Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Where is Emerson at 7.5 months?
Well, she's ALMOST crawling. Despite me telling the world that this baby would walk before she crawled, she is scooting and scooching all over the place. Especially if there is a shoe nearby that she wants to place in her mouth. She loves to stand up holding on to anything and everything. She hates lying still to get her diaper changed. Instead, she likes to wriggle her right arm to above the left side of her head while simultaneously twisting her body in the opposite direction. Makes for a fun diaper changing situation, but she can usually be distracted by a toy, or, if one's not available, another diaper (clean, obviously). She's eating stage 2 solids, mixed with rice to thicken them up. She tasted banana pudding the other day and was a huge fan. She's pretty serious, but usually takes time to smile whenever someone new comes in the room.
She is waking at the ridiculous hour of 5am, occasionally making it to 5:30 but also just as frequently waking in the 4's. This is criminal and I will be sure to remind her of it when she is a teenager. Thankfully she is sleeping a good 10 hours straight so it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. 5am is just so, so, so early. With waking at 5, she's ready for her first nap by 8am, and then another around noon or 1. Depending on the day, she also can usually take a 20 minute nap around 5pm too. She eats 1-2 full packets of food every day along with some cereal. She thinks it's hilarious to blow raspberries right after I put food in her mouth. Super funny, Em.
Did I already say this? She has 2 teeth. Starting to pop a third through! Loving peek-a-boo and tickles in the neck. Still drooling like a champ. My favorite thing: when she is tired, she rests her head on my chest and just stares into the space in front of her. She's all limp and cuddly. Mmmmm.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
First Tooth!
Emerson popped her first tooth through today! You can feel it, but not really see it, because she's all about sucking on your finger if you put it anywhere near her mouth, but not so much about opening wide and letting you look in. Goodbye, toothless grins! Hello, nursing pain! Haha - we'll see. So far I can't feel it.
She has mastered getting herself to a seated position from lying down, but she can't get back once she's up. This makes for many trips to the crib as she's trying to put herself to sleep to help her lie back down. She also, for the first time yesterday, pulled herself to a standing position on the side of the couch. This girl will walk before she crawls, I swear.
That's all I wanted to document for today. Just couldn't miss this very important milestone.
She has mastered getting herself to a seated position from lying down, but she can't get back once she's up. This makes for many trips to the crib as she's trying to put herself to sleep to help her lie back down. She also, for the first time yesterday, pulled herself to a standing position on the side of the couch. This girl will walk before she crawls, I swear.
That's all I wanted to document for today. Just couldn't miss this very important milestone.
(Note the bib to catch all the teething drool that seems to soak whatever she's wearing...)
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Special (early, so early) mornings
The last few weeks Sam and Abi have been with my parents (THANK YOU MOM AND DAD) and I have had some special alone time with just Emerson. I think this is really one of very few times in her life that it will be just us. She kind of gets a raw deal, being the third one and NEVER being the focus of my attention, so this month (almost 6 weeks, actually) is really special.
Today we had our last weekend morning together. I've really come to love these mornings. We've started sleep training (more on that later), so recently she's been sleeping really well and waking up for the day at 6:00am sharp. I'll take it, since it used to be in the 5's. She comes in my bed and cuddles with me and nurses for about 30-40 minutes, and by that time my back is sore and she's re-awake, so we get up. I make myself a cup of coffee while she plays on the floor in the living room, and then I enjoy my coffee and just watching her. She loves anything with a tag, and can entertain herself for a good 30 minutes just pulling, chewing, and slobbering on random tagged toys. When she starts to get fussy, I usually pull her up to nurse on the other side. Thankfully, this corresponds to about the time my coffee kicks in, so I'm usually pretty happy and awake by then. After that, she likes to stand on the side of the couch and play with the coasters, and then I can usually put her in her bouncy thing for 20-30 minutes or so while I FaceTime with mom, Meg, or Scott. The last 2 days this has taken us til about 8am, and then she'll play a bit longer. Around 8:15 she starts rubbing her eyes and getting cranky, and I can put her easily to bed (where she is right now). Yesterday she slept over 2 hours and we'll see what today holds. During the week her normal nap time is 9 or 9:30, but I'm wondering if this will change given her weekend schedule. If it stays like this, it will work out perfectly for when the kids go back to school.
