Sophie's been sick with a small cold -- runny nose, bit of a cough -- for about two weeks now. She still isn't sleeping through the night and our weekends have been getting increasingly busy. The house isn't getting clean, we're exhausted, the fun painting project that I started but haven't been able to work on in two weeks mocks me and I would really love to take a small vacation but vacation hours/finances/schedules aren't allowing this year.
Saturday Sophie cried all night. Somewhere abouts 2am, as I was switching off with Tom so I could get a few minutes of sleep -- she only wants to be comforted by me and usually only will calm down when nursed -- someone smashed the solar lights in front of our house.
She seemed to be better on Sunday and slept through the night, but she didn't sleep again last night and the doc says she has a small ear infection.
*whine* Its not even cold and flu season. *feeble voice* I'm so tired and defeated.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Poor Christy! Poor, sweet baby!
Poor, sweet Baby Sophie, too!
Let me put on my thinking cap. *muses
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Boo gets like that sometimes. Usually it's because his ears are bothering him, but you already knew that. Since most ear infections either do not respond to antibiotics or clear up on their own anyway, I don't give them to him unless they persist for a while. However, I did get some prescription pain-relieving ear drops for him. That, coupled with some Motrin at night before bed help tremendously. This may or may not be helpful with Sophie. Mostly, I wanted you to know that I sympathize. Poor baby. Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Ouch, you have my sympathy. I hope she starts feeling better and sleeping longer soon.
Just remember, this is leverage you can use on her when she's a teenager. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, poor thing. My baby's been sick, too, but she's better. Here's hoping yours is soon.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
That is no fun. I can sympathise; Andrew has been kept up all week by a diaper rash, if you can imagine. I hope she gets better soon.Benadryl can be a huge help at times like this; it helps relieve the pressure.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Poor baby!
. . . and I feel bad for Sophie too.
I hope you are all sleeping better soon!
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
When my baby had a stuffy cold, he always felt better when I steamed him. Run the hottest shower in the closed up bathroom and have your baby breathe up the steam. In fact, my baby still wants this treatment when he has a cold, and he's 14 years old now. He says that it is wonderful, and when he comes out of the steamy bathroom, he feels terrific. He generally stays for a 20 minute steam.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
quote:Originally posted by romanylass: Benadryl can be a huge help at times like this; it helps relieve the pressure.
Benadryl also helps by working as a sleep aid - but I'm sure you knew that already.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
A drop of pure garlic oil in each ear, cotton balls, and stocking cap pulled down low over the ears. Steam is also lovely for getting those stuck places open and flowing.
Second on the benedryl and/or motrin.
Hugs for all . . .
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Benadryl also helps by working as a sleep aid
Not always! Be careful if you don't know how your kid will react; I get hyper half the time on Benadryl and tired the other half. And there's no way to predict which one. Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
>>he always felt better when I steamed him.
Steamed baby. . . never tried it. If I must cook babies, I prefer to sautee or grill them.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Steamed baby. . . never tried it.
Oh, but you must! It makes the tenderest, sweetest baby you've ever had.
I would eat mine up with a spoon!
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Between the Mormons and the Jews and the Catholics on this board, I'm fairly certain we have all the baby recipes available to mankind. . .
I don't include the pagans because, honestly, modern paganism just hasn't been around long enough to develop truly interesting dishes. And it may be heretical to say, but until recently, Mormon infantile cuisine was just a mishmash of recipes we stole from the Masons (no longer eating babies) and our Catholic neighbors.
Wanna trade recipes? I'm afraid I'll get more from the deal than you might (see above), but I got this fabulous Paella di Nino recipe from an itinerant Kabbala Mystic, Abram di Gazpacho. It doesn't call for shellfish, obviously , which I've always felt necessary in a good paella, but hey-- it's still delicious, especially when the baby is steeped overnight in a marinade of parsley and sage. I'm especially interested in lime sauces, so if you have any. . . send 'em on, my baby-eating friends of the world!
Let us eat the baby of love. . . TOGETHER!
[ August 31, 2005, 07:04 AM: Message edited by: Scott R ]
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
<----Resisting the overwhelming urge to yell "Get over it!"
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Saying that you're resisting the urge to say something is the same thing as saying it.
I think you should just say it outright instead of pretending to be pretending to be polite.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
I make no pretense at being polite, but did think that I should at least soften my response by admitting that I struggled with the decision to post it...
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Christy honey, I'm sorry. There isn't a mother alive who doesn't know that feeling of "I've just GOT to get away for a while" and when you can't get a break it's tough.
All my kids have gone through phases where Daddy just won't do, only Mommy can make them feel better, and when mommy doesn't feel good herself it can be hard.
