It's all about the poops

Well not too much has been going on the last month (ha!)...

Poor baby Rudy got constipated.  We switched him to soy formula, thinking it would help with his crabbiness...instead it stopped him up and made him way worse.  It was so awful.  The poor guy would cry and scream so loud whenever he was trying to poop and then just little rock-hard acorns would come out.  This went on for about a week.  We took him off the soy as soon as we found out that was the culprit and went back to the "gentlease" formula.  I was still mixing in breastmilk until this past weekend, though.  Anyway, we tried it all to get him feeling better, which isn't a lot of options at his age.  What ended up working was giving him 2 ounces of water mixed with 1 tsp of dark Karo syrup, so sugar water basically, between every feeding and some "sits" baths.  Since I put him in there just to relax, I took him off the sling and let him sit in it...too funny!  He really enjoyed himself.  At first he was just so concentrated looking at his feet and knees, moving them around slowly and then he got the hang of it and our counter and myself were covered in water from his splashing.  He wasn't laughing, but he was fascinated by it. 

Of course as soon as he started going again, it was the other direction and he had diarhea for several days.  We actually took him to the doctor right before Thanksgiving to have the doctor check him out.  I feel so bad for him that he's inherited my digestion issues!  They said he looked "perfect" but to keep pushing fluids and stick with the gentle formula and if he were to look dehydrated or lose weight, then they'd be concerned.  But until then, even if he did have a bug or something, they wouldn't treat him for anything.

Let's see...what else?

He has been doing better sleeping at night.  He still wakes up a couple times, but usually one of the times he just needs rocked back to sleep for about 15 minutes, which is ok with me.  I actually enjoy those minutes with him.  Then he will wake up again, usually closer to 5 or so and want to eat and rocked back to sleep, so maybe 45 minutes.  The last couple mornings he has gone back to sleep until about 8, so we are getting there!

I don't know if it was the holidays, teething, gas, or what but he has not wanted to nap during the day.  Poor LeeAnn had him yesterday and he only slept a total of 1 hour alllll day.  And if he doesn't sleep, he is a crab and demands so much attention.  And when I got home I thought for sure he would take at least a little hour nap, but nope!  He was up until 8:30.

I think God is trying to teach me to relax and let things go some by giving me a baby like Rudy.  As much as I try and try to plan his eating and sleeping schedule and get him on a schedule, he does something different every day and night.  We are doing the best we can, and that's all we can do.  I'm trying to do what's "best" for him -- as in all the things you should do to keep from developing bad habits with eating and sleeping -- but I think I need to let go a little because it just makes it more stressful on everyone when I try to be perfect with it.  Everyone does their best with him and he is loved beyond words and that's all I can ask for!

Rudy wore jeans!  That was an exciting day.  He looked so grown up...

Being back at work is getting easier, but I still dread it.  I miss him so much during the days and wish I could be with him, but as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes it is nice to be forced to leave.  I feel too guilty to choose to leave him, but its probably for my benefit that I get away.  John usually sends me a picture of him during the day, which I absolutely love.  This one I got one day with a text, "Hi Mom!  Hope you arrrrrrrrre having a good day" -- not going to lie, it made me tear up, but in a good way.  I have such an amazing husband. 

I tried to get some good 3-month pictures of Rudy -- trying to cut some expense of taking him somewhere every 3 months.  The picture part isn't hard, its the setting up the area and a "backdrop" -- he might be going somewhere for 6 months! 

Rudy rolled over this past weekend!  I was changing his diaper and there he went.  We were on the floor in his room and he used the thick rug to pull himself over.  He hasn't done it again since.  I played with him on his floor last night, hoping he would do it again, but he was being stubborn.  I put him on his tummy and he rolled over to his back, though!  I actually got it on video.  I let the camera run while we played but it was 10 minutes before I stopped it.  Needless to say, I haven't had a chance to upload and format it to be added here.  But he is getting much better at tummy time.  He still doesn't like to be there for long, but he can lift up way better than before!

This is how he ends up while we are on the floor a lot.  And he even rolled half-way over like this when he was sleeping last night.  Its funny because that is how he slept or layed when he was in my belly, too.  He was always over to one side, stomach arched, with his feet on the other side... 

And as you can see in that picture, his hands are constantly in his mouth.  Or if not his hands, anything he can get his hands on.  I thought he might be teething -- between that and the amount of drool this kid spits out, tis amazing.  But no signs of teeth on his gums, yet.  His hand-eye coordination is getting much better, but still not perfect.  He gets so frustrated when he has something in his hands, but can't get it in his mouth.  He yells at it until he gets it in or we help him out.  And some things are never going to get in his mouth, but he tries...like the buttons on his activity gym.  He will lay his head down trying to eat them and sit up with a face full of drool... or his bumbo seat...

It's seriously non-stop that he is either sucking/chewing on something or trying to!

I put out our Christmas decorations this weekend!  John is putting up some lights outside today and I have just a couple more things to do in the house.  I love this time of year.  And in another month, Rudy will be that much more fun.  He won't have a clue its Christmas, but we will always remember his first one.  I put a little tree in his room.  He loves the lights. 

And just for fun...let's compare...

I can't get that to rotate...but what a difference a few months makes!

3 Months and Still Growing

Disclaimer:  I started this post on November 7 -- forgot about it and came back today to FINALLY post again and found it in my "drafts" -- so this is a bit outdated and incomplete, but decided to go ahead and add it anyway!

I seriously CANNOT believe Rudy is 3 months.  I just tucked in our "little" baby into his crib in his own room for bed for the first time.  It's my first time putting him in there for bed, but not his first time sleeping in there.  I have been putting him in his crib for naps occasionally, trying to get him used to the room and bed.  He hasn't been sleeping for very long in it...maybe an hour, but not much more than that.  Saturday night John and I had a wedding to go to so Gran watched him for us.  She put him to sleep in his crib and there he was when we got home.  So it must just be the timing because if he is tired enough, he obviously will sleep in it for a while.  Anyway, I tried Saturday night to sleep in our bedroom, but I just couldn't stand it.  So I took my pillow and snuggy and slept on Rudy's floor.  

He has been falling asleep earlier than we would prefer, which means he is also awake earlier than we would prefer!  The length of time he sleeps is great and I can't complain about that, but I wish I could figure out a way to adjust his time an hour or two.  It's really hard, though because we have definitely tried.  When he screams and cries because he is tired, it's hard to "keep him up" and trying to distract him just makes him even more mad.  I guess if he took a longer nap during the day, that might help?...but he has days where he sleeps for a 2-3 hour nap (only in the swing of course!), along with his 30-60 minute ones, and come 6-6:30, he still acts tired.  I guess we just keep doing what we are doing, take it one day at a time, and he will eventually work it out.  He always does!

Rudy just keeps growing and growing.  John and I were talking the other day how we have both thought how we can walk away from him one minute and come back the next and he looks or feels bigger.  He has outgrown most of his 3-6 month clothes now and we are on to the 6 month rack.  Baby clothes are SOOO incredibly frustrating.  The sizing can vary so much.  I was doing laundry today and holding up different brands, even the same brands some times, and the same size can be different by inches!  It makes it difficult to keep out only the clothes in the size he wears because at any given time, he can be in 2-3 different sizes.  Then I forget which pajamas fit and which don't and sometimes I pull out something he wore the week before, only to put it on him and he looks squeezed into it.

    

Happy birthday, Gran!

Mom's 50th birthday was November 1.  Tony and I got lots of people to make a video for her and surprise her with a little party on her birthday.  To see the video, follow these links...

Part 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOpI1ccOblM

Part 2:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLfhTS_wFgc

She loved the video and had a great time that night.  Rudy was not cooperating, though.  He was crying the whole way there so John let me out while he drove him around to get him to sleep.  He fell asleep, but about 30 minutes into the party, he woke up in a panic.  John left with him and called me shortly after to come home.  He wouldn't stop crying and was really crying!  I felt awful having to leave early, but duty calls!  And Mom understands...she's been there before, I'm sure!

"She works hard for her money"

Being a working mother is just that...work! 

