Leaping Forward and Backward

Happy Leap Year!

Leap Year and Lost have me thinking about time travel.

Where were you four years ago?

and

Where would you like to be four years from now?

Here’s my answers:

FOUR YEARS AGO

Omar and I had just discovered our current house ( 2/15/04 to be exact 🙂 ) and we were in the midst of all that is involved in buying a house– the inspection, the loan, the paperwork. I was madly calling various experts and carefully tracking all of our ‘new house’ info in a spiral notebook (which I still have). At this moment in time, four years ago (that gives me the chills to think about), I was suffering from a huge bout of buyer’s remorse and was frantically comparing our house to others on the market. On March 31, 2004, we would have our closing and make the move out of the city. At the time, the suburbs seemed so foreign. In fact, our town’s garbage schedule freaked us out so much that we were afraid to leave our garbage out for fear of being reprimanded.

FOUR YEARS FROM NOW

I hope that our business idea that is now just a seedling in our minds has grown into a huge mighty oak and hasn’t withered away or turned out to be a weed.

I hope that Becca is healthy and happy and enjoying school. By that point, diapers will be a distant memory and so will breastfeeding (we are now struggling with weaning).

I want Becca to have a little brother or sister (or both :yikes:)

I’d love to be in a different house with a giant master bathroom/closet, an amazing view and a backyard with a pool.

That was my leaping through time! Now, I’d love to hear yours!

Happy Leaping!

Mary Kate

Into the Crib – Night 4

Last night was so easy. It was a piece of cake. No sweat. No problema.

Ok, I admit it…. I wasn’t even home last night.

For my best friend’s birthday, we went to see “Big Head Todd and the Monsters”. (any fans out there?) Anyway, although bad timing in baby world, I have to admit that I really needed a night out and a little break. (Reason 3,468 why Jim rocks.)

Anyway, when I came home (at 1:00 am – I guess I thought I was a rock star), John Patrick was sound asleep in his crib. Jim’s face was calm and relaxed and I was instantly impressed. But poor Jim, he said that when he tried to put John Patrick down, he got hysterical. Jim did the soothing and constant reassuring (we agreed yesterday that we’re going to soothe and pick up as much as we want). Without giving me a ton of detail, he said it was “very hard”. But eventually, he did fall asleep (after feedings and cuddles).

And slept until 4:00 am, when he woke up for a quick meal and went right back to sleep – in the crib!

Then slept until 8:00 am!!!

So I think maybe we’re getting there. It seems that the first couple of hours are the hardest but then he settles in and is sleeping much longer intervals than he was in the co-sleeper.

And the best part is that when he finally really woke up this morning, I sang a little “good morning” song to him and he had the biggest smile for me. So you’re right, moms, I don’t think we’re causing permanent damage here. 🙂

Hopefully, it will only get easier. Otherwise, I may need to purchase more concert tickets… LOL

Jen

Transitioning into the Crib (Update)

Oh God, do I need some moral support right now…….

Last night was night three and it’s just a nightmare. John Patrick cried straight for 45 minutes last night. Of course Jim and I took turns going in and rubbing his back, etc. but still HE CRIED FOR 45 MINUTES!!! And after eating he cried some more.
And I kept thinking, “he’s only 11 weeks”. Then of course I did a web search and all this information came up about not letting your baby cry it out because he may lose trust in you.

So here are my questions, moms…

1.) What does “cry it out” mean? We try to soothe him but we don’t pick him up. Does that count?

2.) Is 11 weeks to young to move him into his own crib? (Remember that he was 7 weeks premature too – although has caught up.)

3.) Is he going to never trust me because I’m making him cry it out? Am I doing permanent damage?

I almost gave in last night and moved him back into our bed. The only reason I didn’t is because I knew I’d have to start all over again and I can’t go through this again. It’s so hard!!!

HELPPPPP

Jen

Wordless Wednesday- Becca

Click here for more fab Wordless Wednesday pics from other participants. 😀

Mary Kate

Meme Monday (on a Tuesday)

Daniel tagged me to do this.

Find out more about Meme Monday by going to Livin’ With Me.

5 Things I want my kids to know

1. How to laugh at themselves.
2. How to see some good in all people.
3. That their parents will always love and support them.
4. How to drive (hey – I live in NYC, it’s possible they wouldn’t know)
5. How to be a good friend.

