So, as you all know, Max is 15 weeks old as of this past Saturday and, as I have written about many times, he's not a great sleeper. He's had a few nights where he's slept for about 7 hours straight but that's about all we can seem to get so far. One thing I haven't clearly stated is that I am the only one who has EVER gotten up with him in the middle of the night. For one, I'm nursing so unless I pump, I'm the only one who can feed him. Another reason is that Christian has to work and I don't so I can actually rest during the day if I need to. And, if I'm being totally honest, another reason is that I think I'm the only one who knows how to do everything the "right" way. ((Hi, my name is Chrissi and I'm a control freak))
Well, last night I decided to let Christian take Max duty when he woke up for the first time. I had a bottle all ready for him when we went to bed around 11 last night (which is very late for us). Max actually went to bed around 6:30. He's been falling asleep earlier and earlier lately. So anyway.... Max woke up at about midnight and his first little whimper wakes me up but Christian is always able to sleep right through anything. I guess it's a mother thing- I am such a light sleeper now. I had to practically shake Christian to death in order to wake him up to go in there and feed Max. Finally he wakes up and goes and gets Max and starts feeding him. I then hear Christian walking out of Max's room and into the bathroom. I'm laying in bed wondering what the hell he's doing. Then, I hear him peeing. Then.... I hear something drop. Then... I hear Max kind of start to fuss and Christian shushing him a little. Then.... I hear Christian walking back towards our bedroom and he says "you'll never guess what just happened". At that point I knew. My darling husband was trying to pee and feed Max as the same time. He was holding the bottle in Max's mouth with his chin while his other hand (the one that wasn't holding Max) was "occupied". Then, Max decided to move his head a little, like all babies do, and the whole damn bottle fell into the toilet.
Oh. My. God. I wanted to murder Christian. Six ounces of breastmilk (which is more valuable than gold in our house) was floating in a bowl of pee. Fabulous, freaking fabulous. So, obviously, I had to go in and finish that feeding.
I could tell Christian felt horrible and we ended up laughing about it but I hope he learned a lesson! And, I may have learned to stick with my control freak ways. haha
Anyway, I thought all of you would enjoy that. Hope you're having a great week!!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Monday, June 4, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
How the heck is it JUNE?!
I'll repeat the title of this post- HOW THE HECK IS IT JUNE?! I can't believe this year is almost half over. That is craaaaazy. I guess time flies when you're having fun (and raising a baby). :)
I hope all of you are doing well and having a great weekend! Christian's squadron is having their annual picnic today so Max and I are about to head out to base to meet Christian for that. Christian is getting in the dunk tank so this should be fun! haha Apparently, he got the most votes within the squadron to be the person in the tank. I'm starting to wonder if people don't like him. haha Just kidding. :)
Last night we had our friend Scott come in town. He's checking out Christian's squadron as a potential squadron to drill with as a reservist. So, he got in around 5 and we all went out to Haddonfield's First Friday celebration. But, it wasn't as crowded as usual because of the threat of major weather that we had last night. It wasn't too bad around here but apparently areas south of us got it pretty hard. Hoping everyone that was affected is OK!
So, I have to fess up to something. :-/ Many of you may have seen on Facebook that Max and I went to the beach this week. We had such a great time with friends and he loves the beach. However, (and I cringe as I type this) he got his first little sunburn. We were under an umbrella the entire time and he was never in direct sunlight but the reflections off the sand got him. I feel AWFULLLLLLLL. Seriously, I've never felt worse about myself in my entire life. BUT, it doesn't seem to bother him AT ALL. He's happy as can be and sleeping just the same as always. It's on his forehead and he even had little tiny water blisters. Yeah, imagine having to look at your little angel with a red face and little bumps. AWFUL! I called his pediatrician yesterday morning (the morning after it happened) and asked if there is anything I should do and he said as long as Max doesn't seem bothered by it, don't worry about it. But, as the day went on yesterday, I couldn't get ANYTHING done because I couldn't stop looking up stuff online to help calm my nerves about it. Yeah, the internet sucks for that. So, I called the doctor's office again and asked if I could bring him in just to have it looked at. They said sure so I took him in. The doctor just gave me some pointers for the next time we're out at the beach (which isn't in my near future since I still feel horrible about it) to help block the reflections and all that jazz. He's still a little too young for sunscreen, she says, so I have to be super careful in just keeping him out of the sun. She suggested I just put Aquaphor (a thick healing cream for babies) on it to keep it moisturized and to nurse him more often to make sure he's staying super hydrated. But, like I said, he's totally fine and content and doesn't even flinch with I put the lotion on him. I also gave him a bath this morning and washed his hair and face and he just kept on splashing like always! haha I think it's way worse for me than it is for him. I HATE it and I've apologized to him about a thousand times. haha
Well, other than that debacle, we are just having a great time watching Max grow and become so much fun! He's so darn cute and he learns new things so quickly! I can't wait to get back down to Florida for the family to see him! Only about two more weeks until I'm there! I'm soooo excited! I'm flying out of Washington DC since they have direct flights. I'm going to stay with my father-in-law (Jurgen) in Baltimore the night before and he'll drive me and Max down to the airport for our flight out. It's about a two and a half hour flight so hopefully Max will do really well again. He's not as fussy as he used to be but he stays awake longer and wants to play so hopefully he won't get too antsy.
Also, we FINALLY ordered the pictures that we had taken when Max was two weeks old. They're so precious! I'll post them on Facebook ASAP so y'all can take a look. The files are too big and take too long to upload on here. :)
Well, enjoy your weekend and have a happy day!
xoxo,
Chrissi
I hope all of you are doing well and having a great weekend! Christian's squadron is having their annual picnic today so Max and I are about to head out to base to meet Christian for that. Christian is getting in the dunk tank so this should be fun! haha Apparently, he got the most votes within the squadron to be the person in the tank. I'm starting to wonder if people don't like him. haha Just kidding. :)
Last night we had our friend Scott come in town. He's checking out Christian's squadron as a potential squadron to drill with as a reservist. So, he got in around 5 and we all went out to Haddonfield's First Friday celebration. But, it wasn't as crowded as usual because of the threat of major weather that we had last night. It wasn't too bad around here but apparently areas south of us got it pretty hard. Hoping everyone that was affected is OK!
