This is getting old

I love love love my baby.

But I hate hate HATE the crazy lack of a sleep routine (and simple lack of sleep)! I think I've mentioned it before (not sure, my brain is so foggy right now), but this girl can either sleep 5-7 hour stretches (and on Friday night actually slept 8 in a row -- 10:30pm to 6:30 am -- it was shortlived bliss, I tell you!), or -- more usually -- wake up every three hours and be up for an hour at a time.

We had a wonderful weekend with three really good nights in a row, and I swear I thought we had turned the corner. Then this week -- BAM! -- back to sleep deprived Mommy. This is leading to grumpy Mommy and short-fused Daddy. No one is mad at the baby -- duh -- but we feel helpless and confused and not sure what is right and what we should be doing differently.

So the bottom line is, I guess we are going to start "sleep training" soon. I feel weird about it. We will not do the total "cry it out" method, at least not at first, because I just would worry too much, but we may have to do some kind of graduated method. The problem is, how in the world do you know if the baby really needs you vs. just wants attention or whatever? I need to do some more reading (and I have already done a LOT of reading).....!

Anyway, I know sleep training at all can be controversial, so I ask you not to judge. This is all a work in progress, and I feel differently on different days (like this one, where I am so fried I just don't know how I'm going to get through the day). But at some point, non-functional parents are not going to contribute to a good child-rearing environment, and I think that's the bottom line. That said, we have a bazillion visitors coming through in the next 3 weeks so we probably wouldn't even start anything till after that (right around when L.will hit 4 months). I am hoping against hope things will at least get a little more... regular... by then. Otherwise Mommy is gonna go off the deep end!

Mmm, pizza

Last night I was taking a pizza out of the oven and it slid right onto the floor. Face down.

Because we are now parents, we put the good stuff + dirt back on top and ate it anyway.

You may think this is a non-sequitur, but I have a feeling the other parents out there know exactly what I'm talking about.

Somebody call the HAZMAT team

My baby has officially been contaminated!

It happened in a split second: a curious toddler leaned in, in and furrrther in towards L. in the stroller to get a better view. I can hardly blame him; she is intriguing! (wink.) Like a flash, baby L's hand shot out of her mouth, into his, and back into hers. I did a double take and saw lovely torrents of snot pouring out of this kid's nose (think Jabba the Hut), and heard his repeated hacking cough as his grandmother led him away, laughing (!) about "those crazy preschool germs." I'm not one to go too nuts about cleanliness, but... AHHHHH! Believe you me, I busted out the baby wipes in a HURRY.

In other news, I took L. for professional pictures today. I timed it perfectly: she napped just at the right time, ate just at the right time, and managed not to drool on her outfit. She smiled all the way there and all the way back. But did she smile for the photographer during the shoot? NOT MUCH. Typical, I suppose. Defying me already! Ha. Good thing she's cute even when she doesn't smile...

And, I joined a mom/baby group. First session was yesterday. I just thought it would be a fun way to meet some other potential walking buddies, but turns out it was therapy I desperately needed (but just never knew it). I almost cried while everyone told their stories and talked about their experiences so far. I guess I have been more isolated through all of this than I realized -- not just away from family, but without many friends in the same boat. I think the others felt that way too; you could just feel the relief pouring out into the room. And the babies are CUUUUTE (all within 6 weeks of age), and no one cares if they cry or poop or nurse or whatever. Should have done this ages ago.

(Aside: one of the moms has twins... sired by her husband's 15 year old sperm! He is a cancer survivor, whose pediatrician urged him to bank his sperm as a young teen before he started radiation. They engineered and implanted two embryos, and were blessed with two perfect babies all these years later. What a miracle... it gave me the chills.)

Okay, naptime is surely almost over and I've accomplished nothing really major. Let me go see what I can squeeze in before the boss calls!

(PS: Brook -- do you have a new blog somewhere?? I don't know how to email you to ask...?)

No rest for the weary

The trip to California went smashingly well. We had a whole row to ourselves both directions, and -- with the exception of one big exploding poop incident during one takeoff -- L. slept the ENTIRE way. Thank you Children's Benadryl (used with doctor's blessing of COURSE)!!!

Now that we're home, though, I'm sorry to say the sleeping has not been going so well. I guess this is my punishment for being a little smug about her 5-7 hour stretches of night sleep by 6 weeks or so. Seems this week (at 3 months exactly) she's decided a crying/eating jag every 2-3 hours -- and then staying up for 45 minutes to 2 hours -- is more fun. She didn't even get up that much as a newborn! I appreciate that she wants to hang out and all, but...! Sigh.

Talked to the pediatrician this morning who said it's likely a combo of the big travel, our attempts to switch her from bassinet in our room to crib in her room (hard on all 3 of us), and a (new as of this morning) small cold. Hopefully this phase will pass -- meanwhile I'm sort of a basketcase.

Abby (I'd link to her blog but I'm sorry to say that it is no more, at least for the moment) tells me the baby Halloween costumes at Old Navy rule. I am going to check them out next week. That should make me feel better, no matter how sleep deprived!

Dr. Strangelove

We call the baby Dr. Strangelove, because although she obviously WANTS/NEEDS to suck her pacifier, she can't stop her crazy hands from ripping it out. It's like that movie where Lily Tomlin is controlling half of Steve Martin's body. It would be hilarious if it didn't cut short almost every nap.

Speaking of sleep, we didn't much last night. She has been getting in some nice long chunks lately, but just in the last week has started going to bed really early, and then waking up 3-4 times. I am not sure how to stretch it out. We want to encourage an earlier bedtime so we can have some grownup time, BUT.... what good is a 5-6 hour sleep interval if WE are not also getting that sleep?? Hmm.

Also, I have been finding mass quantities of baby hair on L's bassinet sheet all of a sudden. Soon, she will have a monk tonsure. That will be HOT!

Cue the Angel Chorus

I can button my jeans! I can button my jeans! I can button my jeans!

(Okay, so maybe there's a bit of a roll hanging over the top... and maybe they don't fit quite as loosely as they used to... but it's a freaking great feeling anyway!)

In three days we fly to California with the babe. I am excited and petrified. Are we insane?

Look Ma, No Hands

I have a baby who must be held. She is a wonderul baby... but a very, very, very, very needy baby. The mobile in the crib or the play gym are okay, for about 2 minutes, or as long as I'm watching them WITH her. There is little or no self-entertaining, which doesn't lend itself well to blogging (let alone combing my hair or going to the bathroom). I suppose this is something I should be "training," but I just hate hearing her cry.

And I can't help but think, someday she won't *let* me hold her -- so I better get it while the getting is good!

If any of you are still out there, I hope you are well and I think of you often... I am here... just trying to stay afloat! :)

xxoo