Ey yi yi. That is what I say at approximately 12:45 a.m. each night. And then again at 2:30 a.m. And then, sometime around 5:00 a.m. These are the times my lil co-sleeper has been awakening and demanding a boob in her mouth!
From about 8 weeks old until about 5 months old, Juliette was "sleeping through the night." It is in quotation marks because I have come to learn that means something different for different mommas. When I say it, it means that once I nursed her and put her down for the night (anywhere from 8 pm until 11 pm) she didn't wake up and require anything from me until at least 6 or 7 a.m. the next morning. Well, I'm glad I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Once she hit 5 months, she started going to bed earlier than she had been (closer to 7 p.m. a lot of nights) and so she would wake up for a feeding whenever I got into bed (around 10:30 - 11:30 p.m.). This was fairly convenient and so I didn't think twice or try to dissuade her. Sometime over the past four months, she has snuck in additional feedings throughout my sleeping hours!
Last night was as follows:
(1) Nursed both sides and in bed by 7:30 p.m.
(2) Woke and nursed one side (momma sitting up) at 10:15 p.m.
(3) Woke and nursed one side (momma lying down) at 12:30 a.m.
(4) Woke and nursed one side (momma lying down) at 3:20 a.m.
(5) Woke and nursed one side (momma lying down) at 6:00 a.m.
(6) Woke and nursed one side (momma sitting up) at 7:45 a.m.
Then, she is up for the day. She eats her breakfast of solids (a puree I make, typically a fruit or a fruit combo) at around 8:30/9:00 a.m. and then she nurses again before her morning nap (both sides for a full feeding) at around 10:45 a.m.
She will nurse whenever she wakes from her nap (typically around 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.) and will have her lunch of purees about an hour afterwards (3:30'ish) . She will then nurse again about an hour later before her second nap for the day. That nap usually lasts about an hour (4:30 - 5:30 p.m.). I then wait a bit to nurse her until closer to 6:30 (so that it has been at least two hours since the last feeding) and then I "top her off" before she goes to bed for the night around 7:30/8:00 p.m. (depending on whether F has her - she gets home at 7:45 p.m. on those two weeknights).
So - I am still a full-time dairy cow, 24/7. My goodness. I love nursing her, I am so glad that she has been exclusively breastfed. I know it is what is best for her. I just need to remind myself of that in the wee hours of the morning ;) But how can I deny her? She is a smart cookie: she knows what she wants and what she needs. The one night I attempted to 'talk her out of" a midnight feeding, it nearly broke my heart. The next day, she woke up with her first tooth and I felt awful that she may have been uncomfortable and looking to soothe herself. So she showed me - never again!
Speaking of which, I hear a lil babbling from the foodie right now...off I go to offer up my milk one more time. Nurse on, mommas! We got this! :)
Love,
Momeo and Juliette
XOXO
Showing posts with label co-sleeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label co-sleeping. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Our "Best" Day and a Crying Baby
Today is Sunday. Ahhh... it has become my favorite day for so many reasons. Mainly, the obvious ones. But now that I have Juliette to share it with, there are even more reasons. We had a "family fun" day at a winery today. Typically, Sunday is a day that I shop and cook and everyone comes over for dinner. In the summer, we do a lot of bbq/grill/outdoor eating. All winter, I pretty much pretend I am Italian (which I am not - I've traced my family back as far as possible searching for that "1% Italian" part - not there) and make everything and anything with "gravy" that I can. But today was kind of in between day: it's not yet fall but summer has clearly departed. So the winery it was and SUCH a good choice. The weather was perfect and so was the afternoon.
Well, except for the "crying baby." I heard her long before I saw her. She was doing a desperate cry for a long period of time. Finally, I saw a dad carrying her like a football and walking her down the rows of grapes (I think this was to muffle her cries from everyone else at the vineyard). When he emerged with her fifteen minutes later - STILL CRYING - and still wearing a wool hat in about 75 degree weather - I went over and said hello. I learned the baby was 5 months old and her name was McKayla (a pretty name, but not Juliette). I said to the baby, "I bet you want your momma." Dad informed me that they had separated and today was "his day" with the baby. It was then that my heart broke. This baby was clearly unhappy and uncomfortable and she was literally looking around hoping to see momma any second and she wasn't even there. I asked to hold her and he handed her right over. She stopped crying for a few moments when I was talking to her but then I think she realized that even though I was acknowledging that she was a tiny human and NOT a football, I was still not "mom." I asked if he had a stroller for the baby to put her to sleep and his answer was, "No, she took everything from me." Grrrr. He thought I would feel badly for him, I suppose, but of course I did not in the least bit. Maybe this is clearly biased and judgmental but here were a few of my thoughts:
- Why, why, why are you taking a 5 month old child away from her mother for so long? He clearly was not there for only an hour or so.
- If you had your sister's engagement party at a winery, don't you think you'd rather the baby be with mom so you can attend the party and not walk halfway down a mile-long row of grapes to muffle your babies cries instead?
- If you HAD thought it was a good idea, why are you NOW realizing that it was NOT and calling mom to come get the baby?
- And if mom "took everything" from you but you still want to have time with your baby, why don't YOU go get a stroller? or anything else the baby may need?