5 Things I want to tell my children when they grow up

1. Being a parent is the hardest and most rewarding job.
2. Reality is that you will work more than you are at home – do something you love.
3. A good marriage is the most beautiful thing – but takes hard work.
4. It’s ok to make mistakes in life but not ok to avoid fixing them.
5. Get out and get a job – LOL

5 Things I want to tell my child before I die

1. We love you more than you can comprehend until you have your own child.
2. You have the best dad.
3. I’m sure I made lots of mistakes along the way – I’m sorry.
4. It is a pleasure being your mom.
5. Don’t wait for happiness – make your own.

5 Things I want my kid to know before he dies.

1. Unconditional love
2. Butterflies of a first love
3. Self-worth
4. Compassion for others
5. Humility

I now tag “Four Times the Fun“.

Jen

Transitioning into the Crib

As John Patrick turned 11 weeks old, my husband and I came to the realization that the co-sleeper really wasn’t working out for us. John Patrick would spend the majority of the night staring at me and making what can only be described as the most annoying sounds in the world, in order to be put in our bed. I admit, I often gave in quickly in hopes to get some sleep myself. We had no schedule and each night was, well, sort of a nightmare.

I knew the time would come and here it was….. the big transition to the crib and his own room.

First, I should preface this by saying that I spent last week putting John Patrick in his crib for afternoon naps in an effort to help him get used to a “new” space.

Here’s how our first night went:

7:00pm – For the first time we started a real bedtime routine:

1. Bath
2. Massage with lotion
3. A little bit of “naked time”
4. Fresh clean diaper and pajamas
5. A last feeding
6. Put him down while playing lullabies by Mozart CD

I also plan on adding a book to the routine. He actually went down pretty well with not much fussiness.

8:00pm – Awake and crying. This is one of the many times that my husband saves the day. Of course my natural reaction is to go in and pick him up. But Jim, my husband, kept telling me he’d take care of it, which meant he would go in and rub his back and soothe him back to sleep. I won’t lie, he had to do this about a dozen times. He cried pretty much till 8:30, when he decided that he was hungry again.

8:30pm – another feeding in his room with lights dim. He’s back in bed and asleep by 9:00

9:30pm – and back up and crying again. More gentle soothing by Jim

10:00pm – another feeding. Is he manipulating me or what?

10:30pm – 11:30pm – on and off crying. This was a dance between my son and my husband. Jim was so patient and lovingly willful that John Patrick was NOT getting into our bed. (spoiler – Jim won.)

11:30pm – another feeding, this time by formula given by dad. John Patrick is back in bed and asleep by 12.

2:30am – up for a feeding (which is his normal time). After eating and a diaper change, he easily falls back asleep in his crib.

4:15am – up for another feeding? I can’t tell if he’s really hungry or just wants me to hold him. I try to feed him. Because he was a preemie I think I’ll always have this huge fear of not feeding him when he’s hungry. Weight gain was our life for a long time. He just snacks (probably wasn’t even hungry) and is back asleep by 4:30.

5:30am – hungry again? Trick me once, shame on you….. Ah, who am I kidding? I was tricked again. Snacked for a few minutes and then back to sleep in the crib.

7:00am – up and very vocal and ready to really eat. At this point we’re up for the day. He eats and gets put into “day” clothes.

So here’s the lessons I learned in the first night:

1. It can be done – you just have to make yourself do it.
2. Husbands are the best and another reminder that I couldn’t do any of this without him.
3. Just because he wakes up doesn’t mean he needs to be fed.
4. He didn’t wake up this morning and hate me so that fear is conquered.

And honestly, I slept better (ok, yes, shorter intervals) but better than I’ve slept in a long time. It’s nice to have our bed back. Plus – this is New York!!! Do you know what we pay for his bedroom? You better believe he’s going to use it. 🙂

One day down…..

Jen

The End of the Fourth Trimester

The first book I read after John Patrick’s arrival was The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. It definitely helped me survive at least the first six weeks of his life. I started to understand the phenomenon of the “fourth trimester” and my life contained only of swaddling, shhshhing, swinging, and sucking. Just yesterday I looked at my bright-eyed baby boy hanging out in his bouncy seat and I realized that the fourth trimester had ended.

