So, it never really occured to us (being clueless new parents and all) that we should start establishing a solid bedtime routine pretty much ASAP. Colton would take naps mostly in our or families arms for the first month of his life. He would fall asleep in his swing or bouncy chair and we would just leave him there. I started to notice last week that he would not stay asleep in his crib or bassinet. It progressively got worse as the week went on. Now this week me being at home alone with him I realize he only wants to sleep in my arms and the crib is a "scary" place as he screams his head off when left alone in there. After much thought and soul searching I realized that we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off for the first month of Colton's life (as all new parents do) with no real routine established (or at least one I could really identify). I did some research (you know me) and decided a rigid, hard and fast feeding and sleep schedule was not for me (hence the reason I was o.k. with flying by the seat of my pants for a month), so we have decided to establish a flexible "schedule" for sanity. How come no one ever told me that it is up to us to teach our baby how to sleep? I was leaving it up to him and he wants mommy or daddy's arms only, period.
As I reflect I am giving us a break because I realize we are doing a great job at raising our son because we are fully committed to giving him the tools he needs to become a great man. We are adapting to the changes of his rapid growth and giving ourselves credit for what we are already accomplishing. I also give us a break for starting a "schedule" at 5 weeks because we and baby were not ready until now. Mommy, daddy and baby need some real sleep now, not just cat naps. Last night was hard hearing him cry, then consoling him, then putting him back in his crib over and over again but he slept for a solid 4 hours uninterrupted (about 3:30 AM after many hard hours of this training) and so did mommy and daddy! Priceless! Today we have continued to nap in crib and the improvement from last night is amazing! I have only had to console him once at each nap before he settled and slept for 2 hours.
If I am learning anything from my son it is that commitment is the key to almost everything. Thank you baby.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
More pics
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| My beautiful baby..3 weeks old |
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| Right before the big melt down..he has decided to hate his car seat |
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| Colton totally focuses in on my face now |
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| Handsome Boy |
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| Tribute to Michael Jackson...where did that other white glove go? |
Newest Things
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| 4 weeks old |
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| My newest binky..Thanks Ash! |
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| One of my first sunny days |
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| Yes, that is spit up..and Happy 4 week b-day |
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| My boys |
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| No, we are not tired :) |
First Attempt...Baby Wearing
Monday, April 11, 2011
Weight Check
My baby broke eight pounds this week! Colton now weighs 8 pounds, 3.6 ounces. So excited to see that he is gaining as he should. With breast feeding you never really know for sure how much your baby is getting so getting him weighed once a week really gives me peace of mind. I find myself relaxing more during the week when I know he is on track.
Today was our first day all alone and it was a busy one! I had my first doctor appointment since the birth and check up went well. I am o.k. and can continue my life as normal (ha ha, what is normal again??). The wait time to see my doctor was extra long today at 1.5 hours so I bottle fed Colton expressed breast milk while I waited. That was hilarious as I am sure the new mom-ness showed all over me as I tried to figure out how to pour the precious liquid gold from the freezer bag into the bottle (why is there not a built in spout in those bags??). I literally started planning last night for our outing today since I knew after my appointment I had to eat lunch then head to BF support group. Not sure if I will ever see a day again where I don't have to start preparing to leave the house a minimum of 2 hours prior to when I need to leave in order to leave somewhat on time. Feedings, diaper changes, unexpected spit-ups, dogs that want to eat too, managing to brush my teeth and use the bathroom and maybe get dressed, maybe I should eat something today, forget taking a nap....
At the end of today I found myself driving home with the beautiful sun shining (and a headache from you know where) thinking I love this life! (and I really do, it was a great first day on my own as a mommy)
Today was our first day all alone and it was a busy one! I had my first doctor appointment since the birth and check up went well. I am o.k. and can continue my life as normal (ha ha, what is normal again??). The wait time to see my doctor was extra long today at 1.5 hours so I bottle fed Colton expressed breast milk while I waited. That was hilarious as I am sure the new mom-ness showed all over me as I tried to figure out how to pour the precious liquid gold from the freezer bag into the bottle (why is there not a built in spout in those bags??). I literally started planning last night for our outing today since I knew after my appointment I had to eat lunch then head to BF support group. Not sure if I will ever see a day again where I don't have to start preparing to leave the house a minimum of 2 hours prior to when I need to leave in order to leave somewhat on time. Feedings, diaper changes, unexpected spit-ups, dogs that want to eat too, managing to brush my teeth and use the bathroom and maybe get dressed, maybe I should eat something today, forget taking a nap....
