I got my car back today after it being at the detail shop for 2 weeks. Sadly, the windows don't work correctly on either door, so now I will have to find the time to return with it to have it looked at. Not easy when you have a 2 year old who isn't going to just be thrilled to sit in a waiting room for 2 hours or so (because that's how long M said it would probably take, and I could just wait if I wanted. He did offer to have someone take me somewhere, but then there's the carseat for Tate, and I'm loathe to remove so often!). In any event, mistakes happen. Frustrating, yes, but I'm grateful. Christian wasn't hurt, my car was repairable (very pleased since I just paid if off 15 months early to be without a car payment for as long as possible) and it was relatively easy to get it 'fixed.'
I believe I posted that while Christian was here I decided to let Tate fuss himself to sleep for the first time ever without physically checking on him. I made half-hearted attempts to sleep train around 8 or 9 months of age with the pick up/put down method for 2 nights, and quickly realized it simply was not for me. I know now I firmly believe that infants shouldn't be left to cry it out alone simply because I want to sleep. And they don't need to be taught how to sleep. And when they're so young they just want their mother or their father or the one who they love most in the world when they're scared and in the dark. And in 10 years Tate won't want/need me in the middle of the night, so I decided to embrace him needing and wanting me. He did teach himself how to fall asleep by 16 months, yet I continued to rock him every single night...sometimes to sleep if he was really tired or sometimes just to drowsy. It didn't always work, sometimes, many times I had to return to cuddle and rock some more. Many nights he woke at 10 and wanted to be rocked some more or in bed with me...no problem. Sometimes he made it to 2 or 3 am...just got him and put him in bed with me. Am I tired? Yes. But I'm happy.
Initially I decided to let him go to sleep on his own on the 12th. But we left 2 days later for Virginia, so everything was thrown to the wayside. When we got back I got down to it.
I was able to read the cues from the past 6-7 weeks since we returned from being out of town. He had been crying for me almost every night to come and rock him again after 30 minutes or so of being in the crib, as well as waking in the MOTN to either have his pacifier replaced (and there's a light on so he can see in the dark a bit and do it himself) or to get in bed with me. On Wednesday, July 20, I laid Tate in the crib at 7 after his bedtime routine of bath, lotioning, pjs, books and rocking awake. I kissed him, told him I loved him and walked out. He was fine for about 10 minutes. (I had also told Christian he needed to help me do this.) Tate started complaining; his complaints were more of the fussing nature and lasted about 2-3 minutes, no crying, just whining. This went on for about an hour. I saw him on the monitor looking towards the door, sometimes sitting sometimes standing. Sometimes whining, a couple of times of crying, sometimes just looking pitiful all the while clutching his beloved hippo and sucking his pacifier. He was asleep by 8pm. No screaming, no kicking, no hysterical crying. I was so impressed. He slept all the way through until 510am. The next night it took 20 minutes of sniffles, and the next about 15 of some whining. He hasn't looked back.
Yet he still wakes up around 5/515am. When I put him down now he piddles around until about 745 then falls fast asleep. But still wakes up at 5/515. We share a room for a variety of reasons, mostly because the only other bedroom is on the 1st floor and my room, the only other room, is on the 3rd floor. I wondered if I slept downstairs for a couple of weeks if when he woke up at 5ish and realized I wasn't in the room would he go back to sleep. Last Thursday, July 28 I started sleeping downstairs. That Friday morning he woke up at 510am and cried for about 10 minutes, not hard, but definitely sad. At some point I saw him lay back down. I went up to the room at 6am and he was laying there just rubbing his hippo along with the pacifier in his mouth (s'fie he calls it) and I picked him and we rocked in the rocker for a bit. Same routine the next 2 mornings...he was awake when I went up. And lo and behold this week he has been asleep when I come upstairs at 605 or so after getting myself up at 545 and ready for work. He's usually up by 615 and we cuddle a bit. I'm so impressed. I'm going to continue sleeping downstairs until next weekend, then we'll try having me back in the room. I soooo
In other news...he put on a swim diaper all by himself today!! Woohoo!! Now, he got one leg in the leg hole and the other in the torso hole, but he got it pulled up and was able to walk and climb in it, so I count that as a success!!!
