Simple Pleasures

Motherhood has been a bit of the same for me for the first few months. Each day, I was woken by crying. Determined to breastfeed, I would put my nipples through hell. That proved to be a foolproof alarm clock because I would be wide awake for the remainder of the day-- During which, I would feed my son like clockwork-- change multiple diapers-- and sneak around while he was sleeping to do laundry, attempt to eat quick snacks, and prepare bottles for the day. I started using my 4 hour easy schedule, which may have saved my life.

Two weeks later.... (19 weeks and 5 days, to be exact)

My son now wakes happily from his naps. He'll make a little noise and give you time to wake up before he starts screaming as long as we're there in under three minutes. Thank God. Now we can wake up and pee like normal people.

The screaming revolves around his feedings. He'll be chatty and happy. Laughing even. If he sees us pull a bottle out of the fridge, he stares at it, then the parent who took the bottle out, then the bottle, and then the lip goes out. Meanwhile, the parent with feeding duty is rushing to get everything, running around in circles and forgetting everything other than the bottle. He cries, and cries. When we give him the bottle. He's okay for a moment and eating, and then he cries some more. It's just so good and he was clearly so hungry.

Halfway through the bottle, he stops crying. At that point he likes to stretch backwards and smile at you. When you take the bottle out of his mouth, he sits back up and grabs it, only to do the same thing a few more times. By the end of the bottle, he's happy and chatty again.

I haven't decided if this was due to his lack of interest int he bottle now that we've introduced him to foods... or if he is truly that hungry and didn't realize he was starving until the bottle was visible. Maybe the slow nipple has seen the end of its days.

Yesterday, we decided to take our chatty baby for a long walk. We usually walk around the area, but this time, we went to the park. My son has hated his electronic swing since birth, but I wanted him to enjoy being at the park. So I started by taking him out of the stroller and showing him all of the other babies who were swinging happily.

He started out a little skeptical. After Dad and I motivated him, he was smiling and laughing up a storm. The parents around us may have been laughing at us too.

We got home and started to get our son ready for bed. He had a late night feed. I added rice cereal to his bottle for the first time because I heard it would help him to not feel like he's starving in the morning. I also gave him bananas-- which may be his favorite baby food. Thus far, we've tried sweet potatoes, peas. and mango. He ate half of the banana jar and looked delighted with each spoonful, less the first. The first spoon was more of a "WTF this is gross" look, followed by delight.

After eating "dinner," it was time for his bath. We used our California Baby Overtired and Cranky bubble bath that he loves. He was in heaven and splashed around more than ever. Usually he cries when we take him out of the water. This time, he started crying midwash. We were FIVE MINUTES late for his bedtime. Little Man was exhausted and wanted nothing to do with the water. So we rushed. Rinsed off as much soap as we could. He fell asleep in the towel.

Unfortunately, he still needed a diaper. I braced myself and put him on the changing table. His eyes opened, then he rolled onto his side and went back to sleep. I snapped away and put him in his BundleMe. I didn't need to do any Shh-Patting this time around. I put him, turned him onto his side and he was out like a light.