My poor baby is sick. Runny, stuffy nose and a fever (101.5 degrees). He's so uncomfortable, it just breaks my heart.
I'm anticipating a rough night sleeping, but that's OK. I don't mind getting up frequently with him when he's sick. My baby needs me! It's when he's healthy and just electing not to sleep that it gets old (for the record, he's been sleeping great for the past three weeks).
He can't wear his helmet while he has a fever, so I feel like we're going to undo all the great progress we've made so far. Rationally, I know that can't happen in just one or two nights, but parenthood is not always a rational state of mind. I just checked on him, and thankfully he's sleeping on his side.
Hoping it's a short-lived bug. Lots of fresh air and fluids tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Seriously?!?!?
Remember how today was supposed to be new helmet day? Version 3.0?
Well, I just got a call from the orthotist's office saying that Will's helmet didn't arrive yesterday. They don't quite know why, but they have a call in to the manufacturing facility to find out what's going on. It took all my energy to be polite. I know it's not the receptionist's fault that this keeps getting messed up, but I'm getting really frustrated.
It's now been 5 weeks of repeated errors. Thankfully, Will is still getting treatment. Just ugly treatment.
I know it seems vain and silly, but I want what I ordered. I want to use the cute stickers we purchased. I want anything that makes this process even slightly easier. And for me, that's a white helmet.
Well, I just got a call from the orthotist's office saying that Will's helmet didn't arrive yesterday. They don't quite know why, but they have a call in to the manufacturing facility to find out what's going on. It took all my energy to be polite. I know it's not the receptionist's fault that this keeps getting messed up, but I'm getting really frustrated.
It's now been 5 weeks of repeated errors. Thankfully, Will is still getting treatment. Just ugly treatment.
I know it seems vain and silly, but I want what I ordered. I want to use the cute stickers we purchased. I want anything that makes this process even slightly easier. And for me, that's a white helmet.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The time I (almost) punched a woman out at the grocery store
This happened several weeks ago, but its taken me a long time to want to write about it. Mostly because it still hurts. And I still carry around a lot of guilt for Will's helmet.
For the most part, people have been really great about the helmet. Will still gets plenty of smiles. I get a ton of "pity eyes" now, but that's OK. I'm just glad he doesn't realize people are looking at him differently.
Little kids are super funny about it. At story time a few weeks ago, this little girl came up to Will and started gently petting his helmet. Too cute! And all of Will's baby friends think it's pretty neat too.
You can tell some people are really uncomfortable about it. They divert their eyes or scold their children for staring. I actually appreciate the people who ask questions. Many people assume that he had some sort of head surgery. Others think he has a disability. Most are surprised when I tell them it's for cranial remolding.
I really appreciate when parents come up and tell us their son or daughter wore a helmet too. It's so nice to talk to someone whose been through it. They get the challenges, and they've lived to tell about it.
For the most part, people have been awesome. But then there was this one woman at the grocery store a few weeks ago. We were in line checking out, and as I loaded the last of my groceries on the belt, I noticed that the woman behind me was staring at Will. I smiled and said, "Hi, this is Will. He's 6 months old." She stared blankly at me and asked "What's with the helmet?"
Always one for a teaching moment, I explained it was to treat his flat head and that he would wear it for 3-4 months. She blinked a few times and replied, "Oh. You must not have held him enough."
Stab. Me. In. The. Heart.
Though I wanted to punch her in the face for being so horribly insensitive, I turned around, paid for my groceries and left. It took all my energy not to bust into tears immediately, but I held it together until I got to the car. And then I sobbed. Right there in the driver's seat, with Will in the back.
Even though I know my actions (intentional or otherwise) didn't cause Will's brachycephaly, there are still times that I blame myself. Why did I let him sleep in his car seat so much? (Uh, because it was the only place he'd sleep as a newborn.) Why didn't I push tummy time more? (Because he screamed his cute little head off whenever he was on his stomach.) Why was I such a freak about back sleeping? (Because the doctor said it was super important and I was terrified of SIDS.)
I know I didn't do anything wrong, but to hear a complete stranger articulate my greatest fear hurts terribly. Even if she has no clue what she's talking about.
