Week 19 Summary Baby #2

by Meghan // January 26, 2013 // Comments off

This week Mister really started moving more. He loves to laugh at Lexie. He is eating solids 3xs a day. One day, he just pushed himself to a 4 hour schedule! However, he is on a BIG nursing strike and I have to trick him into nursing. Like, wake him up and nurse him while he sleeps, but as soon as he wakes up, he’s done. Some days are a little rough, but mostly this is what our day looks like:

7:00am wake/nurse/6oz bottle (I usually have to wake him)
8:15am down for nap asleep by 8:30
8:30-10:30 or 11 nap
11:00am eat
12:15pm down for nap asleep by 12:30
12:30-2:30ish nap
3:00pm eat
4:30pm-5:30 nap
6:15pm eat
7:00pm bed

Ive started signing with him. Maybe he will pick up on it by 7/8 months like big sister did.

This post is going to be a short one, because I am behind and need to get week 20 done, too! Aaah, where do the days go?

Week 15/16 Baby Summaries

by Meghan // December 31, 2012 // Comments off

Max is 15 weeks old-OMG how did that happen? He is almost 4 months old- that’s crazy. I feel like we spent so much time trying to fix his reflux that the first 3 months just flew by!

Eating
Max has been feeling pretty good, reflux and eating wise. We have started eating oatmeal- he loves it! The child just took it right off the spoon like he knew exactly what to do. We started oatmeal because he just didn’t seem satisfied anymore. He was taking so much formula, and would then spit up a lot of it, but still wanted more to eat. So, I tried the oatmeal and he loves it! So at 10, 1, and 640 he nurses, then get some solid food, then takes 4oz of formula. He is a growing boy! =)

Development
Mister has really started talking more. He does it mostly when he is by himself playing in the pack n play w all his toys. He likes to roll onto his sides and kick. He is raising his shoulders and chest way off the mattress- but still hasn’t found any interest in his feet yet. He seems much more laid back than Lexie was. She was a determined little thing, and he just kinda doesn’t care … If he is fed and dry he is a happy boy.

Lexie loves to pay with Max. Today she had an empty wrapping paper roll, declared herself a “sheepard” and then said, “Max is Baby Jesus.” It was hilarious! We have all been enjoying the fire, Max and Missy Cat especially. He loves to watch the fire, and Missy loves to lay in front of it.

This past week was Christmas- we had snow! It started Christmas afternoon, and didn’t stop until the next morning. We literally had 8″ of snow. I will post pics later. Lexie didn’t like it much- she just enjoyed walking in it. haha But, we lost power. There was a lot of ice before the snow fall. We heard limbs snapping one after the other, and about 7:45pm we had no power! So we toughed it out that night, with a fire. The next morning we went to the inlaws a stayed the day, and night. The next morning we had power.

I will try to get a post in on what our Christmas was like. Things are just really busy here, and about to get even more busy. So, it may be a while before I get it up!

Happy New Years!

Week 13 Baby Summary

by Meghan // December 7, 2012 // Comments off

Mister was officially 3 months old on December 2nd (also JTom’s birthday)! But because of how the weeks fell, he is 13 weeks old.

Sleeping
Max has been sleeping from about 7:15pm until 5:30-6:30am. Today (December 4th) I let him cry it out when he woke up at 5:20am. I went in and checked on him, calmed him down, then put him back in the crib and left the room. He cried and fussed on and off for about 30ish minutes. But he went back to sleep until 6:50am! So we have been CIO today. It’s not easy, but he is getting it. After his first nap he only cried (on and off) for 10 minutes before falling asleep. I am keeping one arm unswaddled, because he can use that hand to soothe himself if he needs to. (Oh yes, he is in love with his hands this week!) If it takes him longer to relax and fall asleep, I go in after 10 minutes, pick him up until he is calm, then place him back in the crib. I know today is pretty much going to mean very little sleep for him, but after a few days, he should be sleeping on his own. I think he is ready; I feel that way because when I try to get him down he struggles, wiggles, and fights me. He just can’t settle with me holding him as well anymore. So, I think it’s time he tries to settle himself. I will update at the end of the week on how it has gone.

*update*. It has been 3 days now and Mister is doing great with his day time sleep! We have rough patches through the day, but overall he is putting himself to sleep with very little crying or fussing. I watch him in the monitor, and he usually is just sucking in his hand, with his eye closed, while he rolls around some until he settles. He has been paci free for 3 days, and I think he is nursing better as a result.

Eating
He seems to be feeling better, reflux wise, so it looks like the dairy free is helping! One week of no dairy and he is like a different boy during the day. Looks like we have a dairy protein allergy. (I will make another post on that later).

