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
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Clock watching
I hate this part of the morning. The part where I have to wait to eat and I'm really hungry. I have to take my thyroid medication on an empty stomach and then wait an hour to eat after I take it. I can have water, but that's it. I also have to wait 4 hours to take anything else like multivitamins and Tylenol. Even though I've been on this medication for 4 years now, I still hate this part.
What will happen if I do eat before the hour is up? I imagine that the medication won't work as well and I'll end up feeling like my veins are filled with cement instead of blood. Therefore, the most I'll risk is 10 minutes. I admit, sometimes I just can't wait the full hour and I'll eat food 50 minutes after taking the medication.
The clock is getting close to the magic hour so I'm going to go make some coffee and pour myself a bowl of cereal.
What will happen if I do eat before the hour is up? I imagine that the medication won't work as well and I'll end up feeling like my veins are filled with cement instead of blood. Therefore, the most I'll risk is 10 minutes. I admit, sometimes I just can't wait the full hour and I'll eat food 50 minutes after taking the medication.
The clock is getting close to the magic hour so I'm going to go make some coffee and pour myself a bowl of cereal.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Applesauce
Who knew it was so easy to make? Not me until I made it today for Malcolm. He likes it, but makes funny faces when he eats it. I'm assuming it's a reaction to the tartness.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Co-sleeper update
Monday night, I put Malcolm to bed in his co-sleeper. He proceeded to wake up every half hour. The last time he woke up before I went to bed, Tony went up to settle him. Unfortunately, he's still having difficulty putting him back down and getting him to stay asleep. So, when I went to bed, Mal was put in the bed with me.
Tuesday night, I put Mal to bed in the co-sleeper again. This time, he only woke up once before I headed to bed. The next time he woke up, I was already in bed. I picked him up to settle him, but could not figure out how to put him back down in his co-sleeper while I was sitting on the bed and holding him while sitting up in bed was KILLING my back. So I put him down in bed with me again.
Tonight, he's in his co-sleeper again and I guess that I'll have to get out of bed when I put him back down. We'll see how long I can keep him out of our bed since, in all honesty, he's there because it's easiest for me.
Before this week, I'd settle him by nursing him. I've stopped that and he didn't seem to even notice which is a surprise to me. We're making progress and it's been at the right pace for all of us.
Tuesday night, I put Mal to bed in the co-sleeper again. This time, he only woke up once before I headed to bed. The next time he woke up, I was already in bed. I picked him up to settle him, but could not figure out how to put him back down in his co-sleeper while I was sitting on the bed and holding him while sitting up in bed was KILLING my back. So I put him down in bed with me again.
Tonight, he's in his co-sleeper again and I guess that I'll have to get out of bed when I put him back down. We'll see how long I can keep him out of our bed since, in all honesty, he's there because it's easiest for me.
Before this week, I'd settle him by nursing him. I've stopped that and he didn't seem to even notice which is a surprise to me. We're making progress and it's been at the right pace for all of us.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
So...
Last Wednesday, I put Malcolm down in his co-sleeper when I put him to bed. That night, he woke up every 1.5 hours. That was an exhausting night. The next night, 2 of his diapers leaked for some unknown reason which meant he woke up twice crying to get into some dry clothes. The second time was around 1:30 AM. He didn't go back to sleep until around 3:30 / 4 AM. For some reason, Tony wanted to stay up with him even though he had to get up for work in the morning. We were both pretty exhausted on Friday. Fortunately, we haven't had any more incidences since then.
Friday night, Chris, Allison, Natalie and Cory came over to hang out. Yay, friend time! Chris brought over his PlayStation 2 to give to us along with Guitar Hero II and Rock of the 80's :D This is a fun thing since my computer's video card is too slow to run the Guitar Hero III game I bought and I can't upgrade since I have a laptop.
Thursday night, Amanda came over to babysit so Tony and I could go out on our first date since Mal was born. Since the restaurant we wanted to go to was only serving a fixed menu since it was Valentine's Day and it was not vegetarian friendly, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant. Mmmm! I love Ethiopian food.
