If you have a baby AND hold down a job or have other kids, you're my hero. If you have a baby AND hold down a job AND have other kids, well, there are just no words to describe my amazement.
I have one baby and my only job is to be a stay-at-home-mum. And I can't believe how fast the day goes and how little I get done. Seriously. Sometimes I look at the clock and it's 7:45am and then 5 minutes later I'll look again and it's 4:30pm. And I can't name a single thing that I've accomplished in that time. But there are women, millions of women out there, who have jobs and multiple kids and still find time to check email, have a hobby and exercise on a daily basis.
What am I doing wrong?
In an attempt to answer this question, I am outlining a typical day in my life with my 10-week-old baby Maya. Please note that the following does NOT take into account if we have to leave the house for any reason (doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, etc.) or if Maya's having one of her hungry or gassy days that require even more of my attention than usual. That's a whole other level of craziness.
It should also be noted that Maya is a fantastic sleeper but a terrible napper. Bless her heart, she will sleep for about 12 hours at night and usually for 6-8 hours at a stretch without waking up to feed. But napping is another story. She takes random catnaps here and there - if I'm lucky - and those typically don't last more than 30 minutes.
So here we go, here is a typical day in the life:
7:00am - Maya wakes up, feeds, change diaper
7:30am - Playtime
8:45am - Feed, diaper change
9:00am - I *try* to get Maya down for a nap, doesn't always happen. If she does nap, I try for a shower, I do laundry, empty the dishwasher, try to get some breakfast, etc.
10:00am - Feed, diaper change
10:30am - Playtime
11:30am - laundry, feed, diaper change
12:00pm - Playtime, if Maya isn't been too demanding I try to eat something quick
1:00pm - Feed, diaper change
1:30pm - *Try* to get Maya down for a nap. If successful, check email, blogs, laundry, etc.
2:30pm - Feed, diaper change
3:00pm - Playtime
4:00pm - Feed, diaper change, more laundry (if you're keeping count, YES, I do laundry ALL day)
4:30pm - Playtime
5:00pm - Feed, play
5:30pm - Feed, play (Maya is always really hungry in the evenings)
6:00pm - Bath time
6:30pm - Feed
7:00pm - Daddy plays with Maya while I make dinner. She usually nods off around 7:00/7:30pm
7:30pm - Parents eat dinner
8:00pm - We watch some TV
9:30pm - Bedtime for parents. I try to wake Maya for a feed around this time so she'll sleep longer but she usually doesn't wake up. Check diaper.
1:00am - Occasionally Maya will wake up for a feed at this time, maybe twice a week.
3:00am - Feed, change diaper
7:00am - We start all over again!
So what am I doing wrong? Where does the time go? Is it me? Am I missing something? I really want YOUR opinion. Please comment if you have any ideas.
I feel like I'm insanely busy all day. But busy doing what? I know it seems like I do a lot of feeding, and I do. But I let Maya feed on demand and for as long as she wants. I don't know how else to do it. I don't want her to be hungry. I do want her to feel like she can eat anytime she feels the need. Is that wrong?
Is anyone else experiencing this black hole of time suckage? I feel like I have to formally schedule in cutting my fingernails and drinking a glass of water. And going to the bathroom.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
in touch with the world again
My wonderful darling fabulous husband bought me a new computer. I had a desktop computer before and now I have a shiny new lovely laptop. Which means....I can post a lot more often than I have been since Maya was born AND keep better tabs on all my bloggy friends. Having the mobility of a laptop makes it a lot easier to do computery things with a baby. RIght now, for example, she is asleep next to me while I am clickity-clacking on my new computer on the bed. Hooray for my new computer!
Other news: At our last doctor's appointment (the one with the dreaded vaccines), Dr. M took a swab of Maya's blocked tear duct because it was a tad bit red and irritated looking. She called me yesterday to tell me that the results were in and the eye seems to have a very scant infection. So, she prescribed some eye ointment for us to use three times a day for a few days.
Have you ever tried to put ointment into a baby's eyes? Well let me tell you, it's not easy. The good news is that it seems to be working already. Her eye looks waaaaaay better than it did yesterday. Thank goodness.
Gosh it feels great to be able to post whenever I want now. And to check emails. And surf the web. I don't think we ever need to leave my bedroom again!
Observe: Maya's awake now and we are enjoying our new toy on the bed (this cool new computer has a camera built into the screen). Photo taken with Photo Booth.
Other news: At our last doctor's appointment (the one with the dreaded vaccines), Dr. M took a swab of Maya's blocked tear duct because it was a tad bit red and irritated looking. She called me yesterday to tell me that the results were in and the eye seems to have a very scant infection. So, she prescribed some eye ointment for us to use three times a day for a few days.
Have you ever tried to put ointment into a baby's eyes? Well let me tell you, it's not easy. The good news is that it seems to be working already. Her eye looks waaaaaay better than it did yesterday. Thank goodness.
