Relief

HE SLEPT ALMOST 5 HOURS!

Now, I do feel a smidge of guilt for letting him sleep that long w/o eating, but frankly, I'd rather feed him every 2 hours for the entire rest of the day to make up for that lost feeding than to give back that sleep.

I slept from about 3 until 5. I fed him and put him back to bed. I spent another hour trying to get him to sleep on his own. I'd pat until he was calm, then sneak out. He's slowly work himself back up to upset and I'd start over. Finally about 6:30 I decided I was fighting a losing battle and got him up.

He was SO bright eyed and perky. It's hard to feel irritated when he's just happy as can be.

Since the sun was coming up, I opened the curtains and let him see the sun. I took him back to our room and turned on all the lights. (David wasn't out of bed yet, though his alarm had gone off. I got some perverse passive-aggressive pleasure out of turning all the lights on him.) I took his blankets off and let him lay out and kick a good long while. We played and talked and generally just had WIDE AWAKE time.

When it was getting close to time to eat, I stripped him down and changed his diaper. Of course, he managed to pee all over himself, so he got his clothes changed.

Basically I was just trying to wear him out.

When it came time to eat, I practiced with the nipple shield a bit and it worked. He nursed for about 15 minutes. Then he took almost a whole bottle. I don't know if that means he wasn't getting much from the breast (though he seemed to be swallowing) or what, but he was certainly full when we were done.

I held him upright for a half hour (I nodded off) and then put him on the boppy beside me. This isn't recommended sleeping, I know. Back to sleep. I know. I'm using the heart monitor as a crutch, but I was desperate. And it worked.

He ate around 8:15. He woke a couple of times and fussed just a bit, I don't think I woke up completely, just handed the paci and patted for a few seconds and he was back out. So was I.

I woke up a little before 1 and thought I had to be looking at the clock wrong. Then I thought I had to have remembered what time he ate wrong- maybe it was 9 and not 8?

I keep a chart of when he eats so I checked- nope, it was 8.
He'd slept 4 1/2 hours. And was still sleeping.

I got up and made him a bottle and then came to wake him up. He was cranky. That sort of "hey, I was sleeping, leave me the eff alone" cranky that I feel pretty much every day.

I tried to put him to the breast but that was a no-go. The bottle feeding didn't go the greatest- his reflux was acting up. You could hear him struggling to swallow milk down as milk was coming back up. It seems worse if I let him get too hungry and I felt bad about it, but in the end, I got most of the bottle down him and resolved to feed him again in 2 hours.

We're now in the recliner. He's half awake and peeking at me.

I feel like a new woman.

Thank you so much for your kind comments & emails. You literally made me cry.

I know something has to give, but I just don't know how.

I'm trying to work on the schedule. And I'll try the baby massage- I did learn some in the NICU but hadn't even thought to try it for sleep time. (Apparently I'm stupid.) He likes his bouncy seat better than most anything. I'll be glad when he really gets some better head control (he's doing really well in that regard, though.) because he REALLY likes to sit upright and I think using a jumper or exersaucer will be great for him.

As for David- we have talked. We've fought. His mom has talked to him. He just doesn't see it my way. He was better at the beginning of the week after he'd spent a day taking care of Robbie, but as the week has gone on, it's gotten worse again.

My plan is to make him do it tomorrow.

Wish us luck!

--Trish


P.S. How 'bout some random Robbie pics are a reward for being so nice to me?














Moosies on my sleeper! They make me grow big and strong!