Discovery has been the theme at our house recently. Charlie has figured out where Mom hides the remote control, how to turn on his crib aquarium at 5:00 in the morning and appears to be close to working his way into a sitting position. I have to say the most entertaining and perhaps concerning breakthrough, though, has been the discovery of his wienie. While that particular part of the mail anatomy goes by many terms (Jason can rattle of an alarming number), I think we're going with wienie at our house. Penis is too clinical, and everything else sounds dirty.
So, as I was saying, Charlie has discovered that he is in fact a boy and that one of the benefits is an easily accessible toy whenever his diaper is off. Now, he had actually grabbed ahold a time or two during diaper changes in the past, but never seemed to think anything of it.
As of this weekend though, he is enthralled. The second the diaper comes off he reaches down. Luckily, I'm a good blocker and pretty fast with the wipes, so I'm not too concerned about his exploration during diaper change. Now, if he figures out how to undo his diaper (like he tried this afternoon) we'll be in trouble, but for now we're fine.
Bathtime was an even bigger adventure for him. Due to the fact that he's still in a baby tub, the angle allowed him to see his new toy. Again, at this point I feel like it's normal to be figuring things out, so I wasn't too worried about bathtime exploration.
It's the grabbing of the diaper that has me worried. While playing, he'll just randomly reach down and grab the front of his diaper -- just like an adult male with very bad manners. Is this something he'll get over once he realizes he's effectively blocked by the diaper? Or is he going to be one of those unfortunate men that doesn't seem to be able to avoid adjusting on a regular basis? I've always believed that rather than "adjusting" they were in fact just entertaining themselves. I'm very hopeful that this is a learned habit and a mother's active disapproval will prevent Charlie being one of "those men".
This is definitely a developmental stage I hadn't anticipated. I think I've decided that through the years issues of a similar nature will fall in Daddy's court.
Swamp
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Baby Belly Laughs
You always here people talk about enjoying the "simple things" in life, but so often it's easy to get caught up in the complicated, emotional, dramatic, annoying, etc... A six month old can really bring it back into perspective though.
Simply put, Charlie is a happy baby, but I am thrilled with his ability to have fun at such a young age. Our two hours together this morning were full of perfect examples of pure, innocent, goofy joy, and I feel so blessed to be a part of them.
It all started when Jason and I turned on his light at 6:30. Charlie's little head immediately popped up over the crib rail, brown eyes blinking and a smile stretching from ear to ear-- there is no better way to start the day. Next we were playing on the floor and watching GMA when Otis finally came downstairs. The second Charlie saw him he "raced" after him with his mouth open in a big drooly grin.
The highlights were on our walk, though. Three trips around the neighborhood can get a bit boring, so sometimes we hokey pokey and play airplane on the vacant street by the pool. The games had Charlie giggling (and probably the construction crews, too), but the giggles turned into outright belly laughs when the rain started. Apparently Charlie loves to walk in the rain as much as I do -- Otis, not so much.
Charlie laughed all the way home and continued giggling in his swing while I dried us all off and made his bottle. His newfound ability to grab the little lambs on the swing's mobile and create a horrendous clicking sound only made it that much better. He was still smiling when we walked into Miss Donna's kitchen, and as soon as she called him "Sugar" the giggles were back.
It's funny that a morning devoid of extraordinary milestones can be so full of memories.
Simply put, Charlie is a happy baby, but I am thrilled with his ability to have fun at such a young age. Our two hours together this morning were full of perfect examples of pure, innocent, goofy joy, and I feel so blessed to be a part of them.
It all started when Jason and I turned on his light at 6:30. Charlie's little head immediately popped up over the crib rail, brown eyes blinking and a smile stretching from ear to ear-- there is no better way to start the day. Next we were playing on the floor and watching GMA when Otis finally came downstairs. The second Charlie saw him he "raced" after him with his mouth open in a big drooly grin.
The highlights were on our walk, though. Three trips around the neighborhood can get a bit boring, so sometimes we hokey pokey and play airplane on the vacant street by the pool. The games had Charlie giggling (and probably the construction crews, too), but the giggles turned into outright belly laughs when the rain started. Apparently Charlie loves to walk in the rain as much as I do -- Otis, not so much.