Sleep training. Ugh. It's like saying a swear word to say that. But, for all the horrible connotations it has, I have to say it is a necessary evil. Up until about a week ago, Em was still waking up every night between 1 and 3am for a bottle. I would stumble to the kitchen, pull out a bottle from the fridge that I had already made, and put it in the microwave. For the 30 seconds it took to heat it up, I would rest my head on the counter and fall back asleep. When the timer beeped, I would take the bottle out and stumble back to my bedroom where the princess would be fussing/ crying and waiting for me. I would feed her the bottle which took anywhere from 20-30 minutes and then put her back in bed, then I would put the bottle back in the kitchen, stumble back to bed, and gratefully immediately fall back to sleep. Except for the occasional times when I couldn't fall back asleep; those were awful. Usually that one episode would take us through until about 5am, when she would wake up again. In my sleep-deprived state, I would pray (literally, pray) that she would go back to sleep, and my prayers would usually be answered by making her quiet for 5-6 minutes and then making her cry again. So we were up. Ugh.
About a week and a half ago, I decided that this was NOT. WORKING. I was miserable during the day, taking naps while I pumped, and just chronically absolutely exhausted. I have a whole new sympathy for patients who tell me they're tired. It's the worst feeling ever. Anyway, so I decided I needed a good night's sleep. That night, she woke up at 1am, and I went upstairs so I couldn't hear her. I came back down at 2, and she was back asleep. She woke up AGAIN at 3am, and I went back upstairs until 4, at which time she was again asleep. She woke up for the day at 5:30. Not the "good night's sleep" I was hoping for. And not the "sleep training" I planned on, it just kind of happened that way. That day, I did some reading on "CIO/ Ferberizing" and decided I was going to implement it that night. And wouldn't you know, she picked that night to sleep straight through the night with no wakings at all. The mere threat of Ferberizing had her scared asleep. It wasn't that easy though. The next night she woke up at 1am, and I did the 5 minute check, the 7 minute check, and the 10 minute check. By the time the next 10 minute check came, she had fallen back asleep. Not too horrible. From that point on, she would wake in the middle of the night (usually around 3am) and fuss for less than 5 minutes, and then put herself back to sleep. Turns out she didn't need that bottle after all. Last night she slept straight through (at least, I don't remember any wakings) and was up for the day at 6. Again, I'll take it. Let's hope it keeps up throughout our trip to RI and back. Having a good night's sleep is SO much better. For both of us. I know it makes me a better mother - I honestly think I love her more after I'm well rested. =)
And with that, since she's napping, I guess I'll go down for one myself. I know my time to do this is limited, since once the big kids get back the opportunities for napping will be essentially non-existent. I'm loving this time with Emerson, but I do miss them.
Today we had our last weekend morning together. I've really come to love these mornings. We've started sleep training (more on that later), so recently she's been sleeping really well and waking up for the day at 6:00am sharp. I'll take it, since it used to be in the 5's. She comes in my bed and cuddles with me and nurses for about 30-40 minutes, and by that time my back is sore and she's re-awake, so we get up. I make myself a cup of coffee while she plays on the floor in the living room, and then I enjoy my coffee and just watching her. She loves anything with a tag, and can entertain herself for a good 30 minutes just pulling, chewing, and slobbering on random tagged toys. When she starts to get fussy, I usually pull her up to nurse on the other side. Thankfully, this corresponds to about the time my coffee kicks in, so I'm usually pretty happy and awake by then. After that, she likes to stand on the side of the couch and play with the coasters, and then I can usually put her in her bouncy thing for 20-30 minutes or so while I FaceTime with mom, Meg, or Scott. The last 2 days this has taken us til about 8am, and then she'll play a bit longer. Around 8:15 she starts rubbing her eyes and getting cranky, and I can put her easily to bed (where she is right now). Yesterday she slept over 2 hours and we'll see what today holds. During the week her normal nap time is 9 or 9:30, but I'm wondering if this will change given her weekend schedule. If it stays like this, it will work out perfectly for when the kids go back to school.
