Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Big Move

Yesterday James had his 6 month appointment. I have been waiting for this. Why you ask? Well, Stephen and I have been discussing moving James into the other bedroom since he turned 6 months old, almost 3 weeks ago. I was hesitant about the big move, and so I asked Stephen his opinion hoping that it would just reassure me into thinking it was time. Instead, Stephen brought up all these points that totally discouraged the idea and on top of it made me even more paranoid than before about him sleeping in the other room. My last chance was to ask the doctor about it with Stephen there at James' next appointment. Not only did she approve it but encourage it. And I learned quite a few things myself. For example, James should be sleeping anywhere from 10-12 hours at night. HALLELUJAH! Now she said it's okay at first to feed him sometime in the middle since he's not use to sleeping that long yet without any snacks. Something else I learned, babies are suppose to go to bed early. Technically I knew that, but our definition of early was a lot later than the doctors. But she said to move up his bed time early slowly so he can adjust. Last night was the first night we moved him into the other room. I don't know why but he slept a lot better. He slept 8 hours straight, woke up and ate about 4 oz. of breast milk, and then fell back asleep for another 3 hours. HEAVEN! Despite the fact that he slept so well I did not. It was the first time we used the baby monitor and we had bought it at a garage sale for $5. I kept waking up thinking that I didn't have the volume up loud enough, and worrying that maybe I just slept through his crying (not that that's a bad thing we're suppose to let them cry it out at this age). Finally around 5 a.m. I went in to check in on him, and he was sound asleep, but then I couldn't go back to sleep because I kept thinking, well it's been 6 hours so I'll just wait for him to wake up to feed him and then go back to sleep. 2 hours passed, finally when I was drifting off I heard him babbling. Hopefully tonight will be better. Man, getting to that phase when you just have to let them cry it out is so hard, because sometimes when they are crying it sounds like they are dying or being tortured so you want to run to their side and make sure they are ok. But my doctor told me that if I do that then James has me well trained. Now for his stats, ready? Weight 19 lbs. 2 oz. 80% percentile, length 28 in. 93% percentile (she commented on how tall he is, woohoo!) head 45.5 cm. 90% (when we said he's got "The Taylor's Big Head" she said that it's only big to cram in all the brains he's got in there, woohoo times two!) Here's the little love child at 6.5 months.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

We moved Ellie into her own room just after Christmas. We don't even have a monitor! Yikes, I know. But so far so good. I wake up pretty easily if I hear her, but she's never woken up in the middle of the night. Good luck getting James on a healthier sleep schedule! It was the best thing I ever did for Ellie (and myself), despite the few days of crying. You can do it! You're a tough mama!

Megan said...

I booted Camryn out only a few weeks after she was born because she was the LOUDEST sleeper! She'd sigh, squeal, flip around, make incessant sucking noises--you name it! I COULD NOT SLEEP. On the flip side, I know exactly what it's like to lay there awake in a mix of dread and anxiety and nerve-wracking jumpiness, just waiting for that first cry from the other room! (I feel this way when Camryn's napping and i'm just about to sit down and do something fun--because she always wakes up right then). It's so hard to let go little by little as a parent, but it does wonders for your own well-being. You start feeling just a little bit more free and independent, and even the slightest improvement makes you feel so much more in control of your own life! Being a parent is so hard. Becky and I bemoan our fates as mothers of tantrum-throwing toddlers all the time, but we both agree that the freedom that comes with an older kid is so much better than the 24/7 hands-on work, worry, and sleeplessness that comes with a baby!

P.S. If Steve and Karl were to watch Camryh between them on Saturday, I would SO come over and slean your house! I love doing stuff like that! Last night I begged Karl to take Cam to scouts with him, then busted a move for an hour and cleaned my house top to bottom. Karl was amazed when he came home. And it felt so good and relaxing (!!) to get that stuff done that I was more than willing to do a bath AND bedtime myself. So really! Saturday! We'll chat about it tonight!

Megan said...

Nice typos I just noticed. I'm the most dyslexic typer--I stare at my fingers and never look at the screen!

BTW, I can't believe how much James is starting to look more like a little boy and less like a baby! I remember feeling so startled when Preston started losing his babyness--I wasn't ready yet, and I was just his auntie, not his mom! Camryn's babyness seemed to disappear overnight. It's so cool, though, to see the little kid emerge from the roly-poly little baby and get an idea of what the years ahead hold in store for you! In good ways, at least...I could live without some of Camryn's big-girl behavior. ;)

linda said...

James is growing so fast, and he is already losing his little cheeks. I'm just not ready for that! I agree that you will all sleep better with him in the other room, at least once everyone has adjusted to the new arrangements. It seems that baby's sleep schedules are always changing. Just when you think you have them figured out, they begin working on a new developmental milestone, and their sleep patterns get disrupted. Just remember that it is temporary, and they will go back to sleeping better once they have accomplished whatever it is they have been working on.

A Wink and a Smile said...

I was joking Meg, you don't have to "slean" my house, but I do covet your very clean house on a regular basis. :D

Sarah B Heath said...

James is THE cutest little boy! I about melted when I saw this photo with his bright blue eyes. He'll be a year when we meet him and that's not soon enough. Scarlett slept with me in bed for 6 months, and Ian was on the futon. It was strange and wonderful when I put her in her crib and I got to sleep with my husband again! Lucky he's sleeping so well at night. Yay!