Charlie laughed all the way home and continued giggling in his swing while I dried us all off and made his bottle. His newfound ability to grab the little lambs on the swing's mobile and create a horrendous clicking sound only made it that much better. He was still smiling when we walked into Miss Donna's kitchen, and as soon as she called him "Sugar" the giggles were back.
It's funny that a morning devoid of extraordinary milestones can be so full of memories.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Buddies
One of Jason's and my biggest concerns before Charlie was born was the impact that it would all have on Otis, and we were not encouraged by the projectile vomiting at 4 AM the morning I went into labor.
Over the first few weeks Otis' curiosity turned into annoyance, then ambivalence. Then once Charlie started playing on the floor, Otis' interest was peaked again. He started bringing Charlie toys to play fetch and looking back and forth between me and Charlie confused that Charlie wouldn't throw them. It was great. Then when Jason and I finally relented and allowed Otis to give Charlie kisses on the hands and feet, they were both thrilled.
By 2 months or so, Otis displayed an affectionate and protective, brotherly love for Charlie. Granted, he still despised me and Jason, but he started to love Charlie. Nowadays, if Charlie is crying Otis will sit outside his room and pout until he stops, and the first thing Otis does when we let him out of our room or when he comes in from outside is track down the baby. Charlie is definitely his top priority.
Every morning the three of us go for a walk, and in the past few days Charlie has started to grab the leash handle to help. Then when we get home, we all play on the floor, and amazingly, Otis does not bother Charlie's toys. Charlie, on the other hand, loves Otis' toys and will chase him around the living room for them. It's hilarious. Otis will move about 2 feet, wait for Charlie to army crawl over, let Charlie get one hand on the toy, then pick it up, move 2 feet and the whole game starts over. This typically goes on for about 5 minutes or so (quite a while in baby time) until Otis gets bored and leaves the toy for Charlie.
Our only close call so far was when Charlie got Otis' ear. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. We were practicing petting when Charlie grabbed hold of Otis' ear and started to pull and twist. I was sitting right there, but didn't react quickly enough to stop him. Otis yelped and reared back, then just sat there. I was shocked. He didn't nip or bite or run away, he just sat and waited while I peeled back Charlie's fingers. It was a huge relief, because I had visions of a dog bite, trip to the hospital, figuring out what to do with Otis, etc. flashing through my head. In retrospect, I think it was great that it happened. Now Otis maintains just enough distance from Charlie to ensure that he doesn't get grabbed, which is safer for both of them.
I've been telling Otis for months that it's all going to work out and that whether he believes it or not, he and Charlie are going to be best friends. I think he might finally be starting to believe me...not forgive me, but believe me.
Over the first few weeks Otis' curiosity turned into annoyance, then ambivalence. Then once Charlie started playing on the floor, Otis' interest was peaked again. He started bringing Charlie toys to play fetch and looking back and forth between me and Charlie confused that Charlie wouldn't throw them. It was great. Then when Jason and I finally relented and allowed Otis to give Charlie kisses on the hands and feet, they were both thrilled.
By 2 months or so, Otis displayed an affectionate and protective, brotherly love for Charlie. Granted, he still despised me and Jason, but he started to love Charlie. Nowadays, if Charlie is crying Otis will sit outside his room and pout until he stops, and the first thing Otis does when we let him out of our room or when he comes in from outside is track down the baby. Charlie is definitely his top priority.
Every morning the three of us go for a walk, and in the past few days Charlie has started to grab the leash handle to help. Then when we get home, we all play on the floor, and amazingly, Otis does not bother Charlie's toys. Charlie, on the other hand, loves Otis' toys and will chase him around the living room for them. It's hilarious. Otis will move about 2 feet, wait for Charlie to army crawl over, let Charlie get one hand on the toy, then pick it up, move 2 feet and the whole game starts over. This typically goes on for about 5 minutes or so (quite a while in baby time) until Otis gets bored and leaves the toy for Charlie.
