to put him in his Gonzaga t-shirt and see what happens... :)
Holding his toy from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.
Excited for Daddy
This morning I got my weekly email update from Providence about what to expect from the baby this week. It was all about the differences between mom & dad's style of parenting, and how babies respond differently to each parent. "When placed in front their mothers, researchers say, babies soften their faces and move their hands and feet in smooth cycles. With their fathers, however, their eyebrows go up, their mouths open in grins, and their legs and arms jump out as if they expect fun to begin!" This is definitely true for us– Oliver loves to cuddle with me and softly coos and smiles when prompted. Put him in John's arms and the boy shrieks (well, coos loudly!!) and kicks his legs in pure excitement. About 10 minutes after I read that email, I took this video of John changing Oliver's diaper as proof!
Excited for Daddy from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The bird
Oliver and I stopped by my parent's house on our way to pick up John from work tonight. Grandma held him for a bit and after he kicked and cooed with delight, he settled in and totally gave her the finger. Then smiled as we all laughed and I took a picture. Proof:
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