For the most part, people have been really great about the helmet. Will still gets plenty of smiles. I get a ton of "pity eyes" now, but that's OK. I'm just glad he doesn't realize people are looking at him differently.
Little kids are super funny about it. At story time a few weeks ago, this little girl came up to Will and started gently petting his helmet. Too cute! And all of Will's baby friends think it's pretty neat too.
You can tell some people are really uncomfortable about it. They divert their eyes or scold their children for staring. I actually appreciate the people who ask questions. Many people assume that he had some sort of head surgery. Others think he has a disability. Most are surprised when I tell them it's for cranial remolding.
I really appreciate when parents come up and tell us their son or daughter wore a helmet too. It's so nice to talk to someone whose been through it. They get the challenges, and they've lived to tell about it.
For the most part, people have been awesome. But then there was this one woman at the grocery store a few weeks ago. We were in line checking out, and as I loaded the last of my groceries on the belt, I noticed that the woman behind me was staring at Will. I smiled and said, "Hi, this is Will. He's 6 months old." She stared blankly at me and asked "What's with the helmet?"
Always one for a teaching moment, I explained it was to treat his flat head and that he would wear it for 3-4 months. She blinked a few times and replied, "Oh. You must not have held him enough."
Stab. Me. In. The. Heart.
Though I wanted to punch her in the face for being so horribly insensitive, I turned around, paid for my groceries and left. It took all my energy not to bust into tears immediately, but I held it together until I got to the car. And then I sobbed. Right there in the driver's seat, with Will in the back.
Even though I know my actions (intentional or otherwise) didn't cause Will's brachycephaly, there are still times that I blame myself. Why did I let him sleep in his car seat so much? (Uh, because it was the only place he'd sleep as a newborn.) Why didn't I push tummy time more? (Because he screamed his cute little head off whenever he was on his stomach.) Why was I such a freak about back sleeping? (Because the doctor said it was super important and I was terrified of SIDS.)
I know I didn't do anything wrong, but to hear a complete stranger articulate my greatest fear hurts terribly. Even if she has no clue what she's talking about.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
On being a stay-at-home mom
Interesting perspective on stay-at-home moms in this CNN article.
My decision to be a stay-at-home mom really surprised me. It wasn't anything I ever thought I would want to do. But when we started looking at daycares, nothing felt right. And given the cost, I started thinking... what would I really be working for?
We were very fortunate that Ben's job allowed me to even consider staying at home as an option. I have many friends who simply need the extra income. Others that hold their family's benefits. And others that simply want to work. Whatever the reason, it's OK to work. Kids thrive in daycare. I'm not trumpeting stay-at-home moms as superior in any way. It was just the best option for us.
Granted, money is tight and there are some days that I practically throw Will at Ben when he walks in the door. But most days are totally awesome. I love the flexibility of being a stay-at-home mom, and I love that I get to spend my days with Will. We've developed a great network of other stay-at-home moms and babies, so we're constantly meeting for play dates or going to various child development classes.
My life as a stay-at-home mom is non-stop. It's hard to rarely have a break, and for my work and personal life to be one chaotic mess. But I love the time I'm spending with Will. And it's really nice to be able to stay in my jammies until lunch when I want to.
My decision to be a stay-at-home mom really surprised me. It wasn't anything I ever thought I would want to do. But when we started looking at daycares, nothing felt right. And given the cost, I started thinking... what would I really be working for?
We were very fortunate that Ben's job allowed me to even consider staying at home as an option. I have many friends who simply need the extra income. Others that hold their family's benefits. And others that simply want to work. Whatever the reason, it's OK to work. Kids thrive in daycare. I'm not trumpeting stay-at-home moms as superior in any way. It was just the best option for us.
Granted, money is tight and there are some days that I practically throw Will at Ben when he walks in the door. But most days are totally awesome. I love the flexibility of being a stay-at-home mom, and I love that I get to spend my days with Will. We've developed a great network of other stay-at-home moms and babies, so we're constantly meeting for play dates or going to various child development classes.
