Oh sleep, where for art thou?

This post is exactly the reason I haven't posted in so long.  Admittedly I didn't realize I took a four plus month hiatus, but lack of sleep makes all the time blur together.  In fact, the only reason I can blog tonight is that we are on a roll - finally - in the sleep department.  I actually started this post last month, but literally fell asleep in the middle of typing with the computer on my lap.  But now that I've sat down again I figured why post - date it?  I'll just add the disclaimers where applicable and put it out there in its original form:

I am taking a risk starting this post later than planned because Lydia's "bedtime" was a 90 minute process tonight.  (See above for result of said risk taking).  Ok, not just tonight (still true!) - it has been every night lately.  Choosing PJs, bargaining for stories, debating whose turn it is to brush teeth, which potty to use, blah blah blah.  Tonight even included an extra bedtime prayer (which of course can't be refused): "Dear Jesus, I'd like a new clock. Like a purple one maybe or something? Or pink or something? My old one is old. Amen"  I don't know if she thinks this great new clock won't include a bedtime, but she is a master at stalling.

Will is now 9 1/2 months old actual - 7 1/2 months adjusted (when this was first typed a month ago - more to come on his newest accomplishments @ 10 1/2 months old actual in a new post yet to come).  I missed posting at his 6 month mark.  He did have some motor delays and early intervention evaluations, but wasn't "far enough behind" to qualify for services.  Even since those evaluation we've seen him start catching up even more.  He  has started eating solids and has yet to try something he dislikes.  He is gradually moving up the growth chart - starting out not even registering on it for quite a while.  Then up to the 3rd percentile, the 8th, and at his last well check (9 months) he was just above the 15th percentile.  It is sometimes hard to believe this little guy was measuring over the 95th percentile when I was pregnant; but that just goes to show how much growing he missed out on those last two months and is still doing his best to catch up.

He is such a happy boy, and we've been hitting all milestones around the adjusted time frame.  The only thing I really wish we'd been able to get the hang of is sleeping through the night.  I know Lydia was sleeping through around the 6 month mark, and granted it if we look at it from Will's adjusted age he isn't that far off, but I am really feeling it.  A few weeks ago my favorite delivery came again - bulk coffee (Kcups I buy online) and my husband asked in disbelief about how much coffee I've ordered.  Since I average 3-4 16 oz cups a day (all before 5pm) he sweetly he declares that much can't be good for me...to which I snark "neither is sleeping in only 2-3 hr blocks for over the past year."  That's right - since I spotted to some degree the majority of my pregnancy, and it always happened overnight, I really haven't slept through the night since the early days of my pregnancy = Jan/Feb 2013!  Now I'm not really complaining - just don't mess with my coffee!   

On a related note - I will never understand why "they" in the baby book/website world consider 5 sequential hours to qualify a baby "sleeping through the night."  Let us be clear - the likelihood of those 5 hours lining up with any adult timing of 5 hours is soooooooo not likely!  If we really go by that definition, then sure Will has been sleeping "through the night" for months now - except those 5 hours happen between 7pm and midnight.  May I refer you to the paragraph on getting Lydia to bed? Then add in cleaning up chaos/prepping for the next day chaos and that equation puts mommy in bed outside the hours of 7pm-midnight.  You do that math.  I can tell you it does not equal sleep!

Around the time this post was started we did have a few (literally 3 I think) nights in a row where Will slept all night.  It felt glorious - until he went back to frequent wake ups for another few weeks.  That was worse than never getting a glimpse at a full nights sleep in the first place - a teaser of what would never be realized again!  Ok that might be dramatic, but sleep deprivation is a form of torture.  I can happily say though that we are back on the sleep band wagon, which allows me to get this posted.  The latest modification of sleep habits includes getting up for the day at 5 am, and obviously babies don't acknowledge weekends.  But at least that gives me a chance at stringing 5 or 6 hours together of blessed slumber.   Now I even fit the definition of "sleeping though the night!"  And it feels sooooo good.  And still in the hazy moments of every early wake up call, when Will gives me that big grin & grabs my face to plant a slobbery kiss, I know I'd do every second of it again any night.  

