I've been MIA too, because I've been feeling terrible reading about all your perfect sleeping babies (but don't get me wrong, I'm really happy for all of you, I've just been having a hard time).
I know I'm not the only one struggling, so I can recommend watching the sleep videos on the raising children web site. It's a pretty good resource. It reassured me that I'm not going through anything unusual or anywhere near the worst case.
I've been taking on the challenge of encouraging Jude to go to sleep on his own, following the advice of the MCHN (is that the right acronym? I'm not down with these abbreviations - I'm too old for net jargon). I've been trying to rock him to sleep in my arms and it's been killing me emotionally and physically. Now I just pop a dummy in his mouth if he's grizzling, pat his nappy and leave him in his bed to (hopefully) fall asleep.
I have to admit, I'm not very in tune with him. I haven't been able to recognise his tired signs or understand his cries at all. I never know what's wrong. So I've been trying really hard these last few days to watch out for the textbook signs, like yawning and jerky movements, arching his back etc. I think I assumed he was hungry all the time when I should have been putting him to bed.
I saw the psychologist yesterday. She asked me every question imaginable including all about my family, highschool and ex boyfriends. I think I talked too much about irrelevant stuff from my past because I have no emotional connection with ex boyfriends etc, but when I talk about my current situation and how exhausted and hopeless I feel I start crying, so I was avoiding the real issue. I have another appointment next week, so I'll try to suck it up and get to the real problem.
With the medicare safety net my $175 appointment ended up costing me $12. Gotta get all my medical stuff out of the way before the end of the year!
Jack is doing fine (although still NOT sleeping greatly during the day) but sleeps (co-sleeps) at night from 10ish til 6.15/6.30am
I can't believe how fast time is going!!!! he is getting soo BIG!! and when we went and saw OH's aunty's bub he was HUGE compared to her....he was NOT a baby he was a little boy.
Bottle feeding is going well, sometimes he doesn't take the whole amount and other times he takes every last drop... he is growing (due to be weighed) so i am happy
hmm im kinda envious of all u who can sleep thru the night! im still feedin him every 2-3hrs, is that cos im bfing??
he always want to play from 10 onwards (sometimes earlier but nt later) then he'll sleep in arvo
hope he doesnt sleep thru the photo shoot tomoro as its in the arvo!!
teru hi and welcome, I don't think that because your b/fing is why dragon isn't sleeping thru, it can happen with FF as well, it's just his body clock. I know that my fourth boy was like that, they do grow out of it
Hollye when will you be getting the photos from the shoot? She looks so beautiful in your ticker, and your av looks fab too.
Sami we've put a Wii on layby for Santa to bring for the whole family this year, I'm not sure on the Wii fit but I might get that later down the track for me to do as well. But like someone said the games are quite vigourous and are some form of exercise.
Belfie how great that your pump has finally arrived, sounds like your going to enjoy it.
Kurazia I'm so sorry your having such a hard time, big
Well I got my Chrisco delivered yesterday so that was my excitement for the day, I love getting my hampers every year that's my little splurge for the year, lol, very sad I know. I won't get Julian's needles done for another two weeks, I've always thought that they had to be the calendar month too. I'll also be getting Wyatt's 4yr needles at the same time so will have to see if DH can come down with me as it will also be school holidays and will have all 5 boys so will be stressful if I have to do it by myself. Ok have to go and get ready to do school drop off.
Thanks everyone for the virtual hugs, I'm feeling much better now so please continue to brag about your beautiful babies
If anyone already has an Xbox, playstation or a PC...
My husband and I used to do "Yourself! Fitness" on our PC which is a really fun personalised fitness program that includes aerobics, toning, muscle building, yoga etc. Maya (your personal fitness coach) pushes you really hard and it's impossible not to lose weight and get toned up.
We had the "game" in Japan a few years ago but since lost it. One day when I don't live in an apartment (and therefore can stomp all over my floors again) I'll probably get it again. It's gotta be cheaper than a wii and a wiifit. I loved it and I bet it's even better now. I used to do yoga on my tatami floors and I felt really tranquil and relaxed. Ah those were the days.
Jude slept hours yesterday. He went a full 6 hours between feeds from 1pm to 7pm. That was an entirely new event for me, I didn't know what to do with myself, so I lay on the couch and watched back-to-back episodes of Spicks and Specks reruns. When Jeremy came home from work I decorated the christmas tree.