At the end of today I found myself driving home with the beautiful sun shining (and a headache from you know where) thinking I love this life! (and I really do, it was a great first day on my own as a mommy)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Growing. 4 weeks, 3 days old
Colton is getting bigger daily. On Monday he weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces which means he gained 7 ounces in a week! Guess he is getting plenty of milk. We go to breastfeeding support group every Monday to talk to other moms and get his weight checked. Really enjoying it and pretty much saved us from latch on problems.
Zach is back to work on Monday so it will just be mommy and baby at home. Kind of excited about that new adventure. Have lots on my mommy-to-do list already...we'll see how far Colton will let me get.
Colton continues to get the hiccups almost daily...just like he did in the womb. He sees pretty clearly at this point and finds new amazing discoveries around the house daily. He knows mommy and daddy's faces and stares in amazement when we make funny noises with our mouths to distract him at the changing table. He loves laying on his back in the evenings in his crib and staring at his airplane/car mobile.
The dogs are adjusting well. It was a rough start but they are no longer awakened and at my feet every time Colton cries out when he's hungry or getting his diaper changed. Sugar spends some nights laying at my feet when I'm feeding the baby and seems to be protective of him. Taylor tries to act disinterested but I catch her sniffing him while he's in his bouncy chair trying to figure him out. She has shown signs of jealousy and has been extra needy at times. Colton does not wake up when they bark at this point which is nice. We will see how long that lasts.
Sleep is still a thing of the past as Colton wants to eat every 2-3 hours. The last two nights he has gone 4 hour stretches though so that is nice..although I don't feel like I slept any more due to my constant concern that every groan and grumble he made was a sign of hunger and he would be awakening at any moment to feast. He does not stay asleep well in his crib or bassinet it seems. He will sleep longer in his swing or bouncy chair..not sure if it feels more like he is being carried in those or what.
The constant flow of family and friends has slowed. We were blessed to have family with us the whole month of March. It was nice getting meals cooked and having a constant waiting arm to hold the baby while we caught a quick nap. Going to miss that and our family. Has been exciting getting somewhat acquainted to it being just us this week. Zach and I love the adventure and still can't believe the baby boy we have been preparing for and talking about for many months is here.
Zach is back to work on Monday so it will just be mommy and baby at home. Kind of excited about that new adventure. Have lots on my mommy-to-do list already...we'll see how far Colton will let me get.
Colton continues to get the hiccups almost daily...just like he did in the womb. He sees pretty clearly at this point and finds new amazing discoveries around the house daily. He knows mommy and daddy's faces and stares in amazement when we make funny noises with our mouths to distract him at the changing table. He loves laying on his back in the evenings in his crib and staring at his airplane/car mobile.
The dogs are adjusting well. It was a rough start but they are no longer awakened and at my feet every time Colton cries out when he's hungry or getting his diaper changed. Sugar spends some nights laying at my feet when I'm feeding the baby and seems to be protective of him. Taylor tries to act disinterested but I catch her sniffing him while he's in his bouncy chair trying to figure him out. She has shown signs of jealousy and has been extra needy at times. Colton does not wake up when they bark at this point which is nice. We will see how long that lasts.
Sleep is still a thing of the past as Colton wants to eat every 2-3 hours. The last two nights he has gone 4 hour stretches though so that is nice..although I don't feel like I slept any more due to my constant concern that every groan and grumble he made was a sign of hunger and he would be awakening at any moment to feast. He does not stay asleep well in his crib or bassinet it seems. He will sleep longer in his swing or bouncy chair..not sure if it feels more like he is being carried in those or what.
The constant flow of family and friends has slowed. We were blessed to have family with us the whole month of March. It was nice getting meals cooked and having a constant waiting arm to hold the baby while we caught a quick nap. Going to miss that and our family. Has been exciting getting somewhat acquainted to it being just us this week. Zach and I love the adventure and still can't believe the baby boy we have been preparing for and talking about for many months is here.
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