Introducing table foods to Mal has been fun. He now eats banana, oatmeal, avocado and yams. The process is slow at first since you can only introduce a new food every 4 days. I think I may introduce rice cereal next so he has some variety in his cereals. I'm a little concerned about making it, though. I don't have a food processor so I puree all of his food with a blender and I'm not sure if my blender can handle uncooked rice. It was suggested that I use a coffee grinder, but I fear coffee residue getting into his food. I know I could just buy commercial rice cereal, but it's incredibly processed and it's so much more expensive than making it myself. What to do, what to do...
Friday night, Chris, Allison, Natalie and Cory came over to hang out. Yay, friend time! Chris brought over his PlayStation 2 to give to us along with Guitar Hero II and Rock of the 80's :D This is a fun thing since my computer's video card is too slow to run the Guitar Hero III game I bought and I can't upgrade since I have a laptop.
Thursday night, Amanda came over to babysit so Tony and I could go out on our first date since Mal was born. Since the restaurant we wanted to go to was only serving a fixed menu since it was Valentine's Day and it was not vegetarian friendly, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant. Mmmm! I love Ethiopian food.
Introducing table foods to Mal has been fun. He now eats banana, oatmeal, avocado and yams. The process is slow at first since you can only introduce a new food every 4 days. I think I may introduce rice cereal next so he has some variety in his cereals. I'm a little concerned about making it, though. I don't have a food processor so I puree all of his food with a blender and I'm not sure if my blender can handle uncooked rice. It was suggested that I use a coffee grinder, but I fear coffee residue getting into his food. I know I could just buy commercial rice cereal, but it's incredibly processed and it's so much more expensive than making it myself. What to do, what to do...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Eleventh Goal
The 11th goal: instilling better sleep routines with Malcolm. This has been the goal that I've been focusing on the most and have been experiencing moderate success. First part = putting Malcolm down for his naps in his playpen instead of his swing or rocker. I gave away the swing to take away that crutch and am able to put him down in his playpen about half the time. The thing is, he has to be completely asleep before I can put him down on a flat surface to where he won't wake up but can put him in his rocker as he's falling asleep. Sometimes, it's hard to tell when he's completely asleep. I feel good about getting him accustom to sleeping in his playpen.
We've been experimenting with the nighttime routine and have recently come to the conclusion that he sleeps much better when he has an evening bath. When I don't give him a bath, he is more likely to wake up about an hour after we put him to bed and not go back to sleep for 2-3 more hours.
Since he was born, we've been following Dr. Sears' theories on sleep. It's what has seemed natural to us from the start. Mal's not the perfect sleeper, but it's unreasonable for us to expect him to be. Honestly, we don't have a problem with his sleep habits; I just worry that he doesn't get enough sleep at night when he stays up until 10:30/11 pm at night. One of the babies in our PEPS group was waking up every two hours pretty much every night. If Mal was doing that, then we'd have a problem. We're still going to see if he'll take to the co-sleeper to see if he's ready to sleep on his own at night. If not, it's no big deal.
We've been experimenting with the nighttime routine and have recently come to the conclusion that he sleeps much better when he has an evening bath. When I don't give him a bath, he is more likely to wake up about an hour after we put him to bed and not go back to sleep for 2-3 more hours.
Since he was born, we've been following Dr. Sears' theories on sleep. It's what has seemed natural to us from the start. Mal's not the perfect sleeper, but it's unreasonable for us to expect him to be. Honestly, we don't have a problem with his sleep habits; I just worry that he doesn't get enough sleep at night when he stays up until 10:30/11 pm at night. One of the babies in our PEPS group was waking up every two hours pretty much every night. If Mal was doing that, then we'd have a problem. We're still going to see if he'll take to the co-sleeper to see if he's ready to sleep on his own at night. If not, it's no big deal.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Friday, February 08, 2008
6-month letter
My adorable Mal,
You turned half a year old yesterday - how exciting! We've spent a lot of this month holed up inside due to the cold, rainy weather. When the sun does come out, we go for walks around the neighborhood. Even though I bundle you up lots, you still seem to get cold.