Here’s how I know.

1. John Patrick now hates being swaddled. Instead, he relishes having his arms stretched up above his head while he sleeps.
2. While the pacifier is still a favorite of John Patrick, he no longer needs it to soothe himself when crying. Instead he prefers it when he’s just hanging out with the family.
3. Instead of the swing, John Patrick now prefers his activity gym where he can kick and talk and look at bright colors.
4. During the fourth trimester, John Patrick’s life involved three activities only – crying, eating, sleeping. Now he has lots of activities. He babbles, kicks his legs, swings his arms, looks at new colors and shapes, and studies the faces of his parents.
5. Instead of needing to be held 24/7, John Patrick now sleeps in his co-sleeper by himself and will even take naps in his crib instead of on my chest.

I realized that he’s getting more and more ready for the world and that my pregnancy is really finally over with the end of the “fourth trimester”. Every new stage is a new adventure. I’m ready for this one. 🙂

Jen

Adult in Disguise

I was trolling the internet looking for a suitable quote for a project I am working on and came across the following quote:

Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.

Margaret Atwood, Cat’s Eye, 1988

I always wondered if I was the only one ‘playing’ at being a grown-up.

 

How about you? Do you feel like a grown-up?

I would love to hear your reactions to this quote or hear other quotes that are meaningful to you.

Mary Kate

Language Update: 18 months

According to the Baby Center development tracker, Becca is now 18 months old so I thought it might be nice to update Becca’s language development. Within the past few weeks, she has really begun using words in a meaningful way and can respond to simple commands. Omar and I have gotten in the habit of pointing at various things to see what she can name(She calls a lot of things ‘appel’, ‘mama’, ‘papa’ or ‘baby’). W e will also yell out various commands to see how she reacts (“Becca, look at me”, she does, “Becca, look away”, she keeps looking at me). I am not sure how helpful it is for her but it definitely keeps us occupied.

Becca will ask for “apple” when she wants an apple or is hungry.  She also said, “more” when she wanted more spaghetti.  When she was finished, she just turned the bowl upside down and placed all of her spaghetti on top of it– I guess she doesn’t know “enough” or “done” quite yet.

This morning when I asked her to find her shoes, she ran into our bedroom and brought her shoes to me (very sweet). Later today, she neglected to tell me that I had put on her diaper incorrectly which resulted in a diaper explosion and an unexpected bath for her. So there are still some gaps in her ability (or willingness) to communicate with us.

Although Becca has begun to name or ask for things, she is more likely to echo what we have just said. I have begun to feel as if I am travelling around with a small parrot. Since she is hearing mostly English, she is currently speaking mostly English. She does have a few Spanish words (arribe, agua, gato) and I notice that when we make an effort to speak to her in Spanish she will respond (at least with the same frequency as she does in English).

Becca’s abuelita, Martha, will be returning on Wednesday which means that Becca will be hearing Spanish spoken more consistently again. I have a feeling that her Spanish vocabulary will quickly increase which means I need to start practicing my Spanish.

¡Hasta luego mis amigos!

Mary Kate

Photos used by permission from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/ (#931040, #931041, #441601)

When the cat hates the baby

I’ve had Theo (our fat, fluffy, orange cat) for 12 years. He was my first pet as an individual outside of my parents’ home. He has been through countless moves and lived in 3 states with me.

He’s never been perfect. For one thing, he doesn’t handle change very well. Which brings me to the problem….

Theo is less than thrilled about the arrival of John Patrick. He has showed us this by peeing on chair cushions and our poor dog’s bed. I guess he didn’t think we were listening because last night he committed the most severe offense – he peed in our bed!!

I should preface this by saying that we do not have a washer or dryer in our apartment or even in our building. So doing laundry is obviously not an easy chore for us. Ok, I admit, we do fluff and fold – but still! That costs a lot.

So I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have no idea what to do. On one hand I have a baby now and I can’t spend all my time worrying about the next place the cat is going to pee. On the other hand, I’ve had Theo for 12 years and can’t imagine getting rid of him. And even if I could, what “good home” would take a 12 year old cat?

Does anyone have any experience with “peed off” pets? (pardon the pun)

Jen