Wow... I guess the year has been very busy... I haven't posted since January! Here's my list of reasons/excuses:
(1) At the beginning of January, Colin went on a five-month binge of waking up four times per night. We couldn't break him out of it... and we tried everything. Finally, around the end of May, he started sleeping better and only waking up once per night. Hurrah!
(2) I was starting up my own business.
(3) I was teaching baby sign for my friend's business while she was on maternity leave (http://www.keikiscorner.com).
(4) Did I mention that I was sleep-deprived?
On a good note, I *have* been working on my scrapbooking. :)
Colin is signing A LOT now. I had almost given up hope that he would sign... he understood sign but didn't sign himself. Now he's learning almost one sign per day. Today, it was "book"... two days before that, it was "bread"... the day before that, it was "water"... a few days before that, it was "cheese"... and the other day, he signed "more cheese" -- a two-word phrase. That's ahead of the curve!
But no, he's not walking yet. ;P
I've had fun chatting with my cousin Amy, who is expecting her first baby. We're going to see her and meet her husband - and see my aunt and uncle and other cousin - this weekend. Big trip! More later!
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Parenting a four-month-old
So it's been WAY TOO LONG since my last post. I've been busy learning how to be a parent... AND starting up work again.
As the three-month mark approached, and brought my start back to work with it, I began to worry. My mom would tell me, "What if [day care] lets him cry? What if they say, 'You're cute, but there's another baby over here crying, so you'll have to wait'?" My mother-in-law told me, "You should just stay home."
But I was committed to going back three days per week (down from five days).
But the time three months came along, I *really* wanted to work. I needed a break from the "Mommy Show". Women feel guilty admitting that, and other women may deride them for that, but it's true: staying home is the hardest job there is. Some people are cut out for it. I needed stimulation outside of the home and, realistically, a break from my son, no matter how cute and wonderful he was and how much gravity of responsibility for him I felt.
So I went back to work; my mother-in-law started coming on Mondays to watch the baby; my husband dropped him off at daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and I picked him up in the afternoons.
And though there is no such thing as "free time" any more, I feel that I'm a much more effective parent. I really enjoy my time away, and I really enjoy my time with him. I feel like I've got the best of both worlds. And yes, day care could actually end up being beneficial for the baby as well. I'm sure some would agree, and others would disagree. But it's a personal decision.
I still feel like I'm learning all of the time. For example, a couple of weeks ago, the baby started to be fussy and not sleep well. I noticed he had what looked like the start of ingrown nails on two fingers. He also had gas. And he had already developed eczema and his first cold. But the fussiness lingered. Sleep became a blessed event when it occured. I even took the baby to the doctor to find out what was wrong. Then, last Wednesday, I was home playing with him when I noticed that two of his fingers had green spots on them!! The same two that were red before. I just knew that meant infection. I took him to the doctor two hours later, they drained one area (no crying!), and put him on Keflex. Looking on the Internet the other night, it appears that he has the most common hand infection in the United States. It can be caused by staph or strep, and starts with a break in the skin (like from an ingrown nail!) and then nail biting or hand-sucking (like my little pre-teether was doing). BINGO!!!! Not to mention that once he had been on antibiotics for about 24 hours AND taking Tylenol, he started sleeping again.
I feel totally lame.
Well, hopefully the second one will not end up as psychologically scarred as the first, the one who dealt with the first-time parents!!!!
All in all, my life is even more wonderful than it ever has been... every day is an adventure, and truly interesting. And seeing that beautiful little face smiling at me, and patting his head as he nestles up against my chest... well, it's just the best.
Here's my little mijo at three months. Love that face!
As the three-month mark approached, and brought my start back to work with it, I began to worry. My mom would tell me, "What if [day care] lets him cry? What if they say, 'You're cute, but there's another baby over here crying, so you'll have to wait'?" My mother-in-law told me, "You should just stay home."
But I was committed to going back three days per week (down from five days).
But the time three months came along, I *really* wanted to work. I needed a break from the "Mommy Show". Women feel guilty admitting that, and other women may deride them for that, but it's true: staying home is the hardest job there is. Some people are cut out for it. I needed stimulation outside of the home and, realistically, a break from my son, no matter how cute and wonderful he was and how much gravity of responsibility for him I felt.
So I went back to work; my mother-in-law started coming on Mondays to watch the baby; my husband dropped him off at daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and I picked him up in the afternoons.
And though there is no such thing as "free time" any more, I feel that I'm a much more effective parent. I really enjoy my time away, and I really enjoy my time with him. I feel like I've got the best of both worlds. And yes, day care could actually end up being beneficial for the baby as well. I'm sure some would agree, and others would disagree. But it's a personal decision.
I still feel like I'm learning all of the time. For example, a couple of weeks ago, the baby started to be fussy and not sleep well. I noticed he had what looked like the start of ingrown nails on two fingers. He also had gas. And he had already developed eczema and his first cold. But the fussiness lingered. Sleep became a blessed event when it occured. I even took the baby to the doctor to find out what was wrong. Then, last Wednesday, I was home playing with him when I noticed that two of his fingers had green spots on them!! The same two that were red before. I just knew that meant infection. I took him to the doctor two hours later, they drained one area (no crying!), and put him on Keflex. Looking on the Internet the other night, it appears that he has the most common hand infection in the United States. It can be caused by staph or strep, and starts with a break in the skin (like from an ingrown nail!) and then nail biting or hand-sucking (like my little pre-teether was doing). BINGO!!!! Not to mention that once he had been on antibiotics for about 24 hours AND taking Tylenol, he started sleeping again.
I feel totally lame.
Well, hopefully the second one will not end up as psychologically scarred as the first, the one who dealt with the first-time parents!!!!
All in all, my life is even more wonderful than it ever has been... every day is an adventure, and truly interesting. And seeing that beautiful little face smiling at me, and patting his head as he nestles up against my chest... well, it's just the best.
Here's my little mijo at three months. Love that face!
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