We were introduced to your second illness this month: the stomach virus. I think we can all agree that it was no fun at all. Both me and your Daddy were so happy that you recovered quickly.
Your Granpa and Nana came for a visit - you loved the extra attention and never wanted to take your naps. You were pretty fascinated by the funny noises that Granpa makes. He invented lots of them when your Mom was growing up because they made me and your Aunt Jenn giggle a lot.
This past Wednesday, we went to the pediatrician's office for your well-baby visit and he gave the thumbs-up with your development. You are currently 13 pounds, 6.4 ounces and 25 3/4 inches tall. Your vocabulary is continuing to expand and you love sitting up even though you still need a little help. Table food is our newest adventure and so far you seem to really enjoy it which makes my job much easier.
Me and Daddy fall in love with you more and more each second; sometimes it feels like our hearts will burst!
Love,
Mommy
You turned half a year old yesterday - how exciting! We've spent a lot of this month holed up inside due to the cold, rainy weather. When the sun does come out, we go for walks around the neighborhood. Even though I bundle you up lots, you still seem to get cold.
We were introduced to your second illness this month: the stomach virus. I think we can all agree that it was no fun at all. Both me and your Daddy were so happy that you recovered quickly.
Your Granpa and Nana came for a visit - you loved the extra attention and never wanted to take your naps. You were pretty fascinated by the funny noises that Granpa makes. He invented lots of them when your Mom was growing up because they made me and your Aunt Jenn giggle a lot.
This past Wednesday, we went to the pediatrician's office for your well-baby visit and he gave the thumbs-up with your development. You are currently 13 pounds, 6.4 ounces and 25 3/4 inches tall. Your vocabulary is continuing to expand and you love sitting up even though you still need a little help. Table food is our newest adventure and so far you seem to really enjoy it which makes my job much easier.
Me and Daddy fall in love with you more and more each second; sometimes it feels like our hearts will burst!
Love,
Mommy
Monday, February 04, 2008
Malcolm's first food
The little guy turns 6 months old this week so we've started him on table food yesterday. I pureed banana with a bit of formula and he loved it. I made it a bit too liquid, so today I used half the amount of formula. And, of course, it's a big mess.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A Visit from the Tummy Bug
Baby tummies sure are cute and bugs are pretty neat, but Tummy Bugs are no fun at all.
After a very nice visit with Dad & Carolyn, Malcolm got right back to his nap & sleep schedule. Things were looking good. On Monday night, Mal was acting tired earlier than usual so we put him to bed about an hour before his usual bedtime. When he woke up about 45 minutes later, he wouldn't go back to sleep (this is a common occurrence that we're trying to resolve). I brought him back downstairs for Tony to walk him around in hopes of getting him back to sleep. Around 10 PM, Mal threw up all over himself and Tony. He then proceeded to throw up then dry heave every 30 to 45 minutes until 4:30 AM. It was a looooong night.
I call the pediatrician's office Tuesday morning to see what I should do. I was giving him Pedialyte every 15 minutes and the nurse told me to start feeding him small amounts if he was able to keep the clear liquid down for two hours. I started feeding him and things were looking good. He was starting to act like himself again. I thought we cleared the woods until he threw up again around 1 PM. Fortunately, he didn't continue to throw up. So I did the clear liquid for 2 hours and then started feeding him again. When I tried feeding him at 5:30, he was not interested and I knew we were in trouble again. Tony got home around 6 PM and gathered poor Mal into his arms. Guess what happened next...Mal threw up again all over himself and Tony. Ugh.
We waited several more hours this time to feed him again. We had a really hard time getting him to bed because he was pretty hungry. I fed him small amounts throughout the night and he was able to keep it down. When he woke up at 7 this morning, I probably nursed him longer than I should have in hopes of helping him get back to sleep. When he didn't fall back asleep, we got out of bed and came downstairs where he then threw up again. However, it was a lot less this time.
