Things have been a little rough lately. The sleep debt is apparently cumulative, and my balance received unfortunate bolster from the boy’s recent three-times-a-night wake-up habit. And potentially exacerbated by a rumored-typical hormonal shift at around 6 months.
So I have not been able to perhaps accept with sanguinity the various events that have occurred.
Like me having a job and handing my boy off to his various caregivers so I can work. I don’t like that.
Like my milk supply seemingly depleting, possibly due to sleep debt, and various of MY caregivers strongly suggesting my supplementing with formula so I can get some sleep already, since I’m pretty much reduced to tears during his multiple, endless, middle of the night feedings, and me agreeing and buying the formula but crying about it all day, even though I know full well that there is nothing wrong with supplementing with formula at this point. (On the upside — tonight, I pumped over 3 ounces after the boy went to bed, which is for me, a record. And we actually have several 2 and 3 ounce bottles in the fridge at the moment, so Scott will be feeding him that while I try to sleep later. All the tears and drama. Probably buying the formula made my supply uptick.)
Yesterday we bought a jog stroller. A BOB. Jonah fussed in it on our maiden walk, but I didn’t think too much of it. Today, his babysitter took him down to the park in it, and walked the half-mile back home, uphill in the heat, carrying him in one arm, and pushing the stroller with the other hand because he hated being in it so much, cried, etc. “Me, Jonah, and the BOB, are not friends,” she reported. After all the effort, research, stress, we seem to have bought the wrong stroller. Go ahead. Laugh.
Jonah’s been using and loving the exersaucer, but I read the instructions today and discovered he’s too short for it.
The Gentian Violet seems to be working-ish. Which isn’t enough.
There’s other things: a baby shower I volunteered to help throw for a friend that has spiraled out of control with co-hosters sending angry emails and such in its wake. The pedicure I’ll never get again, the pants I’ll never get shortened, the checks I’ll never remember to mail. The yoga I’m not doing because my back is tweaked. The separation in my rectus abdominus muscles that could have been remedied if I’d done a certain kind of sit-up every day early on post-birth and I didn’t know about it until it was almost too late and I still didn’t do it and at six months post-partum, it’s too late.
On a more positive note, we’ve introduced yams, which Jonah likes just as much as liver. On the downside, freezing the cooked liver made it grainy. Need to start over with freezing the fresh liver, then cooking and pureeing when it’s time to feed him. Definitely a better texture that way.
We’ll probably solve the stroller issue with some padding and strap adjustments, or just wait till he’s bigger. I’ll get these jobs done. We’ll use the formula or not. I’ll be okay. I just need to get some sleep.
*Title is a play off this song I really like that goes:
If heaven and hell decide/that they both are satisfied/illuminate the “no”s on their vacancy signs/if there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks/I will follow you into the dark.
Yep, I’ve got the same rectus abdominus muscles issue here. I’ve learned to live with the gap, I just try not to look at it while using those muscles, which these days, is rare. That bothers me less than the road map my strecth marks have created on my belly.
In regards to the stroller buying, I would just ride him around the store in various stroller, and buy the one he fussed less in. That’s how we found our stroller and car seat.
NoMasNinos’s last blog post..Synopsis of 1700 Miles Traveled
I know this is not the point of the post, but could you share the certain type of sit-up that would have fixed the muscle problem if you had done it shortly after birth? I’m giving birth (again) in September and will need all the help I can get.
Also, we have a BOB, and I imagine it just takes some getting used to for the bambino (we didn’t get ours until my son was a little older). If Jonah has a bucket seat that he’s still using, you can buy an adapter that will let you put that on the BOB until he’s bigger.
Kate’s last blog post..And now I am a Real Mother
Hey Lizzette — yeah, he didn’t fuss at the store. Just after it became non-returnable.
Kate — no worries, it’s totally the point of posting, to share info (of course I’m not a licensed instructor or anything). The situp: Basically lying on the floor with legs either straight– or bent (with feet against wall as described below)– cross your arms tightly over your recti split and hold it together while only coming up half-way (don’t let back muscles engage, which will happen if you come too far up and if you have a strong back). Do until you get tired. Second exercise: On your back with bent knees, toes pressed against a wall, heels on floor so feet are at 45-degree angle. With your arms pointing straight at the ceiling, hands together to make a point, do diagonal sit-ups, pointing fingers towards one side then the other, again, only half-way up.
With both exercises, it’s better to do them slowly, rather than quick/short reps.
I honestly don’t know if this works when you’ve already had the split from a previous pregnancy.
The little bit I did do made some difference for me.
Hang in there! This definitely seems like a rough patch! How ironic about the stroller though – little Jonah just had to show you who was in charge, right?
I am sure he will grow to love it in time!!
Becky
http://www.stinkylemsky.typepad.com/
Haven’t heard about the rumoured typical hormone shift at 6 months post partum but BOY would that answer a lot for me! Megan doesn’t really like her strollers very much since we use the bjorn and the ergo carriers 99% of the time, but when we know we’re going to use the stroller we just spend a few days ensuring she spends increasing amounts of time in it so that she gets used to it again. EVERYONE loves the BOB so I’m sure Jonah will come around:)
eva’s last blog post..The Babysitter
ACK! now i have death cab for cutie in my head!
unsolicited assvice: i’ve always taken my boy with me to try out strollers/swings/seats when i could. mostly when he was a baby though. the BOBs fabric may be irritating him, can you try to lay a light-weight blanket between him and the seat? also, it may be the incline of the seat? is the back incline adjustable?
sorry. i can’t help myself!
liz’s last blog post..a little progress
What a difference a single night of sleep can make! Re. the Bob stroller: don’t they always hate something new for at least a few days? Sounds like a good idea to haul it out again in a couple of weeks. I’m going to try that with the Ergo, which Flann hates.
I can totally sympathize with the decreased-supply/formula dilemma. Being full-time four days a week, I’ve seen my daily pumping output decrease from twenty ounces to around fourteen. Oh well. The boy takes like two bottles at daycare anyway; I think they’re about ready to put the kid out in the alleyway.
How can you tell if you have separated tummy muscles?
Laura’s last blog post..Random thoughts Monday
Liz: Yes, I think we are going to try putting the snuzzler in there, and maybe reclining him less.
Laura: Good point. He probably has to get used to it. If you’re going to give the Ergo another go, then I can try the BOB again. I’m so insecure about big ticket items, as soon as the nanny complained, I freaked. Should have bought the baby jogger city classic, more padding, ventilation, blah blah regret blah.
Poor Flann! They can’t put him out like that, he’s too cute.
Re: separated muscles — I’ve had three people check them, my two yoga teachers and the OB. Basically, I think you can check yourself if you lie down on the floor, do a slight/partial sit-up, and poke down the center line of your belly. I can now feel mine all the time. Like it’s a hobby. Poke poke.