Rice Cereal… Take 2

Uncategorized, by lauren, March 4, 2008, 2 Replies

I was re-reading some older blog posts and realized that some things are a bit deceptive. Not on purpose, I just never followed up on certain subjects. A long time ago, I claimed that Milo was putting himself to sleep at night. He did that once. Now, though, he actually is falling asleep more independently without all the screaming. He has been learning self-soothing techniques so that when he awakens during the night (which he still does quite a bit of, but is improving) he can put himself back to sleep rather than needing to be nursed, rocked, picked up, etc. And we are down to one nighttime feeding (at 3am) which has been incredibly helpful for me… quite a change from the 1 1/2 to 2-hour nursing schedule we were on only a week ago! It’s incredible how much I’ve learned as a parent. Funny thing is, Andrew was making these suggestions long ago, and I was too stubborn (and emotionally not ready) to do them! But now we are all on the same page…

Except…

The other deception: Milo took to rice cereal like a pro! He did! Once.

Ever since then, I’ve been trying for a repeat performance, but he does not want food. Not just rice cereal, but anything. Banana, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, NOTHING! Even if I mix in more breastmilk than food, no way. He does the following:

Hmmm… this looks interesting. Have I seen this before somewhere?
I’ll try it.
Oh, yuck! Why did I try it?!Get me out of here! You tricked me!
You would think that some of it would have made it into his stomach, but no. That is all of it running down his chin and pooling on his bib. Teeth are for chewing. Chewing! Real food!
Well, looks like I’ll be nursing until this kid decides he’s ready for some real food. Did I mention he still refuses a bottle?

But how could I be frustrated at a face like this?
Yes, he is grabbing his diaper there. He has just discovered his penis and very few pictures exist without him grabbing it or his diaper. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.
Oh, well. I guess if I had one, I would check it out too.

We have a big week and weekend planned. Tomorrow Milo and I are going on a hike with my friend Mary and her 9-month-old Ben. Then on Saturday we are boarding Proudie and flying to San Antonio to visit Andrew’s family. We are really, really looking forward to having Milo meet Gram and Bub (Andrew’s dad and stepmom) for the first time. We are hoping to spend some quality time with all, as Ryan and Billy and their families will be there as well. This will be the first of many trips to Texas, as we hope to enjoy family time more than we have been lately. Maybe they can teach Milo some manners, too.

Get Us Out of Here!

Uncategorized, by lauren, February 26, 2008, 1 Reply

The good news is, the sleep training is starting to work (although we still have a way to go). Milo went for a whole 7 hours without nursing last night. Although he woke up 5 times between his 7pm bedtime and his 2am feeding, he did not scream and cry nearly as much, and was able to put himself back to sleep with little more than a “shhh,” a pat on the head, or just some displeased grumbling. This is progress. Now for naptimes… sigh.

The good news is, Milo is at the tail end of his sickness, and the doctor gave him a relatively clean bill of health this morning at our appointment.

More good news: you can see our little man’s two tiny teeth if you look closely enough (double click on photo to enlarge):
… and he has stopped biting when nursing!

The not-so-good news: Milo is now boycotting any solid foods, I have now contracted whatever illness Milo is getting over, I have barely left the house for several days, the nasty, wet, dreary weather makes nighttime and daytime nearly indistinguishable, and it seems that every article of clothing I own has spit-up on it, even though I just did laundry yesterday. I am so, so ready for spring! Get us out of here!!!

The Sleep Solution

Uncategorized, by lauren, February 21, 2008, 1 Reply

I am fortunate enough to live in a very family-centered community, which constantly provides our neighborhood with opportunities for support and connecting with other families. Playgroups, outings, interactive storytime directed towards infants, and regular speakers having to do with family life are constantly provided to us. So I was excited about our speaker of the month, Kim West, aka “The Sleep Lady.”
The timing was perfect. Milo still awakens like clockwork every 2 hours demanding to nurse, and I’m starting to believe there is no end in sight! Oftentimes he ends up in bed between Andrew and me (with Proudie also stuffed in there) in the early morning, and I have no recollection of having brought him there! I know it happens sometime after the 4th awakening, when I am so tired I am not making rational decisions… but I wasn’t planning to co-sleep (except for maybe the occasional nap during the day), so I don’t want to make a habit of this. I love sleeping with Milo, but I don’t want a real problem on my hands when we have an 8-year-old still sleeping with us (no, seriously, La Leche League actually supports this!).

So I’m trying out what Kim West calls “the shuffle.” I first need to stop feeding Milo every time he wakes up (last night we skipped one feeding, but during the four hours he was not nursing, I was up 3 times, basically awake from 12am until 2am and again at 3am), then I will progress to “supporting” him while he teaches himself how to fall asleep. This technique is based on simple behavior modification without letting baby cry it out, but also without picking him up (unless he is hysterical). So I sat in a chair beside his crib half-asleep, patting, shushing, and humming until he put himself back to sleep. I hope this works, because man am I tired!

In the spirit of things, this picture is the aftermath of a long guitar-playing session with Andrew standing over Milo. Milo was so engaged and entertained, he did not fuss or show signs of sleepiness until he was just dead to the world. He loves a good tune!
Let’s hope for more of this bliss tonight!

Toothy Tuesday

Uncategorized, by lauren, February 19, 2008, 2 Replies

Milo’s latest accomplishment, growing two teeth, and learning how to use them, has become my greatest fear. As his teeth have come a little earlier than I expected (most of the babies in his playgroup either have no teeth or didn’t get them until 7 or 8 months), I didn’t necessarily expect to still be nursing as much when he did sprout those sharpies. But, like everything else, Milo has surprised me. Last night, over the course of the night and early morning, Milo bit the SAME nipple 4 times! I know, too much information, but it really, REALLY hurts! Any advice on getting him to stop would be much appreciated. I tried the old stop, say “no,” then discontinue nursing for a few minutes. Milo looked shocked at my stern “no,” then got a big smile on his face and actually giggled! I guess all that sneaking up behind him, jumping out and yelling “boo!” that Andrew and I have been doing has conditioned Milo to believe that a loud, startling, angry voice means playtime.

On a much more innocent note, Milo is as obsessed with his feet as Proudie is!
If only his belly weren’t so round, he could give them a taste:
Aw, naked baby, how cute. But really… how do I stop the removal of my nipple?

Pop Goes the Weasel

Uncategorized, by lauren, February 16, 2008, 2 Replies

Here is the much-anticipated premier of Milo’s giggles caught on film (and Andrew’s rendition of “Pop Goes the Weasel”). We took the video the same day that we took the video of Milo rolling over. It was an eventful day.

I’ll post more when there is more news. All that is going on with us is… teeth, teeth, teeth! Milo now has two bottom teeth visible, and is more miserable than ever. But thanks Annie M. for the tip on Hyland’s teething tablets. They seem to give him some relief and he surprisingly doesn’t spit them out immediately like everything else! I think they are actually baby dope because he is so tranquil after taking them. Highly recommended for fussy teething babies!

Make sure the sound is turned up before enjoying this rare moment of fun!