Getting Over the 3-month Hump!

So when we made it to 12 weeks in Griffin's exclusively breastmilk diet were beyond proud. (As before, if you do not wish to read about nursing, stop reading now!)

Here we are another month later and still holding strong! There was about 10 days during month 3, I was one hungry baby cry away from going to Target to buy formula. 

I hate pumping. Like despise it. It isn't painful, just really annoying. The majority of my job is working on projects, large projects that require lots of focus with lots of planning and lots of organization. Already the environment I am in has constant interruptions, and with my office off-site and my current driving situation (just one month left!!), it is hard to pull myself from my work to find a quiet place to pump that won't interrupt my focus and productivity.

Some mothers pump and get as much or more than what their baby would get if nursing. Sadly, I am not one of those. My body doesn't respond to the pump the way it does to my baby. I have to pump double the amount of times he feeds to keep up. So when he was eating 3 bottles at school, I was pumping 6 times. Usually one or 2 were at home in between feedings. I was starting to get sick of pumping around the clock, even when I was with my baby just to keep up. Enter the 3 month growth spurt and there went almost my entire freezer supply.

When I unfroze the last bag of freezer milk, I accepted the end was near. We had made it further than we ever expected and we would be proud of that. I told Rick I felt like this might be the end of our nursing relationship and he as supportive as ever, reminded me that Griffin would be just fine.

But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to let go. We had already made it this far!!I read the 3 month growth spurt is the hardest point and if you could get over that hump you would be golden and things get so much easier after that. I just wasn't ready to quit. So I ordered fenugreek, made myself drink the required 64oz of water a day, tried to stay busy during my pump breaks so I would stop stressing about how much was coming out (apparently that has a psychological effect on your let-down) and started nursing Griffin right before he went to class so he wouldn't need as much expressed milk. One week later, we were finally making it all work. The end didn't feel so near anymore. But, I was still only making enough to have a happy baby and get through day by day. I still wasn't able to put anything in the freezer.

We have our 5 year anniversary trip planned in August which means leaving the boys for 3 days, which means I need 3 days worth of milk in our freezer by August 15th. I decided if I had to supplement for a weekend, as disappointing as it would be, I would because this trip is that important to us.

Then something miraculous happened. Griffin slept through the night. SIX HOURS of uninterrupted sleep. And then he slept through another night this time SEVEN HOURS. Then another and another. One week later (which was last night he slept TEN HOURS! He is feeding before bed sometime between 730-830pm then not again until 530-6am.  I have continued to pump before I go to bed sometime between 10/11 which is forcing me to take some time to myself and that milk goes straight to the freezer. It isn't much each day but we are getting there! I am hopeful we will have enough for our anniversary weekend.

The next growth spurt will result in cereal/baby food and then the start of weaning begins. I just can't believe it! I am feeling so elated we have made it this far but like everything else, so bittersweet our sweet baby boy is growing so fast. I am really growing to love my private time with Griffin now (which is sometimes propped up against a bathroom wall as if I am sitting in an imaginary chair), especially since it has opened my flexibility up be able to have mornings with my little dude.

I feel like we are (finally) past the worst of it and nursing is actually easier than bottle feeding. I am excited that Griffin won't be attached to the bottle like Cooper was (ugh, I cringe even thinking back to weaning Coop from the bottle). I am most excited we made it another month and if we make it to 12, that will be cool and if we don't, that will be okay, too.

Date with my Little Dude

I am proud to say we are coming up on yet another nursing celebration of making it one more month. During the growth spurt in month 3, I wasn't really sure we would make it, but we stuck with it and it is true what they say, it really is easier now. (The details with this deserve a separate post.)

Griffin's schedule has settled down, is way more predictable and now that he is only eating 4-5 times a day, it has opened my flexibility up dramatically to be able to do way more than stay glued to him and plan my life around his nursing schedule.

This morning, Griffin stayed home with Daddy and Cooper and I were able to spend the morning together, the ENTIRE morning, like from 830am-12pm which is the longest we have had alone and uninterrupted since before Griffin came. It was SO FUN!

We went to a superhero breakfast where we met we watched from afar because Cooper was too scared to meet the Hulk, Thor, Ironman and Spiderman! Because it was a patron only invitation, we also were able to play in the museum for an hour or so before it opened to the public which was really nice because it can get so crowded. Coop played in the water area for awhile before we changed to see the Superhero show!