My life as a stay-at-home mom is non-stop. It's hard to rarely have a break, and for my work and personal life to be one chaotic mess. But I love the time I'm spending with Will. And it's really nice to be able to stay in my jammies until lunch when I want to.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Baby Insomnia
Way back in December, Will slept through the night for the first time. Despite the fact that I woke up in a panic and poked him to make sure he was still breathing (he was), it was awesome. There is no greater thrill than 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep when you're a new parent.
When he slept through the night again the following evening, Ben and I were sure it was a pattern. We were sure we were finally in for smooth sleep sailing. Naturally, we couldn't have been more wrong.
Not only did Will stop sleeping through the night, but he virtually quit taking naps and started waking frequently. Like four or five times a night. So the most sleep we ever got was 2-3 hours at a time. Not cool, child.
To make matters worse, since Will wasn't getting enough sleep at night, he was crabby all day long. And since he was crabby and overtired all day long, he was unable or unwilling to nap for more than 20 minutes at a time. Kill. Me. Now.
Luckily I had a friend to commiserate with. Insomnia and sleeplessness is so much easier to tolerate when someone else is doing it with you. We grumbled about the parents whose children supposedly sleep through the night within the first month, and decided that if you have one of those blessed miracle babies then you should keep that information to yourself. All it does is make the rest of us feel bad.
But then, out of nowhere, Will suddenly started sleeping. First, he stopped taking his middle of the night bottle (on his own), and then one night he just slept. All night long (7:00 PM - 6:00 AM). And he's continued doing it. For the past 10 days. Bliss.
Now that I'm on the other side (for now), I see what those other moms were talking about. When your baby starts sleeping, it's one of the most thrilling things in the world. I literally want to shout it from the roof tops: My baby finally sleeps through the night! I'm rested for the first time in 7 months! He takes hour long naps, which means I get hour long breaks during the day! Wheeee!
So to my friend who continues to have sleep struggles, I'm sorry, and I love you. I've been there, and it sucks. Rest assured, when it finally does happen, you will appreciate it way more than those lucky bitches (er, ah, fortunate new moms) who had sleeping babies at 6 weeks.
When he slept through the night again the following evening, Ben and I were sure it was a pattern. We were sure we were finally in for smooth sleep sailing. Naturally, we couldn't have been more wrong.
Not only did Will stop sleeping through the night, but he virtually quit taking naps and started waking frequently. Like four or five times a night. So the most sleep we ever got was 2-3 hours at a time. Not cool, child.
To make matters worse, since Will wasn't getting enough sleep at night, he was crabby all day long. And since he was crabby and overtired all day long, he was unable or unwilling to nap for more than 20 minutes at a time. Kill. Me. Now.
Luckily I had a friend to commiserate with. Insomnia and sleeplessness is so much easier to tolerate when someone else is doing it with you. We grumbled about the parents whose children supposedly sleep through the night within the first month, and decided that if you have one of those blessed miracle babies then you should keep that information to yourself. All it does is make the rest of us feel bad.
But then, out of nowhere, Will suddenly started sleeping. First, he stopped taking his middle of the night bottle (on his own), and then one night he just slept. All night long (7:00 PM - 6:00 AM). And he's continued doing it. For the past 10 days. Bliss.
Now that I'm on the other side (for now), I see what those other moms were talking about. When your baby starts sleeping, it's one of the most thrilling things in the world. I literally want to shout it from the roof tops: My baby finally sleeps through the night! I'm rested for the first time in 7 months! He takes hour long naps, which means I get hour long breaks during the day! Wheeee!
So to my friend who continues to have sleep struggles, I'm sorry, and I love you. I've been there, and it sucks. Rest assured, when it finally does happen, you will appreciate it way more than those lucky bitches (er, ah, fortunate new moms) who had sleeping babies at 6 weeks.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Mom guilt
Oh man. Found a great article on CNN today: 20 things moms should never feel guilty about. I'm easily half of these. Happy reading!
Play group
I'm trying to start a play group for babies in cranial remolding (helmet) therapy. I have joined a few online support communities, but I think it would be nice to connect with families locally.
I made this flyer and asked our orthotist to pass it out to his other clients. Here's hoping I'm not the only one who thinks this is a good idea!
At the very least I got to put my marketing skills back to use.
