Wordless Wednesday - Rise and Shine

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. :)

A busy day makes a sleepy boy...

I love days when we get to go out, even if it's just to run errands. Today was one of those days, but we mixed business with pleasure and were able to make a few visits while we were out. We made the mundane stops: gas, the local grocery store for miscellaneous items we missed this week at the store, a furniture store in town, and then we made a stop at the bank to say hi to Grammy. After the ladies gushed over Henry during his parade through the bank, we met up with a friend of mine and her daughter for a play date and lunch.

As the babies grow, it is so much fun to see them interact differently. Not so long ago, Henry seemed to be generally anti-social around other people, preferring to be the observer rather than the participator. He has really blossomed into a much more social baby over the past month or two, and genuinely enjoys the company of others. He wants to engage with those around him, and it's a joy as his parent to see him develop socially.

Although we should probably do so more often, my friend and I try to get the babies together for play dates. Today was a treat for all - both babies were in good spirits and seemed to be eager to play together. Granted, the little girl, at nearly 2 months older than Henry, was quite busy pulling up, standing, and creeping alongside the table while Henry contented himself with toys and anything he could put in his mouth, but there were fun moments of rolling, talking, and touching. They smiled at one another, and were obviously communicating. It was such a fun visit. My friend and I also enjoyed some daytime interaction with someone who didn't need us to wipe their tush.

After our busy morning out, Henry and I headed home for some R&R. I put him down, which he seemed grateful for, and was quickly snoozing. That freed up some time for me to revisit my blog and try to square away some of the things I was frustrated about yesterday. ;) After I get pictures uploaded, I'll add a couple from today. He was the most handsome little man in his green overalls, blue bucket hat, and blue tennies.

This evening, when Daddy got home, we made a return trip to the furniture store, and then it was supper time, bath time, and getting ready for bed. My little wiped-out guy was so sleepy and snuggly. He took his sweet time drinking his bottle, and then when he was finally finished he closed his eyes, nuzzled his cheek into my chest, and gently smacked his lips a few times. He was so perfectly peaceful - almost looked like a porcelain doll cradled in my arms. I rocked with him for several minutes, unwilling to rush my precious time when he's still small enough to hold, and still baby enough to need it.