Devleopment
Max is starting to try to raise his shoulders up, and he can do it pretty well. He rolls from his tummy to back easily and Lexie LOVES to watch him do it! He is already rocking/rolling onto is sides, and can almost make it to his tummy from his back! Im sure this will happen before the end of the month. I am still not sure if he is teething… I really want to say yes because of all the chewing and drooling (oh my!) but developmentally this is when babies’ saliva glands start producing more (it was part of evolution to help break down food/breastmilk as it changes with baby’s growth. Also to help build the stomach flora as baby grows bigger). And since that falls right in line with baby discovering his hands and enjoying chewing … I just don’t know! His gums have looked like he may be teething since the middle of October, and he started chewing in the middle of November … so we should have something happen by the end of this month if he is in fact teething. They do seem to be a bit more puffy and white there at the middle bottom, than the rest of his gums. So we will see.

Max is laughing, smiling, and starting to find his voice a lot! He is squealing some, especially when he is tired and ready for a nap, he starts really jabbering. He blows bubbles non stop and spit just flies every where! Lexie thinks this is a serious problem, “He’s dwooling, Mama. He’s dwooling!” She is so serious! It’s sweet.

Love Bug
Lexie has started napping again at home! We seem to have found her sweet spot during the day for tiredness, and now that those molars are in and she is no longer scared of going poopy in the potty, things are getting back to normal. But who knows how long that will last before we get more molars, or something else changes and throws her off for a while. Regardless, I will take any sleep she can get! =)

She’s enjoying gymnastics, and can do her bridge, straddle, pike and tuck. She really enjoyed the foam pit last week, and got brave enough to kick her leg up in the balance beam. It will be interesting to see what she does this week (tomorrow, Friday). We are doing Advent activities each day, and taking about Baby Jesus, Christmas, love, being kind, and God’s love for us. Sue Sue has given us some really great resources to use during the month of Advent. She has really enjoyed the Christmas stamps I got out.

She loves her daddy getting her up in the mornings, and doing her bed time routine at night. My favorite part about her being in a toddler bed now, is climbing in bed to snuggle with her when she wakes up! She makes me a spot, says “here, Mama, you need lovie.” and we snuggle. It’s wonderful! She walks around talking on her phone like a grown up (and Im never on the phone in front of her?), and loves to cook in her kitchen. Now she wants to play with Max all the time, which is basically just them laying on the floor together.

Comparing schedules

by Meghan // October 26, 2012 // Comments off

Ive been going back and looking over my blogs from when L was Mister’s age. Turns out they are so much alike it’s unreal. On my Nov 12th post, when Lady was 2.5 months old, she was sleeping exactly as long as Mister is, about the same size, and eating about the same amount. The biggest difference is with her, I didn’t start meds for her reflux, and I didn’t have her napping quite as well as M does. I think that just has to do with A) him being no meds and B) me knowing what to look for as far as him being sleepy.

However, I’m worried his Zantac isn’t working anymore … The last two days have been horrible. He’s been in a lot of pain and only naps well in his swing. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on but I’m going to give it the weekend before I call the dr about upping dosage (for weight increase) or changing meds; he has started pulling off while nursing again, and after eating he will cry out and then gulp/choke/gasp for breath. So I know the reflux is hurting him; and I don’t think the rice is helping. I can’t make it any thicker and it go through the nipple, so I’d have to spoon feed it to him, and I think he’s just too young for all that. Anyway, after the weekend we will see. The Coliccalm doesn’t seem to be doing anything for the reflux, not sure about his gas?

My days now are a bit more structured, mainly because I understand what baby whisperer and baby wise are saying and also because I have a 2 year old smack dab in the middle of her terrible-ness. At that time, I had L on a great routine, but looking back she was definitely way over tired by the time I was putting her down for naps, and therefore wasn’t napping well. But she always had good night time sleep (thank goodness!). So that was an okay trade off!

But, at almost 8 weeks old, here is what Mister’s routine looks like:

5:00-6:00- Wakes, Zantac, small feed, goe back to sleep (either in crib or with Mama in chair)
7:00- wake for the day, regular feeding, nurse then 3-4oz bottle
8:05- Down for nap- rests on and off depending on gas/reflux until
10:00- Eat, nurse 3-4 oz
11:05- down for nap- rests on and off depending on gas/reflux until
1:00pm- Eat
2:05- down for nap (however he usually has not slept well at this mid morning nap, and therefore goes to sleep closer to 1:30pm, sleeping until about 3:30 in the swing if necessary)
4:00 Eat
5:30pm Cluster feed
7:00pm last feeding of day
7:35 asleep in crib

SO, that is typically what our routine looks like, but with him being so young and having the reflux and gas, it tends to be more flexible in the naps department. Eating, however is always the same. After his 10:00 feeding, we usually go for a walk and/or play outside. If it is a day we plan to go grocery shopping or run errands, we do this about 8:30, home by 10:00 for him to eat and L to have a snack. At 25 months, her routine looks like this:

6:40-7:00- wake, daddy gets her from crib, she demands milk
then snuggle time with Mommy and “my Max” while mommy nurses and daddy gets ready for work
7:30- breakfast (yogurt, toast, oatmeal, fruit, etc)
play time
11:30-12:00- lunch depending on am wake time
12:00-12:30- down for nap depending on am wake time (here is when she usually poopies in her pullup (this whole potty training thing has us all out of whack), I have to go change her, then put her back down for nap… but because this interrupts her getting ready for sleep, I’ve been going back in at the hour mark and rocking her to sleep.)
2:30- if she didn’t nap I get her out of bed at the 2 hour mark
3:00- if he napped, she is awake by 3:00
play outside, crafts, etc if napped… relax and keep it low key if she didn’t
5:45pm- dinner
6:30-7:00- bedtime depending on morning wake time

Right now, L needs a total of about 12 hours of sleep. Her naps are usually 1.5 hours, which leaves 11.5 hours of night sleep on days she naps. If she does’t nap, she has a very early bed time to prevent over tiredness the next day. It’s all a numbers game..

