So we're having good luck so far with the Super Nanny technique for putting the kids down to bed. The last 5 nights, Charlie has been in bed and sleeping peacefully by 8:00pm, and Will has generally been down shirtly thereafter (by 10:00pm) and sleeping through big chunks of the night. Anywhere from 3 to 5 hours at night.
Like I mentioned before here, Charlie's little personality has been PERFECT with her baby brother. She really protects him and watches out for him. It's amazing and quite frankly, I don't understand how she "gets it", but I'm certain I underestimate a toddler's ever evolving brain. She surprises me everyday by doing something she sees us do, that we never thought she understood or was paying attention to.
Example: The other day, I mentioned to Beck that everytime Charlie "uses" the baby potty before a bath, she'll get up, close the lid, and walk over to the side and put her foot up on the green button on the side. Beck informed me that when she takes her into a public restroom, she always flushes the toilet with her foot, so she doesn't have to touch anything. I suppose we'll have to let Charlie see us clean HER bathroom so she's not afraid to touch things with her hands!! It is real funny to see.
I will say that (in my opinion) Beck and I are adjusting slowly to having two kids in the house. We are very fortunate to be able to help each other so much, but there is going to be a day soon that we're going to have to suck it up and get comfortable taking care of both of them by ourselves. It's a pretty scary thought to me, but then again, I was fearful for my first "Daddy/Daughter Days" with Charlie. You just don't have any choice but to figure it out.
The bedtime routines was (and is) a big deal though. It's the basis for keeping a structured schedule for the kids and absolutely keeps them rested and gives us a chance to unwind at the end of the day. We're hoping that Will continues his excellent sleeping right into a standard bedtime and sleeping ALL the way through the night soon.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Bedtime Routine
So you've read here that my daughter Charlie has had some difficulty with her normal bedtime routine since welcoming her baby brother home from the hospital. Well, I had a theory, and it seems that Super Nanny concurs.
About 4 nights into sharing her home with a new baby, Charlie began refusing to go down quietly after her bedtime routine. No less than 5 minutes after we would put her down, she would begin screaming at the top of her lungs, hysterical. Completely not like her at all. She has been an incredible sleeper since she was 1-month old.
We spent 4 or 5 days laying with her in her bed to get her calmed down, thinking she was sick, spooked, hot, whatever. Finally, we decided that laying in bed with her to get her to go to sleep was a terrible habit to start, so we started thinking about WHY she was doing this.
My theory almost immediately was that she was trying to stay awake because she felt she was missing out on something. You see, her little brother was always AWAKE when we put Charlie down for bed, and even though she is only 20-months old, I just felt like somehow, she knew exactly what was going on.
So we did some research and found in Super Nanny's book, the EXACT scenario we were experiencing. She suggested that we allow Charlie to participate in WILL'S bedtime ritual, and help us put him down to bed BEFORE we do her routine. All well and good, but Will is only 16 days old, so we're just building his routines and often, he's not ready for bed by Charlie's bedtime.
What we decided to do is just before we begin Charlie's routine, we make a big deal out of Will going to bed. We let Charlie say goodnight to him, and kiss him, and then either Beck or I will take Will from the room (out of Charlie's sight) and close Will's bedroom door before taking Will downstairs to the basement... out of view and earshot.
The other one of us continues Charlie's normal routine and puts her down. This HAS WORKED the past two nights like a charm, so once again we're knocking on wood here.
That Super Nanny sure is pretty sharp!
About 4 nights into sharing her home with a new baby, Charlie began refusing to go down quietly after her bedtime routine. No less than 5 minutes after we would put her down, she would begin screaming at the top of her lungs, hysterical. Completely not like her at all. She has been an incredible sleeper since she was 1-month old.
We spent 4 or 5 days laying with her in her bed to get her calmed down, thinking she was sick, spooked, hot, whatever. Finally, we decided that laying in bed with her to get her to go to sleep was a terrible habit to start, so we started thinking about WHY she was doing this.
My theory almost immediately was that she was trying to stay awake because she felt she was missing out on something. You see, her little brother was always AWAKE when we put Charlie down for bed, and even though she is only 20-months old, I just felt like somehow, she knew exactly what was going on.