Sleep training. Ugh. It's like saying a swear word to say that. But, for all the horrible connotations it has, I have to say it is a necessary evil. Up until about a week ago, Em was still waking up every night between 1 and 3am for a bottle. I would stumble to the kitchen, pull out a bottle from the fridge that I had already made, and put it in the microwave. For the 30 seconds it took to heat it up, I would rest my head on the counter and fall back asleep. When the timer beeped, I would take the bottle out and stumble back to my bedroom where the princess would be fussing/ crying and waiting for me. I would feed her the bottle which took anywhere from 20-30 minutes and then put her back in bed, then I would put the bottle back in the kitchen, stumble back to bed, and gratefully immediately fall back to sleep. Except for the occasional times when I couldn't fall back asleep; those were awful. Usually that one episode would take us through until about 5am, when she would wake up again. In my sleep-deprived state, I would pray (literally, pray) that she would go back to sleep, and my prayers would usually be answered by making her quiet for 5-6 minutes and then making her cry again. So we were up. Ugh.
About a week and a half ago, I decided that this was NOT. WORKING. I was miserable during the day, taking naps while I pumped, and just chronically absolutely exhausted. I have a whole new sympathy for patients who tell me they're tired. It's the worst feeling ever. Anyway, so I decided I needed a good night's sleep. That night, she woke up at 1am, and I went upstairs so I couldn't hear her. I came back down at 2, and she was back asleep. She woke up AGAIN at 3am, and I went back upstairs until 4, at which time she was again asleep. She woke up for the day at 5:30. Not the "good night's sleep" I was hoping for. And not the "sleep training" I planned on, it just kind of happened that way. That day, I did some reading on "CIO/ Ferberizing" and decided I was going to implement it that night. And wouldn't you know, she picked that night to sleep straight through the night with no wakings at all. The mere threat of Ferberizing had her scared asleep. It wasn't that easy though. The next night she woke up at 1am, and I did the 5 minute check, the 7 minute check, and the 10 minute check. By the time the next 10 minute check came, she had fallen back asleep. Not too horrible. From that point on, she would wake in the middle of the night (usually around 3am) and fuss for less than 5 minutes, and then put herself back to sleep. Turns out she didn't need that bottle after all. Last night she slept straight through (at least, I don't remember any wakings) and was up for the day at 6. Again, I'll take it. Let's hope it keeps up throughout our trip to RI and back. Having a good night's sleep is SO much better. For both of us. I know it makes me a better mother - I honestly think I love her more after I'm well rested. =)
And with that, since she's napping, I guess I'll go down for one myself. I know my time to do this is limited, since once the big kids get back the opportunities for napping will be essentially non-existent. I'm loving this time with Emerson, but I do miss them.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Little Em is 5.67 months...
Not QUITE 6 months, but close.
She is just starting to sit up on her own, but she still topples regularly, both forward and backward. She now wants to be entertained, and a rattle or her foot will usually suffice, but sometimes she demands adult interaction, which is pretty adorable. She ate her first food today! I had tried a couple of times before and she was NOT interested, but today I couldn't get it in fast enough. I gave her a mix of apples, carrots, and mangos. Definitely a hit! The problem is that she loves to suck on her hands, and before I could wipe her face or mouth, she'd put her hand in, and then wave her hand around and touch the chair, her clothes, the counter, etc. We made quite a mess. Totally worth it though.
She still loves her bath, especially when the water trickles on her leg or she can splash. Liz likes to say that both she and Emerson got a bath today! She is wearing 3 month clothes still, but getting ready to move to the next size. She does have a rather large head (for her body), and sometimes I have trouble getting the outfit over it! She did have an ultrasound, which showed that her brain is normal, so I guess she's just extra smart. Doesn't mean I don't worry, though. Obviously.