Our date was completed with our favorite place, SUGAR SHACK, where we got the best donuts and even brought some home to Daddy, followed by lunch and a nap in mommy's bed. It was the perfect date with my little dude!

Happy 12 weeks Baby G!

Our sweet Griffin Scot is 12 weeks (officially tomorrow)!! I can't believe we are already here!

I think as parents, each passing day is so much more special than the one before and we truly forget how hard the first 6-8 weeks are, how much the goal is just survival. But we made it. Griffin is sleeping 5+ hour stretches consistently at night and spends most of his waking hours alert with lots of smiles and cooing.

This also marks 12 weeks of exclusive breastmilk! Please stop reading now if this makes you squeamish as this post is mostly about nursing... I am beyond proud we have made it this far and want to remember this for years to come.

Cooper and I only made it a about 5 days nursing and we started supplementing pretty early on with formula. I'd like to blame it all on the stomach bug I got around 8 weeks but truly it was the lack of knowledge I had. The first time around there is SO MUCH to learn. So much information, people's opinions, what is right and best and healthiest and it made it very difficult for me to give focus to every aspect of having a child. I have since learned, all of that is there the second time around as well but I am better able to tune it out.

Cooper is an awesome kid. Even had I been able to breastfeed him longer, I still believe we would've ended up in the ER countless times and I am not sure if I could go back in time and avoid all of that I would. We learned SO MUCH about parenting, sacrifices and fighting for our son. Rick and I learned a ton about our relationship with each other, things to hold on to and things that make us stronger and Cooper is and will be stronger because of all of it, stronger than any amount of breastmilk could've given him.

But this time around, I already knew how to hold a newborn and swaddle a newborn and change a diaper and function off of 2 hours of sleep so I went into this birth hoping to give more time and energy to nursing. Even with the recognition that I don't really think Cooper's path would've been much different, I still wanted to give Griffin the best shot I could not to have a repeat of respiratory problems.

When we found out Griffin was to be born at 35 weeks, I became super stressed. I was sure this would destroy any plans of nursing and that we should just give up before we began. Instead, I got proactive and educated myself. I took a breastfeeding class (that my wonderful husband attended with me) and stayed after to talk with the instructor, about what having a preemie would mean for our nursing relationship and why it was even more important I stuck with the plan. The biggest thing I learned from Cooper's birth was to focus on the things I can control and let go of everything else. I couldn't do anything about my brain tumor, I couldn't do much about the scheduled C-section at 35 weeks and I definitely had no control over whether Griffin would end up in the NICU or anything that would happen there. But as a mother, the choice to feed formula or breastmilk was my choice as long as my body allowed. It would be a lot of work but it was up to me.

Going into Griffin's delivery, I was very hopeful we would be able to nurse right after and begin this special bond that in my mind was accompanied with harps and singing and white flowy sheets blowing in the wind. Sadly, with the neonatal team waiting in the corner of the OR on the day that was supposed to just be pre-op testing (read Griffin's birth story here), I realized that was highly unlikely. I turned my attention and energy toward a healthy delivery (accompanied with a healthy seizure-free mommy) with the understanding that Griffin would end up in the NICU and that was going to be okay. It would all be okay. Everything would be okay, just as it always has been with Cooper and would always be with Griffin.

I started asking for a pump the moment I got to the recovery room. I asked every time I saw a nurse until they finally brought me one. I pumped every 2 hours the first 2 days to stimulate what Griffin would do if he was with me. I asked for a lactation consultant to advocate for me in the NICU and asked every nurse and doctor if today was the day they would let me nurse. Thankfully, when Griffin was able to keep his stats steady in a way that they never forced formula and even when he was finally allowed breast milk, he didn't have to have any kind of milk fortifier. When he finally turned the corner, they let us try nursing before every feeding. When I was discharged it was even more difficult because I couldn't drive nor could I be called on to arrive in minutes for another go. Even with the help of the nurses, we just couldn't get the hang of it.