Gosh it feels great to be able to post whenever I want now. And to check emails. And surf the web. I don't think we ever need to leave my bedroom again!
Observe: Maya's awake now and we are enjoying our new toy on the bed (this cool new computer has a camera built into the screen). Photo taken with Photo Booth.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
you know you're a mum when...
1. You can tell when a diaper is wet just by feeling the outside. Of two layers of clothing PLUS diaper.
2. You suddenly find yourself saying such nonsense as "cool beans" and "awesome possum", etc.
3. You realize that you haven't had an adult conversation in more than 48 hours.
4. You can almost pinpoint your baby's temperature to the tenth of a degree just by touch.
5. You eat your meals really, REALLY fast.
6. You know how to make a really catchy song out of any topic or random words strung together.
7. You still consider your clothing to be totally clean if there is only a little bit of spit-up on it.
8. It takes you 5 hours to do a task that should only take 20 minutes (i.e. reading the directions on how to use your new breast pump).
9. Your husband feels neglected.
10. The love of your life is less than 2 feet tall.
The vaccinations were awful. Maya cried so hard she made sounds I've never heard her make before. And I sobbed so hard the doctor had to give me a hug. It was brutal. Just horrible. I can't believe we have to go through it all again in another two months. I can't even think about that now.
The good news that came out of her two-month appointment is that she is growing perfectly, right on track, and is in the 75th percentile for all her measurements. She is thriving and that makes me really happy. More good news - it looks like her thrush is pretty much gone, or at least is on its way out. Yay!
And because the thrush is finally at bay, I decided to try pumping and bottle-feeding. I don't want to bottle feed all the time, just once in a while so I can do stuff like, I dunno, get a haircut for example. Well we tried for the first time this evening. I pumped a nice 3 ounce bottle this afternoon and D tried to give it to her when he got home from work. Maya was not having any of it. So I tried. No luck. By the end of the whole ordeal, Maya was crying and we were worn out. I ended up relenting and offering her my deflated boob and that was it. I think we'll try again and see how it goes, but I gotta say, it does not look good for bottle feeding right now.
Maya is growing so fast. She is two months old and is already in 3-6 month size clothing. Here are some recent pics of my baby girl:
2. You suddenly find yourself saying such nonsense as "cool beans" and "awesome possum", etc.
3. You realize that you haven't had an adult conversation in more than 48 hours.
4. You can almost pinpoint your baby's temperature to the tenth of a degree just by touch.
5. You eat your meals really, REALLY fast.
6. You know how to make a really catchy song out of any topic or random words strung together.
7. You still consider your clothing to be totally clean if there is only a little bit of spit-up on it.
8. It takes you 5 hours to do a task that should only take 20 minutes (i.e. reading the directions on how to use your new breast pump).
9. Your husband feels neglected.
10. The love of your life is less than 2 feet tall.
The vaccinations were awful. Maya cried so hard she made sounds I've never heard her make before. And I sobbed so hard the doctor had to give me a hug. It was brutal. Just horrible. I can't believe we have to go through it all again in another two months. I can't even think about that now.
The good news that came out of her two-month appointment is that she is growing perfectly, right on track, and is in the 75th percentile for all her measurements. She is thriving and that makes me really happy. More good news - it looks like her thrush is pretty much gone, or at least is on its way out. Yay!
And because the thrush is finally at bay, I decided to try pumping and bottle-feeding. I don't want to bottle feed all the time, just once in a while so I can do stuff like, I dunno, get a haircut for example. Well we tried for the first time this evening. I pumped a nice 3 ounce bottle this afternoon and D tried to give it to her when he got home from work. Maya was not having any of it. So I tried. No luck. By the end of the whole ordeal, Maya was crying and we were worn out. I ended up relenting and offering her my deflated boob and that was it. I think we'll try again and see how it goes, but I gotta say, it does not look good for bottle feeding right now.
Maya is growing so fast. She is two months old and is already in 3-6 month size clothing. Here are some recent pics of my baby girl:
Saturday, October 25, 2008
v-day
Monday, oh lord Monday. I am so dreading it.
Monday is the day that Maya is scheduled to get her first vaccines. I am totallyfreakingout. I would honestly prefer to get 1000 shots in my face than put her through getting the 4 shots in her thigh that she's in for. I don't know how I'm going to handle this. Dread. Dread. Double dread.
Studies have shown that babies feel less pain if they can breastfeed while getting the shots. So of course I'm going to do that. I am so scared. The mere idea of inflicting pain on my little sweet baby is honestly making me nauseous as I type this. I am just beside myself. Thank goodness D is taking the day off work to be with us. Please wish us luck and if you don't mind, we'd so appreciate a good thought sent our way on Monday at 11:45am PST.
