New Trick

Over the last couple of days, LJ started putting his whole hand in his mouth. This is exciting because if he can start self soothing himself (meaning since he breast feeds for food but also for comfort and to help him sleep, maybe sucking on his thumb/hand will replace extra breast feeding) then maybe we can transition him to sleeping in his crib. Its not that I mind breast feeding (though I am doing it still quite often) it's better for LJ to know how to calm himself.

Let's hope for the best!

I'm pretty proud of myself!

LJ just passed two hour mark for his nap. We went to the veternarian today so Choco-p (that's the cat) could get her (actually he is a he but I refer to him as she) shots. Then we quickly went to Whole Foods. Then back home. Then I ate the rest of my breakfast that I made this morning, pumped 6 ounces of breast milk, and drank some tea. Ok so maybe you don't see why I am so proud. Let me explain.

1. I was able to wake up and not wake up LJ.
2. I was able to get dressed, change LJ's diaper, feed LJ, make pancakes, and change LJ's clothes in less than an hour.
3. In that hour I was able to get Choco-P in his carieer. That my friends is one of the most difficult things in the world. Choco-p is a former Dominican street cat and does not like to be confined. No amount of treats can presuade her to get close to the cage. So I basically have to corner her, in well a corner, and get her into the cage without harming either one of us.
4. I drove across DC through morning rush hour traffic (without a GPS) to the vet by mostly memory.
5. I was able to get LJ into the vet carrying LJ in the Baby Bjorn, Choco-P in the carrier plus the diaper bag.
6. I was able to get LJ to fall asleep without nursing and transfer him to his carseat without waking him.
7. Then I speed shopped in Whole Foods with LJ still asleep in the carseat attached (but not very securily due to Whole Foods shopping carts) to the car seat and with one of my hands always on it.
8. We got back in the car and drove home (again thru traffic).
9. I got the cat, the baby, the two bags, and the diaper bag out of the car, up the steps, and into the townhouse, without the alarm going off.
10. I freed and petted the cat, petted the dog (who was then jealous), ate the pancakes (of course after washing my hands) and put up the groceries.
11. I called my mom, made tea, pumped breast milk (4 ounces for Dad to feed LJ tonight and 2 ounces for the freezer), and wrote a blog!

LJ is still asleep. Maybe I'll have time to clean up the kitchen, shower, and take a nap. um....

My Perfect Imperfect Boy!

Yeah! We saw an urologist today and she said LJ does not need to get his penis recut (re-circumcised) as the pediatrician had suggested. Having a botched circumcision (ok maybe botched is too strong but having to redo it due to skin reattaching) was going to be just another little ordeal for my perfect child. He also has cradle cap (layer of baby dandruff that is slowly coming off), baby acne (is just what is sounds like), a blocked tear duct (thus his eye accumaltes mucos and has to be wiped often), and he has a hernia (a picture is worth a thousand words). Sometimes he snorts like a pig too.

But it helps to be around other new mothers. I met another baby who sorts like a pig today. A few weeks ago I met a woman who thought LJ was perfect and complained about how her son had baby acne, cradle cap, and had lost all of his hair. I laughed to myself because LJ had all of that and more (well he hasn't lots of of his hair but he did loose some of it).

I guess that's why it's good to get out and meet new mothers; not so we can compare our babies but so we can see how perfect our imperfect children are!

NOte to people who don't have children: Don't worry about his hernia! It looks crazy. I know. I thought (like I'm sure you do) that babies with that have huge outie belly buttons. No it's a hernia. It will go away before his first birthday naturally (they say but in some cases it stays a while longer and will be surgically removed if it's not gone by 5).

LJ's new do

After washing LJ's hair this week, some of his longer hairs in the front fell out. The rest curled back. Jeff calls it the "too cool for school" look. Its been like this for a few days.

It's Time

I sat in the car and prayed for two things: that this medicine has the power to protect and not hurt LJ and that I have the ability and know how to help him cope with the pain.

