Little Things

Prevsiously, I had done a post about some baby items that I discovered I really liked.  Well, for this week's blog about something I've learned after baby, I am going to share a few more items that I like.  Take it or leave it because I know everyone has their own preferences and I would hate for somebody to feel as though I misled them.  Also, as I had said in the other post, each baby is different.  But these are some things I found to be great for Gordon Lee.

1.) First of all, Gordon Lee has colic.  He had a few difficult bouts with it starting at around 3 weeks, and we felt so bad because there was little to do to relieve the pain.  We did give him gas drops; however, those were not even enough at times.  He'd still have periods of time when his tummy would get very tight and he would be screaming.  Well, in the midst of all of this, I came across a recommendation for Hyland's colic tablets. 

I was still unsure as I had never heard of them before.  So, I did research and read at least 50 reviews on them.  Since the overwhelming majority of the reviews raved about them, I decided I would give them a try.  I also talked to my doctor about it.  She said that she believed they would be a good alternative to the gas drops and was familiar with Hylands and would trust their product.  After I gave him the initial dose of 2 tablets, a huge burp came up in less than a minute and he relaxed in my arms.  It was really wonderful.  Even with a lot of burping, he can still get colicky, and I have found it usually only takes 1 dose of these tablets a day to keep the colic away! They work so fast, and he hasn't had episodes with a tight tummy since he started taking them.

2.) As a shower gift, I received something called butt paste from my mother.  From the name of the product to the way it was packaged, I wasn't exactly at all interested in trying it.

It just seemed like maybe some knock-off brand that I'd try if I didn't have any other options.  Well, as it happened, I ran out of Desitin one day.  All I had around the house was a small packet of butt paste.   So, I got it out and decided it was better than nothing...only to find out it is better than anything! I'd tried quite a few different types of ointments to help his diaper rash and the Butt Paste was what really did it.  It often has the rash cleared up by the next diaper.  I promptly asked my husband to go out and buy a tube.  One note, however, is that there are apparently 2 kinds.  I found this out reading reviews about it online.  Everyone seemed to love the original Butt Paste (found in the yellow package with the label "original" on it); however, there is apparently another formula sold in a green bottle that people didn't like as much.  I do wish it had a better name with a more appealing package.  But Butt Paste it is for us now; nothing else I've tried works like it.  Lesson learned--I should trust my mother.

3.) When Gordon Lee was first born, it was easy to pick up almost any blanket to swaddle him in.  Yet, this quickly began to change.  We also found out that he has very sensitive skin.  So, he often goes around in just a diaper because his skin starts to break out if he sweats even just a little bit.  This is problematic, though, if your baby enjoys being swaddled but sweats at night.

For both of these reasons, I have discovered I LOVE carter's 100% cotton receiving blankets.  My doctor had told me that babies with sensitive skin often do better with 100% cotton materials (which I have found to be true for him).  Plus, these blankets are the PERFECT size for swaddling my 2 month old baby.  They stretch a little too, so I can still get him nice and snug with these blankets.  The ones pictured aren't the same ones I have, but they are similar enough.  I originally had 2 that my in-laws gave to me as a shower gift.  After realizing how much I liked them, I went out and bought 4 more.



Can Do Attitude

Today's post is going to be a double-post.  First of all, I wanted to write my blogs about what I've discovered after having a baby with some regularity, predictability, etc.  So, I designated Thursday for these posts (unless something else comes up).  However, today is also a special day.  It is September 8th and Gordon Lee is 2 months old today.  Today's post will cover something I've learned and a few things about Gordon Lee on his 2 month birthday.

I remember working out at the YMCA with my dad a couple of years ago.  I had been lifting (what I felt) was a good amount of weight.  I was on a leg extension machine lifting two 45 lb plates on each side.  I felt pretty tired.  At this point, my father came over and added two more 45 lb plates.  WHAT?!? 180 pounds? You have got to be kidding me! "I can't do that!" I told him.  He reassured me that I could and to at least try a few repetitions.  Well, after lifting quite a few times (I no longer remember how many), I realized that I very well could do it! After this fact, he told me that sometimes you think you've reached your limit just because your mind thinks so when really you haven't.  


I won't forget this lesson because it has carried over to so many other areas of my life.  I am going to stop holding my breath for some elusive future when things are going to get "easier." During Gordon Lee's first week or so, I remember asking my mom, "Please tell me it gets easier." I'd been so sleep deprived due to the fact that I hadn't slept in over 24 hours after he was born.  Then, he needed to eat every 1-2 hours.  And I remember thinking, When in the world am I going to get any sleep? It just seemed like an uphill struggle that had no end.  


I knew it would get easier, but I spent my days just waiting for the next week, the next day, the next month when things would stop being so crazy.  Plain and simple.  They haven't.  Some days are easier than others.  But my baby still wants to eat basically every hour.  He is "supposed" to be able to space feedings out 3-4 hours at this point.  But, unfortunately, babies don't read the books on what they are supposed to do.  So, every hour it is (except at night when he goes 3-4 hours).  Then, he often cluster feeds from 6-10 pm meaning he eats every 30 minutes.  Yes, that is a lot of eating.  But it just goes right through him!  