On day 7, he was allowed to go home. Without the doctor's strict orders to have at least 40CC's per feeding, we were able to try nursing a little more exclusively. Each feeding resulted in a very hungry baby and a very sad and frustrated mommy. I turned to the bottle at every feeding. I kept telling myself it was okay though because he was still getting breast milk and he was home and healthy and all this while being 3 weeks shy of his due date!

We went to the pediatrician on day 9, 2 days after discharge to ensure he was gaining weight properly. I purposefully made the appointment with lactation specialist on staff in hopes she could give us some tips and build a relationship with us since preemies are said to take longer learning to breastfeed. She suggested we try a nipple shield which helps babies latch.

Griffin never needed another bottle again. My stress level went down because he could finally latch, I gained confidence and he gained weight. It still wasn't easy. During the first growth spurt, I really thought I would give up. And then again this one day when I barely ate anything and 24 hours later he was nursing more often than he did through that previous growth spurt (due to lack of calories). But we had already come so far, baby G and me, every time I thought I'd give up, we pushed through.

We reintroduced the bottles 4 weeks later to practice for my return to work. The first few were really hard on all of us, but by day 4, G had the hang of it and was still nursing very well. I was feeling more confident than ever.

The first week of work was great. G took bottles no problem and I was making what he needed. But during week 2, I just wasn't making enough. I added extra pumpings and a started drinking more water and just couldn't seem to keep up. By the end of week 2, I was sure we wouldn't last another week. And realized with the help of some wonderful friends I needed to relax and let go. And everything sort of fell into place after that.

Through this whole process I have learned a lot of things.

• Don't listen to anyone but yourself. I thought I had learned that before but realized with Cooper, I was breastfeeding because I was told I should. This time I wanted to breastfeed. This time was successful because my motivate gave me the determination it requires, especially for a working mother with a busy social life.
• Stress makes everything worse. My wonderful best friend has reminded me on several occasions that my pre-Griffin outlook was to breastfeed as long as my body allowed. Once we got the hang of it, I got so wrapped up in making it to G's first birthday, I forgot about that. The moment I started taking it one day at a time, the stress melted away and the breastfeeding went so much better. I am finding that each day I am able to provide this for my son is a celebration in itself.
• For us, there is no nipple confusion. G takes the paci when he wants comfort, the bottle when he is away from me and nurses great when we are together. The amount of milk he gets, the length of a feeding and the length between feedings varies breast vs. bottle but we have seemed to adjust to all of that as well.
• For the working moms out there, I learned that successful breastfeeding mothers have to pump at home during the week in order to make it all work. I have to pump in between feedings at home to make up the extra milk he drinks at school, which is easier now that he is sleeping such long stretches at night.
• All the things those baby sites say about not eating feta cheese while preggo and making sure not to get strollers that have high levels of BPA in them, simply don't matter. The same sites say that breastfeeding is this beautiful, wonderful bonding experience (hence the illusion of billowy sheets and harps) and some days I didn't even want to be in the same room as Griffin because all he would want to do is nurse. I found I just had to do what felt right. Sometimes what feels right in this moment doesn't feel right in the next, either. Breastfeeding just didn't work with Cooper and that is okay. It is okay that he was on formula and he is turning out to be one smart (almost) healthy kid.

I hope to make G's baby food and turn our whole family organic one day, but right now one more day of exclusive breastmilk is enough. I am learning to celebrate the small victories and to be just be proud of that. My goal of making it to March 26th just isn't as important as remembering to enjoy every minute of this crazy Rice life because boy is it flying by!

My Sweet Cooper James

Oh Cooper, my dear sweet Cooper James. 

How does a mother sum up the beauty that you carry each and every day. The beauty that is your ease and trust and comfort in the face of distress. Usually it is my crazy motherly ways trying to explain to you for the 20th time why you must have yet another surgery, for yet another attempt to make all this sickness go away so that when the nurses come for you, you will walk away a little nervous but not scared and no peeling of those sweet little paint stained fingers will be required. 

Then when the doctor walks in and asks if you have any questions you say, "Nope, I am going to get the mask and take a nap, so you can take my boogers and  'not out my nose." Cool as a cucumber. And the first response of your neurotic loving mother is to cry because you are just so well adjusted. You handle everything in stride without too much worry (I suppose I worry enough for all of us). And as the tears begin to fall I am just so damn proud of you I could melt to bits, right there on the floor in the surgery center.