Our only close call so far was when Charlie got Otis' ear. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. We were practicing petting when Charlie grabbed hold of Otis' ear and started to pull and twist. I was sitting right there, but didn't react quickly enough to stop him. Otis yelped and reared back, then just sat there. I was shocked. He didn't nip or bite or run away, he just sat and waited while I peeled back Charlie's fingers. It was a huge relief, because I had visions of a dog bite, trip to the hospital, figuring out what to do with Otis, etc. flashing through my head. In retrospect, I think it was great that it happened. Now Otis maintains just enough distance from Charlie to ensure that he doesn't get grabbed, which is safer for both of them.
I've been telling Otis for months that it's all going to work out and that whether he believes it or not, he and Charlie are going to be best friends. I think he might finally be starting to believe me...not forgive me, but believe me.
"Is this really all he does?"
"Just throw the lizard, kid, it's easy..."
"Hmmm...mighty furry big brother I have..."
"How come everybody gets sunglasses but me?"
"It's my turn to drive. Otis had his turn."
"Almost there..."
"Care to share?"
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Love Story
As Emily can attest, I was a huge fan of romance novels as a teenager. I just loved the whole fairy tale genre, and to be honest, I still believe in happily ever after...but I'm witnessing my favorite love story of all time right now.
In the beginning I think it was easier and more natural for Charlie and I to bond than it was for him and Jason. This isn't a criticism, but an observation of the impact that 9 months in-utero, an abundance of hormones and feedings every 2 hours had on us. All of those things made my role as "mom" very clear, and created an instant bond. Jason has obviously loved Charlie since before he was born, but I believe that being relegated to observer for the first 9 months and for many activities after Charlie arrived made his role a bit more uncertain. After all, why should we both get up in the middle of the night when I'm the one with the milk, and how much input did he have in Charlie's routine when I was home 5 days a week for the first 3 months and he only got to be home 2?
Everything is changing now, though. It's so much fun to watch Jason rush into Charlie's room at 6:30 in the morning, because he wants to see that first grin, or to hear him tell Charlie he'd rather not go out in the evening, because he wants to stay home and play. And absolutely nothing compares to seeing Charlie's whole face light up when Jason comes in the door at night, or having him reach out and rest his hand on Jason's shoulder during church.
Watching them together, I finally understand exactly what it feels like to "beam" -- to have your heart so full that your chest swells and to smile so much that your cheeks ache. I've always been a sucker for romance, but I have to say that the past few weeks have given me a new undertanding of what a "love story" can be.
In the beginning I think it was easier and more natural for Charlie and I to bond than it was for him and Jason. This isn't a criticism, but an observation of the impact that 9 months in-utero, an abundance of hormones and feedings every 2 hours had on us. All of those things made my role as "mom" very clear, and created an instant bond. Jason has obviously loved Charlie since before he was born, but I believe that being relegated to observer for the first 9 months and for many activities after Charlie arrived made his role a bit more uncertain. After all, why should we both get up in the middle of the night when I'm the one with the milk, and how much input did he have in Charlie's routine when I was home 5 days a week for the first 3 months and he only got to be home 2?
Everything is changing now, though. It's so much fun to watch Jason rush into Charlie's room at 6:30 in the morning, because he wants to see that first grin, or to hear him tell Charlie he'd rather not go out in the evening, because he wants to stay home and play. And absolutely nothing compares to seeing Charlie's whole face light up when Jason comes in the door at night, or having him reach out and rest his hand on Jason's shoulder during church.
Watching them together, I finally understand exactly what it feels like to "beam" -- to have your heart so full that your chest swells and to smile so much that your cheeks ache. I've always been a sucker for romance, but I have to say that the past few weeks have given me a new undertanding of what a "love story" can be.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Separation Anxiety
So far solid foods are a huge success! Like parents, like son -- our Charlie is quite the little eater. He not only "chews" and swallows the rice cereal, but actually grabs Jason's hand to try to get him to feed him faster. It's hilarious. After 3 nighs of rice cereal, we're moving on to peas tonight. Wish us luck!
