What does it mean?

Any Spanish used in blog posts is hyperlinked to its English translation.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Sleep training, night Q

I've got to insert another post about nights 14 and 16. But we're around night 29 tonight.

It's only like the 3rd or 5th time this kiddo has slept 6 consecutive hours. And the first opportunity I've had to also sleep those hours. All the other nights, her 6 hr stretches have been 9:30 - 3:30 and I haven't been in bed earlier than 11:30 - 1:30 on those nights.

This week she's been really wakeful again - maybe molars coming in, or maybe habits re-forming without having really been broken in the first place. So I asked The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe if he could get up with her tonight. He said sure - but also put her to bed.

Maybe you can see where this is going. She went to bed late because of our own familial disorganization (late dinner -> late bath -> late bedtime) . Once he was putting her down, I thought, "Oops. Never mind, I'll go in the first time she wakes up tonight instead, and he can get up with her after."

Well she's been asleep 5.5 hours. I am awake, with one engorged corn silo boob.

It's leaked long enough that the shape of my torso is soaked into the sheets. We've got quite a busy weekend so I have no idea how I'll be able to add another load to the list of "must accomplish!" laundry, but the mattress cover has to come off ASAP. The real problem here is of course that I WAS EXHAUSTED BUT AM NOT ASLEEP because boob pain woke me up.

There are additional minor annoyances including: why does she sleep on the night THCSITU agrees to get up with her? I am hungry because we had Thai delivery for dinner (and gave the kiddo half my food since THCSITU's order is too spicy). I am awake and so would love to do laundry or work on her baby book - but those things would wake one or both of these people up. Gah.

On another note, I need to take the time to plan and write a celebratory blog post. I don't want this to become a "list of grievances" type blog. Being this kiddo's mom has been more fun - and easier! - than I ever imagined. She's amazing and I am excited to see her sweet face when she wakes up.

Because my other boob just started leaking too. (Really.)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Baby no more

Finally have an official first word:
Agua

Contenders:
Gol
Not
Ah-choo
(She says all of those too, but not with regular context/meaning. Well, Ah-choo is FULL of meaning but not really a word.)

Though I LOVED having a tiny baby, I have noticed that this is physically easier. There are always a lot of things to accomplish, but just not so infinitely many loads of laundry, bottles to wash, minutes (hours) of nursing. Also kiddo can play on her own for ten minutes or more at a stretch. That's never when I desperately want her to so I can finish what I am trying to do, of course, but still a nice development.

On the other hand, the actual parenting is a lot more challenging. When to give in, when to hold firm, when is defiance a result of hunger/thirst/exhaustion and when is it plain old toddler contrariness? And we've only barely begun.