Breaking News!!!

Okay, well maybe not. But...it's breaking news in my little world.

"Baby Wise" SUCKS!!! Yep, I said it.

*Disclaimer: This is just my opinion. I think it sucks for me and my baby.*

If you haven't read the book, I'm referring to the "eat, play, sleep" routine. The idea is that you get your baby on a schedule where they eat, then play and then nap. I've been loosely following this idea for the past 6+ months.

Gavin eats, stays awake for 1.5-2 hours and then is exhausted and wants a nap. The problem? He's tired just before it's time to eat again. I put him down for a nap, he wakes up right at his next feeding. I was getting 30-45 minute naps a few times a day.

This past weekend the bestie was here. I was expressing my frustrations with G's new "nighttime naps" and lack of daytime naps with substance (aka "me time.")  We realized what I wrote in the paragraph above. As soon as she brought it to my attention, a light bulb went off. It's so obvious (just like, a few weeks ago I tweeted for suggestions on a miracle lotion for my hands because they're ridiculously dry from all the bottle washing. @thisispersonal commented that I should wear dish gloves. OMG!!! Obviously! Dish gloves have solved my dry hand issues!) If I go to bed hungry, I won't sleep as well but I am usually half asleep when I have a full belly.

The bestie wrote down the schedule she's used for her two boys. The idea is that I "top him off" with a small bottle before naps which means he's not exactly eating every three hours.

After a full day on that new schedule, I have a new child!!! Yesterday, he took TWO 1.5 hr naps!!! TWO!!! This hasn't solved the problem with him waking up in the middle of the night...yet. I think once he gets used to the new routine, he'll be more confident to sleep through the night. Fingers crossed at least. (I'm more than happy to share his new schedule if anyone is interested.)

In other breaking news (again, in my little world,) I have an idea why new moms/SAHMs wear sweatpants and stretch pants.

*Disclaimer: I know that it is just a stereotype. I'm not saying that all new moms and stay-at-home-moms wear sweatpants and stretch pants. But...this stay-at-home, new mom does!*

If I'm not just wearing my PJs all day, I'm usually in, what I like to call, comfies. They're usually yoga pants, sweat pant material shorts or just loose cotton capris.

Let me tell you why...

I've been on a diet since G was six weeks old. I am now under (WOOT! WOOT!!!) my pre-pregnancy weight. Unfortunately, I am still not fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes. What the heck?!?!

It appears that my hips and a$$ did not get the memo! Everything has remained prepared for another baby (you know...W I D E!) Hence, (yeah...hence!) the comfy bottoms. Stretchy and cotton is forgiving and comfortable. I'm not stuck with constant wedgies and a horrible muffin top!

But -- I'm certainly not laying around all day in my sweatpants, eating bon bons, watching Oprah!

And the award goes to...

Me!    

For “Worst Blogger EVER!!!” 

I really just can’t get it together. I suck! And it’s apparent that many of you in blogland agree because I lost six followers since my last post. I can’t blame them for going…but it still sucks!

So, since my brain is a constant fog, this is one of those bullet-ed posts to get you all caught up. I feel like once everyone is caught up, it's easier for me to keep it that way. But, I always manage to get behind anyway =(

*1* G went on his first vacation! Camping/Road trip to Utah. Now, when I mention camping, most  think tent, bugs and heat. Well, when I talk about camping this is what I actually mean…



Us...Zion Nat'l Forest

Yeah, I know, I can hardly call it camping. We went with my parents and the hubs met us there. It was fun but it was nice to be home and get back to our usual routine.

*2* Gavin turned SIX MONTHS!!!Who let me sweet baby turn into a kid?!?! No seriously! He's huge and he wants to do what HE wants to do...like a kid!!! When he doesn't want to go in his car seat, he arches his back so you can't get him in. He has also mastered clamping his mouth shut if he doesn't want the food I have to offer. He can't handle being still. He's usually kicking his chubby little legs or jumping/dancing (looks like River Dance to me) when I have him standing. He's sitting up all by himself and rolls from front to back and back to front with ease although he doesn't seem to have much desire to crawl. He much prefers to hang out in his "jump, jump."

Playing in his "jump, jump"
that I made into a "fort"

*3* Mommy blog I've come to the conclusion that I don't blog often because I don't know what to write. I'm in limbo. Infertile with a baby. Oxymoron? So...I'm officially turning the corner as a "Mommy Blogger." I have a baby (although quickly turning into a big boy) so that's what the majority of my posts are (or would be) about. As much as I'd hate to lose followers, I know that it's hard to read blogs about ladies on the flip side of infertility. If you need to unfollow, I understand (but it'll make me sad.)

*4* My husband has been trying to get hired as a firefighter for the past 4.5 years. He's applied to departments in California and also all the neighboring states. Last month, the hubs was offered a position!!! It's in a county North of us so we'll still be able to

keep our current living arrangement and I was able to resign from my job!!! I'm officially a full-time mommy and wife of a firefighter!!! I'm so proud of him!!!

