A peek at baby!

**I can't understand why this picture keeps uploading sideways, and I can't seem to fix it. So, forgive me for any strain incurred at the necessity of craning your neck in order to see it in it's intended orientation.**

Here is our first glimpse of the new baby. This was taken today at 8w5d. We had our first sonogram and OB appointment this morning. It was surreal to see the little "gummy bear" on the screen moving, his/her little heart just beating away (182bpm!). I think it's especially difficult to grasp this early, as it's too soon to know a baby is even there (except for all the nausea, heartburn, and digestive issues.) I was awe struck, and immediately felt humbled by God's miracle growing inside of me.

Henry went with us to the doctor's office. He elected not to take his nap beforehand, against my advisement and insistence (you can put a baby to bed but you can't make him sleep - you can quote me on that). I feared the worst, but of course he really is such a great baby and did really well considering. He wanted to run around, and so was squirmy when we were holding him, but he wasn't fussy or difficult. He even had to go longer than usual before lunch, and was such a trooper. I'm so proud of my little man. And, thankfully, he made up for his missed nap and took a nice long three hour siesta this afternoon. Rest time for Mama, too!

My OB says everything is measuring right on track and looks good so far. We're continuing with progesterone therapy for at least two more weeks. We'll do one more draw at that time and reassess. Meanwhile, I have another 4 weeks ahead of me before we get another status update. My next appointment is September 8. At that time I'll be almost 13 weeks and at the end of my first trimester. We won't see baby that day but we should be able to hear baby's heartbeat on the doppler. September 8th doesn't sound that far away, but I know the days will go slowly as long as I'm counting. And I will be counting. :)

My due date got bumped up a day to March 20 instead of 21. What I really think happened is that the doctor read the little dial correctly where the registrar didn't. I knew it was the 20th, but I didn't argue when I was originally told the 21st. What difference does one day make? This means I will be 9 weeks on Saturday. Woohoo!!

More Chompers!

Sometime in the last 24 hours, Henry's top right central incisor came through. It looks like its neighbor to the left is also just days away from making its debut. This makes a total of three teeth that have officially come in (with the fourth on its way.) It's been interesting waiting for these top teeth. We've been expecting them since early March when the pediatrician noticed they were close. Unlike the bottom central incisors, which broke through in January at nearly exactly the same time, you could really see these top teeth coming. As time got closer, the gums thinned, revealing the large teeth just beneath the surface. I had noticed this before the pediatrician confirmed, and I couldn't believe those were actually his teeth - they were so big!

I'm almost scared to mention it, because it would be my luck that as soon as I say it, he'll never sleep again, but for the past week or so, we've really been sleeping well around here, at least at night. Two nights ago, though, we had a rough one - he woke near 3am and we were up and down with him until around 6am. Then, last night, good again - I'm wondering if the bad night had anything to do with this new tooth. It at least helps me make sense of a random bad night when I'd just begun to have hope that I might someday enjoy uninterrupted sleep again on a regular basis. ;)

Ugh, I think we're sick again!

Another bad night, another tired day. Only last night, as I was up and down with him, I knew at least one thing keeping him from resting was that he didn't feel well. His nose was runny and he had begun coughing a little. He wasn't feverish, but I gave him some ibuprofen anyway because I always assume teething could be the culprit of restlessness too. If there was any discomfort, my hope was that it would take care of it.

This morning, it is obvious he is sick again. My unofficial mommy's-instinct diagnosis is a cold. So far I don't think we're dealing with the nasty RSV virus we had in January/February. He has no fever, and his coughing is still shallow. His nose is running far and away though, so I've gotten the booger-sucker (aka nasal aspirator or bulb syringe) after him repeatedly, which he just loooooves. ;)

Meanwhile, I also went on a Lysol rampage, spraying and wiping down every surface, door knob and handle, and all of his toys are soaking or washing as I type. *sigh* I thought stinkin' cold and flu season was behind us finally. Please keep us in your prayers for a quick recovery!

