As you can probably tell from the title, sleep training is a little bit frustrating.... (Understatement of the year.)
Yorlee was doing SO well, I'm not sure when things went sour. For the past few days, she's been absolutely refusing to sleep in her crib. My neck hurts, my back hurts, and my head hurts. She's also getting harder to put down for the night. She does the old "fake out", where you think she's sleep, but then BAM! eyes pop open and it's playtime again.
Yesterday I decided to really buckle down and try to get things under control. When I got home from work, we went and ran errands as a family. I gave Yorlee a bottle in the car, and noticed she was rubbing her eyes, her cue for being sleepy. We had a few more stops to make, and I could tell she was started to crank it up. I popped her pacifier in her mouth and her eyes immediately dropped, but of course she sprang them right back open.
Once we made it home, I put her in her Bebo chair and tried to get some dinner in her. I think she ate like 4 bites before refusing any more. My husband put her on the floor in the living room and played with her (it was around 6PM) until she started fussing. I knew she was about to get overtired, so I decided to give her a quick bath, rub down with lotion, and nurse her. As soon as she latched on, she was out! I held her for a few minutes to make sure she was sleep and then I transferred her to her crib. She slept for around an hour before she work up SCREAMING!!
My husband went in and tried to console her. She wasn't having it. I could hear her screams getting louder as he came into our room and said, "Can you please take her, I can't get her to stop screaming." She didn't want to nurse, didn't want to play, didn't want to do anything. That's when I knew what I had to do. I had to take her back to her room and put her in her crib. She was going to fuss regardless. I put her down, turned on her bear that plays music, gave her a blanket, and popped her paci in her mouth. As soon as I left the room she started crying. My husband went in and rubbed her belly. She was calm for a few minutes and then the screaming started again. I went in and she quieted down. I didn't say anything to her, I just let her know that I was there by rubbing her head and her belly. I stayed in there for about 10 minutes and I could see her eyes slowly closing. When I would try to sneak out, she'd wake up again. Finally, I determined that I should put her on her side (the way she sleeps when she's in bed with me) and let her cuddle her bear. As soon as I did that, she was out!! She slept for about four hours before waking.
Here's where I messed up....
Instead of nursing her or giving her a bottle and putting her back in her crib, I brought her to our bed.
I'm going to work on that part. What do you think? Any suggestions?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Rockin' the Bump!
I hardly ever link up (not sure why), but I couldn't pass this one up.
A chance to show off all those beautiful baby bumps!
For some reason I couldn't grab the button, but head on over HERE for more details.
The picture above was taken four days before Yorlee was born.
Being pregnant was one of the best times of my life. I'm so grateful that I was able to experience it, and completely adore my daughter. I particularly miss feeling her hiccup. She would get them at the exact moment that I'd start to slightly freak out, needing confirmation that she was still okay in there. Almost as if she knew.
A chance to show off all those beautiful baby bumps!
For some reason I couldn't grab the button, but head on over HERE for more details.
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| 39 Weeks Pregnant |
Being pregnant was one of the best times of my life. I'm so grateful that I was able to experience it, and completely adore my daughter. I particularly miss feeling her hiccup. She would get them at the exact moment that I'd start to slightly freak out, needing confirmation that she was still okay in there. Almost as if she knew.
Yorlee is 6 months old!
(I go by weeks, she is 24 weeks old. Some people would say she isn't 6 months until the 25th of this month. Her pediatrician uses my method.)
She's such a big girl now!! I just adore her!
She hasn't had her 6 month check up yet, she goes on Friday. I'll be sure to post her updates!
I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great Monday!
She's such a big girl now!! I just adore her!
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| She loves her sunglasses!! |
I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great Monday!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Regression
Yorlee flat out refused to sleep in her crib last night. After trying twice, and her waking up screaming for me, I brought her to our bed for the night.
She slept like a log.
In her defense, she is sporting two little pieces of rice under her gums. And has been nomming on her fingers incessantly. My poor princess is really teething. She chomps on whatever she can get in her grasp. Usually it's my shoulder, and her fingers. I put her teething ring in the freezer and let her go to town on it. I've also been allowing her to gum on some popsicles, she loves them! I'm not sure how long it'll take them to come through, but she sure is in pain.
My poor muffin!
I'm hoping that we don't have to re acclimate her to her crib when this is all said and done. It was a huge feat for us to tackle, and I'm not sure if I'm up for a rerun.
She's been really clingy and cuddly lately, and prefers to eat solids rather than nurse or take a bottle. I just know her gums are bothering her. I'm going to continue with the cold items on her gums, and see if that works. I keep slathering her face with Aquaphor because the drool is giving her a little rash on her chin.