So, I have to fess up to something. :-/ Many of you may have seen on Facebook that Max and I went to the beach this week. We had such a great time with friends and he loves the beach. However, (and I cringe as I type this) he got his first little sunburn. We were under an umbrella the entire time and he was never in direct sunlight but the reflections off the sand got him. I feel AWFULLLLLLLL. Seriously, I've never felt worse about myself in my entire life. BUT, it doesn't seem to bother him AT ALL. He's happy as can be and sleeping just the same as always. It's on his forehead and he even had little tiny water blisters. Yeah, imagine having to look at your little angel with a red face and little bumps. AWFUL! I called his pediatrician yesterday morning (the morning after it happened) and asked if there is anything I should do and he said as long as Max doesn't seem bothered by it, don't worry about it. But, as the day went on yesterday, I couldn't get ANYTHING done because I couldn't stop looking up stuff online to help calm my nerves about it. Yeah, the internet sucks for that. So, I called the doctor's office again and asked if I could bring him in just to have it looked at. They said sure so I took him in. The doctor just gave me some pointers for the next time we're out at the beach (which isn't in my near future since I still feel horrible about it) to help block the reflections and all that jazz. He's still a little too young for sunscreen, she says, so I have to be super careful in just keeping him out of the sun. She suggested I just put Aquaphor (a thick healing cream for babies) on it to keep it moisturized and to nurse him more often to make sure he's staying super hydrated. But, like I said, he's totally fine and content and doesn't even flinch with I put the lotion on him. I also gave him a bath this morning and washed his hair and face and he just kept on splashing like always! haha I think it's way worse for me than it is for him. I HATE it and I've apologized to him about a thousand times. haha
Well, other than that debacle, we are just having a great time watching Max grow and become so much fun! He's so darn cute and he learns new things so quickly! I can't wait to get back down to Florida for the family to see him! Only about two more weeks until I'm there! I'm soooo excited! I'm flying out of Washington DC since they have direct flights. I'm going to stay with my father-in-law (Jurgen) in Baltimore the night before and he'll drive me and Max down to the airport for our flight out. It's about a two and a half hour flight so hopefully Max will do really well again. He's not as fussy as he used to be but he stays awake longer and wants to play so hopefully he won't get too antsy.
Also, we FINALLY ordered the pictures that we had taken when Max was two weeks old. They're so precious! I'll post them on Facebook ASAP so y'all can take a look. The files are too big and take too long to upload on here. :)
Well, enjoy your weekend and have a happy day!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Rain, rain, go away!
Hey everyone,
I hope someone, somewhere in the country, is enjoying delightful weather. Because it's been gloomyyyyy up here! I'm looking forward to the end of the week when it's supposed to be sunny and 75! This rainy/cloudy weather is no good for my mood which is already subpar due to lack of sleep. :-/ Yes, folks, you heard it here... my son refuses to sleep. OK, so it's not AWFUL or anything but it's not ideal either. During the day, he still isn't sleeping more than about 45 minutes at a time. So, that's just super. haha Then, at night, we've been trying to put him down earlier so Christian and I can have a little alone time. So, his bedtime is now between 7 & 8. Well, he usually sleeps until midnight or 1 a.m. and then he's up about every two to three hours after that. We usually go to bed between 9 & 10 so it's just not a whole lot of sleep. Like last night, put him down at 7:30 and he woke at midnight, 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. and then laid in bed with me until about 8:15. It could be worse, I know. But why does it seem that almost everyone else's baby sleeps through the night?? Blah. I just like to think Max is getting all kinds of super nutrients at night and he'll be a genius one day because of it. Hahaha.... rriiiiiiiight.
It's a bummer because it seems like we're going backwards in nighttime sleep. He was only waking up once a night around 3 a.m. and then we'd get up around 7 a.m. That wasn't bad AT ALL! I didn't mind the one midnight feeding... but, two or three is a bit draining. Maybe we'll have to sacrifice our mommy/daddy time a little while longer and keep a later bedtime. :( I feel like Christian and I just haven't had much quality time together that isn't spent with baby in tow or when we weren't too tired to even focus on anything other than a boring show on t.v. Again, I wish we lived near family so we had all sorts of baby sitters! But, right now, we don't so I'll just suck it up.
Speaking of living near family, we got some weird news today in regards to Christian's career that kind of throws a loop in plans. We have always been under the impression that Christian would be able to continue flying for the rest of his time in the Navy until he retires in five years. Well, apparently that might not be possible now because of so many squadrons decommissioning and so many new applicants for the program he's in right now. So, now, there's some kind of guideline that states he can't do two of the same kind of tours after his department head tour, which he's in right now. Basically, the only way he'll be able to get a flying position next is if there's some kind of billet that can't be filled with a new applicant. Those are few and far between. It looks like we'll be doing some kind of staff tour somewhere and hoping that during that staff tour, Christian can still fly with a squadron that's close by so he can maintain his currency and get a job flying when he retires. So, there are all kinds of NOSC (not sure what that stands for but it's the position name) locations all over the country... even in Pensacola. We're still a little far out to even have any clue what our options are but Christian's going to start talking to his CO and detailer soon to get some ideas. Obviously I'm pushing for us to come back to Florida in any way possible. My mindset has TOTALLY changed since having Max. Before him, I really didn't mind living away from family because it was relatively easy for me to hop on a flight for a visit. Now, it's a totally different ballgame. And, to add one more kid in the mix eventually would just make it that much harder to travel by air in the next four or five years until they're old enough to walk along with me. Then, by that time, I'd have to buy three tickets if I wanted to take the kids down to Florida! AHHH! haha These are the things I think about in the long run and my darling husband just doesn't. So, we have some things to figure out and decisions to make. Hopefully we still have quite a bit of say-so in regards to where we end up. I'll update you guys once we know more.
So anyway, everything else is going well. Max is getting big and he's so funny. He smiles quite a bit now, especially after he wakes up and after he eats. In between those times, he's a bit more grumpy. haha Right now, I hear him fussing up a storm downstairs with Christian. But, I deal with it all day long so I'm letting daddy get a little taste. haha He's been kind of a pill today anyway so I'm enjoying the little break! Not sure if he's going through a growth spurt lately or what but he gets frustrated while breastfeeding and won't finish a feeding but takes a bottle of pumped milk perfectly. So, this afternoon, I'm just pumping and giving him a bottle so I know he's getting a full feeding. :( Hopefully he stays a little more chilled out and lets me get more than a couple hours of sleep at a time. :) I know it will eventually happen and I will eventually get a normal night's sleep but man, oh man, I miss my 10 hours of sleep that I used to get. haha Those are long gone.
