So, yeah, I know you can't spoil an infant. But, if you could, I think I may have done it. When Joaquin was a newborn we were forced to give him a bottle because our doctor mandated a few days of formula to treat his jaundice. It was not a problem and it did not interfere with breast feeding at all. We thought we were so lucky that we had a baby that was so flexible.
Cut to a few months later. I have not been away from Joaquin for more than 3 hours since he was born. So, it has really not been necessary to feed him with a bottle at all. And, because he was so good at bottle feeding when we did need to do it, I wasn't worried about this at all.
Unfortunately, Joaquin seems to have forgotten his bottle feeding skills.
Now I have a month and a half to help him remember how to drink from a bottle before I go back to work. I have heard that different babies prefer different bottles/nipples, so I just ordered a bunch of different kinds to try. Hopefully that will help.
Otherwise, I would love some suggestions from anyone who has had this problem and found a solution.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Joaquin is going to have a Manny!!
I am thrilled that we have finally figured out our childcare situation for when I return to work at the beginning of April. I have been experiencing intense anxiety over this problem for the last few weeks - both as a result of not knowing what I was going to do and thinking about leaving Joaquin with a stranger while I dragged myself into the office. I would lie awake at night worried that we would hire a nanny that would be a crazy driver or would watch TV all day or text her friends instead of pay attention to Joaquin, all while sucking a small fortune out of our monthly budget.
On a whim, I sent my best pal a message asking if her husband would be interested in watching Joaquin. He works an alternative schedule for his job so he is home during regular business hours and watches their son, who is exactly four months older than Joaquin. I didn't expect it to work out but hoped it would. The idea of having someone I already knew and trusted watch Joaquin was very appealing.
So imagine my surprise and delight when I find out that her husband is really excited about the idea! We are going to have to buy a double jogging stroller and probably a few other items to help him with having two babies, but we are all excited about this set up.
So, now I just have to worry about how it is going to feel to start billing hours again...
On a whim, I sent my best pal a message asking if her husband would be interested in watching Joaquin. He works an alternative schedule for his job so he is home during regular business hours and watches their son, who is exactly four months older than Joaquin. I didn't expect it to work out but hoped it would. The idea of having someone I already knew and trusted watch Joaquin was very appealing.
So imagine my surprise and delight when I find out that her husband is really excited about the idea! We are going to have to buy a double jogging stroller and probably a few other items to help him with having two babies, but we are all excited about this set up.
So, now I just have to worry about how it is going to feel to start billing hours again...
Nap Time FAIL
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.
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.
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!
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