So we did some research and found in Super Nanny's book, the EXACT scenario we were experiencing. She suggested that we allow Charlie to participate in WILL'S bedtime ritual, and help us put him down to bed BEFORE we do her routine. All well and good, but Will is only 16 days old, so we're just building his routines and often, he's not ready for bed by Charlie's bedtime.
What we decided to do is just before we begin Charlie's routine, we make a big deal out of Will going to bed. We let Charlie say goodnight to him, and kiss him, and then either Beck or I will take Will from the room (out of Charlie's sight) and close Will's bedroom door before taking Will downstairs to the basement... out of view and earshot.
The other one of us continues Charlie's normal routine and puts her down. This HAS WORKED the past two nights like a charm, so once again we're knocking on wood here.
That Super Nanny sure is pretty sharp!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Weekend Visits
I've now decided that weekend visits with far away Grandparents should officially be 4 days long instead of 2 days. Grandma and Grandpa "D" came into town on Saturday morning to meet their newest grandson Will and spent two great days with us. Charlie was not herself Saturday, possibly from a teething fever, and finally started coming around late Sunday morning. Mommy and Daddy were a little disappointed because Charlie is becoming so much fun, and we wanted Grandma and Grandpa D to see that side of her. They got a little of it.
These visits are difficult with kids Charlie's age, because she's so attached to Mommy and Daddy right now that it takes a little while for her to warm up to people she's not entirely familiar with. It seemed just as Charlie was coming around, the visit was over! :-(
I've blogged before about having my parents and brothers so spread out across the country. It never affected me quite so much years go. Just a few short years ago, everyone lived within 5-7 hours of one another and a quick drive was all it took to spend some time together. Now my own family is starting and finding the time (and the guts) to make cross-country flights or 10+ hour drives with two children under 2 is pretty a daunting thought.
I'm really thankful that I've seen my parents pretty much every 3-4 months over the past 2 years. I really am happy my kids get to spend time as much time with them as they do. There's something about seeing the glow in their face when they look at MY children. Its very satisfying for me for some reason. I really appreciate the effort they make to stay connected with us and their two newest grand babies.
I do wish that my brothers were nearer. I remember seeing my nieces Kate and Emma pretty regularly when they were young. I pull out the pictures all the time, and can't believe how quickly they've grown. My favorite right now is a picture of me (at 22) holding my niece Kate when she was right about Charlie's age now. I think Charlie bears a resemblance to lots of her cousins, but that picture really looks like her... and Kate's expression could easily be one of Charlie's. My Mom thinks Charlie resembles her cousin Maddie a lot too. I see a little bit everywhere I look, even a certain expression I see in cousin Hope's pictures. I have a picture of Charlie when she was around a year old that looks like her cousin Micah too. Lots of people say Charlie looks like Rebecca... and I think so. But I really do see a lot of me in her. Especially after my Mom brought a book of old pictures up with her this weekend.
Maybe I see the resemblance to my brothers kids so often because I miss my brothers and their families. I just miss being able to drive up the road 15 minutes to hang out and play Techmo Bowl with my brother Jim, or sing Karaoke with my brother Ray. I often think about how great it would be to just have a couple of family gatherings a year... I'd settle for just one really. Maybe even every other year. I'm not that picky anymore.
For a guy who never was that affected by his family moving all over the country, I sure can reminisce with the best of them, huh?
These visits are difficult with kids Charlie's age, because she's so attached to Mommy and Daddy right now that it takes a little while for her to warm up to people she's not entirely familiar with. It seemed just as Charlie was coming around, the visit was over! :-(
I've blogged before about having my parents and brothers so spread out across the country. It never affected me quite so much years go. Just a few short years ago, everyone lived within 5-7 hours of one another and a quick drive was all it took to spend some time together. Now my own family is starting and finding the time (and the guts) to make cross-country flights or 10+ hour drives with two children under 2 is pretty a daunting thought.
I'm really thankful that I've seen my parents pretty much every 3-4 months over the past 2 years. I really am happy my kids get to spend time as much time with them as they do. There's something about seeing the glow in their face when they look at MY children. Its very satisfying for me for some reason. I really appreciate the effort they make to stay connected with us and their two newest grand babies.
