Changes

Gosh, lots of changes are going on around here. I received a promotion at work that allows me to be home with Preston during the day. I'll be working late evenings in to the early morning. The hours aren't glamourous by any means but as I mentioned, it allows me to spend lots of time with Preston during the day. It also means that I don't have to send him to daycare. However, with that said, we decided that we're going to send him once a week anyway just so that he can continue to have that connection and I can do errands baby-free.

It's going to be a fun challenge being a "stay at home mom." Tomorrow starts day 1.

ETA: Everyone's number one question is "when are you going to sleep?" It's a good question and something that I'm going to have to work out as I go along. Right now, Preston sleeps in until 8:30am when not disturbed for daycare. So I'll sleep when I get in until then. Then he takes a 3 hour nap from around 11am-2pm (today it was 11:45am-2:45pm) so I'll have an opportunity to sleep then as well as long as I remind myself to avoid using that time to do laundry, clean, etc. Then Danielle gets home at 2:45pm so I also have an opportunity to sleep anywhere from 3pm until I leave around 6pm. I'll get sleep but it will be broken which at this point in my life isn't that much different than when I worked 9a-5:30p. It will just happen at different times throughout the day. I know, I told you, the hours aren't glamourous but I really enjoyed spending time with Preston today and the increase in salary isn't bad as well. All I can envision is the spring/summer and spending time in the park, taking long walks, picnics, and the spray park.

9 months

At 9 months of age Preston weighs 26 pounds and is 30 inches tall. He's between sizes 18-24 months and a 2T. A 3T if buying pajamas. I've noticed this month that he's losing his baby face and naturally you can tell he's getting older.

This has been a challenging month. Sleep continues to be our main issue. Being alone is another. I continue to work by trail and error only to have success for a day or two before regressing. I constantly remind myself that this has to be a phase (someone please assure me it's a phase). Because like everything else I remind myself that what was today's issue only becomes a distant memory.

Some milestones this month include adding ba ba to his vocabulary. I'm still dying to hear him say ma ma. He's incredibly adorable when it comes to practicing mama. He watches our lips with deep concentration and moves his own lips in an effort to say it but no sound comes out.

He's also become very aware of what you're feeding him and will peer in to the bowl and decide if he's going to open up his mouth for the next bite. Finger foods are just becoming fun, especially if it's fruit. Halved blueberries are a must have. Mangoes are good but a little slippery to pick up. He has no use for toast or bread though. Texturally, he hates having to chew. He would rather have his food very smooth.

Our boy loves to play. Especially with Gracie who is very gentle with him but at other times has no use for him and will take her toy and run. He loves to climb and "walk" if you hold his hands or he uses his walker. However, one if his favorite pastimes is people watching. Some call his nosey or nebby which is a Pittsburgh word. I say his is exploring his environment. Whatever it is, the kid is just freaken adorable and continues to light up my life.

Weight: 26 pounds
Length: 31 3/4 inches

I brought in a bowl of snow the other day after dinner. Here are a few pics. Clearly, he had no idea what to do with it at first.










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cry or not to cry it out?

Last week, during Preston's 9 month check up, his doctor spent some time giving us sleep advice. Preston, who was a great sleeper, has totally regressed. He pitches a fit and has a complete meltdown with snot and tears whenever he sees us leaving the room. Once upon a time, we could leave Preston fully awake in his crib and he would fall asleep without protest. He also started to wake up several times a night. The doctor we saw that day assured us that he should be sleeping through the night. He also strongly advocated the cry it out method, complete with handout. While crying it out didn't really gel with either of us, we listened to him, read his packet and decided to give it a while. Being a therapist, I completely understand behavior modification, conditioning, etc so it made sense that by going in whenever he started to pitch a fit just reinforced the behavior. But on the other hand I've spent the last 9 months creating this nurturing relationship that it seemed kind of harsh but I went along anyway.

