Letter to Cub: THREE!

Dear Cubby,

It's your birthday! How did three years go by so fast? I know I haven't blogged much for you lately, but you should know that you are an AMAZING kid. You've managed to get the best qualities from me and your Daddy. You're our social bee, a big helper and a love bug! You have now made allowances for Daddy to sleep in 'Mamma's bed' and even ask him to "lay down!" when you want some snuggle time.

You DEFINITELY know what you want and when you want it and it's been quite a struggle for you to learn that you can't always have what you want. You're having a great time learning how to put things together and do things yourself. Your most commonly heard phrases are "No, Mom! Not YOU!" or "No, Dad! Not YOU!"

We changed daycare/schools in August and you have been thriving. Mommy was very worried you'd get lost in the shuffle with 24 kids, but you have adapted well and started staying dry and even peeing in the potty at school!! Once Mommy realized that, we buckled down and focused Labor Day weekend and had you learning all about the potty situation. You did AWESOME and are now potty-trained!

We still have our 'goke' time at night or in the morning although it seems like you are sometimes not asking for it (which is good for you!) and trying hard to be a big boy.

Never did I ever think I'd be at this point with such a special treasure as you in my life. You make me and your Daddy proud and we are happy we've been blessed with you.

♥,

Mommy

THUNK!

Boy, it was a rough night. Cubby started around the 2 a.m.-ish hour with the crying. Pappa got up, changed his diaper, gave him some food (he didn't eat much yesterday) and put him back down... not even 15 minutes later, up again... crying. Mamma's turn! I went in to his room, settled in the rocking chair and gave him some Mamma's Milk... then, put him down. Not even 20 minutes later, up again... crying. Ay yai yai! What's up with this kid? By this time it's close to 4 a.m. so Pappa volunteers to get up with him and gives him some Sesame Street time! I have to be at work by 6:30 a.m., so I attempt to go back to sleep for a little while... next thing I know, it's about 5:45 a.m.-ish and Cubby is standing next to the bed trying to get my attention. I hear Pappa snoring out in the living room on the couch.

So, I pull him into bed, play with him a bit, give him some more Mamma's Milk and then get up with him (so I can get ready for work) and head out to wake up Pappa from the couch. I wake up Pappa, then fix Cubby's tent that he is always "squishing" and tell him "Cubby - you're gonna ruin this thing!" The next thing I know, Cubby takes a run for the tent (nothing new) and then I hear "THUNK!" Then some crying... Oh jeez! Here it is 6 a.m. and we're already starting the day this way. I grab him, he buries his face in my chest just BAWLING and I'm just patting him, rocking in the chair and tell Pappa - get me an Owie Bag from the freezer!

Then I pull him away from me to look - HOLY CRAP!!! I tell Pappa - "Hurry! It looks AWFUL!". I finally turn on a light to show Pappa and he FREAKS out! Yep. My kid has a golf ball size knot coming out of his head! What a way to start a Monday morning! Pappa wanted to take him to the doctor's but I made him call first - as I knew it would be at least $50 and HOURS of waiting in the ER, not to mention Cubby wasn't dressed or calm yet either.

After giving him more Mamma's Milk to get him calm, I was able to wedge the Owie Bag between his face and my chest in order to be able to "ice" it down. After more than 20 minutes, the advice nurse came on and in the end - we can't let him sleep more than 2 hours at a time for the next 24 hours. Yikes! What a looong night it's going to be tonight.

Good news - Cubby IS acting like himself and the knot has gone down a bit - and it's gonna be a helluva bruise for a while... Whew! Welcome to Parenthood!!!

Cubby in good spirits having some breakfast. Nice lump, huh?

Cubby sleeping with his Owie Bag 

I Give Up!!

Ay yai yai! I am seriously at my wit's end about this whole sleeping/CIO/nursing situation we have at home. I. AM. LOSING. MY. MIND.

WHERE DID MY SWEET SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT BABY GO???


It takes a HUGE amount of willpower to go against my Mommy instinct and let the Cub CIO. It drives both me and the hubs bonkers. But we've been told it's the best thing for him, he needs to learn to soothe himself, blah blah blah. That's great and I don't disagree but IT'S NOT WORKING - and IT'S NOT WORKING FOR US.

I hear the wonderful stories about some parents letting their kids CIO and two days later - sleeping through the night. Of course, this isn't happening in our house. EVERY night for the umpteenth day in a row, he has woken up crying. Sometimes, he'd fall back to sleep but lately he's getting more and more hysterical.

So last night, I gave up. Or shall I say, I gave in.

He was just HYSTERICALLY screaming/crying so I went and got him. He was wet. We're trying out some new nighttime diapers so unfortunately, it happens. It just BREAKS my heart when he's crying like that, tears and all. So I was able to calm him down and at HIS insistence, I nursed him. If this is what he needs to feel safe and comforted, who am I to really tell him no? Especially at 10 months. I mean, c'mon - seriously? He's not going to be 13 begging to be nursed, right?

That was at 1 o'clock this morning. At 1:30a, I crawled back into bed until my alarm went off around 5:20a. Then I got up, headed into Cub's room and as soon as I opened his door his head popped up off his pillow and he immediately sat up. I nursed him for a good 20 minutes, then he was back asleep... hopefully he slept in a little bit for Pappa, but I'm DONE with the screaming and crying.