Life when you're 4 months old
Lucas has been smiling now for about two and a half months. When he started, Chad and I would look at each other and say, "Was that a smile? What do you think?" Well, times have changed and now his whole face just lights up. He has even started laughing. And yes, it's true... it turns grown men and women into giddy kids when this happens. I call Chad at work, hold the phone up to Lucas, and say, "Listen to this." Or Chad calls me in from the other room and says, "Alyssa, come here and listen to this."
On the flip side, he also cries now. Loudly. This from a kid who we hardly heard a peep from for about six weeks. Our pediatrician encouraged us to start sleep training him so he would learn to fall asleep on his own without us rocking, nursing or swaddling him to sleep. And this, unfortunately, required us listening to him cry. Luckily, it only lasts for about 3-10 minutes... I have heard much worse from other parents. But listening to him cry rips my heart out. And when he decided to start crying when I walk out the door for work two days per week, it was all I could do to close the door, get in the car and start driving. Luckily, that only lasted a few days.
He also has a will of his own now. For all the trouble we had learning to nurse, he now has decided that's all he wants to do. No bottle. We have tried everything under the sun to get him to take it, all to no avail. He takes maybe an ounce all day and then waits for me to come home to feed him. (God bless our babysitter!) Chad has decided he is fasting and is in training to be a monk someday. I am hoping it's a lenten spiritual discipline that he is going to give up after Easter.
I have to admit the newborn days were a little rough for me. Okay, a lot rough. Chalk it up to hormones, sleep deprivation, pain, whatever. But now, this parenting thing -- the smiles, the baths, the feedings, the walks in the stroller, watching Chad read Pooh to him, and yes, even the bottle strikes, sleep training and moments when I sit there and think, "What am I supposed to do with him now" -- it's pretty much pure bliss.
On the flip side, he also cries now. Loudly. This from a kid who we hardly heard a peep from for about six weeks. Our pediatrician encouraged us to start sleep training him so he would learn to fall asleep on his own without us rocking, nursing or swaddling him to sleep. And this, unfortunately, required us listening to him cry. Luckily, it only lasts for about 3-10 minutes... I have heard much worse from other parents. But listening to him cry rips my heart out. And when he decided to start crying when I walk out the door for work two days per week, it was all I could do to close the door, get in the car and start driving. Luckily, that only lasted a few days.
He also has a will of his own now. For all the trouble we had learning to nurse, he now has decided that's all he wants to do. No bottle. We have tried everything under the sun to get him to take it, all to no avail. He takes maybe an ounce all day and then waits for me to come home to feed him. (God bless our babysitter!) Chad has decided he is fasting and is in training to be a monk someday. I am hoping it's a lenten spiritual discipline that he is going to give up after Easter.
I have to admit the newborn days were a little rough for me. Okay, a lot rough. Chalk it up to hormones, sleep deprivation, pain, whatever. But now, this parenting thing -- the smiles, the baths, the feedings, the walks in the stroller, watching Chad read Pooh to him, and yes, even the bottle strikes, sleep training and moments when I sit there and think, "What am I supposed to do with him now" -- it's pretty much pure bliss.
posted by Alyssa at 12:13 PM
1 Comments:
It only gets better! Well.. better, then roller coaster-like. But, it's worth every minute! This spoken from a mother of a seven year old who swallowed a marble this week! After nearly choking, she asked "How do we go get it..with a fork?" O.K.- it never really gets worry-free better! But it IS worth every minute of drama, worry and dark-circled splendor.
~rhea
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