Today, after talking to another mommy about her experiences getting her baby girl (now 1 year old) to sleep, I decided to try something new. She said that she would put her daughter down in the crib and rub her belly or back until she fell asleep. Apparently this helped "teach" her daughter to go to sleep on her own in her crib. It did not involve the "cry it out" method, so I thought I would give it a shot.
Joaquin was in desperate need of a nap this afternoon. I expected him to start getting really fussy when I put him down because he had been borderline fussy for the last hour or so. When I put him down he started laughing hysterically. I couldn't calm him down to get him to sleep. Oh well, at least he was happy. Maybe I will give it another shot tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day!
Today Jay and I are celebrating our 9th (!!) Valentine's Day together. Normally we would be doing something like going out to a nice dinner or a movie, but tonight we are planning on ordering a pizza after Joaquin goes to bed and opening a bottle of champagne. I can't imagine a better way to celebrate.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Recent Developments
This week we have had two "big" developments:
* Joaquin rolled over from his tummy to his back on Sunday morning. We have yet to witness it a second time, but it was a big moment when it happened.
* He is now able to reach for something he wants and grab it. This doesn't sound like much, but it has made a huge difference for me when getting ready in the morning because he is now happy for 10-15 minutes in his bouncy chair because he wants to play with the toys that hang from it. Yay!
* Joaquin rolled over from his tummy to his back on Sunday morning. We have yet to witness it a second time, but it was a big moment when it happened.
* He is now able to reach for something he wants and grab it. This doesn't sound like much, but it has made a huge difference for me when getting ready in the morning because he is now happy for 10-15 minutes in his bouncy chair because he wants to play with the toys that hang from it. Yay!
Date Night
Jay and I have made a point of having a date night at least every Friday night since we got married. We always look forward to it as a chance to unwind from our week, enjoy a nice meal and take some time to just sit and talk. Even when we were broke in law school and again when Jay was starting his firm, we always went on our date. There are a lot of reasons that our marriage has gotten stronger and stronger over the last five and a half years, and our date nights are definitely one of them.
We knew that date nights would temporarily cease upon Joaquin's arrival and we were fine with that. But, we hoped that we would resume regular date nights by the time Joaquin was three months old. Thanks to my dad and step mom, we have succeeded! We have gone on dates the last four Fridays in a row. They are a bit shorter and earlier than what we were used to before, but they are wonderful.
A date night is a great reminder that we aren't just parents, we are a husband and a wife. And we are so lucky to have each other.
We knew that date nights would temporarily cease upon Joaquin's arrival and we were fine with that. But, we hoped that we would resume regular date nights by the time Joaquin was three months old. Thanks to my dad and step mom, we have succeeded! We have gone on dates the last four Fridays in a row. They are a bit shorter and earlier than what we were used to before, but they are wonderful.
A date night is a great reminder that we aren't just parents, we are a husband and a wife. And we are so lucky to have each other.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Question to my mommy readers...
I'm not really sure how many other moms (or dads!) read my blog. And maybe it will be sort of depressing if no one is reading, but I have a question.
What are your thoughts on "sleep training"? Jay and I have not tried any sort of sleep training method as of yet. We noticed that sleep has improved both with time and with the introduction of regular naps in the day. But that is it. Our best nights will start with an initial 5-5.5 hour stretch of sleep from Joaquin (which usually begins about 2 hours before we go to sleep) followed by 2.5 stretches until about 7 am. This is not a regular occurrence but it does happen every once in a while.
Meanwhile, I have heard stories of babies sleeping through the night or only waking once in the night at Joaquin's age. And it makes me wonder if those parents are just lucky or if they have done something to help their baby sleep.
I have heard of the Babywise/Ferber methods and feel uncomfortable with them. But I'm open to hear what people say who have tried these or other methods.
So, please share your experiences and opinions!
What are your thoughts on "sleep training"? Jay and I have not tried any sort of sleep training method as of yet. We noticed that sleep has improved both with time and with the introduction of regular naps in the day. But that is it. Our best nights will start with an initial 5-5.5 hour stretch of sleep from Joaquin (which usually begins about 2 hours before we go to sleep) followed by 2.5 stretches until about 7 am. This is not a regular occurrence but it does happen every once in a while.
