Thursday night: up every two hours and then up for the day around 6 AM. Ugh. Yes, I was sleep deprived yesterday.
Friday night: we met up with a few of the other PEPS families at a kid-friendly bar in Madrona (what? yes - you heard me right) for dinner and beer. They have toys and a play area in the place along with a wall of sippy cups behind the bar. Since we got home shortly before 8, I skipped giving Malcolm a bath. He didn't go to bed until 10 PM. The boy is set in his routine! He woke up around 10:45 and we were able to get him back to sleep pretty quickly. He woke up around 2:30 and then around 6. I brought him to bed with me at 6 because I wanted to avoid a repeat of Friday morning and it worked. He didn't wake up for the day until around 8:30.
Tonight is a dinner party at Chris' house so it will be another night out of his routine. I'm looking forward to hanging out with our friends - both Tony and I miss them a lot. I'm hoping that the little guy will fall asleep around his normal time (8pm) and that he'll sleep happily in his car seat until we get home.
I finally got around to filing our taxes and we actually get a refund this year which is nice. We're going to use a bit of it as 'fun money' but the majority of it is going into our savings account to replace the $$ we took out while Tony was out of work. The money that we'll be receiving in May from the government will be going back into the economy. We're going to do as this administration wishes and buy stuff with it. There is a long list of things for the house that we'd like including proper window treatments. We've been in this house for almost a year and a half and still have the temporary window treatments up on many of the windows. I hate it! It's going to be so nice to have quality window treatments; it's really going to help finish off the look of many of the rooms.
My book is calling out to me - I have to take advantage of Mal's naptime while I can!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Transition
After another episode of being awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night, we came to the conclusion that Malcolm may be ready to move out of the family bed and into his crib. I tried having him in his co-sleeper, but he never liked it. The sleep deprivation has been wearing on all of us and I just couldn't let it continue without trying something new.
So, last night, I put him to bed in his crib. I made up the hide-away bed in his room so I could be close by. I put him to bed at 8, he woke up around 9 - 9:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep until around 10:30 (this isn't uncommon), he woke up again a bit before midnight and I was able to get him back to sleep within 15 minutes and then he woke up again around 4. A 4 hour stretch of sleep for him is pretty good - especially when he wasn't sleeping next to me! I tried putting him back down in his crib for the next hour but then gave up around 5 and brought him to bed with me. It was during that time that I realized that I didn't dress him warm enough for sleeping by himself. We then slept until 8. The night went much better than expected. I was sure he'd be waking more frequently, but he didn't. Let's see how things go from here!
When Mal started the new pattern of staying awake for a period of time in the middle of the night, Tony and I talked about the need to move him to his crib. We were resistant because we both really like the practice of bed sharing. But, we always said that we'd move him to his crib when he was ready. In all honesty, we didn't expect him to be ready before we were.
So, last night, I put him to bed in his crib. I made up the hide-away bed in his room so I could be close by. I put him to bed at 8, he woke up around 9 - 9:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep until around 10:30 (this isn't uncommon), he woke up again a bit before midnight and I was able to get him back to sleep within 15 minutes and then he woke up again around 4. A 4 hour stretch of sleep for him is pretty good - especially when he wasn't sleeping next to me! I tried putting him back down in his crib for the next hour but then gave up around 5 and brought him to bed with me. It was during that time that I realized that I didn't dress him warm enough for sleeping by himself. We then slept until 8. The night went much better than expected. I was sure he'd be waking more frequently, but he didn't. Let's see how things go from here!
When Mal started the new pattern of staying awake for a period of time in the middle of the night, Tony and I talked about the need to move him to his crib. We were resistant because we both really like the practice of bed sharing. But, we always said that we'd move him to his crib when he was ready. In all honesty, we didn't expect him to be ready before we were.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Remember When?
When he was a few days old, Tony took this picture of Malcolm:
Here he is, 7 months later:
Our little guy is growing up!
Here he is, 7 months later:
Our little guy is growing up!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Other Stuff
Malcolm started pulling my hair, so I got my hair cut:
I also had my 'permanent' earrings put back in because I always forgot to put in earrings. Plus, I only have one pair that Malcolm doesn't like to play with (play = pull). He hasn't tried to play with these yet, but it's only been a day. If he does, I'll be switching to posts.
I also had my 'permanent' earrings put back in because I always forgot to put in earrings. Plus, I only have one pair that Malcolm doesn't like to play with (play = pull). He hasn't tried to play with these yet, but it's only been a day. If he does, I'll be switching to posts.
