Friday, August 6, 2010

He's a Big Boy!

On Monday evening I put Evan down in his own room is his big boy crib and walked down the hall to my room to sleep for the night. I sat on my bed, looked at his empty basinet and had a moment. Our little boy is growing up so fast. He’ll never sleep in his basinet again, I won’t go as far to say that he’ll never sleep in our room again because I know the boogie man will scare him in there more than a few times, but right now I’m a bit emotional over this latest milestone. What’s making it easier is that he seems to really like his crib; he’s had a great week! He’s been sleeping 5 to 6 hours, getting up for a big hour long feed, and then going back down for another 5 to 6 hours. This has been pure bliss for me! I feel wonderful! I know however that his schedule could change again at any time so I’m just doing my best to enjoy it while it lasts.

Having him sleep in his own room certainly has its perks. John and I don’t have to tip toe around anymore for fear of waking him and I think he’s getting more independent. For example, this morning he was talking to himself for a good 10 minutes before he actually started fussing for me to come and get him. Speaking of which, getting him from his crib has become one of my favourite parts of the day. Even if he is squealing, once I enter the room and unwrap him from his swaddle he’s all smiles and giggles. I let him stretch and kick around before I pick him up and he just loves it. He really is the joy in my day.

Yes, things are very good around here right now which is quite the contrast from last week when I had another mini meltdown. Let’s see, what was I freaking out about? I was stressed over my nipple issues, contemplating using formula to give my boobs a break once or twice a day, worried about him getting his 2 month vaccine shot, but most of all, stressing myself out over his “schedule”. Since then I have thrown all books aside and have taken to simply reading my baby as best I can. I’ve stopped waking him up from his day time naps after an hour and a half and in fact the day I stopped doing that he had one of his best night sleeps yet. I’ve decided at two and a half months I’m not going to lose (any more) hair over scheduling, there’s plenty of time for that in the coming months.

We all just do the best we can and sometimes books and advice can be overwhelming, at least that’s what I’ve found. So for now I’m just trying to relax and enjoy my baby while he is a baby because before I know it he’ll be out of his crib and into a real bed!

Evan with my brother and his girlfriend...


Evan loves his bath time!!!


More QT with uncle Jake...


Swimming in the ocean, chatting with the octopus...


Impressing us with his new trick... SITTING!

4 comments:

  1. Haha gotta love the hair! Such a cute child :D
    -M

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  2. Josie my beloved friend...I always look forward to reading your posts! Reading your thoughts instantly makes me feel better because I know I'm not alone and have a kindred spirit in the trenches with me!! Our little ones are growing up so fast, and sometimes I feel silly for getting emotional about the "mini" milestones like Ashton going down for a nap in his crib all by himself happily with no fuss, or fitting into his 3 month old big boy jeans, but this is the good stuff, the daily changes that seem trivial to others but are so exciting for us mommies who notice every little development no matter how big or small, and its wonderful! So at the end of the day, when I start to feel like I’m being over emotional about something my son did all by himself earlier in the day, I try to remember that it’s a good thing that I noticed and that I care.

    Peeking into Ashton's crib and getting that big "I'm so happy to see you mommy" smile is the best of life, I totally know what you mean!! And as for books and advice and routines; I definitely agree that we can get caught up in it all. I think you said it best, take your cues from your son, let him tell you what he needs at this point, and create your own "routine" to suit the both of you...stringent structure just stresses everyone out! I can tell u that some of the advice and techniques that I’ve read speak to me and have worked wonders for me and Ashton, but I've tailored them to our needs...for example, Ashton is sleeping through the night regularly now(Yipppeeeee!!!), and it's wonderful, but hey, if he wakes up at 5am instead of 7am(he goes to bed between 7-8ish) then I just pluck him out of his crib and snuggle with him in my bed for an extra couple of hours, I’m sure you won’t find that in any book! Also, he’s learned how to roll onto his tummy and prefers to sleep that way…at first I was in a panic about it because every book, nurse, doctor, etc. warns to keep babies sleeping on their backs, and so I spent a week of sleepless nights staring at his monitor, going into his room, disturbing his peaceful sleep to roll him onto his back, only to find him back on his tummy again and again! I decided that if he’s happy like that, and he’s strong enough to lift his head from side to side, then I’ll let him sleep how he wants to sleep!

    You’re doing a great job Mommy! Evan is amazing, and he’s very lucky to have parents that care so much about him, educate themselves about his development and needs, and make efforts to create the best possible enriched environment for him to be loved and grow up in…love you guys!!

    P.S. Uncle Jake is so handsome ;)

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  3. Hi there :)
    I just want to say that Evan's hair is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I LOVE how it sticks up!
    Been missing you in the morning hot tub :)
    Take care and contratulations! You have a beautiful baby :)

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  4. OMG JOSIE....! Its been a little while since been back here, and boy has your little guy every grown. Looks like you are doing everything right judging from his size. He is sooo cute it makes me miss mine that small. That is so awsome! I am glad that things seem a little better these days for you.

    :-)
    Rosy

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