Sweet Sleep

Last night was night 2 of sleep training.  So far so good!  Ive gotten more sleep in the last 2 nights than i have since Dexter was born!  I was even up before Dex this morning, he woke at 7:30.

So the first night of sleep training went pretty well , Dex fell asleep at 6, but was woke up because we needed to put his jammies on.  He fell asleep again, and was in bed at 6:30 pm.  He woke at 7 and i gave him his bottle he didn't get earlier....he fell asleep for about 5 minutes then proceeded to cry for 45 min.  After that though...he slept till 6:40 am!  Last night , again, he fell asleep at 6:30 and other than a 1 minute, yes, 1 minute crying spell an hour and half later he slept and slept :)  Now, i did go in last night around 3:30 and changed his diaper.  He had consumed about 12 oz ...6 at 7 pm and 6 at 10 pm when i dream fed him.  Whenever he's had that much to drink he's always soaked through his diaper, even the overnight ones.  He went back to sleep almost instantaniously after being put back in bed and slept in.  Obviously that was the right choice.    I'd love to be able to change him at 10 but he sleeps through that feeding.  After a few nights I will begin to reduce the amount I give him at 10 until it's eliminated as well.

So far so good!

advice

I am so fed up with people who think they know everything and know nothing at all.  I am tired of people blindly following what so called professionals say.  Do Dr's not make mistakes?  In posting a single photo of my son in a forward facing car seat before 1 year old it has spurned the idocracy.  Ive been told by 5 different people, 5 different things that so called 'professionals" told them that the LAW was.  funny, how none of these people actually googled the LAW and found out for themselves to be certain ( BTW what they were told was LAW is not a law, simply the recommendation by the American Pediatric's association...AND outdated since now they recomment to keep the child rearfacing until the age of 2.  DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH PEOPLE!.  If your family's safety is so important why are you taking the word of someone else?  Why do people rely on others rather than do the work themselves?  Why do people feel the need to impose their "opinion" on someone when it was not asked for?

they got it right...FINALLY!

The weather today is absolutely gorgeous.  I took Dex to the park this morning and then sat in the back yard and played for about an hour.  It was great, he slept sooo well for his nap.  So well, I took him back to the park and we played outside again when he woke up.  Not as long though, as it's quite warm out and i don't want him to get over heated. 

This whole knowing how much sunscreen to put on a baby is terrifying to me.  i don't want him to get burned!  he certainly loves it outside though.  Gotta get that patio set so I have something to sit on while he plays!

He's staring at "Bear in the Big Blue House" right now....winding down for a last nap of the day :)

Let the sunshine

It's been beautiful outside the last 2 days and supposed to continue this week.  Even supposed to climb to 23-24C on Friday.  I opened the windows in the kitchen and living room and got a good cross  breeze going...but had to close them cause it cooled down so much the heat kicked on and Dex got a little cool.  68 is his cool comfy zone apparently.

So, I decided to take Dex for a walk.  We had a good hour long walk and the fresh air helped to tire him out.  He is tired, despite the face that he is currently refusing to go to sleep.  When does the day come when they WANT a nap??

Happy Mothers Day!

Today is my first Mothers Day as a mom.  It's great.  My little boy is so happy natured, smiling all the time, even when it's a hour past his nap time.  I love him so much.  We went up to Al's parents for brunch and had a traditional Scottish Breakfast, Dex loved the hash-browns ( i think it was the cheese that he loved ) he loved that he was able to feed himself...love the messy finger foods lol.  It was an almost perfect visit...but the Brother in law was there.  i have never known anyone who can talk about themselves for so long or so much.  The selfishness he exudes makes me eternally thankful that my husband is nothing like his brother.  His unwillingness to be wrong about anything is frustrating makes you want to smack the stupid out of him.  Who would literally sit and argue that companies should lose money just to make each and every individual employee happy.  I believe his exact words were " i won't lose out on making $120 just cause She has to work and there's no one to watch the kids."  if she's unhappy she can quit.  You have no idea what a jerkface he is.


on to better, happier things...little man is awoken from his all to short nap...duty calls!

Victory!

Ive been having a struggle with Dex and his naps.  He's very consistant i will say, Here's how it goes....If he's not already asleep after a bottle I put him in bed.  He'll play a bit, then when he realizes im not coming back he'll cry.  Now , this is the point when everyone says " let him cry it out"  well, what they don't know is that every single time, without fail, he's pooped.  Obviously, I cannot let him Sit in crap for his nap, i mean, would YOU want to?  I didn't think so.  After changing him I would hold him, and most the time he'd fall asleep in my arms within a minute.  Today, he didn't fall asleep in my arms after the changing of the poop.  I put him in his bed, he played for about 20 minutes before fussing.  He cried on and off but then....after about 45- 50 minutes he fell asleep...still grasping his toy hanging off the side of the crib. 

This may be a "whatever" thing for you but for us, it's a huge victory.  Especially considering yesterday he cried for an hour after only having a 25 minute nap.  Im not a huge fan of CIO method, but in my own adaptation it has worked for today.  We shall see how it goes. Once naps are conquered, nighttime and eliminating his night bottle will be up.  That should be fun.  Not.