The tummy bug is no fun. There is lots of crying involved. He's either whimpering because he doesn't feel well or crying because he's hungry. Taking care of a sick babe is definitely one of the more difficult parts of parenting. When he whimpers, I hear him saying, "Mommy, why aren't you fixing the way I feel?" When your little ones are sick, all you can do is comfort them until it passes while it breaks your heart a little that you can't magically make them feel better right away.
After a very nice visit with Dad & Carolyn, Malcolm got right back to his nap & sleep schedule. Things were looking good. On Monday night, Mal was acting tired earlier than usual so we put him to bed about an hour before his usual bedtime. When he woke up about 45 minutes later, he wouldn't go back to sleep (this is a common occurrence that we're trying to resolve). I brought him back downstairs for Tony to walk him around in hopes of getting him back to sleep. Around 10 PM, Mal threw up all over himself and Tony. He then proceeded to throw up then dry heave every 30 to 45 minutes until 4:30 AM. It was a looooong night.
I call the pediatrician's office Tuesday morning to see what I should do. I was giving him Pedialyte every 15 minutes and the nurse told me to start feeding him small amounts if he was able to keep the clear liquid down for two hours. I started feeding him and things were looking good. He was starting to act like himself again. I thought we cleared the woods until he threw up again around 1 PM. Fortunately, he didn't continue to throw up. So I did the clear liquid for 2 hours and then started feeding him again. When I tried feeding him at 5:30, he was not interested and I knew we were in trouble again. Tony got home around 6 PM and gathered poor Mal into his arms. Guess what happened next...Mal threw up again all over himself and Tony. Ugh.
We waited several more hours this time to feed him again. We had a really hard time getting him to bed because he was pretty hungry. I fed him small amounts throughout the night and he was able to keep it down. When he woke up at 7 this morning, I probably nursed him longer than I should have in hopes of helping him get back to sleep. When he didn't fall back asleep, we got out of bed and came downstairs where he then threw up again. However, it was a lot less this time.
The tummy bug is no fun. There is lots of crying involved. He's either whimpering because he doesn't feel well or crying because he's hungry. Taking care of a sick babe is definitely one of the more difficult parts of parenting. When he whimpers, I hear him saying, "Mommy, why aren't you fixing the way I feel?" When your little ones are sick, all you can do is comfort them until it passes while it breaks your heart a little that you can't magically make them feel better right away.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Recipes
When I cook, I often use recipes more as guides rather than following them exactly except for the first time I make it. For the quiches, I use this recipe. Instead of a 9x9 pan, I use a pie dish. I've used fingerling potatoes, yellow potatoes, red potatoes and russet potatoes. Our favorite is the fingerling and least favorite is russet. I added the caramelized onions because it's good and I use whatever greens strike my fancy. It's definitely the best with fresh herb goat cheese from the farmer's market, but will use plain goat cheese crumble often because it's a third of the cost.
The basics of fried rice are similar in every fried rice recipe. I add in the vegetables that I have in the fridge and always use long grain brown rice because that is what we keep in the pantry and I always spice it to taste. I use VegWeb a lot for ideas and recipe basics. The recipes are all vegan, but I often use real eggs and real cheese when the recipes call for the substitutes.
The basics of fried rice are similar in every fried rice recipe. I add in the vegetables that I have in the fridge and always use long grain brown rice because that is what we keep in the pantry and I always spice it to taste. I use VegWeb a lot for ideas and recipe basics. The recipes are all vegan, but I often use real eggs and real cheese when the recipes call for the substitutes.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Goal update
I know this goal stuff doesn't make for the most interesting reading and for that I do apologize. I'm writing these out for myself because if I do not keep track of my progress, I will likely forget about them.
I cooked some good food this week. Mmmmm. I made a delish quiche with caramelized onions, garlic, kale and goat cheese. I also made fried rice with snow peas, broccoli, yellow onion, garlic, pineapple, marinated tofu and green onions. When you make fried rice at home, it's so easy to keep it good and healthy.