We spent the last few days in Dallas, visiting my sister, who just had a new baby 2 weeks ago. It was cool to see the brand new baby stage again. They are so tiny and it's already hard to remember Em that small. I have to say, I'm glad we are where we are though. The first few months are rough - baby going to bed at 10 or 11 at night, multiple nighttime (and daytime) feedings, lots of poops, etc. etc. etc. Very ungratifying, with no real interaction, no smiles, no precious baby laughs, no reward for all the hard hours and late nights. Em has the most beautiful smile and a gorgeous precious angelic laugh. She reliably goes to bed between 7:00 and 7:30, and usually wakes once to feed (although last night she slept all the way through...heaven!!!). We're still nursing, usually once in the morning, pumping twice at work, and then once before bedtime. I definitely prefer weekends or vacation when I can nurse as much as I can during the day. I hate pumping. Although recently I've been taking a nap while I pump, which is weird, I suppose, but those hands-free bras make anything possible!
Scott left a couple of weeks ago for Boston. He's doing a 1-year fellowship up there in pain management. So far I think it's pretty stressful for him, and I know he misses the kids too, which just adds to the stress. For my part, the single mom thing is going okay. Sam and Abi stayed in Dallas for an extra week, so right now it's just me and Emerson at home. I have to say, if I ever thought having one child was difficult, I take it all back. It is straight out boring! BUT - I'm trying to use this time to really bond with Em. With her being the third child, I think she gets a raw deal. My attention is definitely usually split, and focused on Sam and Abi - feeding them, entertaining them, putting them to bed, breaking up fights, whatever, and Em is just along for the ride. So this week, I'm really trying to give her my undivided attention whenever I get home from work and she's awake. She loves it, I think. As do I!
She is just starting to sit up on her own, but she still topples regularly, both forward and backward. She now wants to be entertained, and a rattle or her foot will usually suffice, but sometimes she demands adult interaction, which is pretty adorable. She ate her first food today! I had tried a couple of times before and she was NOT interested, but today I couldn't get it in fast enough. I gave her a mix of apples, carrots, and mangos. Definitely a hit! The problem is that she loves to suck on her hands, and before I could wipe her face or mouth, she'd put her hand in, and then wave her hand around and touch the chair, her clothes, the counter, etc. We made quite a mess. Totally worth it though.
She still loves her bath, especially when the water trickles on her leg or she can splash. Liz likes to say that both she and Emerson got a bath today! She is wearing 3 month clothes still, but getting ready to move to the next size. She does have a rather large head (for her body), and sometimes I have trouble getting the outfit over it! She did have an ultrasound, which showed that her brain is normal, so I guess she's just extra smart. Doesn't mean I don't worry, though. Obviously.
We spent the last few days in Dallas, visiting my sister, who just had a new baby 2 weeks ago. It was cool to see the brand new baby stage again. They are so tiny and it's already hard to remember Em that small. I have to say, I'm glad we are where we are though. The first few months are rough - baby going to bed at 10 or 11 at night, multiple nighttime (and daytime) feedings, lots of poops, etc. etc. etc. Very ungratifying, with no real interaction, no smiles, no precious baby laughs, no reward for all the hard hours and late nights. Em has the most beautiful smile and a gorgeous precious angelic laugh. She reliably goes to bed between 7:00 and 7:30, and usually wakes once to feed (although last night she slept all the way through...heaven!!!). We're still nursing, usually once in the morning, pumping twice at work, and then once before bedtime. I definitely prefer weekends or vacation when I can nurse as much as I can during the day. I hate pumping. Although recently I've been taking a nap while I pump, which is weird, I suppose, but those hands-free bras make anything possible!
Scott left a couple of weeks ago for Boston. He's doing a 1-year fellowship up there in pain management. So far I think it's pretty stressful for him, and I know he misses the kids too, which just adds to the stress. For my part, the single mom thing is going okay. Sam and Abi stayed in Dallas for an extra week, so right now it's just me and Emerson at home. I have to say, if I ever thought having one child was difficult, I take it all back. It is straight out boring! BUT - I'm trying to use this time to really bond with Em. With her being the third child, I think she gets a raw deal. My attention is definitely usually split, and focused on Sam and Abi - feeding them, entertaining them, putting them to bed, breaking up fights, whatever, and Em is just along for the ride. So this week, I'm really trying to give her my undivided attention whenever I get home from work and she's awake. She loves it, I think. As do I!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Random Memories from May 2013
- Whenever you give Abi a kiss, or even make a kiss sound, she will always - ALWAYS - reply with a kiss or a kiss sound. Including when she's 90% asleep. Every morning, she follows me outside for a "piggy ride" (hangs on to my window while standing on the running board as I back out of the driveway). Then she says, "I'm walking!" and stands in the driveway while I drive away. When I beep the horn at her, she yells back, "HONK!"
