:)
So, I've gone and learned some things in the past few weeks... or days? Everything STILL seems mushed together. I don't know how working moms do it - go back in only 6 weeks. That's craziness. I feel I will never be caught up on sleep. Just when I think we get a good night's schedule down, the whole day is shot and vice versa.
Anyway. I've learned that we can't watch late night movies anymore. No movies that will end past 11pm. If you don't have it in by 9, we aint watching it. She usually falls asleep at 11 and will, without a movie playing, sleep til 3am and then is up for another feeding and goes back down again. But if not, she wakes up at 1 wants to eat and stays awake until 5 or 6 in the morning.. wanting to eat on and off.
And guess who always gets to stay up and try to get her to sleep? Me. Tired, drained, "no milkies left" ol' me.
I've realized that that pattern was only happening on the nights we put in movies past 11. So I made a new rule that all household members are in their rooms at 11, no matter what. Because I can't take sleep deprivation anymore. That's not my cup of tea.. err. hot chocolate! And it's actually worked quite nicely! I'm pretty sure it is over stimulation and confusion during the night time, when things are dark but a movie is playing.. somehow that messes her up and she stays awake all.night.long.
But since we've stopped that, it's been good. Only.. today, she decided that ever since 7am, she was going to wake up every 2 hours to eat. So that's been tiresome. But I'm not complaining.. cause I'm awake enough to write this!
Shall I scare you with a story about our lovely Sunday experience?
I'm gonna anyway, cause it's my blog :P
So, Saturday night was all fine and dandy. Gave Lydia a bath, got her dressed for church (took some cute pictures that I'll put up), fed her and gave her to Jonathan to hold on to while I showered so we would be all ready for Sunday morning ahead of time. We are always running late. I even went and read our Sunday school primary lesson and figured out what I was going to plan because with the baby, that always comes last minute as well. Well, when I was in the shower around 1230am, Jonathan put in the Best Two Years (about Mormon missionaries) and it turned out Lydia ended up staying awake through most of it. Then when he went to sleep, she ended up staying up the whole night. I had successfully gotten her to sleep twice. But each time I'd lay her down she'd wake up and want to eat again. I was so tired and had nothing left, that around 5am after I had gotten her down the 2nd time she woke me up, and crying I asked Jonathan to take her while I got some sleep. I told him he'd have to take her to church and do the lesson this time so I could stay home and get some sleep. Only thing was, he didn't get much sleep either and he had to work at 2:30 later that day. Anyways, he kindly took her, changed the diaper (which pretty much woke the whole house up with her screaming lol.
Yes, she's learned to cry now.. sigh. I've been so spoiled) and had her for 2 hours while I slept. Then he gave her back to me. We were both so desperate, and I didn't really have much milk, so we resorted to a sample formula bottle my midwife gave me. Lydia drank it down quite nicely, and I even gave her what I had. She ended up going to sleep at half an hour later.
Sweet relief! Or so I thought....
I wake up at 8:55 with Lydia barfing all over me and her. I was really shocked cause she rarely barfs, and especially not like this. So we get all cleaned up and changed and I look at the time and see Jonathan still sleeping on the bed. Apparently my mom left for Church (which starts at 9) and didn't even bother asking to see if he was going to go. SO.. there was no one to teach the lesson! And I couldn't call the church and inform anyone because it was right as sacrament was going to start.
Luckily, I saw my sister who was going to drive herself late to Church and asked if she would teach the lesson and filled her in on what she needs to know to teach the 6-8 year olds. Then Lydia barfs the same way again! Mari (my sis) helps me clean it all up. Poor tired little Lydia, she falls asleep against my chest within 5 minutes and after Mari leaves for Church, she starts making the choking sounds again and barfs a 3rd time! This time I just held her in the air and let it go all over my chest. I felt so bad. She never pukes like that. So we cleaned that up and I gave her to Jonathan and she fell asleep right over his chest, while I started the laundry. I'm never giving her formula again, no matter how desperate!
lol It just seemed like as the morning was approaching, things were just becoming more disastrous! One bad thing happening after another. So that's when I made my 11 o' clock rule. Lesson learned.. finally haha.
I've also learned that she favors my shoulder a lot. She sleeps pretty well on my left side once she is completely full. I actually love it when she lays over my shoulder content right before she sleeps. It's precious. I also feel like I am the only one in the family who knows how to put her to sleep! Or keep her content.. or change her diaper for that matter haha. I guess it comes with the title of Mommy.
Oh well. :) I treasure these precious memories. She's growing up so big already. Can turn her head from side to side and stand while you hold her for longer than 3 seconds haha. And she smiles so much. She's even getting "heavy" haha. Hay 6 to 8lbs is a big leap. I can't just hold her in one arm any more without getting tired. But I love all of it. At times I get so overwhelmed, but when she's asleep and I have time to think about her, I don't actually mind the sleepless nights because it just means I get to bond more with my baby!
She is the best decision we've ever made!!
Heeehee surprise!
Love this face!
Cutie patootie!
