It’s about 5:30 PM and I just took a shower. Next, I will take a nap. Kyle is finally napping himself, so I must do as “they” say and sleep when the baby sleeps.
Now, when I post on this site, I feel like I am sneaking around, stealing a few minutes for myself on the sly. Like a prisoner writing a note and throwing it out the window of her tower, begging for help. Or a castaway stranded on a desert island, looking for a rescuer.
The Incredible Sleeping Baby has become Incredible Eating Baby. He’s two weeks tomorrow, which is a breastfeeding milestone – apparently he’s going through a “growth spurt” and wants to eat all the time. I mean ALL the time – I barely have enough of a rest between feedings for my milk to come in again. He drains each one, then gets all pissed when he can’t get any more milk out of them. He flails his little head from side to side, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. If I try to give him a pacifier, he gets a VERY unhappy look on his face and starts to yell, as if to say “woman, this is NOT made of flesh. Take it away!”
I know this too shall pass. I’m so lucky my mother is taking care of me, otherwise I wouldn’t take a shower EVER AGAIN.
Keep throwing notes out the castle window; I’m down below cheering for you (and studying them closely). My mom is here now waiting with us, and after reading your posts, I’m even more glad she’s here than ever.
Hang in there. “They” say it gets better and they’ve not been wrong so far.
We are all here to support you in whatever way we can on the Internet. My baby reacted EXACTLY the same way the few times I tried to give her the pacifier… she has never taken one (one less habit to break later is my feeling!) … they know the good stuff and it is, as you said, made of flesh and not plastic!! As difficult and demanding as it is, try to enjoy this time. I know it is a cliche, but it truly does pass too quickly and you will look back on it fondly and miss it (hard to believe in your sleep-deprived, non-showered state now, I know, but trust me, you will).
Having one’s own mom around right after the birth of one’s baby is like watching the manifestation of women’s intuition. It didn’t dawn on me how instinctive moms are compared to, say, MEN (i.e. NEW DADDIES) until those weeks after the birth of my kids and my mom was around to help. I’m glad you’ve got your mom there!
About the pacifier – it might just be too early for him. My 4-month-old wanted nothing to do with the pacifier either until he got a bit older and now will only take it when he’s very fussy and tired. If Kyle having some sort of “comfort” other than you is important to you, keep trying the pacifier when you know he doesn’t need you for nutritive purposes. My kids also love their cloth diapers. We always had one tucked by them as they nursed or bottle-fed and when they napped. My preschooler still sleeps with one and the baby rubs his face in his when he’s falling asleep.
Should we stop giving you advice? 🙂