welcome to my insanity
April 27th, 2007 @ 8:23 am | Comments
Filed Under: life, motherhood
Holy crazy week, batman.
First, I totally jinxed myself by being all ‘I’ve got this Mom thing down!’ in my last post. Because Wednesday? Totally kicked my ass. Maggie spent the large portion of the day (meaning: All Of It.) either screaming or attached to my boob. And I am SO not exaggerating. She slept in 10 minute spurts here and there, but that was it. She just wanted to eat and eat and eat. Dan called me in the afternoon to tell me that his boss was taking them all out to dinner and he wouldn’t be home until late. I wanted to cry at the thought of being all alone with this crying, eating, pooping machine.
I was trying everything I could think of. Changed her, burped her, fed her, walked with her, sang her stupid made up songs about how I wanted her to stop crying (hey she doesn’t understand what I’m saying yet!), had tummy time (She Hates.), burped her again, changed her again, held her on the couch, swaddled her and put her in the Pack’nPlay, gave her some Mylicon in case she was feeling gassy, fed her again. She finally fell asleep while I was holding her, for about an hour and a half after dinner (which I ate in about 2.5 seconds during one of her 10 minute sleeping spurts) Then she woke up and commenced with the screaming again. It was fantastic. When Dan got home, he took her for me and tried to calm her down. Gave her a bottle of my preciously pumped milk that I was TRYING to save for this weekend (we have about 5 million events and gatherings this weekend) She ate 2 ounces, fell asleep. Thirty minutes later woke up screaming and wanting to eat again.
But miraculously? She fell asleep at 9:30 and didn’t wake up again until 3:30am.
Then Thursday, the whole cycle started again. She ate 9 times during the day, a few times were piggy backed so close together I barely had time to pee and get some more water or a snack. I wasn’t as upset yesterday though, since I was broken in from Wednesday. I did some research online and apparently this kind of thing is pretty normal around 3 or 4 weeks. A fussy stage starts (yay) that can last until 6 weeks, and also a growth spurt which can cause the Frantic Feeding Frenzies. I’m trying not to complain too much, because as long as she keeps up with the one feeding at night and I can get some decent sleep, I’ll just deal with it during the day. It probably won’t last too long (HOPE!) and the only down side is that I can’t get anything done around the house during the day. However we did manage to make a trip to Target and Lowe’s (our first trip out alone together!) yesterday morning morning before she started her afternoon buffet at my boobs.
Last night she fell asleep in Daddy’s arms around 7:30, and I got to watch Survivor all by myself downstairs, for like AN HOUR! We actually had to wake her up after 9 to get a bath and feed her once more before bed. There really is nothing like a quiet house when a baby is sleeping after hours of screaming and fussiness! She woke up twice last night to eat, so her streak of only once a night might be over… but that also means that maybe… MAYBE… her days will be better. Please God, I hope so. I can deal with getting up twice a night to feed if it means I can go pee during the day. I don’t ask for much.
Other things making this week fun:
Car inspection in which we needed my mom to come and stay with Maggie for a half an hour on both Monday and Tuesday while we dropped my car off and picked it up (we only have 1 car seat and it’s in my car… which, obviously after we dropped it off, we would be unable to bring our darling daughter home again. And yes I realize having only 1 car seat base is silly, but Dan drives a Ford Mustang and the car seat just doesn’t fit. So we’ll deal for now until we absolutely have to get a new car for him.)
Dan’s sister Kate is home from Iraq for 2 weeks. She’s a medic and has been in Baghdad since October. It’s SO NICE to see her at home again, even for just a little while. And she got to meet her niece on Tuesday which was awesome! We’re heading over to Dan’s parents’ house tonight for another visit.
Several evenings of having one plan, only to have it changed at the last minute because of Dan’s new job stuff (yes, his second new job since November- more on that later!)