Hang in there, sweetie. I hope ya'll are feeling better soon.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Well, I decided not to make yesterday my day off and to take it as one of my few sick days. Today I sent Sophie to daycare and will spend the day recovering.
I've been laughing at the Benadryl suggestions, because I had been giving Sophie Benadryl, with what I thought was success, but my doctor was all over me for that saying she was sure that was why Sophie wasn't sleeping those two nights. I didn't remember until later that afternoon that I hadn't given her any Monday night.
TheHumanTarget, I will get over it, thanks. Today is much better and its no good sitting around pitying yourself, but sometimes a little of that helps when you're really feeling down.
Sleep issues are such a sensitive subject and really there is no good resource out there aside from other moms to vent and get options from. I've found my doctors pretty clueless and uncommunicative about it. I know I have been struggling with depression due to hormones and lack of sleep and were I not of a pretty strong mind about myself, I think I would be in a lot of trouble.
That said, Sophie and I had a fabulous day yesterday together playing outside with her sidewalk chalk, and with her ball. We went to the park and went down all the slides and nicely, most of the slides are double slides so I could slide down next to her and hold her hand. We took a long walk in the wagon and stopped to get a cookie treat from the local coffee shop. She was adorable and since I was able to nap with her, I really enjoyed the day. She slept well last night and I'll keep my fingers crossed that she continues to do so.
Thanks for the support and encouragement, all!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Let's hope last night is the beginning of a trend!
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
>>TheHumanTarget, I will get over it, thanks. Today is much better and its no good sitting around pitying yourself, but sometimes a little of that helps when you're really feeling down.
I thought THT was talking about my baby-eating jokes.
If he was talking to YOU. . . well, I lost my scorn horn this morning, but once I find it, I shall sound a note that will shatter the wind and frost his eyeballs.
:menacing:
Growl. Grr. Rowr.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
Christy, glad to hear you've gotten some rest and a good day or two.
Baby V has been giving us fits as well, here of lates. She's decided that her bedtime should be around 11:00 pm or later (I think she wants to watch Iron Chef or something). She had been sleeping through the night, but now it's touch and go.
We've also been slowing introducing baby food to her and the gas pains have been horrific. We've tried the anti-gas drops and they help a bit, but oh my.
I guess everyone goes through this with their babies from time to time, but with everything we've been through recently, things are getting pretty tense.
Posted by sarahdipity (Member # 3254) on :
quote: All my kids have gone through phases where Daddy just won't do, only Mommy can make them feel better,
I would say that I never left this phase.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
yeah, but there's a flip side, sarah - some of my kids want Daddy if they're hurt. In my house, if they're sick and want to cuddle or be cared for, they want Mommy. If it's an injury involving acute pain or blood of any kind, they want Daddy. Probably because he pulls out his paramedic bag and looks all professional as he cleans the boo boo and takes care of it.
Makes it tough when someone falls and gets hurt when Daddy ins't home. One of my daughters asked me once if I was sure I even knew how to properly clean and bandage a wound. Posted by Clark (Member # 8556) on :
Slow day at work today, Scott?
Posted by sarahdipity (Member # 3254) on :
Interesting. I think I went through a phase like that too. But now I think I fairly universally want mom when things go wrong. Even if I'm sick or have sliced up my hand or have people being mean to me.
Maybe I should tell my mom that. It might make her feel special. And since I'm 25 and don't exactly run to her with any of those problems it's not even annoying anymore.
Christy, I hope things stay better this too will pass.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Sopwith, food introduction messed with Sophie's sleep schedule as well. She always wanted her "dinner" at around 7pm and then she would have horrible gas pains when we put her to bed at 8 or 9. We were able to slowly move her dinner time earlier, which helped because we could be more active and work out the gas. It didn't help that her favorite food was peas.
I am SO excited. I just laid Sophie down to sleep and stood next to her as she put herself to sleep. No fussing, just some sleepy eyed fun of kicking mama through the bars of the crib before closing her eyes, checking to be sure I was there twice and a bit of restlessness after I left. We're moving in the right direction!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
a quiet Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wow, she goes to sleep with you in the room? My daughter won't consider it if she can see or hear us anywhere near. The only way she will go to sleep, other than in the car, is to have her bedtime routine, be in her crib, with the door shut, alone, and scream herself to sleep.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Not to be nasty-boastful, but my baby loved to sleep. Alone. In his crib. All the night through. And, after his pre-school years, when he started going to school full days, he was shocked to find that there was no nap time. He demanded a nap at his after care.
When he was a new and tiny infant, I had to wake him up to nurse, or he would just sleep and not eat.
[/nasty-boast]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wow. Maybe I'll have one of those one day. She sleeps fine once she goes down; it's the going down that's a problem. (My parents say they know where she gets it...)