I am continually blown away each time I recall the past almost 3 years of my life. It is filled with some of the hardest moments I have ever had in this life. But with every rough point their is another equally bright tremendously brighter because of the beauty that is our dear sweet Cooper James.

My life is so much brighter (and so are my walls... floors... tables... and couches...) with you in it and boy are you going to put your mark on this world and I cannot wait to see what it looks like.

a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

We interviewed a nanny yesterday. We had exchanged about 20 emails back and forth so I was pretty sure she was a good candidate and was open to this temporary position since I do have plans of returning to work.

It was really weird. I have interviewed probably 50 teachers at my school but interviewing a nanny to care for my 2 son's and I in our home was a really strange thing.

I suppose mother's helper would be a better job title. I am going to be there and since I can't drive or be left alone with Griffin at this point in my diagnosis, hiring someone seemed like the only choice. 

We met at the park so we could talk without interruption. (Coop has a tendency to pull every single toy out that he owns when someone new is around.) She is super sweet. Coop took to her very well; by the end of the interview, Coop was dragging her around to each play set. It was sweet. He even asked if she could come over and play!

So we talked for about 45 minutes and decided she was a good fit. That is one thing to check off our list of Grif preparations. Who knows, maybe we will fall in love with her and she could come work at our school.

In other news, we had a wonderful time at our buddy Cullen's first birthday party. Cullen has overcome so much in his short life and we were very happy to be able to celebrate with him. Coop played with some of his friend's at school and by the end was soaked in sweat and exhausted. 

The VCU game was on so we drove straight to my mom's house to watch the second half. On the way there, Coop discovered a piece of chocolate in his goody bag, which neither Rick or I realized and when I turned to see why he was so quiet, this is what I saw.

 A month ago, I would have pissed. I would've been upset at the mess of his clothes and car seat, etc. Don't get me wrong, I am all about making a mess but there is a way to control a messy environment and this wasn't it.

I suppose brain tumors have a way of changing one's perspective because all I could do was laugh. Both Rick and I just laughed in astonishment the rest of the way to T-ma's.

Needless to say, I was thankful for extra underwear. He went straight to the bath when we got to T-ma's and borrowed a t-shirt since we didn't have any extra clothes. He needed a bath from all the fun at Cullen's birthday anyway! Plus everything is worth it with a VCU win!

Pre/post chocolate mess!

I guess he wasn't a fan of the t-shirt!

let go and let God

Cooper had his 3rd fiberoptic endoscope this afternoon. Last time, I was a mess and that was over a year ago, so I brought back up. This time I was equipped with Rick AND Grandad. 


I am not sure I would say we got the news we were hoping for, but it wasn't all bad... Comparatively speaking, Cooper's larynx is less floppy than it was during the last scope.
It felt good seeing it with my own eyes. Unfortunately, his stridor hasn't improved over the last 6 months, which suggests that this improvement may not be the cause of the stridor. So as doctor's do, we cross off one cause and move onto the next, in Cooper's case, down the respiratory system. So onto the lungs we go.


I trust Dr. Brager. I actually really like him. Back when Coop had his ear tube surgery, I was so relieved when Dr. Brager came out ran out of the operating room because he knew how scared I was about the anesthesia with Cooper's breathing difficulties. I respect the fact that he reminds me which appointments that I will need some back up and I trust that everything happens for a reason. But... you knew the but was coming... I can't help but be on the verge of tears. I have had this pit in the bottom of my throat since we left the doctor.


I don't really know what I thought would happen today. A part of me hoped that he would look and see a growth or lesion that can be fixed easier than ear tubes and Dr. Brager would have a light bulb, "Oh THAT is it!" And give us some medicine to fix it. Problem solved. Not that I want anything to be wrong with Cooper but because I wanted a definitive answer. You would think I would've learned by now not to get my hopes up.


As I am writing this, Rick is with Cooper because he just woke up coughing so hard his bright red face was almost purple. He was/is screaming his head off, almost literally, and the pit in the bottom of my throat is finally coming up in endless streams of tears. I just want to know what is going on. Why have the symptoms gotten worse if his voicebox is getting better. And why the hell didn't anyone refer us to a pulmonary specialist sooner. Ugh.


