Power struggles?
Rachel, are you having power struggles with Juliet already? Is her stubborn streak starting to show? You're not alone. Write about how Juliet is asserting her independence and the struggles that it causes. Write now.
How could I not write immediately?! Baby Weekly Journal is constantly imploring me to write now. It's kind of amusing. BUT if you could see all the posts that I haven't done (the ones that just have the question and not any answer yet) you would know that I am taking them seriously, if a little disorganized-ly.
This does remind me of something Juliet does when she gets frustrated. I've mostly seen this when she is in her high chair and she wants whatever we are eating (watermelon and raspberries seem to be her favorites) - she tenses her whole body up, clenches both fists and shakes them quickly. Auntie Lauren affectionately dubbed her Katie Ka-boom after the Animaniacs character that would get so mad she would explode (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Animaniacs_characters). Gulp. This doesn't bode well for our teen years, does it?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
On sleep and teeth
Okay, perhaps a flaky move on my part, but suddenly I've gotten through that newborn-longing and am so happy to interact with KickyBaby and get to know her. I'm enjoying seeing how her mind works, putting together different actions. I love playing cause-and-effect games with her. Her favorite seems to be in her carseat - I purse my lips and when she points to them, I pop! I love her laughing - it is the sweetest.
I think my missing of the baby period was furthered by our recent sleep struggles. Suddenly, it got so hard. And then, it got easy(ish) again. Why, you ask? Well, Daddy and Baby picked me up from work on Friday and KB tried to eat my finger as she usually does and I felt something sharp! A small jagged ridge of tooth was visible in the bottom middle of her gum line. I believe I exclaimed to Matt mid-sentence (Matt's sentence, not mine), "A tooth! We have a tooth!" It makes so much more sense now. We're still putting her to bed protesting and bringing her in to our bed in the middle of the night, but I'm not nursing all night long anymore. Whew. I love my nursing relationship with my daughter, but that was getting trying.
The flakiness does emphasize one thing that I will try to keep remembering. Everything will pass. It is so easy for me to get thoroughly wrapped up in things - the way I feel at a particular time, a decision we are trying to make, wondering about parenting and how-will-this-screw-her-up-in-a-few-years-oh-no type dilemmas. And then, they are gone as fast as they've come and there is just the soft hint of a bump in the road, the slight memory of a rough time. Wow, it is amazing how different sleep problems look a few days later. When you are right in the middle of them, at the crib, rubbing the belly of a screaming baby and saying shhhh over and over and over, it becomes your life. You're ready to throw in the towel, turn in your parenting badge, call every mother you know in the world and beg for advice. And then, give it a few days or weeks, and it's all a distant memory. Funny how that works. And wonderful. And such a huge relief.
I think my missing of the baby period was furthered by our recent sleep struggles. Suddenly, it got so hard. And then, it got easy(ish) again. Why, you ask? Well, Daddy and Baby picked me up from work on Friday and KB tried to eat my finger as she usually does and I felt something sharp! A small jagged ridge of tooth was visible in the bottom middle of her gum line. I believe I exclaimed to Matt mid-sentence (Matt's sentence, not mine), "A tooth! We have a tooth!" It makes so much more sense now. We're still putting her to bed protesting and bringing her in to our bed in the middle of the night, but I'm not nursing all night long anymore. Whew. I love my nursing relationship with my daughter, but that was getting trying.
The flakiness does emphasize one thing that I will try to keep remembering. Everything will pass. It is so easy for me to get thoroughly wrapped up in things - the way I feel at a particular time, a decision we are trying to make, wondering about parenting and how-will-this-screw-her-up-in-a-few-years-oh-no type dilemmas. And then, they are gone as fast as they've come and there is just the soft hint of a bump in the road, the slight memory of a rough time. Wow, it is amazing how different sleep problems look a few days later. When you are right in the middle of them, at the crib, rubbing the belly of a screaming baby and saying shhhh over and over and over, it becomes your life. You're ready to throw in the towel, turn in your parenting badge, call every mother you know in the world and beg for advice. And then, give it a few days or weeks, and it's all a distant memory. Funny how that works. And wonderful. And such a huge relief.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
P.S. I DO miss the newborn period. Is that allowed?
Per BabyWeekly Journal: Rachel, as you watch Juliet grow, learn, and become a little person, do you ever long for your cuddly little baby again? Many women start missing their little newborn baby when he or she reaches toddler-hood. Do you have any longings for your baby of days past? Write now.
Man, this couldn't have come at a more apt time. This came in on 6/29 and it was probably at the peak of my missing of the cuddly little baby I used to have. It felt weird to feel that disconnect - to love this new person who is emerging, but to also kind of miss the smallness of newborn KickyBaby and the cuddling. I was destined to love the newborn phase - I love little things (ie, baby animals) and cuddling and that's about all the give-back you get from a newborn. Now I'm trying to figure out negotiating life with a person who has their own preferences and intentions, and who can go where she wants (to a point). And when I hold her, she wants to squirm to face forward or get down. Except for the sleepy cuddle. We've still got those. So maybe I shouldn't be SO unhappy to be kept up at night nursing. You are still my little cuddly baby in there somewhere. Welcome to exploring the world!