Today LJ had his first set of vaccinations.

I have always been for vaccinations for myself and everyone around. I felt that people who didn't vaccinate their children put them at great risk for silly unfounded fables.

However

When I was pregnant and I realized I was signing up to be the caretaker of a new life and every decision I made with my body in pregnancy and nursing and then with the child in the future, could potentially hurt or help it....my ideas on lots of things changed.

Working closely with the H1N1 influenza epidemic meant I knew it had relatively low chances of killing or hurting the average person BUT that it could potentially kill a pregnant woman, her fetus, and a newborn. So I did some of my own research and decided the benefits of the medicine outweighed the potential ramifications. So I went ahead and received both flu vaccinations when I was pregnant.

Many people think vaccinations are linked to Autism and other disease/disorders. There are people who had thriving infants who were cooing and almost crawling then ended up with Autism (for example) later on. Parents say they noticed a difference after the vaccinations. There was also a study which (later was rebuked) supported the link.

But nothing is proven 100%. And I have seen people with polio and there was an outbreak of whooping cough in a nearby state. Plus with my career, he is bound to come across some diseases. So I can only act on what I know.

LJ's first vaccinations went well, I guess. They would not let me breastfeed him throughout (I thought this would work). I held his little arms as he stared at the lights. The two techs jammed needles into his thighs at the same time. He screamed like I've never heard, turned red, and kept his mouth open with his body arched in pain. After they finished scooped him up and nursed him. He fell asleep and seemed to forget about it when he woke up later.

Co-Sleeping (sorry this is long)

I have to admit that LJ and have been co-sleeping. I have been sleeping with my newborn. Which with many is a no-no. Yet, there is a small movement in the Western world to sleep with your children. They call it co-sleeping and its part of the attachment parenting strategy. Leave it to the West to give a fancy name to something that happens all over the world.

I hadn’t planned on sleeping with my son. I also don’t plan on having a family bed (another new term) forever.

When we first came home from the hospital our nighttime routine included breastfeeding, holding, diaper changing, and repeat. In all that LJ would sleep then wake up and cry. I didn’t sleep at all the first couple of days. Then as the days went on I was able to sleep 30 mins here and an hour there and nights were the hardest. Nights are when you expect to sleep.

Anyone who knows me knows I like to sleep. I’ve always needed 8-9 hours EVERY night.

So nights were VERY hard.

After awhile our routine included me feeding and rocking him to sleep. Then I would crawl into bed after putting him in his bassinet. It seemed as if the moment I would stretch out and close my eyes, he would cry.

So one sleepless night I was feeding him and fell asleep. We both slept in the guest bed. In the morning Jeff (looking for us) woke ME up and I screamed as if I was being murdered. I quickly searched for LJ and there he was still sleeping right beside me. I hadn't rolled over him and he hadn't wedged himself between the wall or been smothered by pillows.

It felt great to sleep but I felt so guilty!

Anyways two weeks later I deliberately bring LJ with me to bed and we both get 3 to 4 hours of sleep wake up for a quick feeding and then repeat. When I put him down (to sleep) he cries.

I definitely plan to have him in his crib before he rolls over and crawls. Everyday I try different things to get LJ to prefer his crib over sleeping beside me. So far no he prefers sleeping with me.

Does anyone have any suggestions???

It's getting better!

It's amazing! I'm eating real meals, drinking tea, and even sleeping 2 and 3 hour blocks at night. I think I slept for four hours (in a row) on one or two nights. LJ is becoming more independent. He doesn't need to be held 24-7. He still likes to sleep near me. But he can spend time "playing" with toys, sitting in his car seat, swing, or vibration chair, or just on a plain blanket while he tries to get his hand in his mouth. It's like he's graduating. I'm excited for his Independence and growth but there's the part of you that wishes he was still a little boy. LOL!

Check out his video of my big baby playing (mostly) alone: