Here she is, Emelia Marie!Which means, obviously, that I didn't manage to write between week 20 and now...with her a month old already. Wow.
Having a kid is both awe inspiring and unreal. Which in some ways is all part of the same thing. Here I was, sitting around and doing nothing, while my body decided to keep working on this little piece of biology. She came out naturally, whoa and of course, and is here to stay. Her own little piece of reality, superimposed onto my life and my husband's.
Isn't she adorable? yeah, so who can come over and take her from 1am to 3am? Because that's when she sucks. Screams, inconsolably, typically every night. Sometimes, if we're lucky, it's just fussy time. Othertimes, it's horrid and longer. Yesterday was a nightmare, as I decided after a week off to reintroduce dairy. NOT a good idea. Can someone explain to me how the dairy proteins pass directly into the milk and irritate her tiny system? Because they do, yet it makes zero sense to me. From what I've read, lactose can be a problem even from the breastmilk itself. Wacky. Why would we evolve to be allergic to mother's milk?? As in many cases, the human body is just wacky says me.
So little miss here has a gas problem. We're not proud. If she, however, could master the power of the belch, man o man we'd be stylin! But no. Emelia here is a friggin LADY. Whodda thunk it? We congratulate her for every belch and fart, so we're doing our best to influence her to be more like her parents...whatever you do, say 'excuse me', and like a Catholic at confession it's all better.
What I think is the most amazing to me is the generosity a baby inspires in others. We have received gifts via internet friends (thanks Erika!), family, patient acquaintances, work associates, and our landlord. Grandparents alone are going to keep this girl clothed for the rest of her life...I am slowly getting used to pink burning my eyes (sorry Cookie). Financially, with me starting up school again in the fall, life is very interesting in these parts, but eve there I think we'll be ok. We don't have to buy her any clothes for 9 months, due to influx of gifts, so that helps too!
Emotionally, I have been a pain in the butt to all who know me. My friends (including my sister) and my dear husband have suffered my irrational crying and fears. My Bleen has been an all-day every-day companion via IM, aiding me in my sanity. Poor girl. hope that one day I can help another mother at least half as much as my circle has been helping me. I know that being a mom is what I always wanted, like forever and ever, but right now, I feel lost.
Perhaps soon things will settle in and begin to make a smidgen of sense. I want to love this life, find the "shiny" so to speak, in motherhood.
And so can it begin? well, for now, another feeding time begins anyway!!
She's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had ideas to offer, but I don't know anything about human babies. Although, if I lived closer, I would take her for you. I'm used to making people cry. ;^)
It has to get better, right? Well... until the teen years.
Cookie told me you had a cutie on your hands, and it's true, you certainly do. A friend swears by some tea whose name I forget - her kid had gas and food sensitivities to end all else. Have you tried gripe water for the gas? I have an email out to her to find out the name of that tea and I'll comment back when I get it. (Couldn't wait to comment on the cuteness, though.)
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest of it... I remember feeling lost and out of it, much sleeping, much not being able to sleep, much crying... and then, one day, just... better. BUT! Talk to your doctor and see if maybe you need to speed up the better with some chemistry.
She is a Beauty!
ReplyDeletePoor little sweetie, gas is such a pain, sometimes it just takes more time for those young systems to get on with it.
So... we call that 'turning into the head'... they just seem to be one big red screaming head... I'd take her for those times, I did that with all mine (I had no choice) but I gladly did that for my grandchildren, Conor's 'head' time was ALWAYS 5-6pm... Gracie was more sporadic but she was lots more spectacular.
Good luck with the gas, I hope it passes soon, heh, yah yah, pun intended.
My daughter was just like that, and after I learned about it (way later) I've always said I wish I had known about homeopathy when she was an infant. If you can get to a health food store, you should be able to find homeopathic "colic drops" or something of that ilk. If it were me, I'd be RUNNING to that store (now that I know about homeopathic medicine) and getting some to try. it can't hurt, and more than likely will HELP! Best of luck with your pretty little one.
ReplyDeletePretty, pretty baby. Sorry she is a late night screamer...
ReplyDeleteFeeding her with her as upright as you can manage (the football hold seemed to work for me to do this) may help with the gas. Also the "3 S's" - Swaddle, Sway and "Shush". Swaddle tightly, I always held them sideways, but if she is gassy, more upright would be better, and make a "shush, shush, shush" noise like the sound of blood rushing. Seems to put them back to the security of the womb. When you are dead tired, doing the sway while sitting on a big ball can make it easier.
As for YOU - sleep when she sleeps, eat your veggies and drink lots of water, and know that the hormone rush is normal. It does get better!
My pediatrician told me cow's milk is for baby cows not baby humans.I couldn't do dairy at all while breastfeeding and they were all on soy based formula when they were weaned.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the swaddling.Babies love to be really warm.Much warmer than you think.For cranky tummies sometimes I would get a hot water bottle and wrap it in a towel and place it between me and the baby and walk or rock.Hope this helps!
She is adorable.
My first was a screamer. Like Norma, i wish I'd known about the homeopathic colic tabs. The teething ones work so well.
ReplyDeleteI've also heard good things about Gripe Water.
One thing that saved me was a sling or wrap carrier. When he spent more of the day being worn, he cried less.
White noise, like running water or the vacuum cleaner was often helpful.
I second the sleep when she does comment, too. If you get plenty of naps, you'll have more energy for the screamin' time.
Okay, I heard from my friend, who says Rooibos tea. It's an herbal thing, and my friend likes to drink it as much as her baby does. Check with the ped as always, but my friend swears by it and said it worked even when gripe water stopped.
ReplyDeleteIt will pass. It seems like an eternity but in a few months (usually around 3) you will start getting more sleep yourself and everything will start seeming less overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteCookie sent me over here to see your cutie.
I know it is really rough now but as millions of moms can testify, it does (usually) get easier with time.
Then comes puberty ... but that's another story. ;-)
The only piece of advice I got was, "It gets better." Well, that's the only piece of advice that was actually true all the time. It does get better. My LouLa is 4 and it's continuing to get better (with minor setbacks).
ReplyDeleteLouLa's screaming was only helped by The Full Monty soundtrack as loud as it took to drown her out. I would dance around, and she would (eventually) fall asleep.
It's been a while since I poked here, but a belated thanks to all my visitors and advice. As you can see, things did get better and slinging still helps calm her at 15 weeks now! And I am back on dairy, which is good for me for my protein. Good advice all.
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