The child is going through some kind of sleep regression thing, dudes. The nap issue wasn't enough. We are literally back to the same sleeping pattern he had as a brand new baby, waking five times a night (he's now 11 weeks). Except at least as a newborn he napped during the day. FUUUUUUUUN. Shoot me.
I read some article recently that called parenting "all joy and no fun." I see how some could arrive at that conclusion, and it feels that way sometimes. Like at 4 a.m., the most horrible hour of the day. BUT. Then I have a "conversation" with a beaming Graham --
Him: "Ooooooooo!"
Me: "I love you, too!"
Him: "Wooooaaaaaa?"
Me: "Yes, you ARE cutest baby in the universe."
-- and then it feels like all joy and all fun.
Although I do admit to feelings of frustration and boredom in the prior week. My life feels like one big preparation for nap time. It's a little repetitive, not to mention it's a lot of work getting him to sleep, and I sometimes dread the process. But things will be this way for only so long, and I have no excuse to be bored, seriously. As Adam on GIRLS would say, "Boredom is for lazy people with no imagination." SO TRUE.
This week we had our first needle vaccine and ohhhhh my god I can't believe I took my child willingly to a place where he would be hurt. The moment he was stuck with the needle, he cried, tears and all, the shaking hiccup cry, and he looked at me like: "Why?!" Utter betrayal. It's one thing when your kid is crying because he's tired or hungry; pain is a different thing. I nearly lost it and I'm surprised I didn't.
That was the day I wore all my war paint -- a full face of makeup. And it felt really nice. I need to do that more often so I feel good about myself. Everything else is sort of blech. All my clothes are The Worst, I have no good nursing bras, my stomach is flabby and lined with angry looking stretch marks, and my hair is witchy and beginning to fall out.
I really appreciate everyone's feedback on their own parenting experiences. It helps me feel more normal and gives me an idea of what to expect! This week I'm wondering if you have any favorite children's books you enjoy reading your kids, and also if you have any recommendations on good nursing bras. I'm also wondering what your favorite wipes are. I was using Pampers for a while but then realized they have a bunch of chemicals I don't love, then tried Seventh Generation and those suck.
In a few days I swear I'm going to post something 100% non-baby related. It'll be a book post! I've managed to read a few books on my Kindle in the dark while nursing all damn night long. And they've all been really good, probably because I'm not messing around with any novels with crap reviews right now, just going for the good stuff. 'Til then.
There is a hospital in Sunnyvale which I visited in a nursing newborn haze....it has the absolutely BEST nursing bra shop in town. The lady who does the fittings takes you into a room, and handles things. It is AMAZING....I want to say it is off whatever the 237 turns into.... but ??? maybe someone else can say. I didn't have the baby there, but OMG, the selection, and fitting was worth the drive. As for baby books, whichever ones don't drive you batty if ready 500 million times are the way to go! :)
ReplyDeleteI just cannot handle anyone else looking at or touching my naked body right now. I'm on overload, you know?
DeleteUnrelated to any of your questions--have you heard of the Wonder Weeks? I found it to be a really accurate (and helpful) guide to what J might be going through. Check it out, you might find some correlations w/the sleep issue (I know there's a mental leap at week 11 or 12, for example).
ReplyDeleteSo I bought this, and it does seem really accurate because he's exhibiting all these new abilities ... but he's still being a little prick! Hahaha...
DeleteI'm no good on bra suggestions, I had two, one I hated and one I tolerated that I got from some big popular maternity store. I was happy to chuck them both out once I finished breastfeeding.
ReplyDeleteAs far as wipes go, I went through about 5 different kinds before I found one that I liked the best! I did the same with diapers. I use Huggies Natural Care wipes. They were soft and didn't have any super weird smells or anything. I should also mention, for the first few months, I used Kirkland Signature wipes, which I LOVED (they are a CostCo brand) but they got SO expensive I really couldn't justify it (I bought them from Amazon, cause I don't have a CostCo membership) so I was on the look out for a different brand and found the Huggies Natural Care ones.
Also. I need to thank you. Being able to comment on your blog about parenting stuff is just... awesome! It's nice to finally be able to share some of this stuff I learned with someone, ANYONE, and not have people just roll their eyes because they are still 5 years from having a kid so wtf do they care about the best way to trim a child's toenail!? As a mom whose friends are still thinking about kids "some day", it's great to read about other people going through the same things!!
So <3!
I'm using the huggies right now! Only thing I don't like is they don't work well with my wipes dispenser. Oh well.
DeleteI really appreciate all your comments! And what IS the best way to trim a child's toneails?
Oh, no, the Seventh Generation wipes suck? I actually use those on myself to clean my face before bed and had no idea. Maybe I need to look into these Huggies wipes.
ReplyDelete"The Monster at the End of This Book" is my all-time favourite children's book. It's not for babies. But I feel like Graham is very advanced.
I saw the "all joy and no fun" article and thought that was BRILLIANT. I don't know if joy is enough for me yet.
They don't suck, they just suck for wiping massive baby craps up. Carry on using them!
DeleteLOVE this bra. Super comfy, fits great and has removable foam cups.http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-body-silk-seamless-nursing-bra
ReplyDeleteas for wipes, we cloth diaper and use baby wash cloths and water. I was using a natural brand and found she was reacting to them. Just a thought.
Thanks for the bra suggestion! I wish I had the energy to cloth diaper.
DeleteI loved the Bravado bras for sleeping (looks like a sports bra but is for nursing) and Anita bras for daytime. Anita bras are seriously made in Poland or something for women with enormous breasts. They know what they're doing. Soft, comfortable, easy access. Both brands are pricey but worth it. Besides, if you're planning on wearing these puppies 24/7, you want quality.
ReplyDeleteRe: Wipes - have you signed up for Amazon Mom? You get a discount on baby items like diapers/wipes (delivered right to your door! On schedule!) plus free Amazon Prime. It's the bomb. We get diapers every month and wipes every other month. Cheaper than Sam's club and way more convenient. We do Huggies wipes - they're sturdy which will be important for you in a few months when you hit table food mega-poops.
Re: books. The cheapest, lamest book someone gave you? That will be their favorite. Until next week.
Going to check into these bras today if I can find the time!
DeleteI am signed up with Amazon Mom! But I've found diapers.com to be cheaper and faster with delivery.
Most of my nursing bras were from Target and I just tolerated them. I finally got a nice one by La Leche League from zulily and loved it. Size Up. I wish I had bought nicer ones sooner and I nursed for 15 months and I only wore nursing bras. Cost per wear! Buy them NOW.
ReplyDeleteBrown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? is a huge favorite over here and has been since he was about 5 months old. He loves it and it's a fun read.
We use 7th Gen wipes, the thick ones. And have been using them since Day 1. Do you know there are two kinds? The thinner ones are their original wipes and they reformulated them into thick ones and people lost their damn minds so they brought back the original and kept the other ones too. Don't know which ones you tried.
I still need bras, uggghhhh!!
DeleteAh yes, I want the Brown Bear book! I got that one for my niece. And I didn't know there were two kinds of 7th gen wipes. I had the small crappy ones!