- Her latest song: "Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Ten!" Even cuter - all her church songs, complete with hand motions ("Wif jest ONE SMALL VOICE" [with accompanying movements] - gets me every time).
- Emerson loves her toes. LOVES them. Can't say I blame her. They ARE pretty cute. She rolls! From back to front. Except that she does it with her hands at her side, while she's on her back, and consequently ends up on her stomach, flailing her legs with her neck strrrrrretched up while her arms are stuck awkwardly by her sides and she DOES. NOT. LIKE. IT. Is it bad that I just look at her and smile when she's stuck like that?
- She is a bubble girl. Random people call her Bubbles. Hopefully that nickname doesn't stick around very long. She has learned raspberries and loves to sit in her Bumbo on the kitchen counter, just checking out the action and drooling.
- Sam has discovered the awesomeness of massage. He got multiple applications of sunscreen this weekend, with extra focus on his shoulder blades. He's smart, that one. And what a temper. Not going to chronicle any of THAT right now. He is a whiz at math. He asked me one day how much something cost, and the answer was $5. He said, "So, if I have $20, I can buy 4?" Without even thinking or counting in his head. He gets it. So proud.
- He had his first slumber party last weekend - no phone calls home and no wetting the bed. We'll call it a success. Every morning when he wakes up, he stands at the top of the stairs and launches both Diggy's down the stairs. So I wake up to "clunk, clunk" or "smoosh, smoosh" or whatever it sounds like when a beat-up, understuffed dog hits the ground from 17 steps up. One morning he got him caught on the light fixture on the side of the stairs. Giggle giggle.
This picture makes me cry. He knows me well.
- Her latest song: "Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Ten!" Even cuter - all her church songs, complete with hand motions ("Wif jest ONE SMALL VOICE" [with accompanying movements] - gets me every time).
- Emerson loves her toes. LOVES them. Can't say I blame her. They ARE pretty cute. She rolls! From back to front. Except that she does it with her hands at her side, while she's on her back, and consequently ends up on her stomach, flailing her legs with her neck strrrrrretched up while her arms are stuck awkwardly by her sides and she DOES. NOT. LIKE. IT. Is it bad that I just look at her and smile when she's stuck like that?
- She is a bubble girl. Random people call her Bubbles. Hopefully that nickname doesn't stick around very long. She has learned raspberries and loves to sit in her Bumbo on the kitchen counter, just checking out the action and drooling.
- Sam has discovered the awesomeness of massage. He got multiple applications of sunscreen this weekend, with extra focus on his shoulder blades. He's smart, that one. And what a temper. Not going to chronicle any of THAT right now. He is a whiz at math. He asked me one day how much something cost, and the answer was $5. He said, "So, if I have $20, I can buy 4?" Without even thinking or counting in his head. He gets it. So proud.
- He had his first slumber party last weekend - no phone calls home and no wetting the bed. We'll call it a success. Every morning when he wakes up, he stands at the top of the stairs and launches both Diggy's down the stairs. So I wake up to "clunk, clunk" or "smoosh, smoosh" or whatever it sounds like when a beat-up, understuffed dog hits the ground from 17 steps up. One morning he got him caught on the light fixture on the side of the stairs. Giggle giggle.
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| One of my favorite things to do |
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Things I Swear Never to Forget...
Things I want to remember at 3 months:
- She still doesn't cry tears (since she hardly ever cries, I guess that's not too surprising)
- When she sleeps her hands are in little fists
- She has no eyelashes on the bottom!
