Karen Chatters » 10 months

Two, two and two

Karen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:42:52 +0000

I’m still weaning Patrick – it’s a process for sure. I’ve cut the first two sessions – lunch and dinner time feedings with no problem. I started him on breast milk in the sippy cup, then I mixed in a little formula and then he finished all of the breast milk and is downing the formula like a college freshmen at his first frat party. He’s barely skipped a beat. But these are the easy feedings, which is why I picked them first.

Now there are two to go.

In two days I cut out the bedtime feeding. I’m nervous. And sad. So sad. I love these times with Patrick and our little time together, our “thing,” is almost over. I know it’s time and I’m really ready but it’s still hard. I don’t know how it’s going to go, I don’t have a feeling either way. If it’s like most of Patrick’s little milestones, it will be completely seamless and easy. But maybe it won’t. I don’t know. Paul will have to put Patrick to bed the first few nights, I won’t be able to be in the room. Given the choice, Patrick’s going to choose me over the cup. Although, there are times when he’d rather suck his toe than eat but he’s not even one, he’ll learn, right?

And here I am, ending this milestone. I’ll cut out the final feeding next week. Part of me doesn’t want to. Part of me thinks that maybe I’ll keep going with the morning feeding and then I wonder to what end? For how long? And really, unless I’m in that quiet room with no distractions, nursing him is a nightmare.

Don’t mind me, I appear to be having a conversation with myself. My baby boy is growing up. I’m thinking of quitting nursing and planning first birthdays, final nursings and final first birthdays. No more babies here, so this is it.

The best thing that could come next, my size Z boobs end up as a B. That would certainly make ending this nursing completely worth it. A girl can dream, right?

In motion

Karen — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:00:19 +0000

My kids just don’t stop. I’m sure they aren’t unusual or alone in this but damn, they wear me OUT. I’m pooped just trying to pretend to keep up and they’re EVERYWHERE. Now that Patrick’s on the go, it’s twice as zoo-y in this place. You’d think it would result in an automatic, instantaneous 20 pound weight loss for me but no, that’s not how these things work. Apparently I need to be AS busy as they are. What kind of crap is that?

In motion from Karen Chatters on Vimeo.

School starts today, perhaps I can rest for a minute or 2. Or not.

Bye bye boobie

Karen — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:00:30 +0000

As of September 1st, Patrick and I are beginning the process of weaning him. Really, I’m starting the process and he’s playing along. It’s not like he has a choice. Well, he does but maybe he doesn’t know it? Either way, the ball is in motion.

I’m heading out of town September 30th, by myself, and I don’t plan on pumping or bringing small people with me so I need to wrap this party up. I love nursing Patrick. I do. I love it. I love the time we have together. I love the cuddling and the way he looks up at me. I love the togetherness and the bonding. I love how he reaches up to touch my face or how I can bend my neck and nuzzle in his hair. I love it all. And I’ve loved it all for 10+ months. And the 11+ months with Courtney. And now, I’m done.

It’s actually going really well. But he’s still just getting breast milk and it’s only going to last a couple more days and then I move him over to formula. I hope he likes that too. Again, it’s not like he has a ton of choice.

I’m going to miss it but I’m not. I’m looking forward to having my body back. I’m looking forward to the prospect of going out before Patrick goes to bed. Hell, I’m looking forward to someone else putting him to bed. It’ll be nice to not have to rush home because Patrick needs a boob. I know nursing doesn’t have to be like that but I’m not a fan of pumping and so I just don’t do it. And nursing Patrick is getting harder and harder. Unless we’re in a completely quiet room, he’s not paying attention. He’s looking this way and that and he’s more interested in EVERYTHING than what I have to offer.

I can’t believe that we’re at this stage. I can’t believe that my baby is old enough to be eating lasagna for dinner and milk, to him, is second choice. I can’t believe we’re approaching a year and I’m thinking about his first birthday already. How did that happen? Where did the year go?

I will miss the togetherness and the time that we have as something that can’t be shared. But I’ll be glad when this is done and we can move on to new milestones and adventures. And I’m DYING to know what my boobs are going to do next. You know, please shrink 3 cup sizes. Yeah, so much for all the nobleness…

No sleep for the parents

Karen — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:15:36 +0000

At what point do we, as parents, stop complaining about sleep and start getting some?

Our week at the beach was overshadowed by this constant state of exhaustion and need to take a nap, or go to bed early, or sleep past 6. Or all of the above. Patrick sleeps like crap in a pack n play. Sleeps like crap as in Does. Not. Sleep. Add to the crap PNP, Patrick was sleeping in the bathroom attached to our room and so every time he sighed, I heard him. And when you’re sleeping with your head next to the toilet, you tend to sigh a lot.

Courtney slept a little better but not tons. She didn’t nap, which isn’t unusual or all that out of the norm, but never good when she wakes up at 6 as opposed to her normal 7:30. She also woke up a ton in the middle of the night and she’d need you to fix the blanket or tuck in her stuffed animal or tuck in the other stuffed animal or “sleep with me mommy” or all of the above.

Add to the fact that it gets bright crazy early in that neck of the ocean and by 5am it was getting light and by 5:30, you could read a book without a light. Not conducive to sleeping in, or even sleeping well when you aren’t used to it.

Our hope was that returning home and to our own beds would improve sleep habits. And it worked, just the tiniest bit. Courtney is sleeping better but Patrick is most decidedly not. He’s sleeping like shit, to be honest. He’s waking up for 2 hour stretches and there’s no consoling him. We change him, hold him, medicate him, feed him and love him and he’s still sleeping like shit. Last night he’d wake up every 10 minutes and just whine/cry for 10 seconds. For at least an hour he did that. You’d just start to fall back to sleep and “waaaah” and awake you’d be.

I remember people saying that when kids hit a new milestone like walking or crawling or rolling over, it would disrupt their sleep. Well, Patrick doesn’t crawl but he does scoot all over on his butt and he just started rolling, yesterday. And maybe there are some teeth in there, also messing with his world. And I’m going to start weaning him in the next couple of days so I’m sure that’s not going to help the situation. I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I do know that I need some sleep, desperately. Yeah yeah, there’s that “you can sleep when you’re dead” or I’ll sleep again when they’ve left the house but I’m not so sure I can wait that long. I’m pretty tired NOW. Thoughts? Offers of help? Anyone have any points that can get me a room at the Four Seasons for a night? Hell, I’d even settle for a Holiday Inn Express, I hear they can work wonders.

He's damn lucky he's so freaking cute!

First Steps

Karen — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:59:26 +0000

Well, it happened. Another milestone moment. Courtney took her first unaided step yesterday morning. We were getting ready to head up for her nap and she was standing in the TV room, looking very much like she had somewhere to go. I wanted to get the Flip (video camera) out but was so afraid that if I moved, she was going to sit on her butt. But she did it. She took one step with her right foot and then wham! she fell right on her face. It was ADORABLE. OK, maybe not as adorable to her as it was to me.

I’ll be watching her like a hawk today and waiting with the Flip all day, trying to catch the moment in action. I’ve been pretty lucky so far, catching some of our big moments on camera so you never know.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Courtney feels she MUST be on the couch at all times. She prefers the couch. I can’t say I blame her, I’ve spent a lot of time sitting on the floor of late and it’s not that comfortable. But when she’s on the couch with her daddy, that’s when the fun really starts. Why do I get the feeling that Paul is going to be the fun parent while I’m going to be the “other” parent?

Couch Time from Karen Chatters on Vimeo.