So, big plans for the next few weeks. This weekend we are going to a family reunion in LA. Then next weekend my dad comes to visit, the next weekend my mom comes, then a few weeks later we have Thanksgiving! ALREADY! That’s insane. I think we are going to Memphis for Thanksgiving… that should be a fun challenge. Our first overnight trip wrangling two! Fun Fun! Of course halloween is this coming week. Ew. I’m not a fan of halloween, and until my kids are old enough to stay up late enough, we aren’t celebrating. And yes, I will be one of the moms that takes the candy and exchanges it for something cool, a toy or new clothes, etc… like the tooth fairy only for crappy, overpriced junk food. =)

OK, well I am going to bed now. It;s 9:17pm, that’s about 20 minutes past my bed time!

6 Week Summary Baby 2

by Meghan // October 21, 2012 // Comments off

So, Misteris officially 7 weeks old today, and is over 11 pounds. Here is a re-cap of his 6th week of life.

Happy boy

We are still doing the Zantac, while waiting on the Colicalm to get here. I think it will be here Monday… fingers crossed! Anyway, he’s still on Zantac, and sleeping great at night! Sometimes 10-11 hours. He is on a 3 hour schedule, with cluster feeding in the late afternoon.

Eating
Max is nursing about 20 minutes at each feeding, then takes 2-4 ounces in a bottle. Sometimes it’s breastmilk, sometimes formula. I tried some rice to see if it helps keeping the reflux down, so far I don’t think it is really doing anything? I know it has thickened his poopy diapers and he isn’t pooping as often. So today I’m not doing any rice, and we will see how it goes. I was afraid it would mess up his system, and it looks like it may =/ Not sure though. But he seems to be doing fine without it, so I may just stop it all together. I will see how this afternoon goes.

Sleeping
Night time is great right now. His last feed is at 7, he is usually asleep by 8:00, and sleeps until sometime between 4:30am-6:00am most mornings. I am really hoping this doesn’t change and he goes back to MOTN (middle of the night) wakings, but we will just see. I swaddle him for every sleep-time, which he seems to enjoy. Once I swaddle him, and sing a little of Jesus Loves Me, he relaxes and gets ready for sleep.

Day time sleep is a bit different … Like many babies, Mister wakes about 20 minutes into his naps. This is either because A) he is over tired when I put him down, or B) he is going from light to deep sleep, and is waking up during the transition. Since i have tried an earlier put

Sleeping Mister

down time, and he still wakes, I have moved on to option B, he doesn’t know how to transition during sleep phases yet. So, I am letting him cry for a bit. However, he gets more worked up if I try to let him fuss, so I usually give him 3-5 minutes, then go intervene somehow. Sometimes this is sshing him back to sleep, patting, or moving him to the swing. Babywise says to try something else until he is a bit older and then try to let him fuss for a bit, again.

Hopefully by moving him to the swing, it will help him make a smoother transition over time, and he will evcentually sleep right through the light to deep sleep phase.

I am currently putting him down while drowsy, but not completely asleep. Sometimes he goes right to sleep, sometimes it takes a bit more to get him asleep. But overall he is doing good sleep-wise. =)

Lady
And we have 2 year molars! Yay! Yesterday I tried an earlier nap time and it worked! I put her down at 12, she was asleep by 12:15 and slept for an hour and a half. Today I did the same thing and she is in there playing … I guess it’s hit or miss, but no matter what I am sticking with
the earlier nap time. it seems to be the only time she falls asleep on her own. Between the potty training, the natural sleep regression at 2, and the teething, it’s really a lost cause. But I am deteremined to keep trying. Because at some point she will be potty trained completely, past the sleep regression, and done with the molars, and we will need a consistent routine. I also need my sanity which means 2 hours of L in her crib for nap, rest, whatever you want to call it. But man, yesterday after her nap she was the sweetest, happiest girl; she was her normal Ladyself!

Not the sleep deprived, demanding, whiny “terrible twos” toddler she becomes on days without a nap!

Mama’s country bumpkin’

Life in general is good. Last weekend we took the kids to the sate fair. L LOVED all the animals; they even had a live animal show with a Bamboo, dog, and parrot. She of course really enjoyed that. Mister did good on our little family outing (of course he was chilling in the double wide the whole time so he was a happy boy). Husband’s back may be going out on him again; he’s going to see the doctor hopefully this week if he can get in. I am getting lots of night sleep, and rest during the day most days.