I do wish that my brothers were nearer. I remember seeing my nieces Kate and Emma pretty regularly when they were young. I pull out the pictures all the time, and can't believe how quickly they've grown. My favorite right now is a picture of me (at 22) holding my niece Kate when she was right about Charlie's age now. I think Charlie bears a resemblance to lots of her cousins, but that picture really looks like her... and Kate's expression could easily be one of Charlie's. My Mom thinks Charlie resembles her cousin Maddie a lot too. I see a little bit everywhere I look, even a certain expression I see in cousin Hope's pictures. I have a picture of Charlie when she was around a year old that looks like her cousin Micah too. Lots of people say Charlie looks like Rebecca... and I think so. But I really do see a lot of me in her. Especially after my Mom brought a book of old pictures up with her this weekend.
Maybe I see the resemblance to my brothers kids so often because I miss my brothers and their families. I just miss being able to drive up the road 15 minutes to hang out and play Techmo Bowl with my brother Jim, or sing Karaoke with my brother Ray. I often think about how great it would be to just have a couple of family gatherings a year... I'd settle for just one really. Maybe even every other year. I'm not that picky anymore.
For a guy who never was that affected by his family moving all over the country, I sure can reminisce with the best of them, huh?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Still Holding Our Breath
So Charlie woke up this morning still with a fever, and very sluggish. She slept through the night for the most part, only needing her Daddy a couple of times. Just to rub her head and tuck her back in.
We're hoping the fever breaks quickly. It's been a reasonably low-grade deal so far, and Charlie hasn't been terribly uncomfortable (as far as I can tell). She is just very clingy and sluggish.
Maybe seeing her Grandma and Grandpa from North Carolina today will brighten her mood. We haven't seen them since February!
We're hoping the fever breaks quickly. It's been a reasonably low-grade deal so far, and Charlie hasn't been terribly uncomfortable (as far as I can tell). She is just very clingy and sluggish.
Maybe seeing her Grandma and Grandpa from North Carolina today will brighten her mood. We haven't seen them since February!
Friday, July 18, 2008
So the changes aren't always easy...
Knocking on wood doesn't always work, just so you know. It seems our brief baby nirvana has begun to lose a little of it's peace and serenity. Not too much. But a little.
For the last 5 nights, Charlie has gone down for bed at her usual time, between 7:30 and 8:00pm. But she has been waking up about 20-30 minutes later, screaming and crying. Each time, one of us has had to lay with her for a few minutes to calm her and get back off to sleep. We didn't think it was going to become a pattern.
Now to some of you reading this, that scenario may seem like it's really nothing to be concerned with, but Charlie has been a great sleeper since she was a month old. This just isn't like her. We are hoping this is just a phase she's going through in the process of having a new baby brother in the house. Her days have been fine, her naps have been fine, she's been behaving perfectly normally, with this one exception.
Tonight, at about 7:00pm she went from playing with Mommy outside, to all the sudden just acting very tired and clingy. After a very short bath, and abbreviated bedtime ruotine, now Beck tells me she is in her bed burning up. Apparently she has gotten sick somehow. Tonight will likely be a long night, and if she wakes up with it in the morning, we'll have to make sure to keep Will far away from her. A newborn can get very sick from even the most harmless cold. All this with Grandma and Grandpa D visiting from North Carolina starting tomorrow morning. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
This is the fun of being a parent though, right?
For the last 5 nights, Charlie has gone down for bed at her usual time, between 7:30 and 8:00pm. But she has been waking up about 20-30 minutes later, screaming and crying. Each time, one of us has had to lay with her for a few minutes to calm her and get back off to sleep. We didn't think it was going to become a pattern.
Now to some of you reading this, that scenario may seem like it's really nothing to be concerned with, but Charlie has been a great sleeper since she was a month old. This just isn't like her. We are hoping this is just a phase she's going through in the process of having a new baby brother in the house. Her days have been fine, her naps have been fine, she's been behaving perfectly normally, with this one exception.
