Its been three weeks since I started the process of transitioning Adam into his own crib. I didn't want it to be abrupt or traumatic for him, realizing he'd probably never slept in a room alone before, so I spent about 10 days sleeping on the floor beside the crib. Then I moved to the couch, which is just outside his bedroom door, and spent another week there. I just spent the second night in my own bed, just me and the pup, for just about the first time in seven months! During this process, Adam's sleeping gradually improved. I can hardly believe I can say this, but he's now waking up ONLY once or sometimes twice a night! What a HUGE difference this has made for both of us!
I've noticed that when I am going through something very difficult or stressful, my survival skills take over and I just plow through. I know on some level that I'm having a hard time, but I don't consciously realize just how bad it is until AFTER.
The changes over the past 3 weeks made me realize that Adam and I were both sort of hunkered down in that survival mood these first few months together. Doing what we had to do -- bonding, getting to know each other, adjusting to our new lives together -- and just getting through it. Through the months we've had a lot of fun and a lot of love, but, somehow, there was a difference I can't quite put my finger on.
But there's been a sea change. Everything feels different. Easier. More like we are just "being" with each other, just enjoying and loving each other with no other agenda. Major adjustments are complete and we are just.....a family.
How Old is Adam?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Funny boy
Recently, Adam has become enamored of awnings (a true city boy!). He is just fascinated by the awning on the front of our building. As you can see, there is absolutely nothing special about it that you might think would capture a child's attention.
He is interested in awnings on other building, but ours is just the best -- he blows it kisses goodnight when we go inside after walking the dog at night.
The other day we were coming into the building just as some people were coming out. We stopped to let them pass and Adam looked at them, pointed up and screamed "Awning!" as if he could not believe these people were missing such a glorious sight. LOL! Funny boy!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Alert the press....
...Adam slept in his crib, for the first time in months, Saturday night. He also napped in it on Sunday, and slept in it Sunday night. Of course, Mama and Nea are sleeping on the floor next to the crib....but its a start. Right now, I've got the couch cushions on his floor. I figure in a few days, I'll move to the couch itself, then when he gets used to that, perhaps to my own bed!
His sleep was much the same as its been, waking about three times, but the good thing is now when he wakes up kicking and flailing about, Nea and I are out of the line of fire.
His sleep was much the same as its been, waking about three times, but the good thing is now when he wakes up kicking and flailing about, Nea and I are out of the line of fire.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Of hives....and not the honeybee kind
One night last week, Adam came home from daycare with a bunch of little bumps on his lower legs that looked suspiciously like insect bites. I immediately went into full panic mode and decided that we had bedbugs, which are becoming more and more prevalent in the NYC area. After spending half an hour surfing the net for information and pictures, it slowly dawned on me that if we indeed had bedbugs, then the dog and I would be bitten up as well since we all sleep in the same bed.
The next morning, Adam was COVERED head to toe with hives -- they were everywhere -- even his scalp. Poor baby! They didn't seem to be too itchy -- the only ones that seemed to bother him were the ones in his armpits (ouch!) and in the folds of his legs. I called daycare to see if he had eaten anything new or unusual the previous day, but they couldn't think of anything.
I called the pediatrician and was told to bring him in as soon as I could. I basically threw clothes on, threw him in the stroller and off we went. I had to laugh later, thinking about what we must have looked like on the street. Adam's hair is very fine, so the back of it is always matted in the mornings. Usually, I wet it and blowdry it, but decided to forego it given the circumstances. So,there we were, me with no makeup, Adam covered in hives with his hair sticking up and out, and crying to beat the band. I'm lucky no one called Child Protective Services on us!
We made it to the doctor by 10 a.m. Adam was none too pleased to be there, as his last experience involved two vaccinations and a blood draw that had to be done three times because his teeny little veins kept collapsing. It was a nightmare, but through his sobs, Adam did blow kisses to the blood technicians as we left.