That kind of thinking gets me no where productive, its just the tears talking. I end up walking down paths that get really scary by repeating google search after google search hoping that one of the youtube videos or medical research journals or blogs I see will help me figure this out.


And then I remember how beautiful my Cooper is, with his white blonde hair and this giggle I could listen to all day. The sweetness in his eyes when he runs full-fledged (fists pumping) across the playground shouting "mama" because he just missed me that much. The way he says "tank tew" every single last time I hand him something, even when I change his diaper (which he hates). And I force myself, like I am right now, to remember that everything is okay (although most times it takes one of my really awesome girlfriends to remind me) because he is bright and sweet and developing at a pace that is totally, absolutely nothing to worry about regardless of the silly sounds his breathing/voicebox/whatever it is makes.

So here we are back to square one, learning the same lesson that I keep thinking we already covered. It doesn't really matter if I trust our pediatrician or our ENT or the pulmonary specialist or whoever we may see next or after that. What matters is that I still am learning to let go and let God. Because when I give this to God, completely and entirely, it will be solved.

i'm baaaackkk

Where do I even begin?


It has been almost 5 months since my last post. My apologies. I could blame the speed of life, or my job promotion, or my toddler...
Or I could be honest and say it is truly because we got rid of our internet.


Yeah about that... 
I have since realized that it is the 21st century and internet is kind of a must.
I have realized that this blog is not only a journal about my life as a mother, wife and educator but it is beyond therapeutic for me. 
I have realized how much I LOVE to write and not having this blog to document my feelings in such a personal way (for anyone to read who wants to... how personal is that?) has been a bit of a hole in my life.


So I am baaaackkk...


I will do my best to update with pictures and videos the best I can, with everything that has happened in the last 5 months, and will somehow, hopefully, stay on top of the current happenings as well. It very well may take me a few weeks, even months to do it, but it will be done. It has to be done. For me, for Rick and for Cooper.


So I invited you on a small trip down our memory lane. Back to October of last year... Back to the holidays, to our many mini-vacations, promotions, job changes, media appearances and even talk and by talk I mean TALK) of another baby.


Let the memories commence!


But in the meantime...


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

lazy saturday!

I owe a few blog posts. One on Coop's first trip to Chicago and one on how he has really started signing. I should probably write a post about how I started on Coop's year one photo book and I had to quit because I cried about the thought of my sweet baby coop turning a year old! Oh, and I can't leave out the first stare down that Coop and I had today over him banging on our DVD player and not liking the fact that I said no.


But right now, I am enjoying the fact that we had a lazy saturday. One that had absolutely no plans or commitments, something that we haven't had in a long time. And I am celebrating the fact that Coop slept 8+ hours the last 3 nights and has eaten mostly table food this whole weekend.

So the blogs will come, all those moments will be memorialized. But for right now, I am enjoying the last few moments of this lazy saturday with the most wonderful boys a girl could ask for!

Ps. Happy Father's Day (tomorrow) to the Most Wonderful Father I know.

Proud Momma!

August 30, 2010 was the best day of my life (and I have had a LOT of wonderful days!)
It is so unreal the amount of love I have for this child. It was on this day that I finally got a glimpse, if only a small one, into the amount of love that God has for each and every one of us.
I really must say thank you to my own mother and every other woman that has touched my life to help me be the mother I am today. Even those that don't have their own children have still managed to teach me how to love a little more deeply.

I am so thankful to be exposed to many different women with their many different mothering ways and their many lessons learned.

I am so beyond proud to be the mother of my sweet baby Coop! :)
Happy (First) Mother's Day! :)

tissues in hand...

I just can't keep it together anymore.


I am a sappy mess.


There I said it. I admit it.


I walked into Cooper's classroom to get him after school and as soon as he saw me, he kicked his feet, started hitting his hands on his legs and squealing in delight. The closer I got to him, the more excited he got and when I picked him up, he hugged me, like really pulled me in close.


And what did I do? I cried! Happy tears of course, but still...


I never, ever understood moms before now. I thought I knew everything. I swore I would be different. I said I wouldn't be the one that cried at, well... EVERYTHING.