Well, I hope you guys are having a great week so far! I think we're going to go visit the Underwoods this weekend down in Baltimore but those are our only plans. Thankfully the weather will be nice!
I'll talk to you all soon!
xo,
Chrissi
I hope someone, somewhere in the country, is enjoying delightful weather. Because it's been gloomyyyyy up here! I'm looking forward to the end of the week when it's supposed to be sunny and 75! This rainy/cloudy weather is no good for my mood which is already subpar due to lack of sleep. :-/ Yes, folks, you heard it here... my son refuses to sleep. OK, so it's not AWFUL or anything but it's not ideal either. During the day, he still isn't sleeping more than about 45 minutes at a time. So, that's just super. haha Then, at night, we've been trying to put him down earlier so Christian and I can have a little alone time. So, his bedtime is now between 7 & 8. Well, he usually sleeps until midnight or 1 a.m. and then he's up about every two to three hours after that. We usually go to bed between 9 & 10 so it's just not a whole lot of sleep. Like last night, put him down at 7:30 and he woke at midnight, 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. and then laid in bed with me until about 8:15. It could be worse, I know. But why does it seem that almost everyone else's baby sleeps through the night?? Blah. I just like to think Max is getting all kinds of super nutrients at night and he'll be a genius one day because of it. Hahaha.... rriiiiiiiight.
It's a bummer because it seems like we're going backwards in nighttime sleep. He was only waking up once a night around 3 a.m. and then we'd get up around 7 a.m. That wasn't bad AT ALL! I didn't mind the one midnight feeding... but, two or three is a bit draining. Maybe we'll have to sacrifice our mommy/daddy time a little while longer and keep a later bedtime. :( I feel like Christian and I just haven't had much quality time together that isn't spent with baby in tow or when we weren't too tired to even focus on anything other than a boring show on t.v. Again, I wish we lived near family so we had all sorts of baby sitters! But, right now, we don't so I'll just suck it up.
Speaking of living near family, we got some weird news today in regards to Christian's career that kind of throws a loop in plans. We have always been under the impression that Christian would be able to continue flying for the rest of his time in the Navy until he retires in five years. Well, apparently that might not be possible now because of so many squadrons decommissioning and so many new applicants for the program he's in right now. So, now, there's some kind of guideline that states he can't do two of the same kind of tours after his department head tour, which he's in right now. Basically, the only way he'll be able to get a flying position next is if there's some kind of billet that can't be filled with a new applicant. Those are few and far between. It looks like we'll be doing some kind of staff tour somewhere and hoping that during that staff tour, Christian can still fly with a squadron that's close by so he can maintain his currency and get a job flying when he retires. So, there are all kinds of NOSC (not sure what that stands for but it's the position name) locations all over the country... even in Pensacola. We're still a little far out to even have any clue what our options are but Christian's going to start talking to his CO and detailer soon to get some ideas. Obviously I'm pushing for us to come back to Florida in any way possible. My mindset has TOTALLY changed since having Max. Before him, I really didn't mind living away from family because it was relatively easy for me to hop on a flight for a visit. Now, it's a totally different ballgame. And, to add one more kid in the mix eventually would just make it that much harder to travel by air in the next four or five years until they're old enough to walk along with me. Then, by that time, I'd have to buy three tickets if I wanted to take the kids down to Florida! AHHH! haha These are the things I think about in the long run and my darling husband just doesn't. So, we have some things to figure out and decisions to make. Hopefully we still have quite a bit of say-so in regards to where we end up. I'll update you guys once we know more.
So anyway, everything else is going well. Max is getting big and he's so funny. He smiles quite a bit now, especially after he wakes up and after he eats. In between those times, he's a bit more grumpy. haha Right now, I hear him fussing up a storm downstairs with Christian. But, I deal with it all day long so I'm letting daddy get a little taste. haha He's been kind of a pill today anyway so I'm enjoying the little break! Not sure if he's going through a growth spurt lately or what but he gets frustrated while breastfeeding and won't finish a feeding but takes a bottle of pumped milk perfectly. So, this afternoon, I'm just pumping and giving him a bottle so I know he's getting a full feeding. :( Hopefully he stays a little more chilled out and lets me get more than a couple hours of sleep at a time. :) I know it will eventually happen and I will eventually get a normal night's sleep but man, oh man, I miss my 10 hours of sleep that I used to get. haha Those are long gone.
Well, I hope you guys are having a great week so far! I think we're going to go visit the Underwoods this weekend down in Baltimore but those are our only plans. Thankfully the weather will be nice!
I'll talk to you all soon!
xo,
Chrissi
Friday, May 4, 2012
It's May, y'all!
Hey everybody!
Can any of you believe it's already May? It seems like yesterday I was taking down my Christmas tree! Now, it's almost summertime! Crazy how time flies when your a super busy mom! haha
We made it back from Florida and I did NOT want to come home! I had such a great time and I really got to experience what it would be like to live near family and MAN OH MAN do I wish we could live near my family. :( I guess it makes it more special when we do get to see everyone, though. I hope those of you who get to have your kids around your extended family never take that for granted! So anyway, we had a great trip! It was a blast seeing Max meet everyone. He even met some new friends- cousin Bram, the twins, Lilah and Colin and big man Easton! He did great around them. :) He also had his first real beach day which he loved. The sounds of the water and birds put him right to sleep. I think Max and I are going to come back in June for a couple weeks while Christian is in Japan. There are direct flights out of DC that are pretty cheap so I'll fly out of there and won't have to worry about a layover anywhere. Perfect! The flight I'm looking at now gets in the evening of June 18th and I'll come back July 1st. That will give me two weeks down there which will be great! Plus, many of my friends are teachers so they'll already be off for the summer so we'll have plenty of playmates!