Getting my things ready for work and getting myself ready for work takes a lot of time.  And it has to be done around Rudy's schedule.  Packing my lunch, cleaning bottles, pump parts...here is a preview of my day...(if it were perfect)

5:30 am -- rise
5:30-6:30 am -- pump and clean the parts and bottles to get ready to take to work
6:30-7:00 am -- shower and get ready for work (which consists of my hair pulled back because I have no interest in getting out the curling iron or staightener)
7:00-7:30 am -- feed Rudy
7:30-8:00 -- give orders to whoever is watching him
8:00 am -- get to work
10:00 - 10:45 am -- pump and clean the parts
2:00-2:45 pm -- pump and clean the parts
5:00 ish pm -- get home and empty out the milk I pumped into bottles or bags and clean the bottles (after I snuggle Rudy, of course) so they are ready to use later
until 7 ish pm -- hang out with Rudy (my FAVORITE part of the day)
7:00 ish-8:00 ish pm -- feed Rudy and get him ready for bed
8:00-8:45 pm -- pump and clean the bottles and parts so they are ready for the morning
8:45 pm -- pack my lunch, clean the bottles from the day, get the bottles ready for the next day
9:00 pm until bedtime -- Me time

So now if it isn't "perfect", the timing is off, but I still have to do all these things.  I am not complaining in any way!  It is just an adjustment from not having to be anywhere at any certain time and not having to have stuff packed and ready.  And once the pumping is out of the picture, things will be lots easier! 

Tuesday it felt really hard.  Wednesday was easier.  It will eventually become second nature and so routine that it won't feel like work -- just like everything else with taking care of Rudy.  It used to feel like a lot to take care of him, and it still is, but it is so routine and second-nature that it doesn't seem "hard."

It has been so incredibly hard to give up control of Rudy and trust John and LeeAnn to take care of him how I would take care of him.  And its so hard because it is impossible for them to do that.  They will each do things differently and that is perfectly ok.  What works for me, doesn't always work for everyone.  And the more they do it, the better Rudy will get and the more relaxed I will be.  But more than that, I miss him SOOO much during the days.  I cry myself to work every morning and cry putting him to sleep because the day is already over and I'm lucky if I got 2 hours with him.  While it is nice to "get out of the house" and "interact with adults" -- a couple hours would do it...not 3 days!  I will get through this... I will adjust...We will all be fine...

Rudy, the little stinker, has decided not to eat from me anymore.  Well, at least not very well.  I won't go into all the details of it, but I think he got used to the bottle and how much easier milk comes out that he will not work at eating from me.  So I now pump for him and feed him breastmilk from bottles.  He gets 3 breastmilk bottles a day and 2 formula bottles.  I will progressively lessen the breastmilk bottles until he is strictly on formula. 

Yesterday Rudy ate his 4th bottle (he usually gets 5) about 5:30.  He fell asleep at 7 and was impossible to try and wake at 8:30.  It was pitiful really.  I had the breastmilk bottle ready to go (which means I had to throw it all away) and he would not wake up to take it.  I changed his clothes, diaper, tried to sit him up...nothing would get those eyes open!  So needless to say, he was up at 3 am this morning, ate and played until about 5:30.  Now if you see the schedule above, that really threw things off.  Lets just say I have not had much sleep!  Oh well...we will get there eventually!  Also, I had a meeting at 10 am today at an agency.  Didn't get back to the office until 11:45.  Guess I will only be pumping once today.  I have a feeling this pumping at work business is not going to last long.  This has just not been my day. 

I tried out some new toys for Rudy.  He has been wanting to "stand" if he is being held, so I thought these might buy me some free time to do other things than hold him.  He is a tad too small still so I can't exactly leave his side when he is playing because he can easily fall over or his head falls down, but he has fun with them.

Rudy glued to the TV after eating...full belly and so relaxed!

Rudy's halloween pajamas

These are just a couple quick snaps from last night.  All 2 hours I got with him yesterday :(   He is growing like crazy...John says its because he eats "so damn much" -- can't argue!

So the moral of this post...I can't wait for Friday to get all day with him!