*5* In lieu of the above, I'm facing life as a single mom...temporarily. The hubs will be starting the academy at the end of this month. It's a four month academy, an hour and a half away. In order for him to focus and not lose sleep commuting (or lose sleep hearing a certain 6+ month old wake every three hours for a bottle,) he is renting a room with two other guys that are in the academy also. The house is just a couple of miles from the academy. The plan is that he'll be home on the weekends but we'll see. I just imagine he'll be so exhausted that he'll just want to rest. This leaves me and the G-man home alone, 24-hours a day for at least five days a week. Don't feel too bad for me. We live in an apartment above my parent's house so I will have them to give me a quick break when I think I might pull my hair our. I'm still dreading it! I'm actually a little in denial.

*6* We had our consultation for the FET. While we were there, we introduced G to "his creator" as the hubs now calls him. LOL
Here's all the info on the FET because I know some of you have to be curious about the costs. We have three frozen embryos. We have an 11-cell morula, an 8-cell compacting and a 6-cell. He told us that there's a 75% chance of a successful thaw (but he has no reason to think any of them won't survive) and he'd suggest we transfer all three (or whichever survive thaw) since there's roughly a 35% chance of pregnancy with a frozen embryo (compared to 55-60% with a fresh embryo.) He wants me to do a SHG (a sonohysterogram, or saline ultrasound, is a procedure where saline is injected into the uterus while an ultrasound is performed. It is used to look for polyps, fibroids, and other uterine abnormalities that may get in the way of fertility) prior to the FET just to make sure pregnancy and labor didn't damage the uterus. The SHG will cost $450 and the FET itself will cost $3,100 ($600 - monitoring and ultrasounds, $1,200 - embryo transfer, $700 - thawing and preparing embryos for transfer and $600 - assisted hatching.) I'd love to jump right in with my next cycle but we're leaning towards waiting until the hubs is out of the fire academy.

Awake...10 minutes after
 putting him down for a nap!

*7* I haven't made much headway with the sleep issues (other than the fact that he IS actually sleeping in his crib now.) I started giving him a bottle when he stirs between midnight-1am. Now, he's started waking at 3am like clockwork for another bottle and then, guess what? He wakes at 6am for another. Aahhh!!! He's reverted back to eating every three hours at night. Seriously!?! What the heck!!! I'm wondering if he's in a growth spurt. Actually, I'm praying it's a growth spurt and it'll pass. He just had his six month shots this week. He's just cranky and restless now. Maybe it'll be better next week. I can pray, right?!

G's first night in the crib

*8* As you can see/read, G is finally in his big boy bed. At first, I couldn't see the point of him being in another room when he just woke up all the time, then I couldn't stand the thought of him being that far away. After I got over that, I just wanted to wait for his custom made bedding to get in, then I needed a milestone day to put him in his bed (I know, I'm just crazy like that.) Finally...on his six month birthday, he slept in his crib, in his very own room, for the first night. Well, as you know from the sleep issues I mentioned, he actually just takes a few "night naps" in his crib. Regardless, he's now napping and attempting sleeping through the night in his crib. I'm so proud of me! =)

*9* I might be the last person on earth who knows what Pinterest is! Seriously, what is it? I've seen quite a few Pinterest inspired posts... Suzy posted 10 on Tuesday (I'm totally getting a magazine holder for cans and using Prin.gles cans for cookies...genius!!!) and The Subfertile Frugalista posted this awesome wedding invitation ornament idea. So, I love seeing all the pins that inspire other people but I have no idea what Pinterest actually is. I'd love it if you'd enlighten me.

Peanut butter chocolate
chip BACON cookies!!!

*10* I really don't have a #10 but I feel like I should round it out. Hhmmm, oh...I know, yesterday I made peanut butter chocolate chip BACON cookies. Yep, bacon!!! Does it get any better!?! I mean those are three of my favorite foods all in one cookies. HEAVEN!!!

Seeking some mommy advice!!!

I’m in the process of writing on of those bullet-ed posts to get you all caught up (with the full intention of blogging more regularly…how many times have I said that? I mean it though!!!)

But…for now…I NEED HELP!!!

My little guy wakes up in the middle of the night AAAALLLLLLLLL the time!!! He wakes up crying around midnight, he’s usually flipped from his tummy to his back (which he hates.) He’s crying but he’s not usually awake.  I go in, reposition him, give him his pacifier, and pat him on the tush. He falls back asleep…for the moment. Usually after that encounter, he wakes up another 3-4 four times. I repeat the above each time until…he wins and I bring him into our bed (around 4am) where he’ll sleep until 6:30am when he gets a small bottle and falls back asleep until 7:30-8am.

His bedroom is at an optimal 70 degrees regularly. He usually wears long sleeves and footless bottoms. I cover him with a comfy blanket that usually stays in place (until he flips over.) He goes to bed at the same time every night (8pm) after his evening bottle. He usually falls asleep during  his bottle, after burping, I snuggle him for a few minutes and lay him down (I am fully aware that I should be laying him down groggy so he can fall asleep on his own…that’ll come next.)

G's first nap in his big boy bed!

The bestie (a mother of a two year old and one year old) suggested that I give him a bottle when he wakes up the first time at midnight. She said that he may be hungry enough to be uncomfortable but too tired to wake up and tell me. I’m going to give this a try this week.

I’m also fully aware that I could let him cry it out but that is not something I’m ready for now. If I try everything else with no success, that will be my last resort.

So, what suggestions do you have? I’m sure there are a million things I should’ve done prior to this but I’m more interested in ideas to help him sleep soundly from here on.