Things have been good since we got back home. Max is still having nap issues but he's only waking once at night, which is good. I guess you gotta take the bad with the good, right? Ugh... With his naps only being about 45 minutes, it's very hard for me to get anything done. I either get to eat, clean or take a shower... and it's usually one of those per nap. haha But, the crappy thing is, when he wakes from his nap, it's not like he's rested and a happy baby. He's kind of fussy and I can tell he's still super tired. He'll get fussy and his eyes stay in little slits but he won't sleep hard. I've tried pretty much everything but if any of you have any ideas, please send them my way!
Anyway, Christian leaves tomorrow for about five days so that kind of stinks. :( His traveling really stinks now that Max is here. If we could just win the lottery or something and have Christian not work and we could all just hang out every day, that would be fabulous! haha I can dream, right?
Well, I hope all of you had a great week and are looking forward to a great weekend!
xo,
Chrissi
Can any of you believe it's already May? It seems like yesterday I was taking down my Christmas tree! Now, it's almost summertime! Crazy how time flies when your a super busy mom! haha
We made it back from Florida and I did NOT want to come home! I had such a great time and I really got to experience what it would be like to live near family and MAN OH MAN do I wish we could live near my family. :( I guess it makes it more special when we do get to see everyone, though. I hope those of you who get to have your kids around your extended family never take that for granted! So anyway, we had a great trip! It was a blast seeing Max meet everyone. He even met some new friends- cousin Bram, the twins, Lilah and Colin and big man Easton! He did great around them. :) He also had his first real beach day which he loved. The sounds of the water and birds put him right to sleep. I think Max and I are going to come back in June for a couple weeks while Christian is in Japan. There are direct flights out of DC that are pretty cheap so I'll fly out of there and won't have to worry about a layover anywhere. Perfect! The flight I'm looking at now gets in the evening of June 18th and I'll come back July 1st. That will give me two weeks down there which will be great! Plus, many of my friends are teachers so they'll already be off for the summer so we'll have plenty of playmates!
Things have been good since we got back home. Max is still having nap issues but he's only waking once at night, which is good. I guess you gotta take the bad with the good, right? Ugh... With his naps only being about 45 minutes, it's very hard for me to get anything done. I either get to eat, clean or take a shower... and it's usually one of those per nap. haha But, the crappy thing is, when he wakes from his nap, it's not like he's rested and a happy baby. He's kind of fussy and I can tell he's still super tired. He'll get fussy and his eyes stay in little slits but he won't sleep hard. I've tried pretty much everything but if any of you have any ideas, please send them my way!
Anyway, Christian leaves tomorrow for about five days so that kind of stinks. :( His traveling really stinks now that Max is here. If we could just win the lottery or something and have Christian not work and we could all just hang out every day, that would be fabulous! haha I can dream, right?
Well, I hope all of you had a great week and are looking forward to a great weekend!
xo,
Chrissi
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Florida in 3 days!!!
Hey y'all!
I'm getting so excited about going to Pensacola! I'm so pumped to watch my best friend in the entire world get married Saturday! Woohoo! I'm also so excited for everyone to meet Max! I know he's going to love it, too. :)
So, everything is going well up here. Christian is on another trip until tomorrow. He went down to Central or South America somewhere... I can't remember. haha So, he'll be back tomorrow and take Thursday off and then we'll fly down to Florida Friday morning bright and early. Our flight leaves at 6 a.m. so that will be awesome. (sarcasm) haha
Max is still doing well. We've hit a few road blocks with his routine and he's been a little more fussy and waking up more at night lately. It's been about a week of him only napping about 45 minutes at a time so it's been draining me. Then, he sleeps about 4-5 hours right when I put him down at night but then he's up every two hours. UGH! Needless to say, I'm a little sleepy. But, I'm making it. I think he's starting to have trouble transitioning through sleep cycles. A typical sleep cycle for infants is 45 minutes and I can time it to the minute of when he'll wake up. It's really crazy. So, something I just tried on his most recent nap is to go into his room about five minutes before he wakes up (since I know exactly when he wakes) and put some firm pressure on his legs and arms so he doesn't startle himself awake. Then, I have to stand there like that while he goes through the REM cycle. It's really interesting to watch and I get to stare at my little precious angel while he sleeps. So, it's not so bad. This seemed to work on this particular nap because he's been down for about 2 hours now and I went in twice to help him! Hopefully that is the issue and I can help him get a little more rest during the day since I know that helps him sleep much better at night. Plus, it helps me determine what he's in need of! When he was waking after 45 minutes, I had no idea what he needed! I'd change his diaper and that wasn't it. I'd try to feed him and he'd fuss the whole time and barely eat so I know he's not waking out of hunger. So, I'm really hoping I've found the culprit. Wish me luck! Things that I've read online say that I may have to help him transition for about a week but I'm willing to do it if it helps him learn to do it on his on and not wake himself up totally and be grumpy!
So anyway, it's been crazy warm up here the past two days! Yesterday it was 90 degrees!!! Today, it's about 80 and it's been beautiful both days. Yesterday, we went out to Point Pleasant Beach here in NJ with my friend Amy and her little boy. We just drove out, had lunch and walked the boardwalk a little bit but it was a good time. Like I said, the weather was gorgeous and it was actually a lot cooler by the ocean. So, that was fun. Today, I just ran to the grocery store and went to pick up my bridesmaid dress from the seamstress. It fits perfectly so I'm super happy about that. I'm getting a spray tan on Thursday to mask some of my white girl look. haha I'm so pale, it's ridiculous!
But anyway, I hope all of you are having a great week and I'll see a lot of you in the next week or so!!!