Grrr. (Did I already growl?) It sort of ruined my mood for the next hour or so. Now, granted, I don't know their story, but I pictured a new mom at home somewhere, worried sick, picturing her baby exactly the way she was in reality, but hoping against hope that she was really fine. Well she wasn't. And it was so unfair to that poor little baby. She was crying every single time I saw her for the next three hours or so. Heartbreaking.
I try to be a fair, unbiased person. I truly try to see both sides of situations the best that I can; I believe that is how you learn. But I don't understand why a man cannot understand that a baby needs its mother. Period. Yes, the baby should be able to see dad and spend time with dad. Of course. But not at the baby's expense. I think that is so clear. So simple. So right. How is there another side? It upsets me greatly - I'm getting upset again now as I picture that little girl. So I need to move on.
MY little girl is now upstairs sleeping soundly in my bed (we co-sleep which I am sure I will talk about more in the future). She adored today because she adores being outdoors. Don't know where she came from - I hate nature. But as long as she is outside, she needs no entertainment - she will stare at trees, play with grass, look into the sky, all for hours at a time. She is precious (if I do say so myself).
Tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment where she will get more shots. I hate it. Hate it. She's a tough cookie but she still cries and it kills me every time. Then (drum roll please....) I am meeting F for a drink to "talk about things." We have our next court date on the 25th and he suggested that we speak before then. I am hoping it is because he is willing to stop fighting with me over every little thing (15 minutes here, an hour there overnights, etc...) Hoping. But I am scared because I don't want my hopes up. So we shall see what happens. Until then, I am going to watch one show on my overloaded DVR, go snuggle with my baby girl, and get some serious work done tomorrow! Can I do it? I think I can, I think I can...
A happy Sunday to all,
Momeo and Juliette
XOXO
Well, except for the "crying baby." I heard her long before I saw her. She was doing a desperate cry for a long period of time. Finally, I saw a dad carrying her like a football and walking her down the rows of grapes (I think this was to muffle her cries from everyone else at the vineyard). When he emerged with her fifteen minutes later - STILL CRYING - and still wearing a wool hat in about 75 degree weather - I went over and said hello. I learned the baby was 5 months old and her name was McKayla (a pretty name, but not Juliette). I said to the baby, "I bet you want your momma." Dad informed me that they had separated and today was "his day" with the baby. It was then that my heart broke. This baby was clearly unhappy and uncomfortable and she was literally looking around hoping to see momma any second and she wasn't even there. I asked to hold her and he handed her right over. She stopped crying for a few moments when I was talking to her but then I think she realized that even though I was acknowledging that she was a tiny human and NOT a football, I was still not "mom." I asked if he had a stroller for the baby to put her to sleep and his answer was, "No, she took everything from me." Grrrr. He thought I would feel badly for him, I suppose, but of course I did not in the least bit. Maybe this is clearly biased and judgmental but here were a few of my thoughts:
- Why, why, why are you taking a 5 month old child away from her mother for so long? He clearly was not there for only an hour or so.
- If you had your sister's engagement party at a winery, don't you think you'd rather the baby be with mom so you can attend the party and not walk halfway down a mile-long row of grapes to muffle your babies cries instead?
- If you HAD thought it was a good idea, why are you NOW realizing that it was NOT and calling mom to come get the baby?
- And if mom "took everything" from you but you still want to have time with your baby, why don't YOU go get a stroller? or anything else the baby may need?
Grrr. (Did I already growl?) It sort of ruined my mood for the next hour or so. Now, granted, I don't know their story, but I pictured a new mom at home somewhere, worried sick, picturing her baby exactly the way she was in reality, but hoping against hope that she was really fine. Well she wasn't. And it was so unfair to that poor little baby. She was crying every single time I saw her for the next three hours or so. Heartbreaking.
I try to be a fair, unbiased person. I truly try to see both sides of situations the best that I can; I believe that is how you learn. But I don't understand why a man cannot understand that a baby needs its mother. Period. Yes, the baby should be able to see dad and spend time with dad. Of course. But not at the baby's expense. I think that is so clear. So simple. So right. How is there another side? It upsets me greatly - I'm getting upset again now as I picture that little girl. So I need to move on.
MY little girl is now upstairs sleeping soundly in my bed (we co-sleep which I am sure I will talk about more in the future). She adored today because she adores being outdoors. Don't know where she came from - I hate nature. But as long as she is outside, she needs no entertainment - she will stare at trees, play with grass, look into the sky, all for hours at a time. She is precious (if I do say so myself).
Tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment where she will get more shots. I hate it. Hate it. She's a tough cookie but she still cries and it kills me every time. Then (drum roll please....) I am meeting F for a drink to "talk about things." We have our next court date on the 25th and he suggested that we speak before then. I am hoping it is because he is willing to stop fighting with me over every little thing (15 minutes here, an hour there overnights, etc...) Hoping. But I am scared because I don't want my hopes up. So we shall see what happens. Until then, I am going to watch one show on my overloaded DVR, go snuggle with my baby girl, and get some serious work done tomorrow! Can I do it? I think I can, I think I can...
A happy Sunday to all,
Momeo and Juliette
XOXO
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