It's safe to say I've been slightly overwhelmed the last few months and blogging was not a priority. It's really not entirely or even mostly because of Maddox so I will not blame my sweet (ok not always so sweet) third child, Maddie Moo Moo. I'm really going to try and do better about blogging because as I get older, have more kids, etc. etc. my memory is starting to fade. Sssshhhhh DO NOT TELL NICK I said that ;) And I really want to remember as much as I can from these days. Having said that, here's a quick recap of Maddox's life so far...
Our hospital stay was pretty uneventful and we went home as planned after three days. In the hospital and during our first day and night at home, Maddox was an angel. Seriously, a peace of cake! He slept all the time, wherever and however we put him down, and with as much noise or silence there currently was in the room. Nick even said he seemed to be the most laid back baby and maybe our easiest one. Boy were we WRONG!!! It literally lasted a day. One. That's it. After that and for the next six weeks give or take, he wouldn't sleep at night unless he was being held. Our nights were rough. I would sit in the glider holding him and snoozing as best I could but still careful not to really fall into a deep sleep since he was in my arms or on my lap in the boppy. During the day he would sleep for hours in the car seat after taking his brothers to school but for some reason at night, that wouldn't happen either. I even drove him around for almost an hour a few times to get him into a good deep sleep but as soon as we got home, he would wake up within minutes. We also tried the swing but that didn't work either. He would also nap during the day on the boppy in our bed but due to SIDS risks, we wouldn't do that at night. The only reason it was okay during the day was because I was right there, awake, checking on him constantly.
During one of my visits to Atlanta, I decided to try the Dex Baby Day Dreamer. Tamara had sent me the info a few weeks before but I wasn't sure if it would be okay for night sleep and it came with a pretty price tag so I just tucked it away in the back of my mind. Fast forward a few weeks and many more sleepless nights, and this mama was desperate to try anything! Thankfully it worked! He actually slept in it. I have no idea what was so different about this chair but I didn't care. I slept in my bed for the first time in MONTHS!!! Maddox slept in it for naps too and loved it. Unfortunately, this didn't last and we were back to square one with him and figuring out where he would sleep. One night, we randomly tried the swing again for the millionth time and it worked. He slept in it all.night.long. I actually woke up in the middle of the night to check on him! So then we started putting him the swing at night and he would sleep there for hours, wake up in the middle of the night to eat and then I would put him in the day dreamer. That was our new routine.
One night he would not settle down. No matter what we did, unless he was latched on, he was screaming. I was beyond exhausted so Nick was trying to settle him down and finally needed a break himself so he put him in his crib. Within 20 minutes Maddox was sound asleep. And even during those 20 minutes he didn't really freak out. Cry? Yes. Scream bloody murder continuously? No. WOW!!! We felt like we made it! We made it through the worst of it and he was finally going to turn a corner. He was sleeping 12-13 hours in his crib and just waking once in between to eat and go right back to sleep. He would still cry every night at bedtime. Of course that part was difficult to hear every night and we didn't know why he wasn't adjusted yet but it was better than the alternative so we were content. Unfortunately, that only lasted a few weeks and once he hit four months, he began waking up a lot again. The next few weeks were a challenge again. Getting him to fall asleep and stay asleep for more than 45 minutes was a rarity. And he's up every 3 hours so basically it's like having a newborn all over again. I've tried unswaddling him, the magic sleepsuit, putting him down awake...you name it and nothing has worked. We started thinking he was eating too much right before bedtime so I stopped feeding him. We skipped nursing and just read to him, sang him a song and put him in his crib. He still cries sometimes after 45 minutes or an hour but it doesn't seem as bad (or maybe we've just gotten used to it?) and he falls back asleep. He usually sleeps from 7pm until 11pm but then he's up every 3 hours to eat and fall back asleep. I want to wean him of those night feedings or at least one of them but he actually eats. It's not like he is just soothing himself back to sleep so I'm not sure what to do. I know medically speaking, eating cereal or any food doesn't help a baby sleep longer but I'm kind of hoping when he starts eating in a couple of weeks maybe that will do the trick!
Also, to back up a little and explain what he does at night. He screams. He screams a lot. He wants to be carried but only a certain way, facing out with one arm under his legs and one on his belly and walked around the house. Forever. He was colicky the first few months. He had a few bloody stools so we thought maybe he had an allergy. I gave up dairy for a month to see if that would help and it didn't change a single thing.
Okay now on to the good stuff! During the day he's so sweet! And cuddly and has a smile that just melts your heart! I know all babies do but it has to be said. There is seriously nothing I love more than a toothless baby grin! He's been a great eater from the start. He latched on immediately and we've had no problems. He loves to suck. I'm actually surprised he hasn't figured out how to suck his thumb or fingers yet but we'll see what happens. He started rolling over a few weeks ago. Tummy to back on July 1th and back to tummy on July 27th in his crib and the next day just on the ground.
He also has the best lashes. Seriously. The best! I think I speak for all women when I say it's just not fair when boys have gorgeous, long lashes. He's also got quite a few ticklish spots. And his giggles are contagious. Jackson can get him going just by looking at him or saying one word to him the car. He's so sweet to Maddox. Bennett is too but doesn't always understand how gentle he needs to be.
So now (almost) six months have past and while they have been the most difficult six months of my life, I try to focus on the positives as much as I can and thank God for my sweet boys.
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