xoxo,
Chrissi
I'm getting so excited about going to Pensacola! I'm so pumped to watch my best friend in the entire world get married Saturday! Woohoo! I'm also so excited for everyone to meet Max! I know he's going to love it, too. :)
So, everything is going well up here. Christian is on another trip until tomorrow. He went down to Central or South America somewhere... I can't remember. haha So, he'll be back tomorrow and take Thursday off and then we'll fly down to Florida Friday morning bright and early. Our flight leaves at 6 a.m. so that will be awesome. (sarcasm) haha
Max is still doing well. We've hit a few road blocks with his routine and he's been a little more fussy and waking up more at night lately. It's been about a week of him only napping about 45 minutes at a time so it's been draining me. Then, he sleeps about 4-5 hours right when I put him down at night but then he's up every two hours. UGH! Needless to say, I'm a little sleepy. But, I'm making it. I think he's starting to have trouble transitioning through sleep cycles. A typical sleep cycle for infants is 45 minutes and I can time it to the minute of when he'll wake up. It's really crazy. So, something I just tried on his most recent nap is to go into his room about five minutes before he wakes up (since I know exactly when he wakes) and put some firm pressure on his legs and arms so he doesn't startle himself awake. Then, I have to stand there like that while he goes through the REM cycle. It's really interesting to watch and I get to stare at my little precious angel while he sleeps. So, it's not so bad. This seemed to work on this particular nap because he's been down for about 2 hours now and I went in twice to help him! Hopefully that is the issue and I can help him get a little more rest during the day since I know that helps him sleep much better at night. Plus, it helps me determine what he's in need of! When he was waking after 45 minutes, I had no idea what he needed! I'd change his diaper and that wasn't it. I'd try to feed him and he'd fuss the whole time and barely eat so I know he's not waking out of hunger. So, I'm really hoping I've found the culprit. Wish me luck! Things that I've read online say that I may have to help him transition for about a week but I'm willing to do it if it helps him learn to do it on his on and not wake himself up totally and be grumpy!
So anyway, it's been crazy warm up here the past two days! Yesterday it was 90 degrees!!! Today, it's about 80 and it's been beautiful both days. Yesterday, we went out to Point Pleasant Beach here in NJ with my friend Amy and her little boy. We just drove out, had lunch and walked the boardwalk a little bit but it was a good time. Like I said, the weather was gorgeous and it was actually a lot cooler by the ocean. So, that was fun. Today, I just ran to the grocery store and went to pick up my bridesmaid dress from the seamstress. It fits perfectly so I'm super happy about that. I'm getting a spray tan on Thursday to mask some of my white girl look. haha I'm so pale, it's ridiculous!
But anyway, I hope all of you are having a great week and I'll see a lot of you in the next week or so!!!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Update
Hi everyone!
Well, Christian made it home last week. He was delayed a couple days but he's home now and I couldn't be happier about that! It's amazing how much easier caring for a baby is when you actually have your husband around! haha Well, it's not exactly easy... but it's certainly easier than doing it all on my own!
So, he made it home Tuesday and we left Thursday to head out to his dad's in Maryland. This weekend was the first time that side of the family has seen Max so it was a nice little visit. He traveled in the car really well and pretty much slept the entire way except to eat and get his diaper changed. So, that was a breeze! However, he certainly knew he wasn't at home. The first night we were there, he woke up every two hours. NOT FUN! It was especially disheartening because the two nights before that, he slept about seven hours straight! So, now that we're back home, I'm hoping he gets back to that. Last night we got home and he slept five hours, woke up once at 3 a.m. and then slept again until about 6:15 this morning. So, not too bad. But anyway, Max met his "pappy" (Christian's dad), his Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lori, and his great grandmother! A couple of Christian's cousins stopped by too. We took Max to church with us on Easter Sunday and he slept the entire service which was great! haha We were all in our nice little Easter outfits and I forgot to take a family picture before we all changed into more comfy stuff. Oh well. :(
Everything else is going well as far as Max and parenthood goes. We're still using the Baby Wise routine thing and it is really nice. Basically he eats, is awake for about 30-45 minutes after that and then sleeps for about 1.5-2 hours. He's starting to have a little more awake time as he gets older but the routine is nice because it makes things predictable for me. I know when he's going to eat and can pretty much predict when he'll sleep through something if I need to go somewhere. Breastfeeding is still going well too! I almost gave up about two weeks ago because he was going through a growth spurt for almost THREE DAYS and I was here by myself and it was just absolutely exhausting and I felt like a dairy cow. But, I'm glad I didn't give up. The only tough thing is not knowing how much he eats. We give him a bottle about three or four times a week and he seems to be eating between 3.5 and 4 ounces but I'm just worried that one day he will want a lot more than what I have in a bottle. I guess we just always have to have back-up! Breastfeeding isn't the most glamourous thing though. I have a pretty robust supply so milk gets everywhere. haha It leaks through my shirts (and breast pads) at night and sprays Max in the face sometimes. hahahah It's really ridiculous. TMI? haha
Max had his two month pediatric appointment today. He won't actually be two months until next Wednesday. So, he's a healthy 10 pounds, 11.5 ounces now so he's gaining weight well and everything else is looking good too. But, this doc appointment was pitiful! Max had to have three shots and he also had to have a hemoglobin test redone where they prick his heel and squeeze blood out to be sent off to a lab. The shots weren't terribly awful but he did scream as soon as each one was administered. So, that sucked to start with. Then, the heel prick was just absolutely awful! The prick itself hurt him but his feet were cold so his blood wasn't flowing really well so the doc had to keep squeezing the crap out of his heel to get enough blood to fill five little circles on a piece of paper for the test. He screamed and had big tears coming out of his eyes. At that point, I started crying. It was horrible! I felt so awful for him. The doctor then told me she's never had that hard of a time getting enough blood out. Ugh. Poor little guy. So, after that appointment, he crashed from exhaustion while we went to the grocery store and then he slept a little more when we got home. :( He's ok now but I can tell his little legs are sore where the shots went in. He lets out little pitiful cries when I hold him the wrong way or when I'm changing his diaper and touch his leg. :( Hopefully he feels better very soon.
Well, next Friday we have our big trip down to Florida! I can't wait to get down there and see my family and friends! I'm so excited about my BEST FRIEND's wedding!!! I'm also super pumped that we're staying at the beach for a few days on the trip! Woohoo! I'm hoping Max does well on the flight and that his sleep doesn't get too messed up like it did this past weekend. Maybe now that he's done one trip, he'll do fine on the next one. ((Wishful thinking- haha)).
I hope all of you are having a great week! I'll post again soon!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Well, Christian made it home last week. He was delayed a couple days but he's home now and I couldn't be happier about that! It's amazing how much easier caring for a baby is when you actually have your husband around! haha Well, it's not exactly easy... but it's certainly easier than doing it all on my own!