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Boo sleeps in the living room in his crib. When bedtime rolls around, we put him in it and tell him goodnight, then go about our business. He doesn't care if we watch TV, work on the computers, sit on the couch and read, or go to bed ourselves. He just goes to sleep, on cue, within about 5 minutes of us telling him goodnight.
Of course, now that I've said that, he'll never, ever go to sleep again in the crib. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My niece is like that. When she's tired, you just put a quilt on the floor, lay her on it, and no matter where she is or what's going on, she rolls over, sticks a couple of fingers in her mouth, and falls fast asleep.
Of course, then MY daughter goes and pokes and pats her... Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Our son has a switch. Get past about 9:00 and he's a goner. Sometimes he even toddles to his bed and gets in it himself. And he's slept through the night since about 3 months old. I love that about him.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R: Between the Mormons and the Jews and the Catholics on this board, I'm fairly certain we have all the baby recipes available to mankind. . .
I don't include the pagans because, honestly, modern paganism just hasn't been around long enough to develop truly interesting dishes. And it may be heretical to say, but until recently, Mormon infantile cuisine was just a mishmash of recipes we stole from the Masons (no longer eating babies) and our Catholic neighbors.
Wanna trade recipes? I'm afraid I'll get more from the deal than you might (see above), but I got this fabulous Paella di Nino recipe from an itinerant Kabbala Mystic, Abram di Gazpacho. It doesn't call for shellfish, obviously , which I've always felt necessary in a good paella, but hey-- it's still delicious, especially when the baby is steeped overnight in a marinade of parsley and sage. I'm especially interested in lime sauces, so if you have any. . . send 'em on, my baby-eating friends of the world!
Let us eat the baby of love. . . TOGETHER!
I am a Mason, and you should TRY some of our GAOTU cusine....you would die for it....
Really. You would.
We just have better press people than you, that's all. Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Kq, much screaming ensues when I leave the room when putting Sophie to sleep, and I don't have the heart to leave her to cry (we've tried for an hour at the longest) and she cries harder when Tom comes in because she wants me. I've nursed her to sleep mostly till now, but have been experimenting with ways to get her to put herself to sleep and I've been able to comfort her to sleep without nursing a precious few times. This is a big accomplishment That said, she didn't sleep through the night, but hey.
Boon -- Sophie would SO want to play if we did that. I've been telling her that mama and dada are going to sleep now too in hopes that she'll realize she isn't missing anything by going to sleep.
I was so impressed by her falling asleep that I forgot to mention that she learned the word 'night-night last night too. She repeated it back to me. *warm smile*
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
awwwwwwww!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Awww. Does she blow kisses, too? Posted by LadyDove (Member # 3000) on :
I think that the sleepless nights spent worrying and comforting our children are what gives us our "stripes" as moms. It also gives us that special place in our childrens' hearts.
At least that's what I tell myself when there is nothing else to keep me going at 4:30 in the AM as I'm cleaning bedsheets for the 4th time or sitting-up so that my coughing kid can sleep cradled in an upright position.
As I understand it, this is not just a fairytale that I tell myself, but the truth. They say that if a child is nurtured and helped when in need, that the child learns it is worthy of help and nurturing and will carry this knowledge through the rest of it's life.
Good job, all you exhausted moms and dads!
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Masons still eat babies?
Wow. Your PR folks ARE good.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Yes, she blows kisses now, too And this morning I asked her where Homer Simpson's eye was -- we have the new dvd set where the case is a big Homer head -- and she looked up at me with a big grin, pointed to her eye and said loudly and clearly in a very big girl excited voice "EYE!" She, and we, were so proud.
She put herself to sleep again last night! Woo-hoo!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
WTG Sophie! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wow, what a big girl! Aren't baby kisses sweet? (Of course, the original novelty has worn off for Emma, and now there are times when you ask for a kiss and she shakes her head no. )
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
yay! Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
I and my brothers always cried for my father in the night. Why? My mother is an *extremely* sound sleeper and she wouldn't wake up. Dad would wake her up if we were spewing fluids, but otherwise it was his domain.
I guess we adjusted since it was what we knew.
AJ
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
quote: As I understand it, this is not just a fairytale that I tell myself, but the truth. They say that if a child is nurtured and helped when in need, that the child learns it is worthy of help and nurturing and will carry this knowledge through the rest of it's life.
This reminded me of an editorial I read in "Mothering" when my oldest was a baby- very profound, and the one piece of writing, more than any other, that has had the greatest influence on my parenting:
I agree with the statement you quoted, and with some of that editorial. But not with all of it.
I am a proponent of modified Ferberizing, for instance. I also think that the "nature doesn't make mistakes" line (which I've heard before) is utter nonsense. Both because I think it is clearly untrue (at least in the sense it's being used) and because I don't think it's terribly relevant.