Things that make you go "hmmm"

Sitting here thinking about "hmmm" things.

Why is it when you're exhausted the baby will only sleep 25 min, but when you decide to stay awake during said nap they sleep over an hour?

Why is it people who say they are constantly learning forgiveness are the ones who hold grudges the longest?

Why is it easier to convince ourselves of something that is a lie than to accept the reality?

Why do pajamas always shrink?

Why do kids put absolutely everything in their mouths?


hmmmm

Day by Day

The last few days have been a roller coaster.  Poor Dex has had a really nasty cold.  The amount of snot coming out of his little nose is astonishing.  Yesterday, after each cough, he'd cry :(   It totally sucks not being able to do much to help.  Baby vicks and a vaporizer are your best friend on those days.  Oh and to top it off...he started teething again, the top tooth is almost breaking through.   fun times.

Good Friday

The feeling you get when you're woken late at night and your baby is super hot is the worst feeling.  Dex was so warm, 101.4 F last night.  First fever, poor little dude has a cold which most likely is the culprit.  thank heavens for Advil, one dose and within an hour his temperature was back down to normal.  That doesn't mean I slept though...I checked him through out the night and brought him to sleep in bed with me.  Al got to try out the new spare bed lol.   For the most part he seems ok today, a little sensitive, clingy and not eating as much but im offering Pedialyte often to ensure he keeps up fluids. 

Oh, another first...He climbed out of his Bumbo today. After the night we had it's been a lazy day here, Al did not have to work so we had a Jammie day...well me and Dex did....:)

Last Will and Testament

We went to the lawyer today and had our Will's finalized and signed.  So glad that's done, Dexter and any future children will be taken care of and not left with questions.  A Will is not something I ever thought of doing until I found out i was pregnant.  Luckily for us the Lawyer we used for our House had a deal with our Agent and we got the Will done for free so it saved us a few hundred dollars.

The parentals were here last night, they headed back home this morning but not after leaving a buttload of outfits for Dex.  We also were stocked up with 6 bottles of Pedialye, a MUST HAVE for anyone with an infant.  I do NOT want to be running out to the Pharmacy at 3:30 am again!  i will ALWAYS keep at least 1 bottle in my pantry.  They also got us 3 big boxes of Pedialyte Popsicles for when Dex is a bit older, and 6 can's of Similac Baby formula.  Mom also gave me a new blender for Dex's food.  The Tribest Personal blender is the absolute best blender ive ever used for pureeing baby food.  i originally bought a Bullett but came to find that it was not grinding or pureeing certain things to my standard.  Things like Rice or Veggies with shells like Peas or Green Beans were not being puree'd smooth but still had skins or "chunks" small ones but enough to trigger the gag reflex in Dex and if bad enough...make him throw up.  This blender...WOW.  It's like liquid.  Dex now can eat Stew, or Pork Tenderloin and Rice and he just LOVES it.  So super happy with it.  Plus mom says it makes the best shakes..i shall find out this summer with my pina coladas :)

Sounds like the Punkinator is soon to be waking, ....When the Prince summons, the Queen must answer!

Sleet?

So not 10 minutes after I get home from Grocery shopping there's about 10 minutes of sleeting outside.  Odd weather but you'd think we'd be used to it.  I'm not a fan of this time of year, too warm for a winter jacket, too cold for a spring jacket.  You never know how to dress yourself much less the baby!

Speaking of baby...Dex is in a growth spurt now.  The spurt part where he's not sleeping well and eats constantly.  For a while his normal formula intake was about 15-17 oz or up to 22 oz on a odd day.   Well he was upwards of 40 oz 2 days ago same with yesterday and while he's slowing down a bit he still drank a full 8 oz bottle at bedtime...that's a rarity.  Now , the last 2 nights have been horrible..waking constantly crying, restless.  It's almost like he's achy when he wakes, they "say" kids don't get "pains" from growing but I think that's bull.  I remember having growing pains growing up why can't babies get that?  I'm certainly ready for this stage to be done with , since he was sick last week I dont' know if he's gone through the sleepy tired phase yet or not. We shall see...hopefully this will mean more sleepign through the night.  We were done with the night bottle up until this growth spurt so I'm guessing that will go away again once things settle.

The spare room is put back together for now.  We finished the painting and ripping out the carpet.  Not sure when Al will be able to lay the flooring down but it's pretty good for now. 

My parents will be here in 2 days to pick up Victoria, hopefully no sickness is left this time !

ThunderEggs

Thunder Eggs me you ask?  if you have never seen Special Agent Oso you'll never understand lol.  This stuffed bear helps kids learn tasks and all his special assignments are titles like "thunderMuffin" all from the 007 movies.  We tried eggs tonight.  Dex has my gag reflex though and hasn't quite mastered the chewing so he choked and puked.  He then proceded to eat a whole yogurt.  We'll try again tomorrow.