So, he made it home Tuesday and we left Thursday to head out to his dad's in Maryland. This weekend was the first time that side of the family has seen Max so it was a nice little visit. He traveled in the car really well and pretty much slept the entire way except to eat and get his diaper changed. So, that was a breeze! However, he certainly knew he wasn't at home. The first night we were there, he woke up every two hours. NOT FUN! It was especially disheartening because the two nights before that, he slept about seven hours straight! So, now that we're back home, I'm hoping he gets back to that. Last night we got home and he slept five hours, woke up once at 3 a.m. and then slept again until about 6:15 this morning. So, not too bad. But anyway, Max met his "pappy" (Christian's dad), his Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lori, and his great grandmother! A couple of Christian's cousins stopped by too. We took Max to church with us on Easter Sunday and he slept the entire service which was great! haha We were all in our nice little Easter outfits and I forgot to take a family picture before we all changed into more comfy stuff. Oh well. :(
Everything else is going well as far as Max and parenthood goes. We're still using the Baby Wise routine thing and it is really nice. Basically he eats, is awake for about 30-45 minutes after that and then sleeps for about 1.5-2 hours. He's starting to have a little more awake time as he gets older but the routine is nice because it makes things predictable for me. I know when he's going to eat and can pretty much predict when he'll sleep through something if I need to go somewhere. Breastfeeding is still going well too! I almost gave up about two weeks ago because he was going through a growth spurt for almost THREE DAYS and I was here by myself and it was just absolutely exhausting and I felt like a dairy cow. But, I'm glad I didn't give up. The only tough thing is not knowing how much he eats. We give him a bottle about three or four times a week and he seems to be eating between 3.5 and 4 ounces but I'm just worried that one day he will want a lot more than what I have in a bottle. I guess we just always have to have back-up! Breastfeeding isn't the most glamourous thing though. I have a pretty robust supply so milk gets everywhere. haha It leaks through my shirts (and breast pads) at night and sprays Max in the face sometimes. hahahah It's really ridiculous. TMI? haha
Max had his two month pediatric appointment today. He won't actually be two months until next Wednesday. So, he's a healthy 10 pounds, 11.5 ounces now so he's gaining weight well and everything else is looking good too. But, this doc appointment was pitiful! Max had to have three shots and he also had to have a hemoglobin test redone where they prick his heel and squeeze blood out to be sent off to a lab. The shots weren't terribly awful but he did scream as soon as each one was administered. So, that sucked to start with. Then, the heel prick was just absolutely awful! The prick itself hurt him but his feet were cold so his blood wasn't flowing really well so the doc had to keep squeezing the crap out of his heel to get enough blood to fill five little circles on a piece of paper for the test. He screamed and had big tears coming out of his eyes. At that point, I started crying. It was horrible! I felt so awful for him. The doctor then told me she's never had that hard of a time getting enough blood out. Ugh. Poor little guy. So, after that appointment, he crashed from exhaustion while we went to the grocery store and then he slept a little more when we got home. :( He's ok now but I can tell his little legs are sore where the shots went in. He lets out little pitiful cries when I hold him the wrong way or when I'm changing his diaper and touch his leg. :( Hopefully he feels better very soon.
Well, next Friday we have our big trip down to Florida! I can't wait to get down there and see my family and friends! I'm so excited about my BEST FRIEND's wedding!!! I'm also super pumped that we're staying at the beach for a few days on the trip! Woohoo! I'm hoping Max does well on the flight and that his sleep doesn't get too messed up like it did this past weekend. Maybe now that he's done one trip, he'll do fine on the next one. ((Wishful thinking- haha)).
I hope all of you are having a great week! I'll post again soon!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Finals days!!!!
Woohoo!!! We've almost made it! Christian should be home Sunday and I am beyond excited to have my darling home! I can't freaking wait. Luckily we've been able to Skype almost every day so that has been great. But, I hate that he's away from Max and missing out on the tiny little changes he's made in the last three week. While Christian has been gone, Max has started sleeping in his own bed, he's started cooing, he smiled for the first time while talking to Christian on Skype ***which was AMAZING***, and he's so alert and will just interact with me so much more than before. And, as I type, I'm watching him nap on the monitor and he's slowly starting to find his hands as something to suck on and soothe him. It's great. So, obviously, I can't wait for Christian to see him. :)
So, anyway, since my last post, Mom came back in town and we had a great time! She got here last Thursday and left this Tuesday. We went into Philly two of the days she was here. The first day, we saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and the second day, we went to the Art Museum. It was great to get out into the city and get a little culture. Max did great on both days and people were just oooing and ahhing over him the whole time. But, all in all, it was great to have Mom here. She kept me company and helped with Max quite a bit. It was VERY nice! I even got to go out for manicure and go back to the gym. Ahhh.... :)
The days that I haven't had company have just been spent by doing little outings here and there, attending some of the Mom's Club events and walking around the neighborhood. Today, I'm actually having to meet with a CPA to do our taxes. YIKES! We were going to do it after Christian got back but they don't accept appointment after April 1st so I'm meeting with him today and I think I have everything. Once you own a house and have investment stuff, taxes get a lot more complicated that the 1040-EZ I've always been used to! haha So, wish me luck... especially since Max is tagging along. :-/
So, Christian gets home Sunday and then he'll work a little next week and then Easter weekend we'll go out to Maryland to see his dad's and the rest of the family.
That's about it for us. Short and sweet, right? :) I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend coming up! Please pray for Christian's safe return!
xoxo,
Chrissi
So, anyway, since my last post, Mom came back in town and we had a great time! She got here last Thursday and left this Tuesday. We went into Philly two of the days she was here. The first day, we saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and the second day, we went to the Art Museum. It was great to get out into the city and get a little culture. Max did great on both days and people were just oooing and ahhing over him the whole time. But, all in all, it was great to have Mom here. She kept me company and helped with Max quite a bit. It was VERY nice! I even got to go out for manicure and go back to the gym. Ahhh.... :)
The days that I haven't had company have just been spent by doing little outings here and there, attending some of the Mom's Club events and walking around the neighborhood. Today, I'm actually having to meet with a CPA to do our taxes. YIKES! We were going to do it after Christian got back but they don't accept appointment after April 1st so I'm meeting with him today and I think I have everything. Once you own a house and have investment stuff, taxes get a lot more complicated that the 1040-EZ I've always been used to! haha So, wish me luck... especially since Max is tagging along. :-/
So, Christian gets home Sunday and then he'll work a little next week and then Easter weekend we'll go out to Maryland to see his dad's and the rest of the family.