My name's Eliza, by the way. Kuraiza is a name that came from a misunderstanding when my Japanese students said "Kirakira Eliza" to me (which means Sparkly Eliza) and I thought they called me Kuraiza. Which was a much better name than the 5 year olds who used to call me "eraser" because the could not hear the difference and they got confused.
Last edited by SunnyRain; December 4th, 2008 at 08:03 AM.
oh wow Amanda.... how cool to get chrisco ! lol i am a sucker for parcels too!
belfie - dh bought the wiifit for me for mothers day so the same preggers... i used to love how it asked me how mch weight i wanted to loose ! lol
i hope everyone is well. i am trying to get ethan to sleep today using the 1 hr rule
wake, feed and play and back down within the hour....
will see how it goes
so far so good. he woke at 730 and i got him down at 830 and is asleep atm (until DD screams! arrhhhh(
Amanda- thx for the assurance. atm im use to the night feeds, theres jst the odd day when i jst 'crash' haha
well dragon is up at his usual hr (9ish) n is jst kickin ard. Hope he's still goin to b awake for the photos today. itd be a pity if he slept all the way thru...
morning everyone!!!
Jack slept all night again but was restless alot of the time... fed at 6.30am and went back to sleep and fed at 10 and is asleep now... until the bloody bird starts again and wakes him!!! hubby is home sick..i am getting over a cold and hubby has the "man-flu" really bad
spoke with hubby re:- immunisations.. and he agreed about getting them done in the morning...
Oh Kuraiza, I'm so sorry to hear how you've been feeling. Part of me thinks, uh-oh I shouldn't post when X is sleeping well, but then another part of me thinks that hopefully that can give you hope that one day Jude will be sleeping well also. I think it's great that you saw the psych and hopefully that will start to help - as for what you talked about - well Rome wasn't built in a day, and there'll be time for you to talk about current stuff too.
As for recognising tired signs, well I think that takes time. I think I'd been assuming EVERYTHING was a hungry sign and I'd just feed him more, so I think you're not the only one who's not sure! I've been watching X like a hawk to try and pick them up... and i'm soooo perceptive... I've spotted yawning so far!!! DUH me! Does Jude have more trouble going down in the first instance, or once he's been down - then rousing back up? Or both?
kuraiza - I do have the same problem as you. I have to rock Maya to sleep. By the end of the day my arms and back are killing me. Then she just won't go down for a sleep from about midday till we try and put her in bed somewhere between 9.30pm and 11.30pm. So during that time the only thing that works is having her sleep on me, which is so limiting and exhausting. Sometimes I can get her to sleep in a sling which frees up my arms at least. Then I pass her off to DH when he gets home so he can take over. I also struggle to recognise her tired signs. I have to wait till she's yawning and I was told that that is late tired sign so it's harder to put them down once babies are yawning. But I can't see any signs before the yawns. I pretty much go nuts every afternoon and evening trying to work out if she's tired or not and then trying to rock her to sleep if I think she's tired. She also won't sleep in her pram or in the car! We did settling techniques at the mother's group two weeks ago and they went through stuff I already know, but it just doesn't work for Maya. I asked the MCHN and she said Maya might still be too young and to try again when she's 8 weeks. She's 8 weeks this Friday, so I'll have to start trying to put her to bed awake again and doing the patting routine.
Maya's calling.. so gotta go. Hello to everyone else!! I'll try and get back on soon.
To all those who are having probs with their little ones sleeping through the day - they are still so little - some liked to be helped to sleep, others don't. Tired signs can be so confusing - their cries might be a little bit different so maybe try hearing instead of seeing for a day and see if that helps you at all???
Zander has days where he doesn't sleep, but as I said cos I am busy in and out of the house and car at some stage during the day he catnaps in the car etc so I probably don't notice it as much than if I was at home all day. He has been in his cot now for 30 minutes and is still awake - not screaming or crying - just groaning, but wide awake - but I KNOW he is tired cos I have been out all morning - little cheeky thing ...
teruteru - I don't think it is because you are b/f your bubba wants 3 hourly feeds still overnight - each baby is different. My DD still had a feed overnight after 12 months of age!!! Yet my first son dropped feeds from 10 weeks - but he DID dream feed which was great. It is so exhausting, but hopefully he should drop at least one feed for you soon. Can you try and force () a bit more into him during the day perhaps? Offer a couple of extra feeds??