- That little inhale/sigh she does when air blows on her face
- She loves to be held facing the world, with one hand under her bottom and the other across her stomach. Also really likes the baby Bjorn
- She hates a dirty diaper
- Those tiny white dots "milia" on her face, and otherwise perfect complexion - babies are so lucky
- When she raises her arm up in the air, Sam says, "Emerson has a question"
- The little bald ring around her head from sleeping on her back
- She does NOT LIKE tummy time
- Those little sighs and "sleep smiles"
- Her long fingers (with short fingernails - I have successfully cut them twice!)
- She drinks anywhere from 4-8 oz at one sitting, usually every 3-4 hours during the day (stocking up for many more long hours of sleep - in case she's reading this, the power of suggestive speech)
- She LOVES baths - especially when the water trickles on her foot from the faucet. She has had one (and this had better be the only one) bath poop. It was awful. I had to hose her down with the sprayer.
- Mmmmmmm...that newborn baby, just-had-a-bath smell.
- Her fuzzy hair right after the bath.
(Kind of want to go give her a bath now, after thinking about all those. Who cares if it's 4:30 in the morning?)
3 months...wow...
Little Em is 3 months old already! I'll say it again - on the one hand, it feels like time is going by so fast with her - almost 13 weeks! - but on the other hand, it seems like she's been a part of our lives forever. Crazy, that.
For the past several nights she has slept "through" the night (meaning, of course, that she sleeps for 7-8 hours in a row, not necessarily waking at normal waking hours though). I don't care; I'll take it. I really don't know if I could have made it through another week like last week - I was literally falling asleep at my desk and going to bed every night at 8:30pm. I remember feeling sleep-deprived with Sam and Abi, but I don't remember quite how painful it was.
Thankfully, aside from what I feel is normal nighttime waking (which may be tapering to an end anyway - wahoo!), Em is an easy, EASY baby. She rarely cries, and when she does, it's either because she's hungry or dirty. I never saw a baby who hated to be dirty as much as she does! When she's tired, she just rubs her eyes and kind of whines a little bit, and you put her in her swing (where she still sleeps) and she quietly dozes off into dreamland. She loves to lie on her changing table, just looking around, and that is usually where I get the most smiles from her. Mom got her laughing yesterday by playing patty cake. Baby laughs are priceless.
Em has been on 2 plane rides so far - one to visit Grandy and Grandpa in Texas, and one to visit Uncle Mike and Aunt Megan in Colorado. She had her first gondola ride in Colorado and loved it. I forgot how much work it is to travel with an infant - she pretty much needs her own suitcase - but thankfully (again), she travels great. Good thing, since she'll be accompanying me and Scott to Hawaii in a few days! She loves adventure. =)
First gondola ride Loving every minute
Emerson at 12 weeks
For the past several nights she has slept "through" the night (meaning, of course, that she sleeps for 7-8 hours in a row, not necessarily waking at normal waking hours though). I don't care; I'll take it. I really don't know if I could have made it through another week like last week - I was literally falling asleep at my desk and going to bed every night at 8:30pm. I remember feeling sleep-deprived with Sam and Abi, but I don't remember quite how painful it was.
Thankfully, aside from what I feel is normal nighttime waking (which may be tapering to an end anyway - wahoo!), Em is an easy, EASY baby. She rarely cries, and when she does, it's either because she's hungry or dirty. I never saw a baby who hated to be dirty as much as she does! When she's tired, she just rubs her eyes and kind of whines a little bit, and you put her in her swing (where she still sleeps) and she quietly dozes off into dreamland. She loves to lie on her changing table, just looking around, and that is usually where I get the most smiles from her. Mom got her laughing yesterday by playing patty cake. Baby laughs are priceless.
Em has been on 2 plane rides so far - one to visit Grandy and Grandpa in Texas, and one to visit Uncle Mike and Aunt Megan in Colorado. She had her first gondola ride in Colorado and loved it. I forgot how much work it is to travel with an infant - she pretty much needs her own suitcase - but thankfully (again), she travels great. Good thing, since she'll be accompanying me and Scott to Hawaii in a few days! She loves adventure. =)
Supermom with 3 kids on the airplane
(Scott was right across the aisle, taking the picture)
First gondola ride Loving every minute
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