Tonight, at about 7:00pm she went from playing with Mommy outside, to all the sudden just acting very tired and clingy. After a very short bath, and abbreviated bedtime ruotine, now Beck tells me she is in her bed burning up. Apparently she has gotten sick somehow. Tonight will likely be a long night, and if she wakes up with it in the morning, we'll have to make sure to keep Will far away from her. A newborn can get very sick from even the most harmless cold. All this with Grandma and Grandpa D visiting from North Carolina starting tomorrow morning. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
This is the fun of being a parent though, right?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Lots of wood knocking
Everyone knows that saying, right? "Knock on wood?" Well, Beck and I find ourselves reminding each other all the time right now to be careful of what we say, and make sure to knock on wood if we slip.
The reason is that so far Will has been unbelievably great. By that I mean, he rarely cries, sleeps on a pretty regular schedule, and has been eating (and pooping) like a champ. We've had about the most perfect first week at home with our baby boy as we could have imagined.
Now, I do realize that having superstitions like this can go a little overboard, but we really are trying to be careful of what we say (at least out loud). Beck and I have certainly learned at least some of that silent parenting language that only requires timely looks and "eye inflection". I made that up. :)
So listen, I realize that sleeping through the night, eating, and crying really aren't things we should be hung up on. We truly are grateful that Will is a healthy little boy and believe me, that is the ONLY thing we hoped for over the last few months of his life.
I'm just saying that our home may soon develop lots of knuckle dents. Between Charlie's sweet sisterly admiration for her baby brother, and Will's easy going demeanor, we've have really been spoiled. And of course, I have to add, SO FAR. (Did you hear the knock?)
Anyway, it's late and I need to get some sleep too. Beck has already come to get me twice tonight (this morning), but for some reason the creative side of my brain works best after midnight. Not sure why, but at least the new video is finally posted on the kid's site.
That's another thing... "Kids". It's so funny to hear myself say that these days. Getting ready to leave the house saying, "okay kids, lets get ready to go," or "alright kids, it's time for dinner."
I know. Bedtime. Gotta be ready to go when the kids wake up.
The reason is that so far Will has been unbelievably great. By that I mean, he rarely cries, sleeps on a pretty regular schedule, and has been eating (and pooping) like a champ. We've had about the most perfect first week at home with our baby boy as we could have imagined.
Now, I do realize that having superstitions like this can go a little overboard, but we really are trying to be careful of what we say (at least out loud). Beck and I have certainly learned at least some of that silent parenting language that only requires timely looks and "eye inflection". I made that up. :)
So listen, I realize that sleeping through the night, eating, and crying really aren't things we should be hung up on. We truly are grateful that Will is a healthy little boy and believe me, that is the ONLY thing we hoped for over the last few months of his life.
I'm just saying that our home may soon develop lots of knuckle dents. Between Charlie's sweet sisterly admiration for her baby brother, and Will's easy going demeanor, we've have really been spoiled. And of course, I have to add, SO FAR. (Did you hear the knock?)
Anyway, it's late and I need to get some sleep too. Beck has already come to get me twice tonight (this morning), but for some reason the creative side of my brain works best after midnight. Not sure why, but at least the new video is finally posted on the kid's site.
That's another thing... "Kids". It's so funny to hear myself say that these days. Getting ready to leave the house saying, "okay kids, lets get ready to go," or "alright kids, it's time for dinner."
I know. Bedtime. Gotta be ready to go when the kids wake up.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
5 Days
We've been home now from the hospital for 5 days. Everyone we talk to asks, "are you guys settling in," or "how are you doing settling in?" Or any variation of that phrase. The truth is, I'm not sure once you start a family that you're ever settled. At least that's the way I feel. Now, don't misinterpret what I'm saying. We're certainly well versed by now with leaky diapers, being up in the middle of the night, being thrown up on, etc, etc. But I'm refering to the day to day process of raising a family.
Okay, okay. I realize we're only 20 months into this thing, and lots of you reading this blog have been parents for a long, long time. You probably laugh when I give my opinions on some things and think I'm very niave. But I can only relate my own personal experience.
But here's the deal for me: We are now responsible for 2 precious little people who mean the entire world to us. A ridiculously silly 20-month old girl who still causes tears to well up in my eyes when she jumps in my lap to snuggle before bedtime. And now this tiny little guy who is the best sleeper, and smells so perfect when you kiss his head. Do you know that smell? The combo of baby shampoo, A&D ointment, and the "scentless" baby detergent for the clothes and blanket you have him wrapped in?
