We are just under a month away before Mummy has to go back to school to finish up her practicum. There are so many planning sheets to complete, assignments that are due. Daddy and I talked about it last night and we both agree that you would need to learn a new routine. Daddy was really nice to help Mummy with the bed time routine last night so Mummy could get some planning and organising done. He created a nice calm atmosphere for you starting with bath time, then Mummy fed you and you fell asleep shortly after. We always hoped you would sleep through the night.
However, as with most nights you woke up 45 mins later. Daddy went into the room with you and tried to soothe you. He even tried to softly read your favourite book, "Go Baby Go" to you. He then walked out to make you a bottle in hopes to settle you down for bed again. He even sang you a lullaby over and over again as he tried to rock you to sleep. All the while, you fussed, screamed and cried. He checked your diapers to see if you needed to be changed. Nope, you were dry still. He checked to see if you were hungry. Nope, you weren't and had just had a bottle. He checked to see if your gums were bugging you. Nope, you were gumming down on his finger. Daddy continued to rock you while walking around the room hoping to soothe you so you could fall asleep in his arms. Then by chance, he happened to be close to the bedroom door and you stopped wailing and gave a lil laugh. Daddy noticed this and decided to do a lol experiment. He walked away from the door and just taking a couple of steps away from the door caused you to wail again. Daddy walked you closer to the door and you stopped and did a lil laugh again. Well, looks like you have figured out that all the fun happens on the other side of the bedroom door and you wanted to go out, "talk" with mummy and stay up for another hour or so. Mummy is to be blame for this. You would go down for 8ish and wake up at 9ish wide awake. Mummy would try to get you to go back to sleep but you would always be smiling and happy. So Mummy would pick you up and carry you to the living room while she get things done while holding you.
Tonight, with Daddy working at his PT job, Mummy decided to try a new routine. She would create a nice calm atmosphere before she started your bedtime routine. She had the lights in the living room dimmed and read to you your favourite books. She gave you a bath all the while using a calm and low voice so as not to excite you. She started to sing a lullaby as she got you dressed in your PJs. Then we walked to the bedroom and you got a feed while Mummy held you in her arms on her lap. You slowly drifted to sleep but Mummy made sure you got a good feed so you would have a full belly as you don't sleep well without one. 25 minutes later you were out. Mummy held you for 10 minutes more before gently putting you down. She sat there for a while making sure you were still asleep and settled before she walked out to take a quick shower.
Mummy had barely gotten herself dressed after her shower when she heard you fussing and crying. She peaked into the room from the door to see if you were awake or you were just fussing and would go back to sleep. 5 minutes later, your fussing were starting to turn into cries so she walked over to you to console you and to let you know that she was still around. You stopped crying the moment you saw Mummy next to you. 5 minutes later, after comforting you, Mummy ducked out of sight but stayed by the side of the bed. Mummy then commando crawled to the foot of the bed and sat against the wall facing the bed and waited for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes Mummy went over to comfort you once more and then ducked out of sight to the same spot for 10 minutes. Mummy did this cycle of 5 minutes of comforting followed by a period of staying out of sight that got longer by 5 minutes after each time she had to comfort you.
Each time Mummy had to sit at the foot of the bed waiting for the time to be up so she could go to your side to comfort you, she would try to distract herself by texting your Aunty or catch up on some blog reading. It was hard for Mummy to let you try to cry it out and soothe yourself to sleep. By the time Mummy was at the end of the 25 minutes staying-out-of-sight cycle (you had been crying and screaming through each cycle Mummy was out of sight) you were still awake and smiling every time Mummy was there to comfort you. You weren't in any discomfort as Mummy had checked to see if you were hungry, if your gums were bugging you or if you needed a change of diapers every time Mummy was there next to you. Mummy didn't have the heart to carry on anymore by this point, so you were picked up and comforted.
Mummy 0. Esmerelda 1000. We'll try again tomorrow night.
Love,
Mummy
PS : Tomorrow, we're bringing back the bassinet and giving that a try again. You didn't like it before. Every time you were laid down, when you fell asleep in my arms, you would wake up the moment your body touched the bassinet. So yea... fingers AND toes crossed.
My little princess turned 4 months old today. I had mentally planned out an entire blog entry to recap, highlight and share her little life's journey so far. All this complete with photos of my little cutie patooey.