Now, I don't have much experience with pediatricians, so I'll count on those of you who do to weigh in. Adam's breathing was not compromised in anyway so it wasn't really an emergency so I didn't necessarily expect to get in right away. But....we sat. And sat. And sat. For....are you ready?....TWO HOURS...before we were seen. And I would have to conservatively estimate that Adam cried and screamed for and hour and 50 minutes of that time. I was beside myself. The more time went on, the more he worked himself up. As we sat there we got closer and closer to what should have been nap time, which surely did not help. When we finally were ushered into an examining room, we STILL waited another 20 minutes. By this time, Adam was truly beside himself. In the best of circumstances two hours is a long time to expect a baby to wait nicely. But a baby covered in hives, who's coming up on naptime....well, it was just too much.
Is it me? I don't understand how someone who's life work is children can let a child scream for that long until he nearly makes himself sick. Not to mention how disturbing it was to everyone else in the doctor's office. Am I out of line to think that once at some point sooner than two hours perhaps one of the doctors should have said "Jeez, let me interrupt myself and go take a quick look at this poor kid before he pukes all over himself." I just can't understand how they let him sit there. I'm thinking I need to find a new pediatrician. Is this acceptable treatment? Would you, my readers, change pediatricians over this?
When the doctor did deign to look at him, it was declared to be a "severe reaction to something he ate." But what? Ah, that's the maddening question. Since it was just after Easter and many chocolate bunnies were received, I have a sneaking suspicion that it might have been the chocolate. Being the devoted mother I am, I promptly ate all the chocolate in the house for Adam's protection. The sacrifices we make!
So we will soon have to start on the rounds of allergy testing. Let's hope the allergist has ear plugs.
The next morning, Adam was COVERED head to toe with hives -- they were everywhere -- even his scalp. Poor baby! They didn't seem to be too itchy -- the only ones that seemed to bother him were the ones in his armpits (ouch!) and in the folds of his legs. I called daycare to see if he had eaten anything new or unusual the previous day, but they couldn't think of anything.
I called the pediatrician and was told to bring him in as soon as I could. I basically threw clothes on, threw him in the stroller and off we went. I had to laugh later, thinking about what we must have looked like on the street. Adam's hair is very fine, so the back of it is always matted in the mornings. Usually, I wet it and blowdry it, but decided to forego it given the circumstances. So,there we were, me with no makeup, Adam covered in hives with his hair sticking up and out, and crying to beat the band. I'm lucky no one called Child Protective Services on us!
We made it to the doctor by 10 a.m. Adam was none too pleased to be there, as his last experience involved two vaccinations and a blood draw that had to be done three times because his teeny little veins kept collapsing. It was a nightmare, but through his sobs, Adam did blow kisses to the blood technicians as we left.
Now, I don't have much experience with pediatricians, so I'll count on those of you who do to weigh in. Adam's breathing was not compromised in anyway so it wasn't really an emergency so I didn't necessarily expect to get in right away. But....we sat. And sat. And sat. For....are you ready?....TWO HOURS...before we were seen. And I would have to conservatively estimate that Adam cried and screamed for and hour and 50 minutes of that time. I was beside myself. The more time went on, the more he worked himself up. As we sat there we got closer and closer to what should have been nap time, which surely did not help. When we finally were ushered into an examining room, we STILL waited another 20 minutes. By this time, Adam was truly beside himself. In the best of circumstances two hours is a long time to expect a baby to wait nicely. But a baby covered in hives, who's coming up on naptime....well, it was just too much.
Is it me? I don't understand how someone who's life work is children can let a child scream for that long until he nearly makes himself sick. Not to mention how disturbing it was to everyone else in the doctor's office. Am I out of line to think that once at some point sooner than two hours perhaps one of the doctors should have said "Jeez, let me interrupt myself and go take a quick look at this poor kid before he pukes all over himself." I just can't understand how they let him sit there. I'm thinking I need to find a new pediatrician. Is this acceptable treatment? Would you, my readers, change pediatricians over this?
When the doctor did deign to look at him, it was declared to be a "severe reaction to something he ate." But what? Ah, that's the maddening question. Since it was just after Easter and many chocolate bunnies were received, I have a sneaking suspicion that it might have been the chocolate. Being the devoted mother I am, I promptly ate all the chocolate in the house for Adam's protection. The sacrifices we make!
So we will soon have to start on the rounds of allergy testing. Let's hope the allergist has ear plugs.
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