That's about it for us. Short and sweet, right? :) I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend coming up! Please pray for Christian's safe return!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Counting the days...
Hey everyone-
Hope all of you had a great weekend and didn't get pinched yesterday on St. Patty's Day! We had a good weekend with Dad & Rhonda here. It was a nice distraction from the fact that Christian is overseas. We kept busy, took a lot of walks, went out to dinner, went shopping and just enjoyed eachother's company. We also had Christian's biological dad and step-mom come up on Saturday to see Max and meet Dad & Rhonda. We all had a really good time.
I took Dad & Rhonda to the airport this afternoon and now Max and I are back home to an empty house. :( Coming back home this afternoon to an empty house made me pretty lonely. I had a little cry but now I'm OK. I just can't believe how hard this "det" (that's what Christian's trips are called) is on me. I knew it would be tough but it's just insane how much I miss Christian. I'm fine handling Max by myself and I really don't have a problem with that. But, I miss my best friend!
So, I'm just trying to stay as busy as humanly possible to make the time go by quickly. Daylight Savings Time is helping the days seem like they go by a little more quickly. It gets dark around 7:45 p.m. here and then Max and I go to bed around 9 or 10. So, there's not a whole lot of nighttime that we have to deal with, thank goodness.
Anyway, Max hit is one month mark today! I can't believe it's been a month. I can't say that it totally flew by but it is hard to believe we made it a whole month! He is changing every day and he's SOOO close to smiling at me. He coos a lot now too which is really cute. He's gaining weight and growing like crazy! He's so precious. It really is amazing how much you can love a little guy. The immediate mother-child bond didn't happen for me (maybe it was the 30 hours of labor haha) but it's certainly growing now and I love him so much. I just can't wait for Christian to be home and enjoy all the changes he's making! I send him at least one picture of Max every day so he can keep track. :)
Well, I'm going to finish my "me" time while Max is napping. Hope you all have a great week. Please continue any prayers or good vibes for Christian, me and Max so we can make it 17 more days.
xoxo,
Chrissi
Hope all of you had a great weekend and didn't get pinched yesterday on St. Patty's Day! We had a good weekend with Dad & Rhonda here. It was a nice distraction from the fact that Christian is overseas. We kept busy, took a lot of walks, went out to dinner, went shopping and just enjoyed eachother's company. We also had Christian's biological dad and step-mom come up on Saturday to see Max and meet Dad & Rhonda. We all had a really good time.
I took Dad & Rhonda to the airport this afternoon and now Max and I are back home to an empty house. :( Coming back home this afternoon to an empty house made me pretty lonely. I had a little cry but now I'm OK. I just can't believe how hard this "det" (that's what Christian's trips are called) is on me. I knew it would be tough but it's just insane how much I miss Christian. I'm fine handling Max by myself and I really don't have a problem with that. But, I miss my best friend!
So, I'm just trying to stay as busy as humanly possible to make the time go by quickly. Daylight Savings Time is helping the days seem like they go by a little more quickly. It gets dark around 7:45 p.m. here and then Max and I go to bed around 9 or 10. So, there's not a whole lot of nighttime that we have to deal with, thank goodness.
Anyway, Max hit is one month mark today! I can't believe it's been a month. I can't say that it totally flew by but it is hard to believe we made it a whole month! He is changing every day and he's SOOO close to smiling at me. He coos a lot now too which is really cute. He's gaining weight and growing like crazy! He's so precious. It really is amazing how much you can love a little guy. The immediate mother-child bond didn't happen for me (maybe it was the 30 hours of labor haha) but it's certainly growing now and I love him so much. I just can't wait for Christian to be home and enjoy all the changes he's making! I send him at least one picture of Max every day so he can keep track. :)
Well, I'm going to finish my "me" time while Max is napping. Hope you all have a great week. Please continue any prayers or good vibes for Christian, me and Max so we can make it 17 more days.
xoxo,
Chrissi
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The day has come...
Well, the day I've been dreading is upon us and it sucks. I dropped Christian off at base this afternoon and he'll be overseas until the beginning of next month. So, it's just Max and me for the next three weeks. Yesterday was really tough and I cried a bit in anticipation of Christian leaving but today actually hasn't been awful. Christian and I were able to give Max his first real bath this morning since his umbilical cord finally fell off two nights ago. Then, we went to lunch and then I took him out to base. The goodbye was a little teary but not nearly as emotional as I expected. I thought I would totally break down but I didn't! So, now, we just have to make these next three weeks FLY BY!
I have a few things on the calendar to get us out of the house and help the days pass by. Tomorrow, I'm going to meet with a Mom's Club here in our town to see what they're all about. It's basically a group for stay-at-home moms to get together with and without their children to socialize and support one another. So, hopefully that will be something I like. We're meeting at a park nearby since the weather is so nice.
Then, my friends Vicki and Paige are coming over tomorrow evening to hang out. I'm pretty excited for some friend time! Plus, Vicki's bringing wine! haha
Then, on Friday, my dad and step-mom get in town for the weekend. I'm really excited for that too and for Max to meet another set of grandparents!
Next week, I have my post-natal doctor appointment to give me the go-ahead to get back to normal. I'm feeling great and I've lost all of my pregnancy weight so hopefully everything is going well with the rest of me recovering! I have to take Max with me to my appointment but hopefully he'll just sleep the whole time.
Sometime next week, I need to start the process of getting his birth certificate, social security stuff and then his passport since we're planning another trip to Germany later this year.
The weather is supposed to stay pretty nice the next 10 days so we'll be taking walks and going to the park some. Oh, also, Christian and I met a couple that lives like six houses down from us the other day while we were out walking. The wife, Talia, just had a baby boy on March 1st so that's pretty nice to know that someone else close by is going through what we're going through. She seems to be around my age or a little older. Hopefully she and I can connect a little more once we both really get the hang of this motherhood stuff.
Well, anyway, please just say a little prayer for the three of us so we make it through the next three weeks OK. Pray for Christian's safe flights too!
xoxo,
Chrissi
I have a few things on the calendar to get us out of the house and help the days pass by. Tomorrow, I'm going to meet with a Mom's Club here in our town to see what they're all about. It's basically a group for stay-at-home moms to get together with and without their children to socialize and support one another. So, hopefully that will be something I like. We're meeting at a park nearby since the weather is so nice.