While I definitely put off the food as long as possible, I was looking forward to giving up the late night feeding. Charlie has been going to bed each night at 8:00 for quite some time, but I would wake him up at between 10 and 11 for a "top off" to make it through the night. Being that we get up every morning by 6:30, it was sometimes hard to stay awake for this feeding (Jason has some pretty funny stories of finding me passed out in the glider and Charlie eating away...).
Naturally, I thought that it would be a huge relief to put him down at 8:00 and not worry about another feeding until the next morning, and Friday night was great. Jason and I watched TV until about 10:30 and then just went to bed. Saturday night was a different story, though...
Charlie had a somewhat rough day, because tooth number 2 poked through. He was a trooper but exhausted by 7:00, so I put him down a bit early. Jason and I had a late dinner and were watching the race on TV when I looked up and noticed it was 9:52...and I didn't have to feed Charlie. Translation: I didn't get to go up and cuddle Charlie for another 8 1/2 hours! I hadn't expected this feeling of loss. I even considered continuing the late night feedings, just for my own benefit -- but figured not only would I regret it eventually, but that a longer continuous sleep was really what was best for Charlie. Still though, Jason can attest to the fact that I was pretty mopey the rest of the evening. Who would have thought I was the one that was so attached to the 10:00 snack?!
Last night, my little man gave me a bit of a reprieve. He woke up around 11:00 mad at the world. I think it was his teeth, but Jason suggested that I try to feed him, so I did. It worked perfectly -- he calmed down and I got my cuddle. Logically, I hope that this was a fluke, and Charlie sleeps from 8:00 until morning tonight and most nights, but I have to admit that I will kind of look forward to a late night feeding every once in a while...
While I definitely put off the food as long as possible, I was looking forward to giving up the late night feeding. Charlie has been going to bed each night at 8:00 for quite some time, but I would wake him up at between 10 and 11 for a "top off" to make it through the night. Being that we get up every morning by 6:30, it was sometimes hard to stay awake for this feeding (Jason has some pretty funny stories of finding me passed out in the glider and Charlie eating away...).
Naturally, I thought that it would be a huge relief to put him down at 8:00 and not worry about another feeding until the next morning, and Friday night was great. Jason and I watched TV until about 10:30 and then just went to bed. Saturday night was a different story, though...
Last night, my little man gave me a bit of a reprieve. He woke up around 11:00 mad at the world. I think it was his teeth, but Jason suggested that I try to feed him, so I did. It worked perfectly -- he calmed down and I got my cuddle. Logically, I hope that this was a fluke, and Charlie sleeps from 8:00 until morning tonight and most nights, but I have to admit that I will kind of look forward to a late night feeding every once in a while...
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Six Month Milestone
It's official. Charlie had his 6 month appointment this morning, and Dr. Tripp confirmed that he is perfect.
He was a trooper despite a ridiculously long wait due to computer issues, and he stopped crying fairly easily after his shots. I went ahead and got the flu shot while we were there, and if his leg aches as much as my arm, he's going to be pretty fussy when he wakes up. He always gets over his shots very quickly, so I haven't been too sympathetic in the past. Hopefully I'm just a wimp, and he won't be as achey.
But, on to more fun stuff -- The Charlie Update! Since 6 months is such a big milestone, I decided it would be appropriate to give a rundown of his measurements, characteristics, abilities, etc. So here goes:
As of 9/11/09:
He was a trooper despite a ridiculously long wait due to computer issues, and he stopped crying fairly easily after his shots. I went ahead and got the flu shot while we were there, and if his leg aches as much as my arm, he's going to be pretty fussy when he wakes up. He always gets over his shots very quickly, so I haven't been too sympathetic in the past. Hopefully I'm just a wimp, and he won't be as achey.
But, on to more fun stuff -- The Charlie Update! Since 6 months is such a big milestone, I decided it would be appropriate to give a rundown of his measurements, characteristics, abilities, etc. So here goes:
As of 9/11/09:
- Weight - 17 lbs. 3 oz (50th percentile)
- Length - 27 inches (75th percentile!)