She slept like a log.
In her defense, she is sporting two little pieces of rice under her gums. And has been nomming on her fingers incessantly. My poor princess is really teething. She chomps on whatever she can get in her grasp. Usually it's my shoulder, and her fingers. I put her teething ring in the freezer and let her go to town on it. I've also been allowing her to gum on some popsicles, she loves them! I'm not sure how long it'll take them to come through, but she sure is in pain.
My poor muffin!
I'm hoping that we don't have to re acclimate her to her crib when this is all said and done. It was a huge feat for us to tackle, and I'm not sure if I'm up for a rerun.
She's been really clingy and cuddly lately, and prefers to eat solids rather than nurse or take a bottle. I just know her gums are bothering her. I'm going to continue with the cold items on her gums, and see if that works. I keep slathering her face with Aquaphor because the drool is giving her a little rash on her chin.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Divatude
Check out Yorlee's new shades. She loves them and gets frustrated when I take them off.
(They don't always weigh her nose down like that, she was pulling at them...)
Yorlee's earrings
Monday, June 6, 2011
Opinions...
If I had to pick only one thing to put on my "List of things that get on my nerves", it would have to be judgemental people. I can't stand it. And it seems like now that I'm a parent, people go out of their way to make their opinions known.
Case in point:
My husband and I mutually decided after MONTHS of pondering, to get Yorlee's ears pierced. I spoke with other parents about getting their daughters ears pierced, talked to her pediatrician, and of course Googled the heck out of it. We also talked to our family about it. Finally, on Friday, we determined that it was time. I texted one of my friends that has a daughter who is two days older than Yorlee when we were on our way to get it done, and she told me to beware because people would give us dirty looks. I didn't quite believe her. Not because she isn't trust worthy, but I honestly didn't think that people would make a fuss over earrings, that are in their child's ears.
We decided to go to Claire's (because my husband's cousin, who is a DOCTOR, recommended it, and she had her daughter's ears pierced there), and a few of my other friends went there. We went in, picked out the kit we wanted, and I took a seat with Yorlee on our lap. Oh.my.goodness!! The comments started as soon as my behind hit the seat. One lady in particular came up and said, "You aren't getting her ears pierced are you?" To which I responded, "Yes, we are." She then said, "How sad!
She wasn't the only person. A few other people made comments about how "sad" it was, and some even stopped and tried to watch with disdain written all over their faces. Thankfully the Assistant Manager of the store was there to wave them on.
For some reason, my mother decided to wait to get our (my sisters, and I) ears pierced, and I got them for the first time when I was probably about 6 or so. I can't remember the exact age, but what I CAN remember is how scared I was because I knew it was going to hurt, and how much it DID hurt, because I was thinking about it so much. Also, I ended up having to get them pierced THREE times because I kept messing with them and pulling them out. I knew that whenever I had children, if I had a daughter, I'd get hers done early so she wouldn't have to go through what I went through.
And I'm glad I did.
Yorlee did way better than I was expecting. She didn't cry very much, and she was all smiles afterwards. She lets me disinfect her ears with no problems, and looks like such a cutie pie!
For some reason Blogger isn't correctly uploading my pictures, so I'll try to post one when I get home.
(If anyone has any negative comments in regards to me choosing to get MY child's ears pierced, please keep them to yourself. Really and truly, I don't care to know.)
Case in point:
My husband and I mutually decided after MONTHS of pondering, to get Yorlee's ears pierced. I spoke with other parents about getting their daughters ears pierced, talked to her pediatrician, and of course Googled the heck out of it. We also talked to our family about it. Finally, on Friday, we determined that it was time. I texted one of my friends that has a daughter who is two days older than Yorlee when we were on our way to get it done, and she told me to beware because people would give us dirty looks. I didn't quite believe her. Not because she isn't trust worthy, but I honestly didn't think that people would make a fuss over earrings, that are in their child's ears.
We decided to go to Claire's (because my husband's cousin, who is a DOCTOR, recommended it, and she had her daughter's ears pierced there), and a few of my other friends went there. We went in, picked out the kit we wanted, and I took a seat with Yorlee on our lap. Oh.my.goodness!! The comments started as soon as my behind hit the seat. One lady in particular came up and said, "You aren't getting her ears pierced are you?" To which I responded, "Yes, we are." She then said, "How sad!
She wasn't the only person. A few other people made comments about how "sad" it was, and some even stopped and tried to watch with disdain written all over their faces. Thankfully the Assistant Manager of the store was there to wave them on.
