I don't know what happened to today...it somehow got away from me. At about 4:50 I realized that I never sat down and wrote. Not good. In fact, I wasn't even really sure what I was going to write about so I was very close to just forgetting about it all together. Then bath time happened.
For days my husband, who is in charge of bath time, has been telling me that Superman has been leaning over his bath seat (which is similar to this one) to try and stick his face in the water. My reply each time has been, "so let him". My husband was all concerned that he might hurt himself, but I tried to assure him that as long as he was there watching and he didn't let him stay under for more than a second, the worst that would happen is that he would hate it.
So tonight, as I was folding laundry in the next room, my husband called to me and said that he was trying to do it again. So I rushed into the bathroom to take a look. Sure enough he was bending way over and putting his mouth into the water.
My response? Lots and lots of cheers! So then he wanted to do it again and again and again. At one point he did a raspberry into the water and blew bubbles and I went nuts! I was so proud of him for a) liking his face in the water and b) being able to blow bubbles so young.
My husband, not to be outdone by his son (I tease), decided he would start blowing bubbles too. Superman thought this was just great and began giggling up a storm. Of course it also just made him want to put his face in the water more as well because he loves to imitate what his daddy does. He successfully blew bubbles several times and if we had let him stay in the bath any longer, I am sure he would have really gotten the hang of it.
Tonight was one of those moments that I hope I always remember. The pure joy and laughter was something I wish I could bottle and keep forever.
I would love to hear some of your moments of pure joy with your children!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Doctor Dilemma
Let me start by saying that I love my doctor. Specifically, I love his approach to medicine. But sometimes? I think about leaving his practice because when I call the advice line, I am not always comfortable with the advice I get. Then yesterday happened and now I am really not sure if we should stay or not. Let me back up...
Superman had his one year, well baby appointment. Overall it went fine...or at least ended that way. The way our doctor's office works is that you get brought into the room by a nurse who takes down any concerns and does the child's weight and height. Then (on well-baby appointments) the nurse practitioner comes in. She does a full exam, addresses any concerns, and talks with you about the things you should know about a child at X age.
Finally the doctor comes in, looks over the nurse practitioner's notes, pokes and prods the child a little bit, talks with the parents about any remaining issues, and then you are done. (Unless your child needs vaccinations. Then the first nurse comes back and gives them to your child. Then you are done.)
So everything was going well until the nurse practitioner (or NP as she will be referred to from this point forward) came in. The one we usually see was out sick, no big deal but thought I should clarify that I hadn't met her before. Anyway, we talk about some of my safety concerns (Superman is OBSESSED with drawers right now) and she bugged me a little with her condescending response, but whatever, I asked the question.
I also had a question about the amount of whole milk he should be consuming (he gets about 24 oz per day now). She says that is too much...should be more like 16-18 oz. She then wants to know how he is eating. I tell her that he loves cheese and yogurt and feeding himself. The he does pretty well with eating in general, but has times when I wish he would eat more but refuses. She says that he can't possibly get enough food feeding himself. I tell her that he sure seems to eat till he is full, but that I could be wrong.
So then we looked at Superman's stats. At 9 months he was at the 24th percentile for weight and 74th percentile for height (we think they measured his height wrong because up to that point he had always been in the 30-somethingth percentile). At this appointment he was in the 18th percentile for weight and 33rd percentile for height. The NP said that this was a concern. She said that it probably is because he is self-feeding and he can't get enough food.
I explain that the doctor told me that a dip in percentiles is normal from 9-12 months because they become so much more mobile. In fact, when we were there for a sick appointment back in December and I brought up the issue? He told me to stop worrying! That S looked great and as long as we keep offering him food till he is full, we are good.
Her response was that maybe it was that he was drinking too much milk. She didn't address what he said at all. I was just dumbfounded. At this point I was exhausted and didn't want to deal with her any more. I thought about arguing with her about the fact that 1 year olds are supposed to be self-feeding and that it was supposed to be a great thing that he is doing, but decided to just keep silent and ask the doctor.
So the doctor comes in and I bring this up to him. I tell him that the NP thinks I should stop letting him self-feed and that I thought it was developmentally appropriate. He said that she was wrong and that he was doing just fine. We looked at the charts again and he said that his weight may be a little low, but given how active S was, it wasn't surprising (Superman did not stop moving the entire appointment. He was cruising around the room, pulling up on the doctor, trying to climb me...you get the idea.). He said to keep letting Superman feed himself and offering a good variety of foods, that he will eat when he is hungry.
So in the end I was fine with the appointment. I had the information I wanted...although I kicked myself for not asking the doctor about the milk amounts. But how do I deal with an office where the doctor is great, but some of his staff doesn't give out the same information as he would? I thought about calling the office manager and expressing my frustration, but my husband pointed out that the main boss is the doctor and since I already shared with him what she told me, there isn't more I can do.
What would you do in this situation?