- Head - 44 cm (50th percentile)
- Teeth - 1 (bottom left)
- Hair - Minimal, but lots more than even a month ago
- Birthmarks - Stork bites on back of neck, possibly a potato shaped birthmark on left shin
- Naps - 2 per day (sometimes 3, but seldom)
- Bedtime - 8:00
- Waketime - 6:30
- Favorite Food - Milk ;o) (we're starting rice cereal tonight)
- Favorite Song - Old MacDonald (If anyone knows what noise a turtle makes, we'd love to add it to our repertoire. Our farm currently has a horse, a cow, a donkey, a bull, a rooster, a hen, a chick, a pig, a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a mouse, a sheep, a goat, a bumble bee, a bird, a dove, an owl, a turkey, a duck, a frog, a fish, and a snake -- and on our farm the sound for snakes is the "bang-bang" of a shotgun!)
- Favorite Dance - The Hokey Pokey
- Favorite Toys - Ollie & Taggy
- Favorite Game - Peek-a-Boo
- Recent milestones
- First tooth
- Sitting up
- Army crawl
- Random regular crawl
- Petting Otis
- Taking toys out of box
- Imminent milestones
- Solid food
- Second tooth
- Consistent regular crawl
- Hero: Daddy
- Personality
- Goofy - always smiling and laughing unless it's naptime or mom & dad have paid for professional pictures
- Deliberate - he sees something he wants and goes after it, even it means following Otis around the living room for 10 minutes until Otis gives up
- Ornery - unlike his 3 month pictures where he wouldn't smile at all, smiled for his 6 month pictures -- if his fist was in his mouth!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
6 Month Birthday Pre-empted by Mommy's Antics...
Yes, can you believe it? Charlie is 6 months old today! These have absolutely been the best 6 months of my life. But, since his 6 month appointment isn't until Friday, I'm going to pre-empt a post focused on Charlie's growth, achievments, likes, dislikes, etc. with a little story that will outline exactly what the poor boy is going to have to deal with as he grows up. Below is an email that I sent to Jason about 5 minutes ago...
Subject: It's safe to say...
I didn't miss my calling as a plumber.
So, you know how my sink has been draining super slow lately. Well, obviously it's probably due to all the hair I'm losing. Since you'd mentioned that to get the plug out you have to unhook something down below, I decided to check it out. After a couple of tries, I figured out how to unhook the stopper pull and then remove the little bar so I could unhook the stopper itself. I pulled it out and it was absolutely disgusting, so I pulled the hair off and started to remove this weird black sludge stuff -- but I decided I wanted to get it really clean, so I rinsed it. In my sink. Yes, really. No, it did not occur to me that this would be unwise.
So, a minute later I bent down to put it all back together and heard water running to my right…out of the cabinet onto the floor. Yes, really. Amazingly, I got it cleaned up and I got the sink put back together. So, it appears that while I have the skills to be a plumber, I lack the understanding that water flows through open holes…
Happy Wednesday.
Subject: It's safe to say...
I didn't miss my calling as a plumber.
So, you know how my sink has been draining super slow lately. Well, obviously it's probably due to all the hair I'm losing. Since you'd mentioned that to get the plug out you have to unhook something down below, I decided to check it out. After a couple of tries, I figured out how to unhook the stopper pull and then remove the little bar so I could unhook the stopper itself. I pulled it out and it was absolutely disgusting, so I pulled the hair off and started to remove this weird black sludge stuff -- but I decided I wanted to get it really clean, so I rinsed it. In my sink. Yes, really. No, it did not occur to me that this would be unwise.
So, a minute later I bent down to put it all back together and heard water running to my right…out of the cabinet onto the floor. Yes, really. Amazingly, I got it cleaned up and I got the sink put back together. So, it appears that while I have the skills to be a plumber, I lack the understanding that water flows through open holes…
Happy Wednesday.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Family Vacation
Since 7:00 AM is prime playtime at our house, I have become an even more avid fan of Good Morning America in the past 6 months. As much as I love the show though, their recent series on "Staycations" has annoyed me -- not because I have anything against having fun at home, but because the term "Staycation" grates on my nerves.
