getting better all the time

I think he has had a 4 hour stretch 90% of nights now, for the past few weeks. I started giving over night time potty duties to daddy, and it is helping me get better rest. So he nurses about 3 times, and after each time he goes to pee. Sounds like a normal baby!

I got "the Fussy Baby Book" by Dr. Sears from the library, and it describes their fourth child, a "high needs" child. It's soo Luca. Always needs human touch, doesn't like all the products made to soothe babies, is either super happy or super angry, very sensitive to stimuli, very sensitive to foods, doesn't sleep well, etc. It's great to know there are other babies like him... it completely changes my mindset from one of panic ("Oh my gosh, he's crying again!! What's wrong with him? What did I do wrong?") to one of acceptance ("Ok, he's crying again because that's what he does to tell me he needs to be close to me."). I also discovered he sleeps and naps better if he has human contact. Ash swears if he puts his hand over his head, he goes back to sleep! I cuddle up as close as I can now (I was trying not to touch him before, because I thought I would wake him up or he would wake me).

He's actually easier to take places now than he was before, even though he wants to get into everything. He loves the "adventure", as we call it.





Edit: Oh yeah, I don't know why I keep forgetting but I guess it's a big deal: his first word was the day after Easter- MAMA!

I got this book from the library, and it is really helping me.





Our living room is trashed! It happened in 3 steps.

1) Ash and I built a makeshift floor bed in the living room, so that we could lay down and watch a movie after the baby went to sleep in the bedroom. So cozy for cuddling!!

2) Baby woke the next morning and we put his toys on the bed so he could roll around without hurting himself when he falls.

3) Laundry that we left at my mom's house gets dropped off, baby puts his toys in the basket and pulls some items out, etc.

And then when i got home from work this afternoon, I was tried so I just laid on the floor bed while I played with Luca, and nursed him laying down, and then nursed him to sleep.

So why clean this up?? It's awesome! The whole world is a bed!!



(I was trying to get a picture of him standing up, but he fell and cried)

The appointment with the allergist basically told us to keep avoiding dairy and soy, but not worry about all the other foods. I started eating eggs again 6 days ago, and I've already gained 3 lbs. It's amazing how much better I feel now that I'm not hungry all the time. I'm waiting to add gluten and coconut until after I see the GI specialist, since those are the foods that I'm pretty sure make him hold his poop. I will also start feeding him fruit and veggies now. I feel... free. Better. Even when we got so little information. Now I know he's not in huge danger, I can relax a little bit.

What a sparkler!

He has such a sparkling personality. He's so goofy, and fun-loving. Yes, he still whines all the time but ever since I started working, it's so much easier to deal with. It may be because I don't have to hear it 24/7!! He made a pouty face like he was going to cry, when they dropped me off at work yesterday. Broke my heart. I wish I didn't have to work. They just cut Ash's hours at work (I forgot movie theaters do little to no business in the summer time). I'm talking to a neighbor who runs an in-home daycare, she is looking to hire an assistant. I could bring Luca with me, which is so great.

The more that time goes on, the more Ash and I think we don't want any more kids. So weird, considering how much I LOVE kids and love being around bunches of them. But I had a very strong feeling right before Luca was born... a voice inside saying "enjoy these last few days being pregnant" as if I wouldn't be pregnant again.

I had an amazing job opportunity at a local Montessori school as an assistant teacher (great pay, regular part time hours, paid vacation, full benefits). I went in for a day to try it out, and unfortunately, it was not a good fit. They had 12 one-year-olds in one classroom (SO not Montessori), and the day was so rigidly scheduled, there was about 12 total minutes of free play time. they were forced to sit on a rug and participate in activities many of them were too young for. They were barked at to "sit down" and "hold still" and a number of other things I refuse to force babies to do. The children were so wonderful, I miss them all even though I only knew them for 5 hours. I cried when I got home, I missed Luca so much while taking care of other people's babies.

SPRINGTIME!! Not that we had much of a winter, but I'm glad it's nice and warm already. Our life without AC begins now!