But now, now I get it. I get why moms cry on their sweet baby's first day of Kindergarten and why my mom cried as she watched me walk down the aisle. I get it. I am actually crying as I even try to fathom the amount of love and happiness I feel toward that sweet, sweet boy.


So thank you, God. Thank you for giving me this beautiful gift. Not just the gift of having my baby but of being able to experience this amount of emotion and to do it with the man that I love.


I have never felt so blessed.


So I guess now is a good time to go ahead and attach a box of tissues to my hand, for life.

Savor The Season!

We are going on about day 10 of no sleep (we did have one 8-hour day in there, but that was 5 days ago). We are talking 45 minutes max and about 2 hours in the no rule zone (as in sleeping on the couch with baby in hopes that by breaking one simple rule you won't kill you husband the next day- or visa versa...yeah about that..)

We had plenty to keep us distracted with the NCAA tournament but today was the true test. Back to school on no sleep (if only that could be an exaggeration!).
Utterly exhausted doesn't cover it. It was one of those days that I was happy to take a break from my fussy child and hang out with my 4 and 5 year olds that can usually figure out what's upsetting them.

So I get home with ambitious thoughts about breaking our cycle of exhaustion. Until the inconsolable crying sets in. Again. It feels like we have a newborn again.
We finally give up on feeding Coop dinner. We try a bottle, tylenol,
Sophie, orejel, cold teethers, teddy, lovie, mommy, daddy and nothing is working. Check his temp 98.6. Are you sensing my frustration yet?

And then I give up. Rub his back, tell myself I've tried everything and try to stay mellow because he is feeding off my energy. I take a bite of my pizza (frozen kind since no one has gotten sleep, not even Fletch) and it tastes like cardboard.
I lost it. The flood gates opened, full on crocodile tears start pouring out. My pizza tasted like cardboard and I lost it. Emotionally spent, patience drained, so done. Super mom turned super sob.

And while I'm losing it, I don't even realize Coop has stopped crying and is passed out and I mean PASSED OUT on my shoulder.

Its so beyond bedtime... Its bedtime 10 days late. I grab my Southern Living that came in the mail so I can peel that ugly paper cover that comes on it so it will be all ready for me tomorrow (with that giant bottle of wine).

I pull the paper off to see its beautiful Spring cover and its yummy brunch spread with delicious ham biscuits and orange juice cocktails. And I smile. How ridiculous!

Ahhh thank you Southern Living for showing up with impeccable timing. I will savor the season and the extra moments to snuggle with my sweet baby, the cardboard pizza, the teething, the inconsolable crying, even the laryngomalacia. I will savor everything because I am so blessed to have it all.

two-hour naps?!

A high school friend of mine (who also happens to be the mother of one of the girls Cooper has play dates with) posted a blog about how they are getting their groove back.


After reading it I realized we too have been out of our groove.


So one of the things the ENT suggested was that Cooper should be sleeping on a flat crib mattress (from our hospital stay in November up until the ENT visit, Coop had been sleeping at a 45 degree angle).


Well, we have gotten used to our sleep. It is very rare that Cooper wakes up in the middle night for anything and has been this way since we got over that awful respiratory virus. He has been known to wake up for a bottle, but usually just when he is trying to tell us he would like another solid meal during the day. So you can understand my hesitation to make ANY sleeping arrangement changes.


So we decided with this weekend being mellow (which I use VERY loosely, our mellow is WAY busier than the average mellow) we decided if we were going to need to break him of his inclined sleeping position (especially if it was to provide better sleep for him) that the sooner we do it the better.


Easier said than done. Friday night he was up about every 2 hours. I don't know if it was because he was confused with the now in plain sight crib bumpers, the abundant amount of space or the free range of movement but he was up all night. It seemed like every natural jerk or dream had him screaming.


Saturday was not much easier, but thankfully Rick took most of it realizing how absolutely exhausted I was from the night before. 


I know, I know... with a baby, you get used to not having sleep. I was used to it. When he wasn't sleeping. But then one gets used to getting sleep again and it is hard to go back to the sleep deprivation.


And then Sunday night came.


Cooper woke up once. ONCE. Which consisted of Mommy walking into the room, realizing he was half asleep and too tired to roll to his belly. I flipped him the rest of the way over. He passed out. Until 5:30am (his usual time)!


I think I checked the monitor 4890824932 times to make sure he was breathing.