That said, Jason, Charlie and I had the best Staycation ever this weekend! We had originally hoped to spend the long weekend in El Paso for Charlie's first visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house, but my ongoing job uncertainty made the investment a bit irresponsible right now. Next, we talked about boating up the Cooper River and splitting a cabin on the lake with some friends, but when that didn't pan out we had a 3 day weekend with seas too large for off-shore fishing and no plans!
At first we didn't know what to do, but slowly the days and evenings filled up with the most relaxing and fun activities I could imagine.
We kicked off Friday night with dinner at home with our friends Chris & Sophie. They're little boy, Calvin, is 14 months older than Charlie, so we were able to swap tales and hear about all sorts of upcoming adventures we can expect -- plus we shared some out-of-this world chocolate-raspberry cupcakes.
Due to poor planning on Jason's and my part, Saturday morning ended up being just the 4 of us on the boat -- and it was so much fun! We ran up the Cooper River until the GPS map ended (come to find out we were only 6 miles from the lake) and slowly boated back home. Charlie & Otis loved the day on the water, and I even remembered to bring our lunch (unlike last weekend). That evening, after Goodnight Moon, prayers and kisses, Jason and I shared a fabulous steak dinner on the porch.
Sunday we went to church, swung by KFC to pick up lunch, and headed back to the water, this time with Chad, Corrisa and Vicki (no Otis -- he was still recovering from Saturday's trip). We headed out through the Wappoo Cut and anchored at a sandbar where Charlie went skinny dipping for the first time!
Two boat trips by the Peninsula put me in the mood for an afternoon downtown, so I convinced Jason that Monday would be the perfect day to head into Charleston. After a fabulous lunch at the new Taco Boy, we parked on King Street and explored all our favorite haunts, including of course Ye Olde Ice Cream Shoppe. Charlie has yet to try rice cereal, but he loves vanilla icecream with strawberry swirls.
Next we took Charlie to Waterfront park for the first time where Mom made him cry when I sprayed him in the eye by putting his feet in the fountain (oops!), and Dad saved him just in time when we thought it would be a great idea to get a picture of him sitting by himself on the swing (oops again!). Luckily, our Charlie is a very solid and very forgiving little boy.
Finally, we capped off our weekend with a fabulous dinner at Basil with Chad & Corrisa, whom we'd run into between shops.
I honestly can't imagine a more perfect weekend with my boys, so while the term is still grating, I have to say that GMA is on the right track with their "Staycations".
That said, Jason, Charlie and I had the best Staycation ever this weekend! We had originally hoped to spend the long weekend in El Paso for Charlie's first visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house, but my ongoing job uncertainty made the investment a bit irresponsible right now. Next, we talked about boating up the Cooper River and splitting a cabin on the lake with some friends, but when that didn't pan out we had a 3 day weekend with seas too large for off-shore fishing and no plans!
At first we didn't know what to do, but slowly the days and evenings filled up with the most relaxing and fun activities I could imagine.
We kicked off Friday night with dinner at home with our friends Chris & Sophie. They're little boy, Calvin, is 14 months older than Charlie, so we were able to swap tales and hear about all sorts of upcoming adventures we can expect -- plus we shared some out-of-this world chocolate-raspberry cupcakes.
Due to poor planning on Jason's and my part, Saturday morning ended up being just the 4 of us on the boat -- and it was so much fun! We ran up the Cooper River until the GPS map ended (come to find out we were only 6 miles from the lake) and slowly boated back home. Charlie & Otis loved the day on the water, and I even remembered to bring our lunch (unlike last weekend). That evening, after Goodnight Moon, prayers and kisses, Jason and I shared a fabulous steak dinner on the porch.
Sunday we went to church, swung by KFC to pick up lunch, and headed back to the water, this time with Chad, Corrisa and Vicki (no Otis -- he was still recovering from Saturday's trip). We headed out through the Wappoo Cut and anchored at a sandbar where Charlie went skinny dipping for the first time!
Two boat trips by the Peninsula put me in the mood for an afternoon downtown, so I convinced Jason that Monday would be the perfect day to head into Charleston. After a fabulous lunch at the new Taco Boy, we parked on King Street and explored all our favorite haunts, including of course Ye Olde Ice Cream Shoppe. Charlie has yet to try rice cereal, but he loves vanilla icecream with strawberry swirls.