Life in a Musical

Wow, it has been a while. I've started a post a time or two, then either 1)I run out of the 4.5 minutes I thought I had free, or 2)I fall asleep in my chair having finally been able to sit still for 4.5 minutes. Sleep is not happening in our house (unless you are my husband), so I'm a bit lacking in the update department. Here's to trying to finish a thought! In one of my last posts I mentioned Lydia's love of talking and singing and talking and singing...

Let me clarify.  The girl lives in a musical.  Some have had the pleasure of witnessing this first hand, others through snapshots I've managed to record.  But really she does half of her communication in song.  It doesn't matter if she has an audience or not.  She sings to us, to herself, to her friends (real and imaginary), to her stuffed animals.  She dances too!  Ballerina dances, shake your booty dances, silly dances ~ sometimes they look pretty similar but are always energetic.

And her attention to learning the words of new songs is impressive.  Scary impressive, to the point we have learned no more "grown up music" in the car, as she hears it once and that same day is singing the lead in to Bubble Butt.  If you aren't familiar with the song, you can imagine what the lyrics are; or search the song on you tube.  It was actually the first time I heard the song as well, but now she breaks into it often enough just to remind me to be careful about what is on.  Now we listen to a multitude of variations of Wheels on the Bus, I'm a Little Teapot and the like.  The library has been our favorite place to find a new artist's version of the same song. Christmas brought a welcome variety of songs into the mix, and she still belts out "Oh come let us adore him" from time to time. She also likes to get Will into the mix. Now that he is babbling, he trades off from saying nothing when Lydia is going a mile a minute (because really it is a lot to compete with), to more often joining in the banter. So she is singing & dancing, Will is ooohing and aaahing, and I just have to smile at the nonsense. If anyone has suggestions for our play list, we'll take it!

Five months actual, Three months adjusted

Just a quick update on our little man.  Fortunately for him, he isn't staying too little.  Of course as mom I'd love him to be my little baby forever, but the fact that he is healthy and growing and thriving after his explosive early entrance into the world also makes my heart melt.  His last appointment was for his 4 month well check.  He is slowly creeping closer to the "standard" growth charts.  His length actually made it near the 3rd percentile.  When plotted on his preemie chart he is holding his curve and remains around the 60th percentile for weight but it isn't enough to make the "standard" charts just yet.  He either has been having growth spurts of late, or just misses mommy.  That boy normally likes to eat, but brought it to a whole new level the first week or so I was back at work and continues to ramp it up every couple of days.  Either way, he is putting on some pounds, adding to his roll count on his little legs, and of course there are those cheeks.

So far though we haven't had any major concerns.  That doesn't mean I'm not hyper vigilant anymore about protecting him. After all I do cringe every time another little one gets close to his face for fear he will catch somethings.  I also recruit my pediatric Physical Therapy sister to do an evaluation every so often, but overall I think I'm doing okay at letting him be a regular little baby.

We've even been at the germ factory (read: daycare) for almost two months now, and so far so good.  Of course I can't help think about all the flu and RSV and common cold viruses lurking around every corner there, but if I've learned one thing is that I have no control over the timing of any of this.  So he has started attending germ camp at the same time as virus season explodes. 

WASH YOUR HANDS PEOPLE!  (That is just a PSA as a health care worker I felt the need to throw out there and in no way is a reflection on our daycare itself.  Our daycare is actually quite awesome as germ centers go.)

So anyway, Will is now almost five months old adjusted.  I sometimes for a minute forget that he is really only three months adjusted; when I think about it I am that much more amazed at him.  He has been cooing and started giggling.  He is more alert, watches his sister be goofy and is starting to reach for toys.  His smile in the morning is the best reason to be up and always gets me going (until the coffee kicks in).  It helps that his smile also has a way of causing amnesia from the lack of sleep he caused the night before!  It would be nice to have some consistent sleep, but knowing how he is growing makes the ongoing middle of the night feedings (sometimes every three hours) rewarding by the light of day.  I haven't been tracking his milestones per se since it doesn't feel like the best measure of how he is doing.  Obviously he is behind for a five month old, and we are supposed to adjust based on his due date so he should be at a three month old level.  I am roughly aware of what he should be doing of course, but as long as he continues to make progress I am happy to let him just do that.

And that is just what he is doing!