I know a lot of people expecting babies right now, and I am not trying to make it seem bad.  Having a baby is a wonderful thing; it just isn't easy.  Basically, what I'm trying to say is when you think you can't to it, you can! There have been days when Gordon Lee is wonderfully peaceful and then there are other days when it seems all he ever does is cry, eat, and sleep.  I have thought I couldn't do it, but the truth is, I can.  If I keep waiting for it to get easier, then I am missing out on the time that I have with him now, which I know is so short!


Now for PART 2

Gordon Lee is 2 months old today! As now now, here are a few of the things he is doing.

smiling...as I have hundreds of pictures of this because I can't get enough of it!

laughing...he actually doesn't laugh that often but he will let out a few chuckles every now and then.  It is super cute when he does.

Fixating on objects more.   It used to be that he could only stand a few minutes (if even that long) laying down on his little playmat before he started screaming like he was in a torture chamber.  Now, he actually takes notice of the things there and will lie there for much longer.  However, he still has a lot of times when he wants nothing to do with it.  In the video, he is having a moment when he can't get enough of his star that lights up and plays music for him.

He also interacts quite a bit.  If I say things like "Hi," "Hi, Gordon Lee," "I love you" or "Good Morning," he often responds with a coo or a little happy noise.

It really is fun to watch him grow and develop.  Babies change so fast.  It sometimes seems like there is something new every day!

Home

I am planning on making a trip home starting Monday while my husband goes to training in South Carolina.  I should arrive there on Tuesday and stay for about 2 weeks.  For those of you at "home," I'd love to meet up if you are available.  It will be nice to be able to get of the house more.  It's hard for Lee and myself here because he works very long hours.  He is very kind to watch the baby for a little while when he gets home every day so that I can work out.  But I hate to have him watch the baby too much on his own because he works 12+ hours (sometimes 24 hours) and I feel he needs a chance to relax. Even though I feel run-down sometimes with the baby, I at least do have the opportunity to lay down and nap when I feel like it.  


During the day, when I want to go out, I always go with a baby in tow.  It's a lot tricker than it seems.  I have to decide if I should take the stroller, or put the carseat in a cart.  Gordon Lee's carseat is too big to sit in the upper part of the cart, so he has to take up the whole cart.  I could take him out of his carseat and wear him around as I shop, but that's extra time and guaranteed crying for him.  The tear-free way is to leave him in his carseat.  Usually I put the carseat into his stroller and grab a basket to pick up a few things.  Sometimes, when I go to Target, I put him in the cart.  But I still can't pick up anything big because it's not like I'm going to put something on top of him. lol  I never would have imagined that shopping with a baby would take so much "figuring out."


So, I definitely look forward to just going to the store without having to worry about exactly how I am going to get in and out of there...or sticking my butt out of the side of the backseat while I fasten him in there.  I have never been so homesick as I am now.  Having time with the baby is great, but I do miss some independence every now and then.  The gym is actually a much-coveted time for me.  It is a little time when I don't have to worry about the baby and it actually provides me with one more thing--something I can control.  Soothing him sometimes feels like taking shots in the dark.  Sometimes something works and other times it doesn't.  But when I go to the gym, I know that if I do something a certain way, I will have the same result every time.  I never knew how refreshing that would be.


I am rambling now.  I never knew I would long for the comforts of home and family as much as I am.  And I am truly looking forward to feeling a little more care-free during the day.  Thank you, Mama and Papa!

Sleep Update

Well, I've been trying different techniques to help Gordon Lee nap in his crib that I have gotten from The No Cry Sleep Solution.  I was really surprised by some of the things that make so much sense that I just had not even thought of.


During nap time now he sleeps with a darker curtain up, he has his white noise machine going, I bundle him, and I actually let him sleep with his head in the corner of the crib.  Granted, I wouldn't advise having the baby sleep that way unless under close supervision.  I check on him regularly.  Otherwise, I wouldn't let him sleep like that.  In the book, the author explains that many babies like to sleep with their head "lodged," which is why many of them prefer sleeping in a car seat, infant swing, etc.  I already knew he preferred his car seat.  But I had also noticed that when I lay down with him, he likes to nuzzle his head up in my armpit.  So, I thought facing the back of his head toward the corner of the crib might help this for the time being.  I didn't get this idea from the book, but I came up with it on my own.  This type of sleep preference is apparently one that they grow out of soon after 3 months.  I also wouldn't let him sleep like this at night.  It has seemed to help a lot.  He does still wake up in his crib more often than his carseat.  However, he tends to sleep better in this position while in the crib (below is a dark picture of what he looks like sleeping this way).  