I'm probably that horrible mom you talk about that lets their kid watch too much tv.  I dont' care.  This kid is limited to whatever room I'm in when he's with me and sometimes, he just needs to chill on my lap, drink his bottle and watch a cartoon!  He's such an active little kid I don't doubt he'll have no problem getting away and playing.   Plus...he's 7 months.  it's all colors and music to him.

I noticed a bunch of chew marks on his crib today.  Silly Mister, you're not supposed to eat the bed!

Got great news today, Al got a job.  He still has to pass the physical next week but despite him saying " i don't have it till i  pass" , i know he's got it.  Woohoo mommy won't have to go back to work full time!  No day care will be raising my baby.  I have been hoping for so long now that I would be able to only do part time and looks like i will be able to.  It's a personal opinion, but I feel many mothers could stay home more with their kids but they're too much in debt or not willing to cut back on frills for the opportunity to raise their child.  that said...i really need to start interviewing day care centers because he WILL need to go part time.  I hate the thought of a stranger taking care of my child.

Well, gas prices are going up again so Im going to go fill 'er up!  right now the punkinator is asking for attention...

The 5 am wake up

Well, for the last 3 days, 4 including today, my day has started by completly stripping down Dex, stripping his bed and cleaning the crap off his body from his blowout diahreah.  Today...while i had to strip him again, the bed was saved and there wasn't "as much" to scrape off him.  yay!  the BRAT diet is starting to work!

I had my first 3 am drive looking for a 24 hour Drugstore to get some Pedialyte the night before last.  I hate when they change their hours!  Luckily Al found a Shoppers open online and went and got some.  My first real scare with dehydration.  Dr said to keep up with the BRAT food and Pedialyte. 

That said, I wish Dex was one of those 3 hour nappers.  His Hour to Hour and half doenst' give me long enough to sleep!  what's with the 5 am wake up kid!!  I'll pay you back for this when you're a teenager! lol

Sickness

So aparently me and dex got what papa brought with him.  though i must say, Dex is alot better at being sick than me.  He was still smiling and playing, me on the other hand, could hardly get out of bed.  Of course i starts the day Victorai cooked her chicken dinner she was so proud of and i was only able to eat a few bites.   I headed up to bed shortly after 6, right in the middle of dinner...then back down to start vomiting.  I don't vomit often when im sick, the last time i'd puked like that was in labor.  So my night was spent either puking in the garbage by my bed or making it downstairs and sitting...and puking...My wonderful sister came over today to watch Dex so that I could stay in bed...and i did.  all day.  I managed to get up and shower around 6 tonight and eat a slice of buttered toast.

Now, punkin is in bed, hopefully for the night as both daddy and mommy need sleep.  More sleep .  Yes, Al got a taste of the night shift AND day shift.  Poor guy is tired.

Quiet times

So, my day started at the ungodly hour of 5 am.  The little booger just didn't want to go back to sleep...and was not ready to risk him puking from crying so up I got.  Luckily he tired out watching Playhouse Disney and by 6 i took him back upstairs and he slept in bed with me and Al and actually slept till 7:45!  Looks like the bug is out of him cause he chowed down on breakfast pretty good.

The spare bedroom renovation is very slowly moving along.  I have a wall and a half painted, the new bed is arriving today and Al has the flooring in there ready to rip up the carpet whenever....I want the room done when my parents come through to pick up Victoria.

Oh, it appears my little over achiever has a 7th tooth now.  It's clearly broke through.  7 teeth and only 7 months old.  Now that i hear the high pitch squeels he can do Im kinda glad he wwent through the first teeth so early...before the high pitch!

It's strange still being home alone all day with him now that Al's working again.  I was tired before, but now...Im more so.  Glad for Saturday cause that's the day I get to sleep in!

Off to wait for the Sears delivery and the Cable Tech!

Dear Diary

Im not a blogger, However, I want to start to write down everyday life.  So one day, my kids can see what happened when they were little.  Most of my posts will be about my child.  Dexter, right now he is 7 months old.  He is the best thing i have ever done.

Right now, Im looking at him, he's on his knees getting all too close to the TV as he does when he likes what he's seeing.  Odly, it's just promo's on Playhouse Disney.  Oh, there's the smile, I have a MickeyMouse Clubhouse taped.  He really loves Mickey. 

This morning kinda scared me, he's got a cold and i think the phlegm is in his throat.  he was gagging a little when he woke as well as at 2 am.  Almost like a dry heave but didn't throw up.  I made sure Al took my cell phone to work incase he keeps it up then i will take him to the Dr.

He's getting so big so fast.  Dexter is never wanting to sit still.  He's standing now, still needs support but he'll be walking soon enough.  such a little over achiever!  While most babies are just starting to crawl he's scooting around and standing up!


i think he's hungry as he's biting my knee now:)

and we're back....food...not a good idea.  he just threw up everything he ate.  I almost cried, it's the first "real" puke he's done.  He doesn't have a fever but he's definatly not as lively as normal...that doesn't mean he's not playing though lol