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And in case you're wondering, that kid is not Will. It's a photo I found on Google Images. Still cute though.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
My ABCs
Age: 27. But I'm 17 days from being 28.
Bed size: Queen. Though we slept in a full for the first two years of our marriage.
Chore you dislike: Cleaning bathrooms. Blech.
Dogs: My beloved Great Dane, Stella.
Essential start to your day: Coffee (black), and lots of it.
Favorite color: Red (Go Badgers!)
Gold or silver: I used to hate yellow gold, but we're rekindling our relationship.
Height: 6'1" (and no, I didn't play basketball).
Instruments you play(ed): Flute and piano. I can still play scales on both.
Job title: Stay-at-home mom. Easily the hardest (and most wonderful) job I've ever had.
Kids: My sweet, darling Will (just shy of 7 months).
Live: Oshkosh, though we're planning to list our house next month. Then Neenah or Grand Chute.
Mom’s name: Francie. If we ever have a girl, her middle name will be Frances.
Nicknames: Literally none. This has always been a point of contention with me. I tried to give myself a nickname in college, but my friends wouldn't have it.
Overnight hospital stays: Two days when I gave birth to Will.
Pet peeve: The incorrect use of there/their/they're. It's the copywriter in me.
Quote from a movie: It's not from a movie, but I love this one by Vince Lombardi: "The greatest glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall."
Righty or Lefty: Righty-o
Siblings: My smart, beautiful, funny, fashionable sister, Taylor. She's the best sister and auntie ever. I also have a super awesome brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Time you wake up: Will is usually up around 6:30, so I am too.
Underwear: I have strong opinions on underwear. I hate panty lines, but I think thongs are weird. I require good coverage and cute colors or prints.
Vegetables you don’t like: Swiss chard. I love everything from our CSA, except that.
What makes you run late: Usually the baby. But I hate being late. So even with Will, it doesn't happen very often.
X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth (many times) and foot (twice). My dear friend's dad is a radiologist and did my foot x-ray in high school. He teased me mercilessly because I had a hickey.
Yummy food you make: Lately I'm focused on homemade baby food. Tomorrow: peas!
Zoo animal favorite: Otters. They're so cute and playful.
Bed size: Queen. Though we slept in a full for the first two years of our marriage.
Chore you dislike: Cleaning bathrooms. Blech.
Dogs: My beloved Great Dane, Stella.
Essential start to your day: Coffee (black), and lots of it.
Favorite color: Red (Go Badgers!)
Gold or silver: I used to hate yellow gold, but we're rekindling our relationship.
Height: 6'1" (and no, I didn't play basketball).
Instruments you play(ed): Flute and piano. I can still play scales on both.
Job title: Stay-at-home mom. Easily the hardest (and most wonderful) job I've ever had.
Kids: My sweet, darling Will (just shy of 7 months).
Live: Oshkosh, though we're planning to list our house next month. Then Neenah or Grand Chute.
Mom’s name: Francie. If we ever have a girl, her middle name will be Frances.
Nicknames: Literally none. This has always been a point of contention with me. I tried to give myself a nickname in college, but my friends wouldn't have it.
Overnight hospital stays: Two days when I gave birth to Will.
Pet peeve: The incorrect use of there/their/they're. It's the copywriter in me.
Quote from a movie: It's not from a movie, but I love this one by Vince Lombardi: "The greatest glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall."
Righty or Lefty: Righty-o
Siblings: My smart, beautiful, funny, fashionable sister, Taylor. She's the best sister and auntie ever. I also have a super awesome brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Time you wake up: Will is usually up around 6:30, so I am too.
Underwear: I have strong opinions on underwear. I hate panty lines, but I think thongs are weird. I require good coverage and cute colors or prints.
Vegetables you don’t like: Swiss chard. I love everything from our CSA, except that.
What makes you run late: Usually the baby. But I hate being late. So even with Will, it doesn't happen very often.
X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth (many times) and foot (twice). My dear friend's dad is a radiologist and did my foot x-ray in high school. He teased me mercilessly because I had a hickey.
Yummy food you make: Lately I'm focused on homemade baby food. Tomorrow: peas!
Zoo animal favorite: Otters. They're so cute and playful.
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