Today: I’m off this morning to get my drivers license renewed, complete with a new picture after 4 long years of the old one. I’ll also try to cram in about 500 other errands while I’m out by myself and Dan is at home with Maggie. He took today off so it works out well, because I have until next week to get this picture taken and going to the DMV with a 4 week old baby just isn’t my idea of a good time! I was lucky enough to get through Lowe’s and Target yesterday in peace :)
Saturday: Dan has to go into work for his new job to help put together office furniture and help get things setup in the office. He also would like to try to make an appearance at his friend’s bachelor party/golf thing during the day, but between the work thing and the rain they’re calling for, I’m not sure it’ll happen. Also, my cousin’s daughter is turning 1 and we’re going to her birthday party tomorrow afternoon. It’s also Maggie’s big debut for that side of the family- exciting!! Then after all THAT, we’re going to dinner with Dan’s grandmother and aunt and cousins who are driving up for the weekend from Baltimore to see Maggie and Kate. It will be very interesting to see how Maggie handles all of this craziness, especially given her feeding schedule this week and the fact that I’ve barely been able to pump at all because she’s always eating. I hate having to exile myself to the bedroom when visiting people (or having visitors) but I’m just not yet comfortable breastfeeding with people around, even if I try to cover up. I like my privacy! But I also feel so antisocial, so I like to have bottles on hand for feedings when we go places. But I only have a little bit of milk pumped. DILEMMA.
Sunday: More visiting with Dan’s relatives and sister, at our house this time. Which is good- I think it will be easier to have people here than dealing with car seats and bottles and the diaper bag. Yes, babies are portable… but not magically so!
In between all of that, I have a new project going on: Landscaping. At Lowe’s yesterday, I shopped for some new bushes for our front flower bed. But before I can put them in, we have some destruction to do. Four old nasty hedges that need to come out. I might try to sneak some of that in tomorrow morning while Maggie is (hopefully) napping and if it’s not raining. We’ll see.
Honestly? If I make it through this weekend without collapsing, it will be amazing.
More posts like this:
- hands, feet, and mouths, oh my! April 23, 2008
- way to confuse your kid, Dad. August 24, 2008
- over the river and through the woods July 27, 2007
- elusive sleep February 16, 2008
- babies and sleep December 22, 2007
April 27th, 2007 @ 10:04 am
Oh, yes. I remember the superfussiness VERY well. Seems like it hit right around 4 weeks and lasted about 2 weeks, then gradually eased up. The swing got quite a workout in those days. Sometimes I’d also go driving in the car for a while just to get him to sleep a bit (and have some peace and quiet to regain my sanity!). By 8-10 weeks he was like a different baby and both of us were happier. Of course he still gets fussy at times but now it’s out of boredom and/or teething, and simply going into another room or doing something different will cure it. So I know it’s rough but hang in there! It gets a lot more fun!!!
I did not breastfeed in front of most people either. I’d cover up and do it if my mom and sisters were in the room, while the “men-folk” were elsewhere, but I’d pump a bottle or two to use if we had guests.
Good luck this weekend. I hope Maggie does ok and you get to enjoy your visits! And happy 1-month birthday to her tomorrow!
April 27th, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
Wow, you had a crazy week. I can no longer complain about being busy. :) I am so NOT.
April 27th, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
Dude, you just made me verrrrry tired. It will get better, I promise. Me, I like to show my boobs to everyone, they are here, they are there, they are proud.
April 27th, 2007 @ 7:14 pm
sounds like a growth spurt Jen…Sofija won’t get off my boob when she’s going through one…they have one around 3-4 weeks and another at 6..i’m so not looking forward to the 6 week one
April 27th, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
btw..I’m the same with breast feeding..I don’t like doing it when people are around but if Sofija has to eat..well she has to eat. I usually leave the room to get her latched on and then drap a blanket across me and her so no one can see and go back in..people know what I’m doing but they really couldn’t care less. I fed her in public the first time the other day..on a bench..outside..that was interesting!
have you seen the hooter hiders you can buy..maybe get one of those..they’re meant to be great
April 28th, 2007 @ 8:32 am
I can already picture myself doing all those things. I would not breasfeed in public either. I just think that is a private moment and no one else needs to share that.
I had no idea that babies went through a spurt at 4 weeks. I am sure though that it won’t last long, Jen! I hope that all the things you have to do will be done with not-so-much craziness!
May 5th, 2007 @ 8:48 am
I’m sure you know this, but it gets better. I promise. I lucked out and have two kids who went through the growth spurts and gimme-boob-24/7 (especially my son - nine months old now and just as voracious about breastfeeding!) without all of the screaming.
*hugs*