Tired Tuesday

Nothing extraordinarily interesting to report today, but I couldn't stand not to anyway. Henry and I (and Daddy too, for that matter) are all tired today as a result of a 2am rendezvous. Here's how it went down:

7:20ish - Bed time. He hasn't seemed to catch on to the time change yet, and both of the past two nights he's been wound up just as I lay him down. He acts tired and cranky at the usual time, and at the usual point in our bedtime routine, and even as he drinks his bottle just before bed he nods off, doing the warm-comfy-contented-eye-roll. Then, when I go to lay him down, it's as if he notices that it is still daylight outside and therefore I, Mama, must be confused about what time it is and what we ought to be doing. An hour later, after several trips back into his room to retrieve him from the other end of the bed and off of his tummy, he's finally asleep - now that it's dark.

12:30ish - Midnight fussing. He just kind of whines and whimpers off and on. I go in to check on him even though I know he's mostly asleep. I watch from the corner of his room, hidden, and when he settles, I go back to bed.

1:15ish - Fussing, part 2. More of the same. I wait a bit, until it gets louder and more dramatic, then I go back in to check and watch. When he settles, I leave.

1:30ish - I had only climbed back into bed when it started again. This time, I can tell he is awake. I was waiting for this because I knew he had a dirty diaper, but I wasn't going to dare wake him to change it. I go in, perform the world's fastest diaper change in the dark, and put him back in bed. Now, I would have to contend with an alert baby in the middle of the night, but it couldn't really be helped. I went to get some ibuprofen in response to the whining and whimpering from before the diaper change. I put some water in a bottle and offered it to him from the side of the crib, to make sure he wasn't thirsty. I dug for several minutes until I found the blessed paci, and plugged it in. At least now I knew all his needs were met, and it would just be a waiting game until he went back to sleep. It was now after 2am.

I waited to save myself another exorcism from my warm bed, and when I thought enough time had passed, I laid back down. I could hear movement and settling over the monitor, but not another peep. Of course it took me many passing minutes to finally succumb to sleep again too.

6:30ish - He's fussing again. This isn't an unusual wake-up time for him, except that he lost better than 2 hours of sleep throughout the night, including at bed time, and for all he knows, it's still 5:30am because it's still pitch dark outside. I am not ready to get up at this point, so I make a futile attempt to buy myself another 30 minutes of rest. I go in to hunt for the paci again, and promptly plug it in.

7:20ish - Surprisingly, this is the next time I heard anything. He mercifully went back to sleep for another 40 minutes! And Daddy let me take my time getting out of bed while he started getting the bottle and breakfast ready.

We're dragging a little today, but we're making it. Tuesday is town day, when I do my weekly grocery shopping and errands, if any. He is usually such a good little shopper, but today his tiredness was more than he could handle. He was a bit fussy and irritable, but not so much that many an elderly passerby didn't stop to comment on what a beautiful (and well-fed) baby he is. We came home for lunch and a nap, and when he gets up in a bit we'll be on the go again, this time to the park for a walk, if it isn't raining.

Oh, the irony!

It's no great secret that my son isn't the world's best sleeper. Even at eight and a half months, we are still enduring night waking frequently. Some nights are better than others, but an uninterrupted night is a rarity. And we consider sleeping past 6am a luxury. He hasn't needed a night feeding since he was around three months old, but for reasons that continue to elude us, he is generally a restless little man. We have been sleep training practically since birth, and while there are clear benefits from this effort, his problem seems to be simply staying asleep. This, I think, is just the M.O. of some babies - some sleep better than others. It probably doesn't help that I haven't committed to weaning from the paci either. ;)

Monday night, after several solid nights of waking, crying, fitful sleep (and not much of it), Daddy was going to be "on duty" because, in a role reversal, I would be volunteering the next day while Daddy would have the day off to be with Henry. I have to admit I was a little excited at the prospect of a "night off."

Well, Henry and Daddy must have struck up some kind of man-pact, because he went down at 7pm, didn't make a sound ALL night, and even slept until about 7am, which is unheard of anymore. I was thankful because it meant WE ALL had a good night's sleep, but I can't help but see the irony of that situation. :)