Well, I've been meaning to update for a while now, but life has run away from me a bit and time online has been a low priority.
Ben and I returned home late Sunday night (May 4) after the exterminator came and Ben had no problems. I could still smell the insecticide and feel it in my lungs, but the reaction was quite minor. The good news is we have had NO ants since then (YAY!!)
We have gotten into a routine around here and on days that it is disturbed in one way or another leads to more tears and fussiness. We generally get out of bed sometime around 8 or 9, Ben eats then I pump while Ben hangs out in the bouncer seat next to me sometimes happy and others crying. Jeff also sometimes gets time to play with Ben in the morning when we are just getting up and Jeff is just coming to bed. That seems to be Ben's most playful and happy times. Once I have finished pumping, I pick Ben up, calm him down if he's been crying and we read a story (our current book is Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer). Ben either falls asleep while I read and rock, or I then rock him until he is close to being asleep, swaddle him, and place him in his crib for a morning nap. While he naps, I usually try to get something around the house done, laundry, dishes, general cleaning, etc. This nap is between an hour or two and when he wakes up he eats and then we have been going for a walk, except on days where it is just too hot outside or we have errands to run. After our walk, we usually play a bit, doing time on the floor on a nice big blanket. Usually around 1 or 2 p.m. it is time for another nap. This time I usually join Ben and so we just curl up on the couch together and fall asleep after he eats. Jeff wakes up sometime between 3 and 5 p.m. (depending on what time he got home and to sleep) and we spend some family time together. Jeff finally gets to see Ben when he isn't all fussy and crying all the time. Ben usually is ready for bed between 9 and 10 p.m. After he eats I swaddle him and place him in his bassinet (usually awake). He puts himself to sleep with little or no crying. He usually wakes up two to three times during the night. He eats and goes back to sleep.
We've had a couple of days where for one reason or another Ben hasn't gotten his naps (sometimes because of errands, sometimes because he refuses to sleep) On these days, by the time Jeff wakes up, Ben is fussy and crying inconsolably. One day in particular, Jeff managed to get him to go to sleep around 3 or 4 p.m. after no naps at all during the day and marathon eating (every hour or less) Ben slept continuously until 9:30 p.m. waking once to eat. He was awake until 11 when we went to bed and he slept all night, waking only twice to eat.
Life definitely feels like it is falling into place. I am getting things done around the house, getting errands run, and even managed to go grocery shopping with Ben for the first time since he was born (Thanks to Jeff who has been doing all the grocery shopping for me). Most days I am able to make dinner while Ben either enjoys his swing or Jeff holds him. Jeff, Ben and I have been going to a fighter practice (SCA sword fighting for Jeff) together on Tuesdays about 20 minutes from the house.
The most tiring thing seems to be Ben's eating habits. Many days (especially in the evening) it seems like he is constantly eating. I feed him for 10 to 15 minutes until he decides he is done or he is pulling off and screaming and then within 30 minutes he is crying and hungry again and we the same happens. The good news is he is gaining weight just fine and seems to get what he needs that way, it just makes it difficult to get anything done and it feels as if all I do is feed him.
Well, I'm off to do some dishes and get some things done before Ben wakes from his nap.
4 comments:
We had the cluster feedings too and it was definitely hard to get anything done... but that's how he gets your body to produce more milk for his growth spurt so it's really a good thing!
Glad to hear you are doing well. Sorry to have missed your call today, ringer was off on my phone (trying to get Nathaniel down for a nap).
I definitely hit a low point when Cam was cluster feeding. We had a hard time making it two hours (usually fed him every 1.5 hours!) and he had to nurse to sleep. Plus, I had chronically plugged ducts for about a month, getting one almost every other day. Ouch! This was around 3-4 months.
Now, things are great. No pain (yay!), Cam is sleeping all night with two naps during the day, and can fall asleep on his own when we put him in the crib. I know how you feel with the routine. That is one of the most underestimated tools to sanity for a mother and baby. It's so good to hear that things are working out well.
I'm glad you 3 are doing so well! We got the announcement today - and Red forgot that Ben has the same birthday - heh, it's a guy thing.
But when you have a routine that then changes - it's usually the sign of a growth spurt or milestone, it seems. Eat more and no sleep, followed by a period of LOTS of sleep, then back to normal (or at least a new normal).
One other thing - if cluster nursing seems to be happening at night or as a comfort thing, Ben may do well with a pacifier. We didn't use one with Bean for quite awhile, until one night when he wouldn't stop nursing for over 1.5 hours. Gave him the pacifier - and he was content. Of course - we tried the same thing with Aurora - and no go at all.
Good luck!
I just *knew* you'd be an awesome mom... this was really fun to read and it a l m o s t makes me wish I had another little one to hold :) Don't worry about not feeling like you're not getting anything done in the evenings. You're taking care of the best thing and the one who needs you most. I'm sure you've told yourself that but sometimes it nice to hear it from someone else. I can certainly relate though. When the twins were little, I DEFINITELY felt like all I did was nurse all day. Now I just wish I could re-live one of those days with a fresh perspective and treasure it up. God bless your little boy and your family - and thanks for the updates!
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