Please Sleep Now
K? Thx. Bye.
Daylight Savings Time has not been kind to Malcolm's sleep schedule. He's been going to bed anywhere between 8pm and 12am. The past couple of nights, he's gone to bed between 8 and 9, but then will wake up sometime in the night and not go back to sleep for a couple of hours. This makes for a sleep deprived, very grumpy baby. I spend a good portion of my day attempting to help him get to sleep for a nap. In the past week or so, he's been resistant to naps. Who knows why!
Here's the typical day of this SAHM:
- We wake up between 7 and 8 AM and play in bed for a little while.
- We get up and and dress him.
- He then plays in his exersaucer while I get showered, dressed and make the bed.
- We head downstairs where he plays with toys on the floor while I make myself breakfast.
- If he didn't get a good night's sleep, I will then focus on trying to get him to nap. When he's tired, he wants to be held constantly.
- If he's not grumpy, I'll then make his breakfast.
- After he's eaten, he'll take his morning nap.
- Nap time = computer time for me. Nap time can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- When he wakes up, we play upstairs in his room. I will often do laundry at this time.
- Then he gets breakfast if he didn't eat before his nap.
- More play time!
- I make myself lunch.
- If he's showing signs of being tired, get him down for a nap. If he's not tired, it's lunch time and then nap.
- If he doesn't go down for an early afternoon nap (this is a new thing), we'll go for a long walk if the weather permits. He'll pretty much always nap this way. If it's raining or too cold, we'll run errands with the car instead. This will also promote a nap.
- Play!
- Make dinner.
- Tony gets home and spends a bit of time playing with Malcolm while I finish preparing dinner.
- We eat. Sometimes I'll feed Malcolm at this time if he doesn't eat lunch. This often doesn't work out - he doesn't eat very much in the evenings. I've read this is quite common with infants.
- Clean up dinner dishes while Tony & Malcolm play.
- Give Malcolm a bath and do bedtime ritual of bath, stories, quiet play, bottle. He used to fall right asleep after the bottle, but things have been wonky lately.
- Baby's in bed and Tony & I hang out, talk about our day, watch a movie/tv/play Guitar Hero.
The end.
Daylight Savings Time has not been kind to Malcolm's sleep schedule. He's been going to bed anywhere between 8pm and 12am. The past couple of nights, he's gone to bed between 8 and 9, but then will wake up sometime in the night and not go back to sleep for a couple of hours. This makes for a sleep deprived, very grumpy baby. I spend a good portion of my day attempting to help him get to sleep for a nap. In the past week or so, he's been resistant to naps. Who knows why!
Here's the typical day of this SAHM:
- We wake up between 7 and 8 AM and play in bed for a little while.
- We get up and and dress him.
- He then plays in his exersaucer while I get showered, dressed and make the bed.
- We head downstairs where he plays with toys on the floor while I make myself breakfast.
- If he didn't get a good night's sleep, I will then focus on trying to get him to nap. When he's tired, he wants to be held constantly.
- If he's not grumpy, I'll then make his breakfast.
- After he's eaten, he'll take his morning nap.
- Nap time = computer time for me. Nap time can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- When he wakes up, we play upstairs in his room. I will often do laundry at this time.
- Then he gets breakfast if he didn't eat before his nap.
- More play time!
- I make myself lunch.
- If he's showing signs of being tired, get him down for a nap. If he's not tired, it's lunch time and then nap.
- If he doesn't go down for an early afternoon nap (this is a new thing), we'll go for a long walk if the weather permits. He'll pretty much always nap this way. If it's raining or too cold, we'll run errands with the car instead. This will also promote a nap.
- Play!
- Make dinner.
- Tony gets home and spends a bit of time playing with Malcolm while I finish preparing dinner.
- We eat. Sometimes I'll feed Malcolm at this time if he doesn't eat lunch. This often doesn't work out - he doesn't eat very much in the evenings. I've read this is quite common with infants.
- Clean up dinner dishes while Tony & Malcolm play.
- Give Malcolm a bath and do bedtime ritual of bath, stories, quiet play, bottle. He used to fall right asleep after the bottle, but things have been wonky lately.
- Baby's in bed and Tony & I hang out, talk about our day, watch a movie/tv/play Guitar Hero.
The end.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
7-month letter
Hey squeaker!