For some reason, my mother decided to wait to get our (my sisters, and I) ears pierced, and I got them for the first time when I was probably about 6 or so. I can't remember the exact age, but what I CAN remember is how scared I was because I knew it was going to hurt, and how much it DID hurt, because I was thinking about it so much. Also, I ended up having to get them pierced THREE times because I kept messing with them and pulling them out. I knew that whenever I had children, if I had a daughter, I'd get hers done early so she wouldn't have to go through what I went through.
And I'm glad I did.
Yorlee did way better than I was expecting. She didn't cry very much, and she was all smiles afterwards. She lets me disinfect her ears with no problems, and looks like such a cutie pie!
For some reason Blogger isn't correctly uploading my pictures, so I'll try to post one when I get home.
(If anyone has any negative comments in regards to me choosing to get MY child's ears pierced, please keep them to yourself. Really and truly, I don't care to know.)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Silly Mommy, I feed myself!
Yorlee is a pro at eating rice cereal now. We just bought some oatmeal for her to try, and she will get homemade sweet potatoes shortly. She already tried homemade sweet peas and loved them!
What a big girl! :-)
What a big girl! :-)
The Adventures in Sleep Training (Pt. 3)
Yorlee has been spending a least half of the night in her crib since Sunday. I must admit, I really enjoy being able to stretch out in my bed every night!
Her daycare provider has been keeping her up during the day, and it has really made a difference. Before, they would let her sleep all day, so when she came home she wasn't really tired. Now, she is on a schedule. I think that the consistancy has definitely helped her remain more calm and content.
She is really changing. Her personality is much more calm now that she knows that she can sleep in her crib, and I will come back to her when she needs me. I think the way it worked out is much better than the Cry It Out method. Sure, I still have to put her to sleep before she is placed in her crib, but if you look at where we started, things are going great!
One other thing that has made a difference is that I started to eliminate dairy from my diet, and we switched her to Soy formula. Her pediatrician and I noticed that she was breaking out with rashes and looked like she had eczema. She also was more fussy, although she wasn't spitting up, it seems like she has a milk allergy. We are not 100% sure, but she has been happier and sleeping better, so either way it's been a positive change. Her skin rashes are healing, and the discoloration on her face is fading. She is still nursing, but due to demands at my job I wasn't able to pump regularly enough to keep an adequate supply. I stopped pumping at work and only nurse her when I'm at home with her and during the weekends. My "mommy guilt" isn't so bad because she's still getting my milk, and my nerves aren't so bad because I don't have to pump at work. Sometimes I try to pump extra on the weekends so I can send a bottle or two to daycare with her, but if I don't do it, I don't feel horrible.
All in all, things are smoothing out for us.
As a side note, Vick's Baby Rub works WONDERS! I put a nice coating on the bottom of Yorlee's feet when she had a cold last week and covered it with her socks. She was able to breathe so much better and was less congested. It may sound weird, but it works. Her pediatrician recommends it also. Just make sure you don't use regular Vick's.
Have a great day!
Her daycare provider has been keeping her up during the day, and it has really made a difference. Before, they would let her sleep all day, so when she came home she wasn't really tired. Now, she is on a schedule. I think that the consistancy has definitely helped her remain more calm and content.
She is really changing. Her personality is much more calm now that she knows that she can sleep in her crib, and I will come back to her when she needs me. I think the way it worked out is much better than the Cry It Out method. Sure, I still have to put her to sleep before she is placed in her crib, but if you look at where we started, things are going great!
One other thing that has made a difference is that I started to eliminate dairy from my diet, and we switched her to Soy formula. Her pediatrician and I noticed that she was breaking out with rashes and looked like she had eczema. She also was more fussy, although she wasn't spitting up, it seems like she has a milk allergy. We are not 100% sure, but she has been happier and sleeping better, so either way it's been a positive change. Her skin rashes are healing, and the discoloration on her face is fading. She is still nursing, but due to demands at my job I wasn't able to pump regularly enough to keep an adequate supply. I stopped pumping at work and only nurse her when I'm at home with her and during the weekends. My "mommy guilt" isn't so bad because she's still getting my milk, and my nerves aren't so bad because I don't have to pump at work. Sometimes I try to pump extra on the weekends so I can send a bottle or two to daycare with her, but if I don't do it, I don't feel horrible.
All in all, things are smoothing out for us.
As a side note, Vick's Baby Rub works WONDERS! I put a nice coating on the bottom of Yorlee's feet when she had a cold last week and covered it with her socks. She was able to breathe so much better and was less congested. It may sound weird, but it works. Her pediatrician recommends it also. Just make sure you don't use regular Vick's.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
One year ago today...
