Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Chapman Household

So...my perfect, easy baby has decided that I am healthy enough to start making me work a little harder:) Maybe now that I stopped my cough medicine, he isn't as dozy. He is having WAY longer periods of awake time (yesterday from 5-11pm I believe?) but he did have a great night sleep only waking to feed at 2:30 and 6:30am!!! The major problem is that he is either:

a. Not going to sleep in a 3 hour cycle

b. Waking after one hour wanting to eat and not being comforted by anything but milk. He can't keep a soother in his mouth and I have no experience with a soother, will he learn how to use it? If we hold it in his mouth, we can hold him off for an hour or so.
I tried him in a sling today but all he wanted was milk. I don't want him to be a snacker eating all day long. Maybe this is a growth spurt? I don't know. Every kid is so different and when you think you've got them figured out, they change. I still think its weird that once a day (usually around 9pm when he's been up too long), he will vomit up his entire feed. Oh ya, his jaundice is totally gone and the nurse and doctor kept commenting on how strong he is.

Let's see...what's up with Kai? Yesterday he asked to hold his baby brother again so that was nice. He is very gentle with him and I'm no longer concerned that he will do something to hurt Koen. The other night I was checking on him in bed and he said` Can you get daddy? I wanna tell him sumpin (something)'. I said `What do you want to tell him?' and he said, `I wanna tell him that I wuv him'. Aw. So yesterday when he pulled on my leg and said `Mommy, I wanna tell you sumpin' I got excited for the sweet words that would come out of his mouth. Instead, I got `I wanna watch tv mommy'. Kai LOVES fixing things and gets his screwdriver and pliers out for everything. He also loves playing hide and seek although doesn't quite have it all down. If you say `I wonder where Kai is?', he will shout out `here I am!!!'...not the best hider. He loves playing any sport and I love that he isn't deterred by missing the net or the ball, dependent on the sport. He's still a little `off' from being sick for so long and I'm not used to his new eating habits. It's so strange that he isn't eating very much as he is usually such a pig.

Gary is completely immersed in basketball now and fortunately most games are at 8pm which means he can come home from 4:30-6:30pm each night. I saw my surgeon yesterday and she said my incision looks awesome and that I'm a great healer. Yay! She says I have to remember to take it easy but its hard when you have a 35lb 2.5 year old that needs to be changed, put in a car seat etc. Exercise wise I'm only allowed to walk and I can also start lifting some free weights too so that's where I'm at. I had bought a bridesmaid dress 3 days before having Koen so I couldn't try it on but I tried it on the other day and it fits so that is good!!! Wow, our lives our so boring right now but I don't think I could handle anything on top of the regular day to day at this point:)

(I just cropped it so you can see Kai's big hazel eyes)

Finally, breastfeeding. I am not one of those people that loves it. I think its cool that you can completely nourish a child for 6 months on milk alone. I think its great that its portable, cheap and very nutritious. However, I like my body to myself. Yup, I'm selfish. I was able to do it for 10 months with Kai. Not sure how we'll do this time around....I'll for sure do 6 months and I'd like to go all the way to 10 again but we will see. There's just something about being up at 2am, feeding a baby for half an hour, having them vomit it all up, while your husband is snoring and enjoying a wonderful 8 hour sleep.

4 comments:

  1. Have you heard about the 3 week, 6 week, 3 month and 6 month growth spurts? I've never read anything about it but numerous moms told me about it (You might have been one of them and I can't remember). Koen is 3 weeks now right? It makes sense that he is eating tons more then. I wouldn't worry too much about him being a snacker unless it lasts for more than a few days.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess I am one of those moms that loves breastfeeding. I loved that I could sit with my baby and breastfeed in the middle of the night...I cherised those moments of just the 2 of us. I was so disappointed that I couldn't breastfeed Ashlyn. I was also sad when Caelan decided he didn't want to breastfeed anymore last month. It is such a wonderful bond between mom and baby...not to mention that it has also helped me to get down 15 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Providing milk for 2 babies takes a lot of calories! Keep at it Louise and good job at persevering through the difficult times.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with the Bartels - he could be having a growth spurt.I found Ezra had them earlier than the books though, perhaps because of his size.
    Taeya is the same as Kai when it comes to hiding. Gives it away in a flash!
    I am one of the moms who does not have a strong connection to breastfeeding. I do it because I can and because I know it's best. But I am always glad when it's time to be done. Of course, it's different this time needing to supplement, but I'm hoping to go at least 6 months, max 12 months. (taeya was 11 months).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eva would have nothing to do with any kind of schedule or any kind of soother. Believe me, I tried, and for a long time I felt like I was failing as a mom because she nursed so often and unpredictably, and would not sleep how and when I wanted her to. The Baby Book (Sears) chapter on "high needs babies" was a huge blessing to me. It helped me to understand that each child is born with a distinct temperment, and that needs (and the timing of those needs) can vary from child to child.

    Praying you find that specific balance which works for everyone in your family- sooner than later!

    ReplyDelete