To me, being settled means you're finished and can relax for a minute. I feel like Beck and I are just at the start of a parenting adventure, not getting ready to rest or relax.
I will say that one of the first hurdles we've cleared is Charlie being comfortable having another baby in the house. (that is funny because we really need to stop referring to Charlie as a baby now). She's been about as perfect as you could expect. She really adores baby Will, and is very helpful with everything about having him in the house.
So, so far so good, 5 days in. I'd almost forgotten how good Beck is with a newborn.
Okay, okay. I realize we're only 20 months into this thing, and lots of you reading this blog have been parents for a long, long time. You probably laugh when I give my opinions on some things and think I'm very niave. But I can only relate my own personal experience.
But here's the deal for me: We are now responsible for 2 precious little people who mean the entire world to us. A ridiculously silly 20-month old girl who still causes tears to well up in my eyes when she jumps in my lap to snuggle before bedtime. And now this tiny little guy who is the best sleeper, and smells so perfect when you kiss his head. Do you know that smell? The combo of baby shampoo, A&D ointment, and the "scentless" baby detergent for the clothes and blanket you have him wrapped in?
To me, being settled means you're finished and can relax for a minute. I feel like Beck and I are just at the start of a parenting adventure, not getting ready to rest or relax.
I will say that one of the first hurdles we've cleared is Charlie being comfortable having another baby in the house. (that is funny because we really need to stop referring to Charlie as a baby now). She's been about as perfect as you could expect. She really adores baby Will, and is very helpful with everything about having him in the house.
So, so far so good, 5 days in. I'd almost forgotten how good Beck is with a newborn.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Welcome Little Will
So we're just a little over 24 hours since my baby boy came to town. What a day! All the nurses here at the hospital keep telling us it was a "quick" delivery. Compared to Charlie's birth though, it seemed to me like it dragged on and on all day. Looking back, I suppose we could have just slept through the night Sunday in to Monday morning, and then leisurely made our way to the hospital around 10:00am. Then it wouldn't have seemed so long.
The problem was, Beck and I just had dinner Sunday evening with some friends of ours and I think I was a little scared to push it. You see, my buddy Brian is a paramedic. Beck had been having pretty regular conractions since Friday, and when we told he and his wife Andrea that we may need to leave the restaurant early, he began telling paramedic stories. On the way home from dinner, all I kept thinking was that I was going to have to deliver Will myself on the side of the road. In fact, I kept repeating to Beck all night Sunday, "I am NOT going to deliver this baby on the way to the hospital!"
Did I mention that earlier in the day, I encouraged Beck to eat some tacos with hot sauce and at dinner, I slide a plate of hot wings to her? I suppose this is all my fault.
Our friend Anne arrived at our house at about 4:30am, to look after Charlie. She has been an unbelievable help to us. And the best part about Anne is that Charlie absolutely LOVES her. They play and play.
So we left the house at about 4:30am, and arrived at the hospital near 5:00am. The nurses did a quick check and decided to see if we could move things along a little before our doctor arrived at 7:00am. Beck and I became power walkers! We walked the maternity halls from 5:30am to 6:30am, and then got a bed for Beck to relax.
From there, the waiting began! Our doctor had surgery to do at 8:00am, and we wanted to wait for him, so they slowed things down a little with fluids. By 10:30am, we were ready, but the contractions had slowed so much that they had to begin using Pitocin to get back into gear.
So by 1:30pm, we were ready to go. The pushing started at 1:40pm, and we had our big boy an hour and 23 minutes later.
I have to say; my wife was INCREDIBLE. She worked really hard. Our doctor (who we really like and trust) pointed out about a quarter of the way into pushing that the reason things were moving so slowly was because the epidural was too strong, and Beck couldn't feel anything. He said to our nurse, "turn it off". We all looked at each other as he laughed and said to Beck, "in a few minutes, you'll definitely have a reason to push."
Sure enough, the contractions soon became more and more painful for Beck, and she pushed harder and harder. Several times, she even did a 4th set of pushing when the nurses were only asking for 3 sets per contraction. She was literally pushing for at least 40 minutes without any anesthesia pumping in. She was awesome!