Exactly one year ago today, I was 10 weeks pregnant. So cautious, and nervous. Scared to fall in love with the tiny human inside of me. Scared to tell people I was pregnant. Scared to even believe that I might actually have a baby one day in fear that it would "jinx" something.
I wrote the following post:
(My little love fell asleep in her Bebo chair. It was the cutest thing ever!!)
I wrote the following post:
10 Weeks Down/ 30 to Go!!
How far along? 10 weeks exactly
Total weight gain/loss: Still down, about 5 lbs
Sleep: TONS! I'm still pretty exhausted. I've been staying up past 9PM lately, but I really feel it the next day.
Food cravings: Pickles, I might stop and buy some on the way home. It's the only thing that sounds good. Still struggling with food, but it seems to be getting a little bit better.
Best moment this week: Realizing that I'm 1/4 of the way done! Time feels like it's creeping by, but it isn't.
Movement: Still too early for that. Can't wait!
Gender: I have no clue, one day I'll think girl, and the next day I'll swear I'm going to have a boy.
Labor Signs: Not for a LONG time!!
Belly Button in or out? Still in. It's so weird to me how my stomach can look pretty normal in the morning, but by the afternoon it's HUGELY bloated.
What I miss: Feeling normal. I miss not stressing over every single thing. I worry if the baby is still alive, I worry about if I'm eating enough, I worry about if this pregnancy is actually going to result in a real live baby. I just worry. And it's starting to take a toll on me.
What I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound, and hitting the second trimester. Only a few more weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: It's normal for symptoms to come and go. I was nervous because I wasn't nauseous one day, only to feel pretty bad the next.
Milestones: Staying sane for another week! Woo-hoo! I'm proud of myself.
This pregnancy has really been a struggle for me. I really wish that I could be more optimistic and hopeful about everything, but I'm still really scarred emotionally from the miscarriage I had in December. Even though it was a completely different situation (I had bleeding almost from the moment I found out I was pregnant), it still haunts me. I feel like I'm just waiting with baited breath for the other shoe to drop. It's really hard. I wish I hadn't told anyone. Sometimes I want to forget that I'm pregnant, and I also find that I'm wishing time away. I know that stress isn't good for me or the baby, so I need to figure out a way to put my mind at ease. I considered buying a Doppler, but I really wonder if that will help me or harm me. If I can't find the heartbeat one day, I'll FREAK OUT. And I just don't know if it's a good idea for me to put myself through that. I'm trying to take it one day at a time.
Total weight gain/loss: Still down, about 5 lbs
Sleep: TONS! I'm still pretty exhausted. I've been staying up past 9PM lately, but I really feel it the next day.
Food cravings: Pickles, I might stop and buy some on the way home. It's the only thing that sounds good. Still struggling with food, but it seems to be getting a little bit better.
Best moment this week: Realizing that I'm 1/4 of the way done! Time feels like it's creeping by, but it isn't.
Movement: Still too early for that. Can't wait!
Gender: I have no clue, one day I'll think girl, and the next day I'll swear I'm going to have a boy.
Labor Signs: Not for a LONG time!!
Belly Button in or out? Still in. It's so weird to me how my stomach can look pretty normal in the morning, but by the afternoon it's HUGELY bloated.
What I miss: Feeling normal. I miss not stressing over every single thing. I worry if the baby is still alive, I worry about if I'm eating enough, I worry about if this pregnancy is actually going to result in a real live baby. I just worry. And it's starting to take a toll on me.
What I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound, and hitting the second trimester. Only a few more weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: It's normal for symptoms to come and go. I was nervous because I wasn't nauseous one day, only to feel pretty bad the next.
Milestones: Staying sane for another week! Woo-hoo! I'm proud of myself.
This pregnancy has really been a struggle for me. I really wish that I could be more optimistic and hopeful about everything, but I'm still really scarred emotionally from the miscarriage I had in December. Even though it was a completely different situation (I had bleeding almost from the moment I found out I was pregnant), it still haunts me. I feel like I'm just waiting with baited breath for the other shoe to drop. It's really hard. I wish I hadn't told anyone. Sometimes I want to forget that I'm pregnant, and I also find that I'm wishing time away. I know that stress isn't good for me or the baby, so I need to figure out a way to put my mind at ease. I considered buying a Doppler, but I really wonder if that will help me or harm me. If I can't find the heartbeat one day, I'll FREAK OUT. And I just don't know if it's a good idea for me to put myself through that. I'm trying to take it one day at a time.
I wish I could go back in time, and console my newly pregnant self. Tell myself that everything is going to be okay. I love that I have a healthy five month old that loves to bite my shoulder when I'm burping her, and gives me sweet slobber kisses when I'm trying to put her to bed.
Amazing!!
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