Well lets just say, we're all still traumatized from trying it out. We did what the doctor instructed us to do... follow through with our usual routine: bath, nurse, story, and putting him in his crib. Allow him to cry for 2 minutes. Go in and reassure him that he was okay and then leave for the rest of the night. The poor kid was melting horribly. The wailing was insane. Three minutes after going in to check on him, we heard a loud thud, no crying, and then intense wailing. We rushed to his room to find that he had fallen out of his crib and was crawling towards the door trying to get to us. I will never forget that scene. He was a complete mess. Probably the worst I've ever seen him. Needless to say, we failed the challenge because we brought him to bed with us for the rest of the night.

The rest of the week was spent problem solving. By Thursday we remembered that we had a pack and play and set it up in our bedroom. I'm not sure if we are taking 3 steps back but it's working. Thursday, he woke up only once during the night and last night he slept the entire night. Maybe he just needs us close by right now. The goal is to get him to the point where he sleeps through the night (or waking up just once around around 5am) and then transition back to his room and hopefully back to his crib. The crib is on the lowest setting and right now, I'm just really apprehensive about placing him in it. The bruise on his face is a constant reminder and doesn't make me really eager to put him back. We actually placed him in the crib one evening and he attempted to get out again by swinging his arm over as though he was reaching for the floor. Luckily, we were there and intervened. but I suppose that's how he fell the first night. I also think that we tried to work on his sleep issues at the wrong time. We just got back from vacation 2 days prior to his 9 month check up. He had us 24/7 for 10 straight days. The only time I wasn't with him was for an hour on my birthday when I went to the casino on the cruise ship. He spent half of the cruise in the Ergo so it's not surprising that he developed some separation anxiety.

So for now, we will not be following the cry it out method. I'm not sure what I'm doing is the best thing for him overall but it feels right and I've parented so far by what feels right so we'll see.

Sleep

Sleeping through the night was awesome but short lived. The following week Preston got sick and it went downhill from there. He still has a cold and we are leaving for our annual cruise vacation in the morning so I don't see sleeping through the night returning any time soon. It's not even sleeping through the night that's my issue as much as it's going to sleep.

We have a pretty set nighttime routine: pj's, nurse, story time, kiss, bed. However, as soon as he senses that we are getting close to the door he starts to cry and stands up. I lay him back down telling him it's bedtime and leave. This goes on for about 20 minutes. I remember the days where we could leave him in his cradle fully awake and it wouldn't phase him. Eventually he would go to sleep. Now, even if he is incredibly tired, he fights it.

My brother assures me that all night sleeping is around the corner and this will all be a distant memory.

When we return from vacation I'm determined to put a little more effort in to getting him to sleep and not taking the easy route by bringing him in to bed with us and nursing/cuddling him back to sleep.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011

2010 was pretty amazing due to the birth of our son.

In 2011 I hope to:
- try running.
- if running takes off, try a 5k
- move
- buy a new car


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Merry Christmas

Create your own free digital ecard

Emotional Ouch

Last evening Preston went on strike and refused to nurse. After an hour of crying, screaming and refusing to go to bed despite being exhausted, Danielle handed him a bottle of pumped milk and he instantly went to sleep. So much for thinking he wasn't feeling well, had gas, or that I ate something that made my milk taste bad. To be totally honest, my feelings were hurt. It felt like utter rejection. Now while I know that my 8 month old doesn't have the capacity to be intentionally hurtful or be angry because I didn't make it to daycare at lunch to visit him like i usually do, or be upset at the memory or my stern voice the day before, man did it sting.

So I went to bed now eager to go in and console him at 2am and that little bugga didn't even wake up! He slept the ENTIRE night. I woke up at 6:15am to check on him and brought him to bed to nurse, which he did.

So he nursed while sleeping. Great right? No. To make things worse, I got my monthly breastfeeding newsletter email this morning and what was this months topic? Weaning.

I haven't really given weaning much thought. I just automatically assumed that we'd nurse until his first birthday. I know I'm jumping the gun. One evening of not nursing doesn't mean our breastfeeding relationship is coming to an end but I guess I have to consider it right? The thought makes me ill. Hopefully, it was just a fluke. I mean he exclusively breastfed our entire trip without any problems (we were just in Florida visiting grandparents). Last night was the first time he refused the breast.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone