Books are now real

Something happened yesterday and a book stopped only being something the baby wanted to gnaw on, but became "alive". 

I read him "I Love You Through and Through", which means he squirmed in my lap and tried to eat it but liked one part--when I gently rubbed his head when it says "hair".

So he's been walking around, occasionally rubbing his head and looks at me to say "hair", and does it if I happen to say "hair". Or he'll pick up that book and bring it to me and touch his hair. 

He's started to pick up other books for me to read, too. It's barely a page here and there but it's a huge change from before. 

I feel relieved, actually. Knowing he will be teachable and not in his oral stage forever. (I realize that's not going to happen anyway, but the glimmer of progressive change was reassuring just the same.)

In other news, his sister loves, loves going swimming with her grandmother. Just the two of them. And she's back on her Tiny Titans kick. This means nice comics to read and look at and a calmer Carolina who wants to "read" on her own. Love those Titans!!

That's not a California roll, that's not even seen a picture of California!

Yesterday we had "sushi" at a family party. I was excited at this prospect until I remembered where we are. The "Bajio" of Mexico doesn't know sushi and, apparently, thinks California Rolls have cream cheese as an intrinsic ingredient. The rice is always standard rice, not shortgrain sushi rice --and cold. And often missing lovely, crispy seaweed on the rolls.

Anyway, it was mostly fun day. Carolina very much enjoyed the pool, a late nap, and then a water table game when she decided the game should be to soak herself instead of moving the little boat around the "pool table". No matter, there were more clean clothes to change into.

So first week we are back, I'm getting some halfway decent sushi to make up for the cream cheese roll with avocado, fake crab and a TON of rice. :) Snob? Me? Never!

No particular day...

Last night Carolina did something fantastic (according to me): she went to bed at 6pm, woke up at 1.30am hungry, I fed her, she fell asleep until 5.55am

She's like an alarm clock. Gets up at about 6am every morning. No. Matter. What.

But it's the second time in the last week she didn't cry out or wake up hungry more than once. I guess her gums weren't hurting her, her belly was full and she didn't need to poop or fart. She just slept.

I'm finding that the more she sleeps, the more I get to sleep. And the more tired I find myself. Strange as it may seem.

I also, if I dream at all, have a constant barrage of nightmares.

I'm sure in some way this is completely normal. I probably haven't dreamt this much since before she was born, which was almost 9 months ago. So I'm sure there's a lot my unconscious has to work out :)

In any event. I'm really tired today while Carolina seems raring to go.

I was going to take her swimming at the Y, but I'm too beat.

Last week, we went to the Y twice and to my parents place twice. The landlord was painting our bathroom (such a strong odor that I got a headache so I took her out of there immediately) and then we had the bathtub refinished. Everything in the bathroom looks really great but we needed to be out of the apartment for those days.

In less than a month we'll be heading to Mexico for a cousin's wedding and then drive 8 hours to spend a few days in Vallarta. The wedding is at 7pm outside of Celaya. That means that I nor Ismael will be able to put Carolina to bed for the night. That means she'll be sleeping at Bisabuela's house in a crib there. I have no idea how that'll go. Of course I want to control the variables as much as possible to make it resemble her room and her 'going to bed' experience every night so that she sleeps well and doesn't cry. But I can't do anything about it. I just have to trust that Great Grandma, who has taken care of countless babies, can get my munchkin to bed, not have her climb out of the crib, and we get back to pick her up during the wee hours and bring her back to Abuela's house with us. Hopefully not waking her up too much. (It's a 1/2 block walk between Bisabuela and Abuela's houses.)

She's still NOT taken a bottle during the night. Once she's asleep, it's only boob. So I really wonder, if we don't get back from the wedding before she wakes, if she'll take the bottle (because she will be hungry) or if she'll just cry and protest and fall asleep. And then keep doing that until I get back.

I'm certain, whatever happens, I'll be surprised and it won't happen like I thought it would. For better or worse. It's always different than I expect.

I also have to make sure to eat before the wedding since I think dinner is going to be at like 10pm. Those Mexicans are as bad as the Italians. Dinner in the middle of the night ;) HA ha!

Also, recently, Carolina has been eating paper. Everything goes in her mouth if we let it (or aren't paying attention). Just last week she was gnawing on a black piece of thick paper. I noticed but didn't think much of it while getting her bath ready. When I finally went to pick her up about a minute later she was missing some of the black paper. I stick my finger in her mouth to find a small wad of it in the back of her gums on one side, like she was chewing tobacco. It was funny and not funny.

She got upset that I took it away, it must have felt nice since she's still teething. (I can't tell you how much Orajel we give her some days. I'm always glad there are days we don't have to give her any. Sometimes it just seems endless.) I couldn't leave it, even if she wasn't going to swallow it. It was making her mouth black. Lord knows what kind of ink she was swallowing.

And just try to stop her from crawling everywhere and climbing up everything she can.

As soon as she starts to walk, I'm going to be even more exhausted than before I'm sure!

First swim lesson... Success!

Today was Carolina's first swim lesson at the local Y. I hurt my neck last night so I couldn't do the lesson with her and ismael went in the pool instead. I stood by and watched. We nearly didn't go since she had been up
since 7.30am and the class was at 10.30am. Prime first nap time. But at Ismael's decision, we went. She was so content to be in the pool. Same as when we took her into the family pool in Celaya. Our little water baby enjoyed her half hour class and didn't cry or fuss on the way home even though she was clearly tired. And then slept Like a champ afterward for her first nap of the day. Awesome.

We weren't allowed to take any photos but I snapped a blurry one before I found out I wasn't allowed.

She had to wear a swim cap. It's huge on her. Basically covers her eyes if you put it on to cover all her hair (see photo). But it's required of ALL people (bald, baby, or long hair) if you swim at the YMCA. Ridiculous but true.

And as usual, she was the smallest one in the group even though she wasn't the youngest. She's a whip smart shortie. For realz ;)

we will be going to a museum soon to see how she does there.

Just 2 days ago her newest friend, Chloe Chae, was born. A very beautiful little baby with a sweet personality. We are looking forward to them meeting. Ismael, Jee and I went to see her and her parents at the hospital. It's nice to welcome another foodie to the group of friends.

better sleeping? well, it's different again

She's still up every 2-3.5 hours but at least there are a few 3 hour stints in the mix again. I sense she's slowly creeping back towards getting to at least one 4-6 hour stretch in there again. I hope it's just not the day before we move or the day before we leave for mexico and then it's all trashed again.

Although, beggers can't be choosers and I guess if I'm being honest, I'd take one 4-6 hour stretch again even if it was the only one. It gives me hope :)

Yeah, I'm really really bad when I'm tired. As everyone who knows me is well aware. Other parents with babies that sleep similar amounts of time don't seem to be as bothered by it. Sorry, Carolina, your mom was an awesome sleeper before you were born and she just misses it. Man, I really was a 'marmota' [sloth] like Gaby said.

This morning, she drank 2oz from a bottle. After 3 days of protesting that she wouldn't take the bottle again, at all. My mom gave me the suggestion of making her first feed when she wakes up a bottle. And don't give her any boob until the next feeding. I did it for two days, and today she takes the bottle. She cried a LOT and didn't just take it the whole time. But she did. And I'm very proud of her, and impressed at how smart she is. Maybe I'm projecting, probably am, but it was like she worked out that I wasn't giving her what she wanted and cereal just wasn't cutting it in the morning. So she took the bottle.

I also, today, encouraged her to hold it herself. Well at least put her little hands on it. That seemed to help. It was an idea I got from her hand movements this morning and something Kimesha said to encourage her to get comfortable with a toy that made noise. Let her hold it instead of pushing it on her. Seems to make a difference. Thanks, Kimesha!

Also, I'm hell bent on getting her to take longer naps. I read some suggestions in a new book I just picked up called "The No Cry Sleep Solution". It's much more "labor intensive" than the crying option, but leaves me feeling less crappy as a mom. It's more in line with my style of being.

http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/

http://www.amazon.com/No-Cry-Sleep-Solution-Gentle-Through/dp/0071381392

The new "new agey" pediatrician suggested it. So far the new pediatrician has two points of "hooray" in her court vs. the other pediatricians. One is this book, and two is that she didn't worry that Carolina didn't put on a whole pound between last month and this month. I was tired of the doctor quibbling over 2-3oz, and that she is in the bottom 10%. So was I. What'd he expect, that she be a bruiser? Never going to happen. She's pretty much one pound and one inch every month. She's smaller than the other babies in the neighborhood that are around her age but she's tracking consistently. And she's healthy. So I'm very grateful (and a bit proud, strangely).

So just now, it took me 20 minutes of shushing, rubbing her back, and finally finding the pacifier. (where the hell was it? in the kitchen. argh! I steamed it and forgot to bring it with me!) The pacifier was the missing link since 10 minutes of hard sucking on her thumb didn't cut it. But she fell asleep again. Phew... Not sure for how long, but if I can break this habit of getting up after only 45 minutes -- I think my little one will sleep longer during the night.

That's the theory.

I also like the book because it's helping me set more realistic expectation and ask myself questions that I hadn't really thought to ask of myself, instead of questions I ask myself about Carolina.

Also, finding out from Julia that Isaiah still isn't a completely through the night sleeper and he's over a year old made me realize that every book I read about "what most babies at age X are like" just isn't going to apply to my kid. Ok. I just needed to know that and accept it. It was presented like if you're kid isn't doing this, you should get him/her towards it. Since it's normal.

I got your normal right here, bub. [shaking my jersey girl fist in the air]

I can't wait until she's 6 months and we can take her swimming at the YMCA. There's one here in Long Island City and one in Hoboken. So if we move to Jersey, we can take her there. I hear from Jee that baby swim classes result in long naps since the babies are tuckered out. Awesome!!!

If we move to Bay Ridge, there isn't a YMCA pool nearby. Just in Bed Stuy I think.

Anyway, this Saturday we're going to take Carolina on the subway to Chambers St in Manhattan to visit a friend and see a small pottery show. And then pick out a Maclaren stroller and go home. All on the subway. This will keep her out past her nap time but I'm desperately hoping she will nap in the stroller.

She was great when I took her to Rockefeller Center yesterday to the Gap to return some things. It was a two hour jaunt. One hour there (damn 7 train wasn't stopping at our stop again) on the bus and then N train. Then quick to see Ismael in the store, and head home. At least the 7 train was stopping at our stop on the way in to Queens. Made it a faster trip home. She then went like butter down for a nap. She only fussed a little on the streets around Rock Center. I think it was just the amount of people she was seeing or something since she was in the Baby Bjorn facing outward. Otherwise, she was quietly observing people on the train and in the store and seemed relaxed.

If I had known all of this before I got pregnant, I probably would have delayed it much longer. But I kept myself ignorant. I'm glad I did.

This is hard work. Mostly because it is challenging a lot of what I have thought about myself and my abilities. I've never been very good with patience or self-confidence. I'm learning. Oh yes...

we have sleep!

I don't think I've been this proud of another human being, ever! Okay, well, maybe pride isn't the most overwhelming feeling. Relief? Gratitude? Ok, some pride... she slept for 5.5 hours at a stretch last night. Was asleep a little before 8pm and then woke up around 1.30am. She was STARVING. Kid hasn't eaten that much, latched on that well, and then promptly went back to sleep. FOR ANOTHER THREE HOURS! Ate like a champ again, and then slept ANOTHER TWO HOURS!

Apparently once you get a five-hour stretch, you have "sleep through the night". I'm not sure whose night amounts to only five hours, but you know, whatever, it's progress!

Seriously, I could get used to this.

I'm not expecting to. I'm actually expecting it to be a cruel joke, whereby she wakes up every 2 hours tonight. But man, it was great to experience it and know it's possible.

I changed her diaper after her swim/bath at about 5.30pm last night, and then again when she woke up FULL OF POOP at about 6.30am this morning. 13 hours, one diaper. Man that diaper never worked so hard!

It wasn't as full of sleep for me as I thought it might be. I kept waking up to check the clock and see if she was still alive. Really, I did. I heard parents say this and thought, not me! I'll be so grateful for sleep and so tired, I'll sleep through it.

No way... I was waking myself up with a bit of panic, feeling like I overslept for exams or something. Then looking at her crib in the darkness to see if I could see her. I couldn't see her breathing but there was something about the way she was lying there that was reassuring she was still alive.

We also started "swimming lessons" in the bathtub last night and again this morning. We'll be doing it every morning until she can hold her breath underwater and is ready for the big pool. I can't wait for her to be a little swimmer! I'll bet she will sleep really well once she can swim and use up all that energy.

Speaking of swimming, we're going to the beach with my parents next weekend. I hope she likes it. She'll basically experience sitting, well laying (since she can't sit yet), on sand, hearing the waves, and watching things at the beach. And maybe a little ocean water drizzled/dripped on her head and belly. But no swimming. Probably just a nap.

Fingers crossed there is minimal meltdown in the car seat on the way there and back.