I've been so busy - thought I'd pop over here and update you all.
Hulk had a slight fever on Thursday - he's ear infection was back - so we went on another dose of antibiotics and he is all good now. Hurrah. Maggie now has his cold, and she is pretty pissed about it. Poor girl. At least she is more annoyed than in pain - now that the alimentum is doing such a great job. Although I won't say she is 100% - so we are trying a little bit of medicine starting tomorrow (I forget which kind - I'll let you know when I pick it up). But the good news is that she is sleeping for decent spells in the night, so we are feeling somewhat human again.
This weekend was great. On Saturday, Aaron stayed home with the kids while I went out with my girlfriends for dinner. As I was leaving Maggie starting freaking out - and I was thinking of staying home. Aaron insisted he could handle it, and I left with the screeching baby in his arms. I felt awful. As I got to the end of our street, he texted me that she was sound asleep. But that is how it's been going - there is one time each day when she just freaks out for about an hour... usually at the end of the day. Totally inconsolable. So I was wondering if her stomach issues build up as the day goes on? We'll see if the meds help.
Sunday, one of my friends on my street volunteered to watch Hulk and Maggie while we went to the movies. I wouldn't really normally let just anyone watch them, as it's rough. You are watching two babies, basically. Well - this friend had and 18 month old when her twin girls were born, so is pretty much the only person that I am 100% sure can handle a 6 week old and a 13 month old at the same time. We left the house together and saw Avatar. It was great to be out baby free, and great to just be together doing something fun and non-baby related.
And yesterday, I know it was Monday, but after I dropped Hulk off at daycare, I went to my local coffee shop to a knitting group, then into Arlington for the baby friendly movie (Invictus - good movie!), and then home to pick up Hulk from daycare, and left again for quilting class. Maggie came with me to all of it, and around 9 PM was crying pretty hard - and I was nervous that she was totally overstimulated and I was going to be screwed for the evening of sleep - but she did great. I got home with her at 9, she slept until 1:30 and then again until 5:30!
Tonight Aaron is off at soccer, and I'm home with the kids. It's so much better now that Maggie is happier. It's manageable, and we are picking up little pieces of our lives. Getting a little back to normal. I even popped into my office today to show off Maggie to my colleagues, and that was great too. Everyone was happy to see us, and it felt good to see everyone. I had sent an email to my boss about 2 weeks ago, and he hadn't responded - so I was getting nervous... but turns out he was just busy. Tomorrow at 10 we are going to talk and I'll get my review for the year. Hopefully it is good. I'm also going to explain to him that my plan is to stay out of work for another 6 weeks, as recommended by my doc and my therapist. I don't think he'll have an issue with it - but I hope it doesn't screw me out of any good projects that are in the pipeline. I'd been thinking on it back and forth, and decided that I really need the extra time - and I can't imagine that 6 extra weeks off would make a big change in a career I've got over 10 years invested in.
OK - off to go read a book. I'm considering joining a book club, but haven't even opened the book yet. I figured I'd see if I could sit and read some tonight.
9 comments:
Ahhh - you all ARE doing better!
Hannah was like that in the evenings - she had an hour or two where she just had to cry. We finally decided that it was just what she needed to do - stress/end of day/whatever - it was emotion she needed to get out. We held her and walked circles for miles around the house and she grew out of it.
I'm glad to hear she's sleeping more which makes life more human for you, and that you're starting to do more than just take care of babies all day too. Even little bits of that help tremendously - you can't at the start b/c they need every little bit, but it changes.
I am soooo happy and impressed that you are doing some things for you. Yea!!! :) Knitting, quilting, movies, dinner out, and reading. You are doing a wonderful job taking care of your family while also finding time to do what you enjoy. Nicely done!!
Glad to hear you are doing well.
I have been checking your blog almost every day b/c i've been so curious how thinsg were going with maggie and it sounds like it's so much better! That is great. The sleeping more is key...you need 4 solid hours in a row for a full recharge. Also, the end of the day thing - both my kids did that. In a parenting class that I went to once, they called it the "arsenic hour" and said that it is super typical for new babies to get upset for no apparent reason in the evening - usually happens around dusk. It's like they don't understand why it's getting dark or something. who knew?!??!
We called it the witching hour. My oldest she had reflux so bad that I had to rock her to sleep for many, many months. If I put her down too early she would spit up and we would have to start all over again.
My son was my the one who would scream the most, especially around 4-5. There were times I just had to keep rocking him in a bouncy seat for an hour or so just so he would be calm.
I hope the meds and the change in formula helps your little one even more.
As others have said: many new babies have a "witching hour" toward the end of the day. You just kind of have to wait it out, even though it sucks. It should disappear around month 3 or 4. Hang in there!
I'm glad to hear that things are getting a bit better -- Hulk on the mend, Maggie getting some relief from the formula change, and everyone getting some sleep. I am also glad to hear that you are doing things for you. That is definitely something I didn't do/haven't done enough of -- a fact I know I need to rectify but yet have done nothing about.
I hope the added meds help even more and that Maggie outgrows the witching hour soon.
Still thinking of you.
Good to hear your feeling better and Maggie has been doing better as well.
Equally nice to know that your able to get out and about and do things for yourself too!
Good luck with your review!!
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