As I had said in the last blog, he is really addicted to nursing himself to sleep.  The book touched on this topic quite a bit leaving me to realize many nursing mothers have the same dilemma.  Here's an excerpt from the book describing the situation I have been in, "I've worked with many mothers whose babies are so used to Mom's presence that Mom has to put herself to bed at 7:00 and stay there because her baby has built-in radar that won't allow her to leave him alone.  Mommy also has to take daytime naps whether she wants to or not!"  This is Gordon Lee to a T! He seems to "know" (even when sleeping soundly) when I walk away.  Just minutes after I head out, he often wakes up.  This is one major reason I want him to learn to nap in his crib because I want him to learn that he can go back to sleep without me being right there.


What's her advice for getting the baby to learn this? She writes, "If you want your baby to be able to fall asleep without your help, it is essential that you sometimes let your newborn baby suck until she is sleepy, but not totally asleep.  As often as you can remove the baby and let her finish falling asleep without something in her mouth.  When you do this, your baby may resist, root, and fuss.  It's perfectly OK to give it back and start over a few minutes later.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  If you do this often enough, she will eventually learn how to fall asleep without sucking." So, this is what I've been doing.  And I don't know how well it is working.  


Gordon Lee seemed to have more trouble falling asleep last night without nursing than ever before.  However, he is just now waking up from his 2nd nap of the day and during both naps, he did wake up briefly only to go back to sleep on his own without needing to nurse!  So, who knows? I guess only time will tell if we make progress.

I Didn't Imagine It

I just wanted to post an update that I went to Gold's Gym on Saturday and I braved the free weights granted, there wasn't much to brave as only 3 guys were there. I picked up some 15 lb (bc they didn't have 12) dumbbells and did some bicep curls.  


As I was standing there between sets, I happened to glance up and see a giant sign of "free weight rules" tacked up above the mirror.  And, I kid you not, the very FIRST rule was "No grunting, yelling, or intimidating other members." I had to laugh to myself about this one! So, I wasn't imagining things; they really were intimidating.  I have belonged to a couple of different gyms and this is the first one where I have seen that rule. 


And, of course, not only was it a rule, but it was the first rule.  I'm sure they would not have put it up there if they had no reason to do it.  


But anyway, I think I'm going to try to go during the middle of the day as much as possible because it is nice and quiet with hardly anyone there.

Secret Readers

There are several people who I know follow my blog and read it on a regular basis.  Usually, I get comments, messages, etc. from them either on each blog or on one every now and then.  But it has come to my attention, that there are several "secret readers" out there.  Yes, they are those people who are not listed as following my blog nor do they leave comments on the blog or Facebook.  And it doesn't cease to surprise me when I find out about one of these secret readers.  Sometimes, somebody will mention to me on the phone "oh I was reading your blog..." or somebody else will tell me that someone else was reading.  


I am flattered that my blog is enjoyable that there are as many people out there reading it  as there are.  So, if you are one of those secret readers, thanks for reading.  I somehow feel the need to write on a variety of more interesting topics now.

Planet of the Apes

Now that I have been given permission to start exercising again, I am wanting to kick it into overdrive.  I cannot even begin to explain how depressed I get at the state my body has been left in post pregnancy.  A lot of this is my fault anyway because I should have been in better shape BEFORE I got pregnant and not caved to so many cravings I had during pregnancy. 


Anyway, during the pregnancy, I was working out and it was so hard.  I mean, you can't help but gain weight.  So, it just gets harder and harder to exercise.  I figured that it would be easier to exercise post pregnancy because at least then I wouldn't be gaining weight each time I worked out.  And I could actually feel like I was working towards something instead of against it.


Well, I only just started working out yesterday.  I am SUPER motivated because I cannot stand the condition I am in now.  I am completely driven to work hard.  My husband and I have worked out a nice deal that I will head to the gym when he gets home from work.  It's nice.  I get to burn off some extra energy and I only take about an hour.  


So, I'm starting out doing a lot of strength training.  And I completely shocked myself yesterday with how LITTLE I was actually able to do (only more motivation for me to keep at it at this point).  I struggled to lift half the weight I used to and my legs felt like jello walking out of the gym.  


I went back today to work on upper body only to discover that I am completely intimidated by the men at Gold's Gym.  At any gym, the men dominate the free weights as though that is their territory and some never work out anywhere else.  However, Gold's Gym (at least the one here) seems very much different.  The free weights are swarmed with men strutting around in their he-manness (yes I'm aware that's not a word).  And while I should be seeing this.

I'm seeing something more like this.

I get this whole "My Territory: Keep Out Because I Have Big Muscles" vibe--whether that is real or imagined.  And I get the feeling all of the other women at the gym feel that way as well.  Because I haven't seen even one woman over there..not one.  

When I used to work out at the YMCA, the majority of the people in the free weights was also the male population.  However, they didn't seem to clog it up and strut around as if they owned it.  And there were always a few women over there.

And, of course, I feel like you can tell my looking at me that I clearly have not been working out and I just "don't belong."  So, I resigned myself to the "women's" weight lifting machines tonight because I felt that was where I felt the least intimidated.  But I know I'd get a better work out with the free weights.  

I'm thinking I will just have to get over my whole intimidation (I'm even afraid to look at them) of these men who look like they could bulldoze a bus with their bare hands...and step in there, pick up my 12 lb dumbbells and do what I need to do.