Man, this couldn't have come at a more apt time. This came in on 6/29 and it was probably at the peak of my missing of the cuddly little baby I used to have. It felt weird to feel that disconnect - to love this new person who is emerging, but to also kind of miss the smallness of newborn KickyBaby and the cuddling. I was destined to love the newborn phase - I love little things (ie, baby animals) and cuddling and that's about all the give-back you get from a newborn. Now I'm trying to figure out negotiating life with a person who has their own preferences and intentions, and who can go where she wants (to a point). And when I hold her, she wants to squirm to face forward or get down. Except for the sleepy cuddle. We've still got those. So maybe I shouldn't be SO unhappy to be kept up at night nursing. You are still my little cuddly baby in there somewhere. Welcome to exploring the world!
Letters to Mrs. Baby, 9 months
Hello Mrs. Baby!
If I wrote this when you *actually* turned 9 months, I wouldn't be able to mention your forward-crawling and your pulling to standing! Yes, it happened that fast! Before you were rolling and scooting backwards but now, wow, you are a fast forward crawler. The other night we set you on the carpet and mom and dad were both in the bathroom and, here you came, crawling furiously toward the bathroom. It was kind of adorable.
Though it makes Daddy's job much, much harder.
I just introduced you to the song "If you're happy and you know it." You love mimicking clapping and you just seemed delighted. I'm amazed at what goes on in your mind. You definitely understand cause-and-effect; I have fun making a fishy face at you in the car and waiting until you point to my lips to "pop!" I cherish our little games.
On the food and sleep fronts, we have a win and a lose. We've been giving you smaller food and you've been doing really well. With some small slippery food (kiwi, mainly), you've been pulling it to the edge of your tray and trying to slurp it up off of it from there. You are certainly industrious, but we should have known that when you ate your puffs off of the back of your hand (or anywhere else they would stick!).
Sleeping is so very hard and kind of horrible. We seem to have 2 options at night. Nurse you indefinitely or let you cry to sleep. Neither option works very well, honestly. We've been letting you cry at first and then bringing you in to bed when you wake up overnight, but it is so, so, SO hard for me to hear you cry and let you cry. I really don't like it and am desperately trying to find a better way.
You had your first full-body pool experience at my parents' house and you loved it. You kicked your legs and waved your arms and seemed like a natural. Then you drifted off to a peaceful sleep laying on a towel on the grass. That is the life! Just like your mama. gMom says I was the same way as a baby.
We had your first appointment with the new pediatrician and we really like her. You had a couple shots but Daddy sent me out of the room. I guess it is pretty sad to see you hurting. I loved holding you afterward in hopes that I could help you feel better. I seem to have a calming effect on you. Those are the times I feel most like your mom.
I love you KickyBaby. It is going so fast though.... where is the Pause button?
Except for the sleeping thing - let's fast-forward to good sleep soon. =)
All my best,
Mommy
If I wrote this when you *actually* turned 9 months, I wouldn't be able to mention your forward-crawling and your pulling to standing! Yes, it happened that fast! Before you were rolling and scooting backwards but now, wow, you are a fast forward crawler. The other night we set you on the carpet and mom and dad were both in the bathroom and, here you came, crawling furiously toward the bathroom. It was kind of adorable.
Though it makes Daddy's job much, much harder.
I just introduced you to the song "If you're happy and you know it." You love mimicking clapping and you just seemed delighted. I'm amazed at what goes on in your mind. You definitely understand cause-and-effect; I have fun making a fishy face at you in the car and waiting until you point to my lips to "pop!" I cherish our little games.
On the food and sleep fronts, we have a win and a lose. We've been giving you smaller food and you've been doing really well. With some small slippery food (kiwi, mainly), you've been pulling it to the edge of your tray and trying to slurp it up off of it from there. You are certainly industrious, but we should have known that when you ate your puffs off of the back of your hand (or anywhere else they would stick!).
Sleeping is so very hard and kind of horrible. We seem to have 2 options at night. Nurse you indefinitely or let you cry to sleep. Neither option works very well, honestly. We've been letting you cry at first and then bringing you in to bed when you wake up overnight, but it is so, so, SO hard for me to hear you cry and let you cry. I really don't like it and am desperately trying to find a better way.
You had your first full-body pool experience at my parents' house and you loved it. You kicked your legs and waved your arms and seemed like a natural. Then you drifted off to a peaceful sleep laying on a towel on the grass. That is the life! Just like your mama. gMom says I was the same way as a baby.
We had your first appointment with the new pediatrician and we really like her. You had a couple shots but Daddy sent me out of the room. I guess it is pretty sad to see you hurting. I loved holding you afterward in hopes that I could help you feel better. I seem to have a calming effect on you. Those are the times I feel most like your mom.
I love you KickyBaby. It is going so fast though.... where is the Pause button?
Except for the sleeping thing - let's fast-forward to good sleep soon. =)
All my best,
Mommy
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