Superman had his one year, well baby appointment. Overall it went fine...or at least ended that way. The way our doctor's office works is that you get brought into the room by a nurse who takes down any concerns and does the child's weight and height. Then (on well-baby appointments) the nurse practitioner comes in. She does a full exam, addresses any concerns, and talks with you about the things you should know about a child at X age.
Finally the doctor comes in, looks over the nurse practitioner's notes, pokes and prods the child a little bit, talks with the parents about any remaining issues, and then you are done. (Unless your child needs vaccinations. Then the first nurse comes back and gives them to your child. Then you are done.)
So everything was going well until the nurse practitioner (or NP as she will be referred to from this point forward) came in. The one we usually see was out sick, no big deal but thought I should clarify that I hadn't met her before. Anyway, we talk about some of my safety concerns (Superman is OBSESSED with drawers right now) and she bugged me a little with her condescending response, but whatever, I asked the question.
I also had a question about the amount of whole milk he should be consuming (he gets about 24 oz per day now). She says that is too much...should be more like 16-18 oz. She then wants to know how he is eating. I tell her that he loves cheese and yogurt and feeding himself. The he does pretty well with eating in general, but has times when I wish he would eat more but refuses. She says that he can't possibly get enough food feeding himself. I tell her that he sure seems to eat till he is full, but that I could be wrong.
So then we looked at Superman's stats. At 9 months he was at the 24th percentile for weight and 74th percentile for height (we think they measured his height wrong because up to that point he had always been in the 30-somethingth percentile). At this appointment he was in the 18th percentile for weight and 33rd percentile for height. The NP said that this was a concern. She said that it probably is because he is self-feeding and he can't get enough food.
I explain that the doctor told me that a dip in percentiles is normal from 9-12 months because they become so much more mobile. In fact, when we were there for a sick appointment back in December and I brought up the issue? He told me to stop worrying! That S looked great and as long as we keep offering him food till he is full, we are good.
Her response was that maybe it was that he was drinking too much milk. She didn't address what he said at all. I was just dumbfounded. At this point I was exhausted and didn't want to deal with her any more. I thought about arguing with her about the fact that 1 year olds are supposed to be self-feeding and that it was supposed to be a great thing that he is doing, but decided to just keep silent and ask the doctor.
So the doctor comes in and I bring this up to him. I tell him that the NP thinks I should stop letting him self-feed and that I thought it was developmentally appropriate. He said that she was wrong and that he was doing just fine. We looked at the charts again and he said that his weight may be a little low, but given how active S was, it wasn't surprising (Superman did not stop moving the entire appointment. He was cruising around the room, pulling up on the doctor, trying to climb me...you get the idea.). He said to keep letting Superman feed himself and offering a good variety of foods, that he will eat when he is hungry.
So in the end I was fine with the appointment. I had the information I wanted...although I kicked myself for not asking the doctor about the milk amounts. But how do I deal with an office where the doctor is great, but some of his staff doesn't give out the same information as he would? I thought about calling the office manager and expressing my frustration, but my husband pointed out that the main boss is the doctor and since I already shared with him what she told me, there isn't more I can do.
What would you do in this situation?
Monday, January 03, 2011
Changing Things Up
Weaning Superman has meant more changes than just giving him a bottle when I would have been nursing him.
At first it was just nap times. When I was nursing we would just head upstairs, I would change his diaper, put on a sleep sack, then sing the "night night" song as I nursed him. But when he wouldn't take the bottle after I sang the song, I began to give him the bottle downstairs as we wound down from playing, then continue with the bottle as I got him a new diaper, a sleep sack and then read stories to him. So by the time I finished with the stories he would basically be done with the bottle and it was time to turn off the lights, turn on the white noise, and sing the song.
This made room for some cuddle time that we had not had previously and I love it! As I sing his "night night" song he rests his head on my chest, wraps his arms around me (the best he can), and we rock together. I get so few moments throughout the day where he will just sit still in my arms, I usually continue rocking for a minute or two after the song ends just to stretch the cuddling out a wee bit longer.
So when I stopped nursing Superman right before bed every night, our evening routine morphed a bit to look a little like the nap routine. My husband would give him a bottle as he got him ready for bed and as he read stories to him. But then I would come in sing the "night night" song (while my husband is still in the room) and attempt to give him more milk. Then husband would leave and I would try to give him more milk. Usually? He would drink a tiny bit or just flat out refuse. So then he and I would cuddle and rock for a minute or two and I would put him to bed. After about a week I realized that I was becoming obsolete. There was no reason for me to come in...in fact it would probably be less disruptive if the same person did the stories, the song, and the rocking.
So last night when my husband suggested that since he had just done the bath, that I do stories and put him to bed. I jumped on the opportunity (first I made sure everything was okay with my husband because he rarely gives up the opportunity to read to Superman). It worked fabulously, he went to sleep almost straight away and it was perfect. Why we didn't think about this sooner is beyond me!
