Sledding

Strange & Wonderful things happening

Something is very odd in our house. My son, yes the oh so adorable boy who loves to scream and have a raging fit at nap time, is sleeping.

It all began when he took a 30 minute nap on the way home from yesterdays playdate then he took a 2 hour and 15 minute afternoon nap. The weirdest part was that he didn't wake up once! I didn't have to run to his crib 3 times during that nap to get him back to sleep.

THEN just when things couldn't get any weirder...he sleeps from 7p-6a.m. SERIOUSLY! Now to top it off he has been asleep for an hour for his morning nap. Dare I dream of getting laundry done or even better getting sleep myself? It's just too good to be true. I dare to ask how long can this last?

Ear Agony Update

Well it seems to be better for the moment. He actually got up once last night and my beloved husband got up with him. I must have gotten 7 hours of solid sleep. Amazing!

Tesfa is still rather fussy during the day but I think it has to do with his lack of mobility. I've noticed him getting into an almost crawling position often. However he doesn't seem to crawl-typically his feet slide out from under him and he is flat on his belly. He does not love this but seems to be tolerating it slightly longer then normal. He wants to pull himself up on everything but is quite there yet. So mommy stands ready ALL day long to help him-it starts to me nuts after a bit. He has been using his walker a little bit. He loves it. However last night he fell and got his first bump and bruise. Im sure there will be plenty more bumps and bruises coming soon.

Got Fluid?

We do. Infection is gone but there is still fluid behind his ears. We have an appt at the ENT next month but I'm going to try to avoid it if possible. I hate the idea of putting him "under". We are going to the Chiropractor again tomorrow. I figure it can't hurt. We'll try that for the next few weeks and see if we can get rid of the fluid that way.

I am seriously considering giving him chamomile tea tonight before bed. I've been reading that it is safe for infants and if it will help him sleep I am ALL about it.

Update: Confessions of a sleepy mom

I gave him some camomile tea and put some lavender oil on his feet. Both recommendations I found on the internet-so they have to work, right?

Not a good sign

It's 8 in the morning and I am about to pull my hair out. He is screaming his head off because he is so tired but refuses to go to sleep. I'm taking a 5 minute break and going back in to try and rock him to sleep-again. He has one dose of his antibiotic left.

Yesterday seemed better. I took him out the the conservatory and seemed to have a little more patience when he woke up 3 times from his afternoon nap and had to be rocked back to sleep.

I think we'll head back to the dr. again tomorrow-4 visits in 4 weeks.

update: ok he fell asleep after a couple minutes-hoping it last for a little bit.

New Normal

Well I think we just need to readjust and get used to the fact that we will need to adapt to our new schedule of getting up 4 times a night. It's hard to do when Tesfa used to get up once or twice. It would have been easier if he did this when he first came home but it is what it is. We've done and tried everything we can think of. So I'll do my best to get to bed super early-which I have never done-in hopes that I can reserve some sanity.

I reserved a book from the library on post adoption depression, mostly because they didn't have one called Tired & Bitchy. Now if only I can get over there to pick it up, maybe it will have some suggestions on coping with our new schedule. I don't actually feel depressed just worn out and stressed.

Week 3: Operation Constant Fussing

My sweet happy baby who generally plays very well by himself is in an almost constant state of fussing. He wakes up 3-5 times a night and sometime is awake and fussing for an hour at a time. My patience is nearly gone which makes me feel awful. I mean really my baby is sick and I'm the one thats annoyed. Maybe 2012 I'll get the mommy of the year award but not this year.

At this point we have/are trying everything we can think of. He has been on antibiotics for 10 days and seen the dr 3times in 3 weeks. Every suggestion we have been given we are doing and for the most had already been doing. He has a humidifier, white noise machine, lullabies, he sleeps in his bouncer so he is at an incline, he has 2 diaper creams (bad diarrhea from antibiotics), he gets extra formula and/or cereal in his night time bottles, tylenol, cold teethers (just in case), and ear drops. Not sure what else we can do?

We went to the chiropractor today. Hoping that helps!

I'm so thankful to have such a supportive husband. He is very good about getting up with Tesfa and doing what he can around the house but he has had to work a lot the last few weeks and so that has made for even longer days for me.

Fergalicious

Tesfa knows I'm tired and is trying to make it up to me by being super cute. He recently started giving kisses and today I told him to give kisses to his lovie and he did. He also started to dance this morning for the first time. It mostly consisted of standing (with help) and waving his arms like a crazy person. I laughed so hard and he thought that was great so he kept doing it. The song, Fergalicious. That's one for the baby book-which I need to start on.

I appreciate his super cuteness greatly, but some sleep would be nice too.

Good baby, bad mommy

Ok, so he has an ear infection. This time in his right ear. After about 5 hours I am finally going to be able to get his rx filled. I am taking him to the chiropractor next week. One of my best friends takes her son because he gets bad ear infections. I'd rather do that then have to do tubes if at all possible-which the dr. threatened (ok suggested) last time.

A week ago

One week ago things were good. Tesfa was getting on a schedule, he was starting to sleep in his crib and I was getting to bed earlier to save my sanity. POINTLESS! I truly do not know what to do. This has been the worst week we have had together. Mostly because I feel like after 4 months things should be on the upswing but at the moment that is not true.

Last night he woke up 5 times before 10p.m. I don't think he is sick or teething. There is no fever. I gave him tylenol just in case but again it made no difference.

We had a play date this morning and he took a nap in the car on the way home. Around 2p.m. he started getting sleepy again and I got him ready for his nap. Well it's almost 4p.m. no nap has taken place. There has been a lot of crying from both of us. I try to be calm with him but after 5 times trying to lay him down my patience is gone. Does that make me an awful person? It certainly feels like it. So what do I do? He is crying now because he is tired but nothing I try works.

He is such a sweet boy but if I don't figure out this napping/sleeping thing I'm going to lose my freakin mind. I was using a 7 minute rule (he could fuss/cry for 7 minutes before I would go get him). That seemed to help immensely. It rarely took him more then 2-3 minutes to fall asleep. This week I think he would lay there for two hours screaming and still not fall asleep (of course I haven't let him scream in his crib for two hours).

Donations Please

We are still seeking donations for the Dead of Winter Bash. Do you (or someone you know) make something (art, crafts) or provide some kind of service (salon services, teeth whitening). If so, we want it! Proceeds will go to Ethiopian Orphan Relief.

Failing Miserably!

Just when the evening sleeping improves ever so slightly we are back to square one with daytime naps. It is now a huge fit and fight-again. For every 1.5 hours I rock him, lay him down, even let him fuss he sleeps about 30 minutes. I feel quite defeated.

Yesterday he did not take a morning nap and only slept for about an hour in the afternoon. I wouldn't even care if he didn't nap if he wouldn't be a basket case when he is tired. I have no idea what to do? Gotta go he's screaming because he's freakin Tired!!!

Happy New Year

This is how big Tesfa is on 1.1.11. I wanted to make sure I remembered on 12/31/11 how big he was today. We went to Clifton Mill to see the lights for New Years Eve. It was 52 degrees outside on New Years in Ohio and we had a baby. It must have been the year of miracles.