Next we took Charlie to Waterfront park for the first time where Mom made him cry when I sprayed him in the eye by putting his feet in the fountain (oops!), and Dad saved him just in time when we thought it would be a great idea to get a picture of him sitting by himself on the swing (oops again!). Luckily, our Charlie is a very solid and very forgiving little boy.
Finally, we capped off our weekend with a fabulous dinner at Basil with Chad & Corrisa, whom we'd run into between shops.
I honestly can't imagine a more perfect weekend with my boys, so while the term is still grating, I have to say that GMA is on the right track with their "Staycations".
The good life...
Such a sweet little tushy....
The fountain in the background...
The perfect vacation picture...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Zzzzzzz...
It feels like a miracle. Charlie is home today, and I am actually getting stuff done -- lots of stuff! We're having some friends over for dinner, and I've been able to set the table, bathe Otis, prep dinner, join 2 calls, shower and even blow my hair dry!
The source of all my productivity? Naps! My little Charlie is a rockstar napper now. He was down for 2 1/2 hours this morning and has been down for 1 1/2 this afternoon.
A few months ago we were lucky to get 45 minutes out of him and getting him to fall asleep was pure torture (for the whole family). But now, as soon as he's sleepy we just swaddle him up, close the shutters, break into a lengthy (and quite random) version of Old MacDonald and down he goes. Obviously he doesn't always sleep for this long, but we rarely have naps shorter than an hour anymore -- and if he wakes up mid-nap, sometimes he'll even fall back asleep! (For all you non parents out there, trust me, this is a huge milestone!)
The funniest part is the way he gradually comes back to consciousness. The other day Jason peeked in when he got home from work, and Charlie was in a little baby trance just staring at the side of his crib. Jason came down and got me, we both watched and giggled for a bit, tapped him on the back, and he rolled over and grinned.
While that's the funniest, the best part is the ability to count on productive periods of the day. This morning I was able to schedule a call for his predicted naptime -- and it worked! Almost every evening Jason and I can count on having 8 PM to 10 PM to ourselves for chores, chats with neighbors (love our new super-long range monitor) or even a quiet glass of wine by the pond. It's a whole new world!
So yes, I just spent the last 15 minutes or so of Charlie's afternoon nap flat out bragging. I have a baby who sleeps! It's a minor miracle. But...now he's awake, so off I go to get my grin!
(Thank goodness I don't believe in superstitions or jinxes, huh?)
The source of all my productivity? Naps! My little Charlie is a rockstar napper now. He was down for 2 1/2 hours this morning and has been down for 1 1/2 this afternoon.
A few months ago we were lucky to get 45 minutes out of him and getting him to fall asleep was pure torture (for the whole family). But now, as soon as he's sleepy we just swaddle him up, close the shutters, break into a lengthy (and quite random) version of Old MacDonald and down he goes. Obviously he doesn't always sleep for this long, but we rarely have naps shorter than an hour anymore -- and if he wakes up mid-nap, sometimes he'll even fall back asleep! (For all you non parents out there, trust me, this is a huge milestone!)
The funniest part is the way he gradually comes back to consciousness. The other day Jason peeked in when he got home from work, and Charlie was in a little baby trance just staring at the side of his crib. Jason came down and got me, we both watched and giggled for a bit, tapped him on the back, and he rolled over and grinned.
While that's the funniest, the best part is the ability to count on productive periods of the day. This morning I was able to schedule a call for his predicted naptime -- and it worked! Almost every evening Jason and I can count on having 8 PM to 10 PM to ourselves for chores, chats with neighbors (love our new super-long range monitor) or even a quiet glass of wine by the pond. It's a whole new world!
So yes, I just spent the last 15 minutes or so of Charlie's afternoon nap flat out bragging. I have a baby who sleeps! It's a minor miracle. But...now he's awake, so off I go to get my grin!
(Thank goodness I don't believe in superstitions or jinxes, huh?)
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