Next up- the pacifier (that thankfully is only an aide to falling asleep and nothing else. Might as well knock that out too right?)


One can only hope tonight goes as well. Because I am sure not ready to go back to 2 hour naps during the night.

throwing rules out the window.

Okay so I need you to close your eyes and try to imagine a type A person who also happens to be a laid back (we won't say type B because that is a bit of a stretch) mom.


That's me. Crazy organized, an avid researcher, and a little very structured BUT with an ability to go with the flow. I know it doesn't make sense. It's possible, I promise.


I am a new mom and I am learning. I research, research, research, pick what I think is best, try it out and if it doesn't work go to Plan B. When I find a plan that works, I stick with it and try to keep anyone who may "babysit" to do the same. (Can you hear the type A oozing out?)


With that being said, once said "babysitter," whether it be a teacher, nurse, grandparent, etc. understands our plan, I start to trust their opinion if said plan isn't working. Get it? Probably not... We'll move on.


So sleep training. Yes, that is referring to training your child to sleep. They say... (haha there is the researcher again...)


They say that babies have to be taught how to sleep. Healthy sleep habits, they call it. So after weeks, even months of letting Cooper do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted (while mommy secretly, patiently waited, was dying for a schedule) we realized it just wasn't working (thank God). Some days he would barely sleep during the day and then be up all night, but those days where he took a few naps he slept better.


So here is the sleep training we came up with, which we pulled from various sources.


1. Establish a bedtime routine and complete it about the same time every night.
Ours is basically bath @ 7pm, bottle @ 7:30pm followed by book time and bed @ 8pm. We also sing some lullabies if he isn't interested in the books or if we finish reading early, etc.


2. Day sleeping is as important, if not more important than night sleeping.
Babies need naps. One thing I read said to limit naps to no more than 2 hours each and babies need about 12-14 hours of sleep per 24 hour period. Cooper started to naturally sleep an 8 hour stretch at night, which meant he would need about 5 hours of day sleeping (3 naps at no more than 2 hours each = 2 2-hour naps and 1-1hour nap). Gradually he started sleeping more at night and eliminated his 3rd nap, all on his own.


3. Put him down awake.
It is important for babies to be able to self soothe and put themselves to sleep. We don't do this every night in order to try and encourage flexibility. This is where the crying it out came into play. We started it once we got into a good sleep routine and found that there was very little crying. He was ready for bed at bedtime and because we were using a consistent bedtime routine, he knew what was next- bedtime. Nowadays he doesn't have to be woken up at the 2 hour mark, he wakes up on his own. And if for some reason he misses a nap, he puts himself to sleep a little bit early for bed and gets back on track the next day. It is wonderful. Another benefit of sleeping training is they wake up happy (not screaming).


And then they get sick. And whatever plan you had (bedtime routines, crib sleeping, even eating habits) doesn't matter. This can be something small like congestion (which Coop doesn't know many days without) or something intense like an ear infection. 


And just when you okay, fine me, because we are obviously talking about me... Just when I think I am beyond type A, my sweet baby gets sick and the type B shines through and all the rules and research is out the window, as it should be. But the beauty of it all, because I kept him on a schedule, he falls right back into it all on his own.

Vegetarian Baby!

So far, Cooper has liked everything I have put in front of him... rice cereal, green beans, sweet peas, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, peaches, apples, pears...

Then we started the 2nd foods mixes like rice cereal with applesauce and bananas with mixed berries which also seem to be a big hit (eating has never been a problem area for Coop, even when he could barely breathe in the hospital after our ER scare).

And then it came time for meats. So on today's lunch menu we had chicken & green beans. When I opened the jar of chicken & chicken gravy and saw the curdled chunks on top, I was grossed out. When I leaned over and smelled it, I thought I was going to puke. So far, I have tried everything I have given Coop, but there was no way I was putting that stuff in my mouth. My thinking was that I've had all this wonderful food, so I'm spoiled. What does Coop know?
Apparently a lot because when I gave him a taste he spit it out. When I gave him a second taste, he gagged and proceeded to scream his head off.


So I waited an hour and tried again and he got mad. We are talking face bright red, screaming at the top of his lungs mad.

I think Coop is going to be vegetarian until he can chew!