My eleventh goal this year is to transition Mal from his current sleeping places into his crib. When he naps, he sleeps in his swing and at night, he sleeps in our bed next to me. Before Mal was born, we intended to have him sleep in a co-sleeper that is attached to the bed thinking that there wouldn't be enough room in the bed for all 3 of us. Once he was born, we found it no problem for him to fit in the bed with us. The family bed has worked out great so far, but now he's at an age where he could be sleeping for longer periods during the night and this is not happening. It's possible that he could sleep longer when he's in his own bed. Transitioning him to his own bed is going to take some work and some loss of sleep. I've started working on transitioning from his swing to his playpen or crib for his naps. The first step has been successful so far - I stopped turning on the swing so he gets used to sleeping in a still place. Unfortunately, when I put him in his playpen when he's pretty much asleep, his eyes pop wide open and I have a difficult time getting him back to sleep.
We'll be trying the methods mapped out in The No Cry Sleep Solution and The Baby Whisperer. The other parents in our new parents group are going through the same thing right now. We are often discussing sleep issues in our weekly meetings. Who would have thought that teaching a little one how to sleep could be so complicated!
I cooked some good food this week. Mmmmm. I made a delish quiche with caramelized onions, garlic, kale and goat cheese. I also made fried rice with snow peas, broccoli, yellow onion, garlic, pineapple, marinated tofu and green onions. When you make fried rice at home, it's so easy to keep it good and healthy.
My eleventh goal this year is to transition Mal from his current sleeping places into his crib. When he naps, he sleeps in his swing and at night, he sleeps in our bed next to me. Before Mal was born, we intended to have him sleep in a co-sleeper that is attached to the bed thinking that there wouldn't be enough room in the bed for all 3 of us. Once he was born, we found it no problem for him to fit in the bed with us. The family bed has worked out great so far, but now he's at an age where he could be sleeping for longer periods during the night and this is not happening. It's possible that he could sleep longer when he's in his own bed. Transitioning him to his own bed is going to take some work and some loss of sleep. I've started working on transitioning from his swing to his playpen or crib for his naps. The first step has been successful so far - I stopped turning on the swing so he gets used to sleeping in a still place. Unfortunately, when I put him in his playpen when he's pretty much asleep, his eyes pop wide open and I have a difficult time getting him back to sleep.
We'll be trying the methods mapped out in The No Cry Sleep Solution and The Baby Whisperer. The other parents in our new parents group are going through the same thing right now. We are often discussing sleep issues in our weekly meetings. Who would have thought that teaching a little one how to sleep could be so complicated!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Baby steps
No, Mal's not walking yet. He's not even close to crawling. I'm referring to myself taking baby steps when trying to meet my goals. It seems that it's all that I have time for.
Speaking of time, the little guy decided to wake up at 4:30 AM this morning. I tried getting him back to sleep for 45 minutes, but finally gave up and got up. I brought him downstairs to play in his playpen while I laid down. I moved him to his swing around 6:30 and he fell right to sleep. I sure do hope he doesn't outgrow the swing anytime soon!
My sciatica has been flaring up these past few days. This displeases me greatly since I no longer have the insurance coverage for chiro/acupuncture/massage. The other thing that really helps the sciatic pain? Exercise.
This is so stereotypical but I suppose it's a must. Another goal for 2008:
- Exercise regularly
My goals so far:
1. organize the garage
2. organize the office
3. give away the stuff we hold on to and never use
4. move around more (yoga, exercise, whatever!)
5. read more child development & discipline books
6. make a house cleaning schedule
7. start a new hobby
8. get back into cooking good food regularly
9. take more quality pictures
10. exercise regularly
I've done a little bit of the organizing of the garage and office, but still have lots to do (baby steps). I've given away one item and set aside some clothes to take down to Goodwill this week. The cooking part is hard because it really depends on Malcolm :) I've been taking some cute pictures but my camera battery died and I haven't gotten around to recharging it.
