Thursday, May 31, 2007

I am sleepy

I am sleepy... I am sleepy.. why aren't you?? Yawn.

Things have been going okay. I've been keeping my shit together which is the important thing. It's quite ironic that SkyWalker has chosen now when his baby sister has just arrived and I am up every 2 hours, to have his vocabulary EXPLODE. He has not stopped talking. At all. I don't know when he breathes. Really, I don't. If he's not talking to me he's just talking in general. He's awfully cute with what he is saying and he's doing so so so well with his pronounciation and repeating what we say. But he also has the tendency to repeat what he has just said, about a million frickin times. "Daddy go back outside?" I think he's missing his short-term memory. I answer him each time, without using the f-word, and I don't want to stifle his development. But man, when you haven't been sleeping sometimes all you want is a little quiet.

The Princess is doing better about the night feedings. I've been getting her up every 2 hours during the day and feeding her, regardless or whether she wakes on her own or not. I've also been mostly feeding her just one side, for as long as she wants, except for in the morning after I pump when she gets both sides to get even more of the "hind milk." She's so much more efficient than her brother was--she can finish in 10 minutes or sometimes even less. If she continues to go every 2 hours at night (or longer) than I'll stop waking her during the day and let her tell me when she wants to eat. She had been eating every hour or less at night and that just sucked. She also tends to have her big poopies at night. Thanks.

Speaking of poopies--SkyWalker pooped on the potty intentionally this morning! And he's been peeing on the potty. He's wearing Hulk pull-ups right now. Mostly because it's easier for me to change him standing up with those than with diapers. I think he'd be potty trained if I was seriously doing it, but I can't seriously do it if I'm nursing every 2 hours. I think in a few weeks we might try. But who knows?

We went to a fire truck museum yesterday and SkyWalker loved it. He got to wear a firefighter jacket and hat and ride on a few of them. It was nice doing something fun as a family. We never do that. This is Vader's last week at home and while I keep thinking "what am I going to do when he goes back to work?" there really won't be much of a difference since he's been outside most of the time doing his landscaping or mowing the lawn. Right now he is having lunch with his friend.

My dogs are outside and want to come in but I am being lazy and not getting up to open the door. I wish we had a doggie door, but then again I don't.

A few days ago I put The Princess in her crib for her first nap there. At the same time that SkyWalker was napping. It was wonderful! I took a shower! I can't get anything done until she's napping in her crib so I've got to get that established early. The Princess is 2 weeks old, 2 1/2 actually, and already she has cried herself to sleep. Unintentionally. We were all upstairs (by all I mean me and them) and I was in the bathroom with SkyWalker. The Princess was in her crib and she started crying. But I was in the middle of helping SkyWalker on the potty and couldn't leave. Then all of a sudden she was quiet. I checked in on her and she was asleep. She woke up briefly and then put herself back to sleep.  She's napped twice in her crib today and put herself to sleep there. Woo-hoo! She sleeps so much that she's often asleep when she finishes nursing. Even after I change her diaper. She's rarely awake so it's tough to put her down when she is awake so she can learn how to fall asleep on her own. I don't nurse to sleep and I don't rock to sleep and I really believe in babies learning how to do that themselves so they can soothe themselves at 3 am without needing my boob or something else from me to get back to sleep. So it's good that we're heading in the right direction.

I've been up since 5:30. And I mean up. I nursed her at 5:30, got out of bed at 5:45, was pumping and sewing a shirt that ripped at 6, ordered new nursing camis at 6:30 and was in the shower by 7. And nursing again by 7:30. I am very much ready for a nap right now. Unfortunately with the exception of Miss Sleeps All Day, no one else is ready for a nap. Would it be really bad if I started slipping benedryl in his lunch? Or just be direct and give him sleeping pills? Really, would it be so wrong?

Aside from the normal sleeplessness and stress of "Am I doing anything right?" things are going really well. SkyWalker is wonderful with his sister. He wants to hug her all the time and truly loves her. He shares his old toys and will much more readily give HER something than me. He plays by himself and is not constantly whining for my attention. He's so much better than I would have expected, but then again he's generally so well-behaved I shouldn't be surprised. He has his moments and there have been some times when he's been pretty whiny or too hands on with The Princess. Like 2 seconds ago, he just dopped her pacifier on her even though she is asleep and I told him she doesn't need it. But that's much better than smacking her in the face right?

I should probably start paying attention to them all again. Especially since someone is squeezing my bog toe and oh, he just kissed my foot. Tee-hee. Oh--quick funny--SkyWalker thinks me pumping is fascinating to watch (um, please don't!) but the funniest is him saying that The Princess is drinking from my "belly." We've both told him that she gets her milk from my "breast" but he insists that it's my belly and he pokes me there and says "belly!" It is hilarious.

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2 comments:

Bee said...

I am so glad to hear that things are going well for you all! SkyWalker sounds sooooo much like Boogie... Most of the time, he will repeat what he is saying until we repeat it back to him (like we have to prove we are listening to him!)... When he is not constantly talking, Boogie has been singing... "ABCs"?!? No problem! "Tinkle, Tinkle Dar" is probably my favorite... Princess is absolutely beautiful, and I am so disappointed that I was leaving the library when you came in for a visit... Damn school visits! Teeheehee... As far as breastfeeding & pumping goes, I think you had better get used to SkyWalker's intense curiosity! My niece was like 7 years old, and she stared all the time... As creepy as it may seem, sometimes, it is perfectly normal for kids to be very intrigued by anything that has to do with the human body... Hope you enjoy the rest of the week with Vader, though I am sure you will be fine when he is back at work too... Call us at the library if you need anything!

bookishbiker said...

Hooray, posts from the mom-front. That is hilarious that you're feeding The Princess from your belly!