Meanwhile, I have heard stories of babies sleeping through the night or only waking once in the night at Joaquin's age. And it makes me wonder if those parents are just lucky or if they have done something to help their baby sleep.
I have heard of the Babywise/Ferber methods and feel uncomfortable with them. But I'm open to hear what people say who have tried these or other methods.
So, please share your experiences and opinions!
Learning to Say No
I think that most of us have difficulty saying No. I certainly do. I have a strong desire to make other people happy and to meet certain expectations. So, in the past, I have attended parties I didn't really want to, done favors I didn't have time for and other similar things. It really was no big deal and I was happy to help or be social if it made someone else happy.
But oh how everything changes with a baby in the picture. Now all of these extra obligations are much more disruptive, at least for the time being. We had a great time over the holidays traveling to see various family members, but it was exhausting for us. But more than anything, we realized that it was exhausting for Joaquin. He hates the car. He needs regular naps. He gets upset in noisy situations. All of these things make it so difficult to be anywhere and everywhere we are desired.
So, I am trying to learn that saying No is not an insult, but is a necessary decision that I need to make for Joaquin. Easier said than done.
But oh how everything changes with a baby in the picture. Now all of these extra obligations are much more disruptive, at least for the time being. We had a great time over the holidays traveling to see various family members, but it was exhausting for us. But more than anything, we realized that it was exhausting for Joaquin. He hates the car. He needs regular naps. He gets upset in noisy situations. All of these things make it so difficult to be anywhere and everywhere we are desired.
So, I am trying to learn that saying No is not an insult, but is a necessary decision that I need to make for Joaquin. Easier said than done.
Friday, February 4, 2011
To Buy or Not to Buy?
Never in my life have I been so indecisive about anything as I am about whether to buy a house. It is truly out of character for me to not know what I want. But I don't.
On the one hand, I have always dreamt of owning my own house. I fantasize about being able to decorate it just the way I want and make it mine, rather than figuring out the best way to fit our stuff into some rental until we move on to the next.
Buying a house is sort of the last big item on my mental checklist of things to accomplish in my life. Married - check. Law degree - check. Job as a corporate attorney - check. Baby - check.
So why am I on the fence? Part of me sort of wonders what I will fantasize about once we do buy a house. I've spent so much time thinking about how to accomplish those items on my mental checklist. What would I accomplish next?
But more than that - a house is so, well, permanent. Especially in today's market, if we buy a house we are probably not going to be able to move out of it for several years. That means that I can just say "Screw it! I'm quitting my job. We're moving inland!" Now, the chances of me ever saying that, mortgage or not, are slim to none. But, for now, at least that possibility is open to me. And that's sort of comforting.
And then there's the cold, hard reality of what we can afford. I could go on for days about this topic, but suffice it to say that it is truly depressing to know that two law degrees from a top tier law school are more likely to equal massive student loan debt than a massive house.
So, despite hearing all of the comments from my (homeowner) friends that: Now Is The Time to Buy!! Interest Rates Will Go Up!! Paying Rent Is Throwing Your Money Away! I think I'm still not *quite* ready to cross this item off my list.
On the one hand, I have always dreamt of owning my own house. I fantasize about being able to decorate it just the way I want and make it mine, rather than figuring out the best way to fit our stuff into some rental until we move on to the next.
Buying a house is sort of the last big item on my mental checklist of things to accomplish in my life. Married - check. Law degree - check. Job as a corporate attorney - check. Baby - check.
So why am I on the fence? Part of me sort of wonders what I will fantasize about once we do buy a house. I've spent so much time thinking about how to accomplish those items on my mental checklist. What would I accomplish next?
But more than that - a house is so, well, permanent. Especially in today's market, if we buy a house we are probably not going to be able to move out of it for several years. That means that I can just say "Screw it! I'm quitting my job. We're moving inland!" Now, the chances of me ever saying that, mortgage or not, are slim to none. But, for now, at least that possibility is open to me. And that's sort of comforting.
And then there's the cold, hard reality of what we can afford. I could go on for days about this topic, but suffice it to say that it is truly depressing to know that two law degrees from a top tier law school are more likely to equal massive student loan debt than a massive house.
So, despite hearing all of the comments from my (homeowner) friends that: Now Is The Time to Buy!! Interest Rates Will Go Up!! Paying Rent Is Throwing Your Money Away! I think I'm still not *quite* ready to cross this item off my list.
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