Then, my friends Vicki and Paige are coming over tomorrow evening to hang out. I'm pretty excited for some friend time! Plus, Vicki's bringing wine! haha
Then, on Friday, my dad and step-mom get in town for the weekend. I'm really excited for that too and for Max to meet another set of grandparents!
Next week, I have my post-natal doctor appointment to give me the go-ahead to get back to normal. I'm feeling great and I've lost all of my pregnancy weight so hopefully everything is going well with the rest of me recovering! I have to take Max with me to my appointment but hopefully he'll just sleep the whole time.
Sometime next week, I need to start the process of getting his birth certificate, social security stuff and then his passport since we're planning another trip to Germany later this year.
The weather is supposed to stay pretty nice the next 10 days so we'll be taking walks and going to the park some. Oh, also, Christian and I met a couple that lives like six houses down from us the other day while we were out walking. The wife, Talia, just had a baby boy on March 1st so that's pretty nice to know that someone else close by is going through what we're going through. She seems to be around my age or a little older. Hopefully she and I can connect a little more once we both really get the hang of this motherhood stuff.
Well, anyway, please just say a little prayer for the three of us so we make it through the next three weeks OK. Pray for Christian's safe flights too!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, March 8, 2012
What a difference eight days make!
So, now we have a 19 day old! And, man, let me tell you, those eight days since my last post have only gotten better. Granted, it's still not the easiest thing in the world but we're definitely making it and I feel like my old self! I think those baby blues took a hike right at the two week point. THANK GOD! I'm hoping I never feel that way again. That was pure awful. So, all is well now and we're just making it day by day. :)
Max is doing great! I took him to the doc this morning for a weight check (they see breastfed babies a little more frequently to make sure they're gaining adequately) and he's almost a pound heavier than he was a birth! He weighed 7 lbs 3 oz at birth and now he's 8 lbs 1 oz! So, he's growing really well and proof positive that my milk supply is great! Another THANK GOD! haha He's not having any issues what so ever, other than a little diaper rash that keep creeping back in right when I think it's gone. But, that's pretty minimal and we're just managing it w/ some good ol' Butt Paste! :)
Christian is still doing well and he's such a FABULOUS dad! I'm so freakin' blessed it's ridiculous. I can't imagine having to do this on my own or with a husband who wasn't supportive. Props to any single moms out there. Holy crap you have a hard job. But anyway, Christian is home for five more days before he leaves for three weeks. Yes, that's freaking me out a bit but I know I just have to suck it up and handle it. I'm strong and I know I can do it. There may be a few tears shed while he's gone (and certainly when he leaves) but we'll be fine. Just pray for his safety please. Thank goodness he's not going on any kind of deployment. I'm not sure what I would do.
Everything at the house is slowly starting to get back in order. It's been hard to keep track of everything with this little guy latched to my boob most of the time. haha But, I've decided to start a routine with Max so I'm hoping it pays off. Basically, I read the book "On Becoming Baby Wise" and it says if you stick to their routine, your baby should sleep through the night (at least eight hours) by 12 weeks of age. I'm all about that. It's called Parent Directed Feeding. Essentially, you direct your baby's routine rather than jumping to their every single need or feeding them every time they cry. It's a lot about parental assessment of the situation and determining why baby is fussy before you all of a sudden jump to feed him. So, we've started the routine appropriate for 1-4 week olds. It's an eat, wake time, naptime routine every three hours. Then, at night, we let him sleep as long as he wants before feeding him again (usually about four hours in between feedings at night). So, hopefully, he'll understand soon enough that he eats during the day and sleeps at night. I'm on day three of that schedule now and it seems to be working pretty well (knock on wood). It also helps me with a little bit of predictability throughout my day. I asked Max's pediatrician about this routine business this morning and this is pretty much what she did with her kids so she has no problem with it. So, wish us continued success with this!
Anyway, just wanted to provide a little update for you guys! Hope all of you are having a great week! It's 70 degrees up here today and gorgeous!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Max is doing great! I took him to the doc this morning for a weight check (they see breastfed babies a little more frequently to make sure they're gaining adequately) and he's almost a pound heavier than he was a birth! He weighed 7 lbs 3 oz at birth and now he's 8 lbs 1 oz! So, he's growing really well and proof positive that my milk supply is great! Another THANK GOD! haha He's not having any issues what so ever, other than a little diaper rash that keep creeping back in right when I think it's gone. But, that's pretty minimal and we're just managing it w/ some good ol' Butt Paste! :)
Christian is still doing well and he's such a FABULOUS dad! I'm so freakin' blessed it's ridiculous. I can't imagine having to do this on my own or with a husband who wasn't supportive. Props to any single moms out there. Holy crap you have a hard job. But anyway, Christian is home for five more days before he leaves for three weeks. Yes, that's freaking me out a bit but I know I just have to suck it up and handle it. I'm strong and I know I can do it. There may be a few tears shed while he's gone (and certainly when he leaves) but we'll be fine. Just pray for his safety please. Thank goodness he's not going on any kind of deployment. I'm not sure what I would do.
Everything at the house is slowly starting to get back in order. It's been hard to keep track of everything with this little guy latched to my boob most of the time. haha But, I've decided to start a routine with Max so I'm hoping it pays off. Basically, I read the book "On Becoming Baby Wise" and it says if you stick to their routine, your baby should sleep through the night (at least eight hours) by 12 weeks of age. I'm all about that. It's called Parent Directed Feeding. Essentially, you direct your baby's routine rather than jumping to their every single need or feeding them every time they cry. It's a lot about parental assessment of the situation and determining why baby is fussy before you all of a sudden jump to feed him. So, we've started the routine appropriate for 1-4 week olds. It's an eat, wake time, naptime routine every three hours. Then, at night, we let him sleep as long as he wants before feeding him again (usually about four hours in between feedings at night). So, hopefully, he'll understand soon enough that he eats during the day and sleeps at night. I'm on day three of that schedule now and it seems to be working pretty well (knock on wood). It also helps me with a little bit of predictability throughout my day. I asked Max's pediatrician about this routine business this morning and this is pretty much what she did with her kids so she has no problem with it. So, wish us continued success with this!
Anyway, just wanted to provide a little update for you guys! Hope all of you are having a great week! It's 70 degrees up here today and gorgeous!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)