Unfortunately, as with many mums with a new baby, life got in the way. I woke up with a pounding headache and as the day progressed Esmerelda got really fussy and cranky. Nothing but being held and having a cool teething ring to gnaw on soothed her. All attempts to lay her down so I could take a quick bathroom break, or grab a quick few minutes to heat up something to eat, or laying her down to change her diapers were met with ear piercing screams. These screams went on and off all afternoon and well into the night. I often wonder if my neighbours have gotten tired of her screams and are starting to blacklist me as a neighbour from hell. Worse, what if they thought that I was abusing or torturing my little girl and contemplated calling social services on me.
I had to constantly remind myself to breathe as Esmerelda struggled and fought me as I tried to change her diapers all the while screaming her head off till her face was turning red. It's not her fault. Nope not at all. She was feeling really crappy because her gums were bugging her and the only way she could communicate to me that she was in pain. I tried all ways and means to comfort her. I bounced her in my lap. Made goofy faces to try to make her laugh. Read to her, which always calms her down. Watched Sesame Street and sing her favourite songs to her. She would calm down, smile, and laugh for a brief moment before scrunching up her face and scream again.
Personally, nothing hurts me more than when I am unable comfort and soothe my little girl. She was not able to settle down for the night so I resorted to giving her a dose of infant tylenol a couple of hours ago so that she could get some relief from the pain. I held her while reading one of her favourite books and I noticed she was a little bit more calm than she had been all day. I fed her after we had read the book twice and she slowly drifted off to sleep in my arms. I waited a while more before I put her down on the bed and she has been asleep ever since.
SIGH.
It has been a rough day.
Though, tomorrow is a new day and it can only be a better day.
Was working out to Shaun T (trying to lose weight or at least not to gain) when Ezzy woke up when there was less than 10 minutes left to the routine. I started working out in front of her and she was smiling and chuckling away. Seeing this, I picked up my point and shoot camera and decided to document Ezzy's reaction. Well, instead of looking at me she was definitely more interested in what was going on on TV. *grin*
I know the video could have been better put together but I wanted to get this out and Ezzy has been really fussy all day long. Will do better in future short clips.
The things I think about while sitting on the john. Maybe it is because time in the bathroom is the only time I have some me time to myself or maybe my mummy brain works in very funny ways. Anyways, here's what jumped into my mind the other night. I have an image of a lady I would hope and like Ezzy to grow up to be, however, who am I kidding??! Of course she is going to grow up to be someone she wants to be and it will most certainly be a big opposite of what I had hoped for. At this point, I got annoyed at the future grown up Ezzy before smacking myself mentally as I was in future Ezzy's position. I had my own ideas of how I would like to be as a person which clashed a lot with what my dad had expected of me.
Even though Ezzy is only 15 weeks old, I'm already struggling with my own expectations of her with the need to give her the freedom to be who she wants to be .... provided she is a sensible and responsible human being with high levels of common sense. See what just happened there? I remind myself that she will be her own person and I want to enable her to make her own choices, but then I go and add a clause to how she can and should go about making those choices. It's giving her freedom within certain limitations.
Am I the only parent out there that is trying to grasp the concept of encouraging your child to be whoever they want to be and secretly hoping that they will listen to what you want them to be? Am i the only parent who battles with trying to strike a harmonious balance of being a parent (setting limitations) and allowing your child to be who they want to be?
Don't get me wrong. I want her to be happy. Though, I'm definitely going to be one big emotional wreck when she starts to learn how to talk and will be able to express her feelings and thoughts.
So... erm... Are my thoughts making sense to you or are these thoughts only making sense to me in my confused, babbling mummy mind...?
My dear lil princess (daddy's lil monkey), you turn 6-Weeks-Old today. Where did the time go????!
You're starting to stay awake a lil longer these days and you don't scream as much as you did before. If you have been fed good and well rested, we could have a good 15-20 minutes of calm time to interact and talk to you and you would smile and gurgled and cooed back at us. You also like to look at your name that we have above your changing table which sometimes distract you from screaming while you get changed. I like to think you follow my finger as I point out the letters that spell out your name. Maybe it's just because the letters are black in contrast to the white wall and I read that babies are attracted to items in black and white. However, I'd like to think that you, my lil princess, is one smart lil cookie. :D Now, if you would only stop confusing your days and nights. Mummy would love to sleep more on the bed than sleeping while sitting on the sofa with you.
Love, Mummy
PS : Your 外婆 (Wai Po) insisted I take a photo of your eyes so that she can document the colour of your eyes. Well, as much as Mummy dearest here would love for you to have light coloured eyes, I am not sure you lucked out to have bluish eyes like your Daddy.
Lifetime