kuraiza - have confidence in what you are doing - it is so easy to question yourself and Jude all the time that it starts to spiral - even 3rd time for me it happened twice with Zander's feeding and did my head in for a few days. I know with my DD if felt like I spent more time trying to get her to sleep during the day than she actually slept and I felt like it was such a big waste of time - eventually she slept - but she ended up not needing as much as her big brother. And hun, I am way older than you, not too old for net jargon
Hollye - that's a great night! I'm thinking of getting an avvie now to boost my on-line confidence Hope Mia gave lots of smiles at the photo shoot - hard on the wallet when they look so damn gorgeous in their piccies.
Going to eat whilst Zander is still deciding whether to go to sleep, or start screaming out for another feed cos he is too tired etc .....
Well.. Maya was crying cos she'd done a HUGE poop that went out her nappy and through her clothes and wrap! I gave her a feed and a bit of play time and am now battling to settle her in her bed. Normally I end up giving up and just carry her around with me!
I'm looking forward to going to my mother's group today!
SamiH - I've tried listening as well as looking for tired signs. I just can't tell until she's yawning.
teruteru - I'm BF and I still get woken up in the night!
PP - I hope you can get some sleep during the day!
Holly - Where are you getting your photos done? I'm picking up my photos on Friday. I can't wait to see them. Though Maya cried a lot through her session, so I think they will mainly be crying shots.
belfie - If I have Maya in my hug a bub sling and keep moving then she does tend to sleep and then I can sit for a little while with her in it. She will also sleep in a pram as long as it's moving. The minute I stop her eyes spring open! Glad to hear X's shots went well. Maya's are tomorrow. I hope they don't bother her too much!
curl - I can't believe people are telling you your baby's crying!
Anyway, Maya's crying again.. I think she slept for 5 mins! But it's time to head off to the mother's group meeting anyway! Hope she doesn't scream through that.
Itsme - can i ask u name? im sure its not Itsme. U dont have to tell me. lol. We just got home from Mia's photoshoot and she screamed thru the whole thing!!!
Sam - get an Avi! subscription is only $39.99 for a whole year!
It is about recongnising their signs. Mia's tired signs are yawning, whining, covering her eyes..when laying on her side she burrows her face into the bed likes shes trying to itch her nose.
Yeah Mia has moments too when she finshes all her bottle and other times she will only take 70 mls. Im sure they know when they have had enough.
as for sleeping.. Mia goes down awake. I refuse to rock her unless she is overtired or has a tummy ache etc. She has learnt that once shes laying down, no **** farting around, time for sleep. I know it prob sounds abit harsh but i need a life too, i cant be rocking her for hours IYKWIM. Seeming she was so crabby at her photo shoot, i have come home and put her straight to bed. She frowned at me but 10 mins later she asleep.
Itsme & kuraiza - Girls, just wanted to say anything I suggest is just that - only a thought - I don't wanna sound like a know-it-all or anything so please don't interpret it as such Wouldn't it be much easier if we could all just sit around and have a coffee and chat!!
Hollye - yeah $40 small price to pay for all the support I have had on BB - especially in giving me the confidence to go after and lucky me, achieve, the birth I wanted.
Now - girls - serious questions - WiiFit. Santa is bringing kids a big 10ft trampoline and DH & I are getting a Wii (so my son DS1 doesn't think it is HIS so he can play it all day long ) - both will help me get through the school holidays with everyone at home! But, I wanna get some use too - alot of you have referred to WiiFit - is it really that good, and DO YOU USE IT?? If you do, what for - what is the best part etc? I know there is a thread in gaming, but I feel like I kinda know you girls and trust your opinions
I pretty much go nuts every afternoon and evening trying to work out if she's tired or not and then trying to rock her to sleep if I think she's tired. She also won't sleep in her pram or in the car! We did settling techniques at the mother's group two weeks ago and they went through stuff I already know, but it just doesn't work for Maya. I asked the MCHN and she said Maya might still be too young and to try again when she's 8 weeks. She's 8 weeks this Friday, so I'll have to start trying to put her to bed awake again and doing the patting routine.
Hope Mia gave lots of smiles at the photo shoot - hard on the wallet when they look so damn gorgeous in their piccies.
Wouldn't it be much easier if we could all just sit around and have a coffee and chat!!
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