Speaking of time, the little guy decided to wake up at 4:30 AM this morning. I tried getting him back to sleep for 45 minutes, but finally gave up and got up. I brought him downstairs to play in his playpen while I laid down. I moved him to his swing around 6:30 and he fell right to sleep. I sure do hope he doesn't outgrow the swing anytime soon!
My sciatica has been flaring up these past few days. This displeases me greatly since I no longer have the insurance coverage for chiro/acupuncture/massage. The other thing that really helps the sciatic pain? Exercise.
This is so stereotypical but I suppose it's a must. Another goal for 2008:
- Exercise regularly
My goals so far:
1. organize the garage
2. organize the office
3. give away the stuff we hold on to and never use
4. move around more (yoga, exercise, whatever!)
5. read more child development & discipline books
6. make a house cleaning schedule
7. start a new hobby
8. get back into cooking good food regularly
9. take more quality pictures
10. exercise regularly
I've done a little bit of the organizing of the garage and office, but still have lots to do (baby steps). I've given away one item and set aside some clothes to take down to Goodwill this week. The cooking part is hard because it really depends on Malcolm :) I've been taking some cute pictures but my camera battery died and I haven't gotten around to recharging it.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
5-month letter
Sweet Malcolm,
It sure has been an exciting month! You took your first plane trip to Utah to visit family and you did so great on the plane. You charmed everyone in the family and confused the little ones but only because they would mix you up with your cousin, Collin. You and Collin didn't wrestle like I predicted but he did try rolling on to you every time we put you two on the floor together. Everyone joked that he wanted to eat you.
You loved all of the new faces and getting so much attention. On Christmas day, we found out that you will have 3 new cousins next year, so get the 'new baby' attention while you can!
Things have been a bit out of whack since returning to Utah. Mommy caught a cold on the plane and has been keeping you up with her coughing. Also, we kept you up late a few nights with holiday celebration which made you very grumpy. Now you have a cold and are having a hard time breathing out of your nose. I keep demonstrating to you how to blow the snot out of your nose, but you just can't seem to get the hang of it. When it gets really bad, I use a bulb suction thing to get the snot out for you which you HATE but you then appreciate the results.
You have gotten so strong this month - everyone who holds you takes notice. You are standing up while just holding on to Mommy's fingers and you've been practicing sitting up on your own. You have actually started to play with toys while laying on your tummy which is such a huge improvement from just a couple of months ago. You are still a squeaker and a fist-eater but now you've added in rolling your tongue around in your mouth. Sometimes, you do all 3 at the same time which amuses your parents greatly.
Have I mentioned how adorable you are lately? Do you need proof?
You are doing a great job growing, kid. Keep up the good work!
Love,
Mommy
It sure has been an exciting month! You took your first plane trip to Utah to visit family and you did so great on the plane. You charmed everyone in the family and confused the little ones but only because they would mix you up with your cousin, Collin. You and Collin didn't wrestle like I predicted but he did try rolling on to you every time we put you two on the floor together. Everyone joked that he wanted to eat you.
You loved all of the new faces and getting so much attention. On Christmas day, we found out that you will have 3 new cousins next year, so get the 'new baby' attention while you can!
Things have been a bit out of whack since returning to Utah. Mommy caught a cold on the plane and has been keeping you up with her coughing. Also, we kept you up late a few nights with holiday celebration which made you very grumpy. Now you have a cold and are having a hard time breathing out of your nose. I keep demonstrating to you how to blow the snot out of your nose, but you just can't seem to get the hang of it. When it gets really bad, I use a bulb suction thing to get the snot out for you which you HATE but you then appreciate the results.
You have gotten so strong this month - everyone who holds you takes notice. You are standing up while just holding on to Mommy's fingers and you've been practicing sitting up on your own. You have actually started to play with toys while laying on your tummy which is such a huge improvement from just a couple of months ago. You are still a squeaker and a fist-eater but now you've added in rolling your tongue around in your mouth. Sometimes, you do all 3 at the same time which amuses your parents greatly.
Have I mentioned how adorable you are lately? Do you need proof?
You are doing a great job growing, kid. Keep up the good work!
Love,
Mommy
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