What a fun month this has been. You remember what has made it so fun? You now eat table foods every day AND you are sitting up like a pro. You have really taken to eating everything I feed you with a spoon. Sometimes, though, if I try to feed you when you are tired, you cry the whole time. It seems that eating is torture when you want to take a nap. You also tend to be much messier when you are sleepy.
Now that you are able to sit up, it's all you want to do. Before a few weeks ago, I could put you in your bouncy seat while I took a shower but now you contort your little body so the half of you that isn't strapped in is falling out. How unfortunate for me.
It's a good thing that you love hanging out in your exersaucer. It may be a pain to carry around the house (makes me wish we had two), but it allows me a bit of time to shower, cook, use the toilet, etc.
Your favorite things this month: making a clicking noise with your tongue, saying 'dadadada', bouncing in your exersaucer, the kitties, bananas, holding onto my fingers and pulling yourself up to a standing position, playing catch with your Daddy, the remote controls and getting tickled.
Your least favorite thing is when you are sitting and you fall over. The falling over part isn't the bad part. You haven't figured out how to get yourself into a sitting position yet and it frustrates you to no end. You also don't like spinach very much, but you'll still eat it.
Since you've been learning new things, your sleeping habits have been off. The change to daylight savings time hasn't helped one bit. Me and your Dad try to explain to you that you like to sleep a lot and you are much happier when you do, but you don't want to seem to listen. I've started doing interpretive dances to explain things to you and you seem to respond to it, even if it is with lots of laughing.
Love,
Mommy
What a fun month this has been. You remember what has made it so fun? You now eat table foods every day AND you are sitting up like a pro. You have really taken to eating everything I feed you with a spoon. Sometimes, though, if I try to feed you when you are tired, you cry the whole time. It seems that eating is torture when you want to take a nap. You also tend to be much messier when you are sleepy.
Now that you are able to sit up, it's all you want to do. Before a few weeks ago, I could put you in your bouncy seat while I took a shower but now you contort your little body so the half of you that isn't strapped in is falling out. How unfortunate for me.
It's a good thing that you love hanging out in your exersaucer. It may be a pain to carry around the house (makes me wish we had two), but it allows me a bit of time to shower, cook, use the toilet, etc.
Your favorite things this month: making a clicking noise with your tongue, saying 'dadadada', bouncing in your exersaucer, the kitties, bananas, holding onto my fingers and pulling yourself up to a standing position, playing catch with your Daddy, the remote controls and getting tickled.
Your least favorite thing is when you are sitting and you fall over. The falling over part isn't the bad part. You haven't figured out how to get yourself into a sitting position yet and it frustrates you to no end. You also don't like spinach very much, but you'll still eat it.
Since you've been learning new things, your sleeping habits have been off. The change to daylight savings time hasn't helped one bit. Me and your Dad try to explain to you that you like to sleep a lot and you are much happier when you do, but you don't want to seem to listen. I've started doing interpretive dances to explain things to you and you seem to respond to it, even if it is with lots of laughing.
Love,
Mommy
Friday, March 07, 2008
Dear Blog
I think about you often. I do, I swear! I think about how I should update progress (or lack thereof) on my goals, talk about the baby shower for Julie & Jeremiah, post some of the pictures and movies of Mal, share stories about the get-together of longtime internet friends that we threw on Wednesday...you know, the usual babble. But, when I think, "I should post something!", I get taken away from my computer.
Right now I'm thinking about how I should be composing a 7-month letter to Malcolm and how I need to take a picture of him today with his Ugly Dolls. He's taking a much-needed, very long nap right now but could wake up any moment. Plus, I just got done writing a long post at tonyloveskris.com because I've recently got the idea in my head that I should upkeep two blogs again. We'll see how that goes.
And now my brain is telling me that I should really be using this time to write down my very long to-do list. This means that my brain is telling me that writing this is a Waste of Time even though my heart tells me differently. Ha. Silly heart.
pictures
movies
Right now I'm thinking about how I should be composing a 7-month letter to Malcolm and how I need to take a picture of him today with his Ugly Dolls. He's taking a much-needed, very long nap right now but could wake up any moment. Plus, I just got done writing a long post at tonyloveskris.com because I've recently got the idea in my head that I should upkeep two blogs again. We'll see how that goes.
And now my brain is telling me that I should really be using this time to write down my very long to-do list. This means that my brain is telling me that writing this is a Waste of Time even though my heart tells me differently. Ha. Silly heart.
pictures
movies
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