So now we have a new plan. On the days that Superman gets a bath (every other day), I will do the bedtime stuff. The other days? My husband will do it.
What I realized this morning was that this is a fabulous way to transition him to getting used to me not putting him to bed regularly. Once the new baby comes I doubt I will be able to do it every night and it is nice to know that it won't be a complete upheaval of the routine.
So what are your bedtime routines? How do you share these responsibilities with your partner?
At first it was just nap times. When I was nursing we would just head upstairs, I would change his diaper, put on a sleep sack, then sing the "night night" song as I nursed him. But when he wouldn't take the bottle after I sang the song, I began to give him the bottle downstairs as we wound down from playing, then continue with the bottle as I got him a new diaper, a sleep sack and then read stories to him. So by the time I finished with the stories he would basically be done with the bottle and it was time to turn off the lights, turn on the white noise, and sing the song.
This made room for some cuddle time that we had not had previously and I love it! As I sing his "night night" song he rests his head on my chest, wraps his arms around me (the best he can), and we rock together. I get so few moments throughout the day where he will just sit still in my arms, I usually continue rocking for a minute or two after the song ends just to stretch the cuddling out a wee bit longer.
So when I stopped nursing Superman right before bed every night, our evening routine morphed a bit to look a little like the nap routine. My husband would give him a bottle as he got him ready for bed and as he read stories to him. But then I would come in sing the "night night" song (while my husband is still in the room) and attempt to give him more milk. Then husband would leave and I would try to give him more milk. Usually? He would drink a tiny bit or just flat out refuse. So then he and I would cuddle and rock for a minute or two and I would put him to bed. After about a week I realized that I was becoming obsolete. There was no reason for me to come in...in fact it would probably be less disruptive if the same person did the stories, the song, and the rocking.
So last night when my husband suggested that since he had just done the bath, that I do stories and put him to bed. I jumped on the opportunity (first I made sure everything was okay with my husband because he rarely gives up the opportunity to read to Superman). It worked fabulously, he went to sleep almost straight away and it was perfect. Why we didn't think about this sooner is beyond me!
So now we have a new plan. On the days that Superman gets a bath (every other day), I will do the bedtime stuff. The other days? My husband will do it.
What I realized this morning was that this is a fabulous way to transition him to getting used to me not putting him to bed regularly. Once the new baby comes I doubt I will be able to do it every night and it is nice to know that it won't be a complete upheaval of the routine.
So what are your bedtime routines? How do you share these responsibilities with your partner?
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Baby #2 - 13 weeks
How far along: 13 weeks
Baby's size: peach
Symptoms:Nausea is doing okay, still there and still annoying. I really have to stay on top of my eating or it gets bad...really, really bad. I am also SO exhausted this week. I just can't seem to get enough rest.
Sleep: Sleeping fine, but I wish I could sleep more. I worry about napping too much because then I might not be able to sleep at night. However, some days my eyes just won't stay open at all and I am grateful for nap time.
Total Weight Gain: staying steady at 4 pounds down
Total Weight Gain: staying steady at 4 pounds down
Maternity clothes: Yup, although I still just look more chubby than normal.
Best moment this week: Being able to tell the world that I am pregnant.
Movement: Lots of flutters this week! Now I am pretty convinced that it is the baby and not my imagination.
Food cravings: cheese and orange juice (but not at the same time)
Gender: ?????
Labor signs: none
What I miss: Feeling rested and feeling better. I miss being able to help out more around the house. I hate watching my husband rush around on Saturday to get 10 million and 1 things done because I can't do it during the week. It is frustrating and I am hoping that I start to gain the energy back this week.
What I'm looking forward to: The start of the 2nd trimester and feeling better.
Weekly Wisdom (aka what I learned this week): I have nothing wise to say this week...my brain has turned to mush.
Milestones: Telling the world I am pregnant.
Emotions: very emotional...crying at the drop of a hat it seems.
Tandem Nursing:
Nursing only morning- sort of
Supply: almost none existent. Superman will nurse in the morning for a few minutes on each side and then we head downstairs for the bottle. I doubt he is getting much, but it hasn't been hurting so I am going to continue (the few times that it has hurt I try getting him to latch again or we just give up for the day). He has been getting 6oz of frozen breast milk mixed with his other bottles through out the day.
Pain: Minimal- mostly due to poor latch when there isn't any milk
Nausea while nursing: None
Positions for nursing: cradle hold
Other thoughts on this: Superman turns 1 tomorrow and part of me thinks I should just stop and celebrate that we made it to a year. The other part of me thinks about wanting Superman to decide when he is done (as long as it isn't causing me pain). I also think about how awesome it would be to have him nursing when baby #2 is born so that he can help me boost my supply...yeah, I am being purely selfish there. So I am just going to play it by ear and see what happens.
Till next week!
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