In the end, Will came out with the cord wrapped all around him. Our Doc just calmly said to Beck, "just relax and don't push for a minute." He slowly unwrapped the cord (which was around his neck, under his arm, and around his waist) and plopped little Will on Beck's belly. It is very reassuring to have a doctor that you trust. I never worried.
Now, little Will is feeding like an old pro, and pooping up a storm (like his sister did). He even got to meet his big sister for the first time today. Such a fun time! Charlie was very playful and excited to meet her baby brother.
We can't wait to bring him home. Beck is feeling great, just very sore, and we can't wait to all be in the same place so Mommy and Daddy can help each other out instead of being 30 miles apart with 2 kids (in between hospital visits). We are so thankful for Anne's help. She has made it very easy for us to juggle everything and keep Charlie's schedule uninterupted as we welcome our new baby boy.
Tomorrow is the big homecoming. We can't wait!!!
The problem was, Beck and I just had dinner Sunday evening with some friends of ours and I think I was a little scared to push it. You see, my buddy Brian is a paramedic. Beck had been having pretty regular conractions since Friday, and when we told he and his wife Andrea that we may need to leave the restaurant early, he began telling paramedic stories. On the way home from dinner, all I kept thinking was that I was going to have to deliver Will myself on the side of the road. In fact, I kept repeating to Beck all night Sunday, "I am NOT going to deliver this baby on the way to the hospital!"
Did I mention that earlier in the day, I encouraged Beck to eat some tacos with hot sauce and at dinner, I slide a plate of hot wings to her? I suppose this is all my fault.
Our friend Anne arrived at our house at about 4:30am, to look after Charlie. She has been an unbelievable help to us. And the best part about Anne is that Charlie absolutely LOVES her. They play and play.
So we left the house at about 4:30am, and arrived at the hospital near 5:00am. The nurses did a quick check and decided to see if we could move things along a little before our doctor arrived at 7:00am. Beck and I became power walkers! We walked the maternity halls from 5:30am to 6:30am, and then got a bed for Beck to relax.
From there, the waiting began! Our doctor had surgery to do at 8:00am, and we wanted to wait for him, so they slowed things down a little with fluids. By 10:30am, we were ready, but the contractions had slowed so much that they had to begin using Pitocin to get back into gear.
So by 1:30pm, we were ready to go. The pushing started at 1:40pm, and we had our big boy an hour and 23 minutes later.
I have to say; my wife was INCREDIBLE. She worked really hard. Our doctor (who we really like and trust) pointed out about a quarter of the way into pushing that the reason things were moving so slowly was because the epidural was too strong, and Beck couldn't feel anything. He said to our nurse, "turn it off". We all looked at each other as he laughed and said to Beck, "in a few minutes, you'll definitely have a reason to push."
Sure enough, the contractions soon became more and more painful for Beck, and she pushed harder and harder. Several times, she even did a 4th set of pushing when the nurses were only asking for 3 sets per contraction. She was literally pushing for at least 40 minutes without any anesthesia pumping in. She was awesome!
In the end, Will came out with the cord wrapped all around him. Our Doc just calmly said to Beck, "just relax and don't push for a minute." He slowly unwrapped the cord (which was around his neck, under his arm, and around his waist) and plopped little Will on Beck's belly. It is very reassuring to have a doctor that you trust. I never worried.
Now, little Will is feeding like an old pro, and pooping up a storm (like his sister did). He even got to meet his big sister for the first time today. Such a fun time! Charlie was very playful and excited to meet her baby brother.
We can't wait to bring him home. Beck is feeling great, just very sore, and we can't wait to all be in the same place so Mommy and Daddy can help each other out instead of being 30 miles apart with 2 kids (in between hospital visits). We are so thankful for Anne's help. She has made it very easy for us to juggle everything and keep Charlie's schedule uninterupted as we welcome our new baby boy.
Tomorrow is the big homecoming. We can't wait!!!
Monday, July 7, 2008
It's all a different deal!!!
Charlie's actual "in hospital" labor was about 5 hours total. So far, Will has been playing with us now since 4:45am, and as of 12:45pm, it seems as though we're no closer. I'm certain we'll get there, it just seems to be so different. Hopefully this isn't a harbinger of things to come relating to the differences between Charlie and Will!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