He is talking up a storm!! He speaks in sentences....up to 4 and 5 word sentences!! He loves to dance still and loves Keith Urban!! I am beyond thrilled! Keith Urban!! He pretty much says 'Gui-tar!' when he wants to hear Keith! We'll be going to concerts together as soon as he's old enough!!!
Swim lessons are going well. We go once a week, and he LOVES them. He has so much fun and is beyond excited to be there. So much so that every single time his face is put under the water he has his mouth open in excited anticipation. And he has to go under all the time!!! Initially he would choke on all the water; he is getting better, but still he's got to start closing his mouth. Ms. Clara (his teacher) and I cannot convince him. Oh well...at least he's really enjoying himself and is super eager to learn. It's amazing to watch him with his teacher....he is so calm and relaxed and focuses on her and what she wants him to do. I tend to step back and away when they are doing their one on one thing being it back floating or learning how to jump from the edge. He really focuses on her if I'm not around to distract him. There are 4 kids in his group....a 13 month old, a 17 month old, 22 month old and 24 month old Tate, so it's a good mix. We will continue with this same group in the next session which goes through December.
Christian is back in Germany. He left the states on Tuesday. I miss him. And Tate misses him too. Neither Christian nor I thought he would really think about Christian past a couple of days once he left Houston...we could not have been more wrong. I make it a point to not bring Christian up around Tate, but no matter. Tate has asked about him at least every other day at different points in the day. This morning we were able to video-skype with Christian. Tate was really shy, though he had a huge grin on his face while we chatted. And yes, there does need to be a post about all the new developments between the 3 of us. I'm still very much an SMC, but Christian is becoming much more of a Daddy.
Tate has two new teeth coming in on the bottom...his lower second molars...teeth numbers K and T. He hasn't really been fussy. He had his hands in his mouth a few times during the day, but so far I've been very blessed...his nights have not been eventful.
Tooth brushing on the other hand remains an absolute chore. And he's always soooo excited to do it, but loses his mind when it comes to the actual procedure of brushing. Sigh. Every. Single. Night. and Every. Single. Morning. HARD WAY! HARD WAY!!
I have got to take control of my weight. I worked too hard to have this baby to leave him too soon because I couldn't stop eating. I have a physical in about 4 weeks, and I'm hauling my very large bum to WW on Monday because this has got to stop. I am exhausted walking up and down my stairs. None of my clothes fit. My back hurts. My feet hurt. I hate the way I look. I hate the way I feel. And I'm tired of pretty much hating myself. So, that said I'm moving on. STARTING NOW. No more waiting until tomorrow, or waiting until Monday or the first day of the month. STARTING NOW. There. It's in writing. NOW.
Tate is just so much fun these days!! And he's just growing up so fast. We tickle each other. We race cars. We sing. We dance. We read books. We hang out in my bed. WE travel together. We color. We play 'upside down baby.' We skype with our family and friends. We swim. We eat and drink together. We do the dishes together. We snuggle. We cuddle. We hug. We kiss.
So I end this day of yet again record heat in Houston thankful for all the blessings in my life. Thankful that I have a job, and a job that allowed me to traverse this gorgeous planet of ours to Sydney, Australia where I met this great guy who I thought was so gorgeous and sweet. Who, believe it or not thought I was pretty amazing as well. (Christian told me that he snuck a picture of me while we were on the riverboat in the Daintree Rainforest. I saw him taking a picture and thinking he wanted the view as he had only just met me a couple of hours before I tried to lean out of the picture. He had to re-group to try to figure out how to get the picture of me without me thinking he was a stalker!) I am blessed that the second doctor's office I went to said they would allow a known donor after the first one said no way. I am thankful my parents are so open, amazing, and supportive and were on board with me. God's blessing was definitely upon me when I got pregnant the first time with a turkey baster!! I am so thrilled that my little sister, Lindsey, was living with me my entire pregnancy and first few weeks of Tate's life. He absolutely adores her. I am surrounded by love, goodness and faithfulness. What a life.
 |
| Living the good life! |
No comments:
Post a Comment