I nursed all my kids well past a year (20 months with my youngest), but I don't expect that every mother will do that. I strongly felt that once my kids were 3-4 months, they should sleep in a separate room. But I have no problem with those who make a different choice -- except when they imply (or state outright, as this article does) that my choice is wrong.
There are many "right" ways to parent.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Belle, I agree. There HAS to be a line that they don't cross, once they get old enough to understand that. I am not talking about newborns, or if something wrong, but take a loook at some of those so-called nanny shows....I have reality TV, but one thing those shows HAVE shown is that children are supremely selfifh, and giving in to their demands only reinforces their poor behavior.
However, I liked the focus she had on touching and loving babies. The physical aspect of that is very imporant, and often overlooked. I know a lot of fathers are uncomfortable holding their abbies, but I am so glad that my paernts encouraged me to learn about shildern when I was young, and that they allowed me to express my interest in babies by allowing me to hold my little sister, and my neices and nephews, so now I love holding children.
I got to hold my neice an hour after birth, and while I was a little nervous about such a tiny baby, I loved holding her and careing for her a little. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Abba is always the one who gets Emma out of her crib if he's home. So when she wakes up, she plays a little (unless she's really thirsty or had a nightmare) and then you hear, "Abba! Abba!" It's very cute.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I have to admit- I've tried, but I can't wrap my mind around the idea of leaving a baby to cry. It really touches a nerve with me. Or even a toddler- if our three year old actually starts out in his bed, he's always with us by morning. A toddler or older kid crying for candy or a toy-whcih I would not give in to-is totally different than a baby who does not have the brain development to know Mom and Dad will come back crying to be comforted.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I think if your kids absolutely would not sleep any other way, you'd get used to it. >_<
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
First of all, even unmodified Ferberizing is NOT simply "leaving a baby to cry"; modified even more so.
Second of all, sometimes leaving a baby to cry IS the necessary/reasonable thing to do. I have a friend whose daughter (now almost twelve and a lovely, sweet young lady) was colicky from a few weeks of age until almost 6 months -- long after the doctors (and she kept taking her to the pediatrician, and then another one, and another one) said she would stop. NONE of the usual colic comfort methods did much; most did absolutely nothing.
Her pediatrician strongly recommended that she try one or two comfort methods, and then (if they didn't work) to just leave the baby in her crib to cry. He did this because my friend was pretty close to a nervous breakdown, but I have heard similar advice given to other parents of colicky infants.
You don't have to agree with my methods. I don't agree with some of yours. But I would not tell you were wrong to use them (unless I seriously thought they were dangerous).
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I didn't use the word wrong, I said it touched a nerve with me. I think I must react to hearing about it the same way a vegetarian reacts to someone describing the yummy steak they made. But I do think misused it can be dangerous. I have heard way too many stories of babies crying until the threw up on themselves (usually followed by the moms doing things differntly). Believe me when I say that if we never resorted to Ferberizing Olivia, there's always another way. The only thing we remember from her first year is crying and sleeplessness followed by more crying and sleeplessness. But I feel I did the right thing by her.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
You have not used the word wrong. You've merely implied it, repeatedly. What do you think sentences like "we never resorted to Ferberizing Olivia, there's always another way" imply, exactly?
And the editorial stated it blatantly.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I believe I did the right thing by my child by making her sleep, and ensuring I had enough to take care of her without snapping.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Same here. I have GOOD memories of my kids' first years. I am a much better mommy when I got enough sleep.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
You all did the right thing for your situations and your kids and most of all for yourselves. It is important to have a healthy, happy and loved child, but at some point it comes with too high a toll on yourself and decisions have to be made.
There is nothing wrong with the Ferber technique if it works for your child and I have heard many happy parents who had one tough night of standing their ground that this was bedtime and their children and themselves had many blissful nights of sleep afterwards with no fussing, and as rivka points out, there are no battles later on about introduced comfort techniques. We tried and after a week of frustration on all ends, I realized this was not a technique that was going to work for us. I've spent two months trying to find one that would and I'm not convinced that Sophie didn't just decide that it was time for her to go to sleep on her own herself now that she knows what 'night-night is. She outsmarted me.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote: She outsmarted me.
No matter what technique(s) you use, sooner or later it comes down to that.
Just wait till she's a preteen. Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Oh, I can't wait. I've told Tom that those are his years. *laugh*
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My baby's been sick, too, but she's better. Here's hoping yours is soon.
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, which I've always felt necessary in a good paella, but hey-- it's still delicious, especially when the baby is steeped overnight in a marinade of parsley and sage. I'm especially interested in lime sauces, so if you have any. . . send 'em on, my baby-eating friends of the world!![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
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