In other news, we're still battling the thrush. Well not so much battling as not battling actually. It just wasn't getting any better despite the 14-day course of Nystatin. Or if it was getting better, it was just a minimal improvement at best. So, at our last appointment, Maya's doctor told us to stop all medications and "just see what happens". Dr. Jack Newman - breastfeeding guru - says that there is no reason to treat thrush unless it is causing problems or pain for the mother or the baby. And really, thank goodness, it isn't in our case. So we're following this advice. I can't tell if it looks like it's getting any better yet (of course I stare at it every day) but other people have said it seems like it's starting to clear up. We'll see what the doctor says when we see her on Monday.
Ug. Monday.
*Shudder*
Monday is the day that Maya is scheduled to get her first vaccines. I am totallyfreakingout. I would honestly prefer to get 1000 shots in my face than put her through getting the 4 shots in her thigh that she's in for. I don't know how I'm going to handle this. Dread. Dread. Double dread.
Studies have shown that babies feel less pain if they can breastfeed while getting the shots. So of course I'm going to do that. I am so scared. The mere idea of inflicting pain on my little sweet baby is honestly making me nauseous as I type this. I am just beside myself. Thank goodness D is taking the day off work to be with us. Please wish us luck and if you don't mind, we'd so appreciate a good thought sent our way on Monday at 11:45am PST.
In other news, we're still battling the thrush. Well not so much battling as not battling actually. It just wasn't getting any better despite the 14-day course of Nystatin. Or if it was getting better, it was just a minimal improvement at best. So, at our last appointment, Maya's doctor told us to stop all medications and "just see what happens". Dr. Jack Newman - breastfeeding guru - says that there is no reason to treat thrush unless it is causing problems or pain for the mother or the baby. And really, thank goodness, it isn't in our case. So we're following this advice. I can't tell if it looks like it's getting any better yet (of course I stare at it every day) but other people have said it seems like it's starting to clear up. We'll see what the doctor says when we see her on Monday.
Ug. Monday.
*Shudder*
Saturday, October 18, 2008
i like it
This post has been stewing in my head for the past couple of days now. I'm not sure who it's directed to specifically, I guess just other mums and mums-to-be. These are some items that, for the last 8 weeks, I have found absolutely indispensable. There is a lot, I mean A LOT of baby crap out there and here are some of the "must haves" in my opinion.
g Diapers. These things are amazing. First of all, they are an excellent cross between cloth and disposable. The "pants" are made of a lovely soft cotton and the disposable "insert" is made of a flushable, compostable, biodegradable material that is oh so nice against baby's skin. They handle the poo blowouts wonderfully and I believe they are more comfortable than the disposable diapers. Plus they look freakin' adorable on my little girl's bum. Highly, HIGHLY recommended. However, I suggest that you wait to use them until your kiddo is past the pooping-ten-times-a-day newborn phase, otherwise, they're just not cost effective.
BioGaia Probiotic Drops. I've posted about this before. Designed for colicky babies, these drops are essentially the "good bacteria" that newborns lack to help ease gas pains and digestive troubles. Maya is a very gassy baby by nature (thanks in part to daddy's genes haha) and these drops have helped immensely. She still had gas but it seems to be generally less painful and much less frequent. And when she does have it, it seems to take her less time to pass it. And it's good stuff all around - D and I have been taking it too (it's not just for babies) and it certainly does seem to help provide digestive balance. It tastes like butter.
Our Little Giraffe Satin Chenille Blanket. This is the nicest, most luxurious baby blanket I've ever touched. We got ours as a gift and I can't recommend this enough. Maya loves it and it's become her favourite blankie. In fact, she's sleeping with it right now as I type this. These blankets are impossibly soft and they wash and dry beautiful. We never leave home without it. I guarantee if you buy this for someone's baby shower they will love you forever.
Bugaboo Stroller. We have the "Cameleon". This stroller is not only super fashionable (ooh la la) but it's also made really well and easily converts into a zillion different configurations. It's got nice hearty wheels that turn 360 degrees and are great for urban and trail trekking alike. It's a very sturdy and rugged stroller, despite it's trendy design. Okay, okay, Bugaboo strollers are indeed expensive. It's true. But worth every penny. We use ours every single day. Even in the house.
Gagou Tagou socks. We have a box FULL of baby socks. We must have 30 pairs. But the Gagou Tagou ones are the only ones that we use. Why? Because they are the only ones that stay on. I don't know how, but they do. Love 'em.
What To Expect The First Year. I know there is a lot of controversy over the "What To Expect" series. Some love it and some hate it. But I can tell you this: I have referred to this book more times that I can count. It has been really, really helpful in answering my millions of baby questions and providing much-needed information. Even D reads it. Our copy lives on my nightstand and never ever collects any dust.
Johnson's Bedtime Bath and Johnson's Baby Shampoo With Natural Lavender. Babies smell like heaven on their own. But these products smell almost as lovely. Especially when you use the combination of the body wash AND the shampoo in the same bath...delicious. The scent is so soothing and wonderful and I swear it's a big reason that Maya always seems to get sleepy after her bath. I also like it because it's really gentle - both in scent and in its cleaning. It's ohhhhh so nice.
So there you have it. Just some stuff that we like and that works for us. Maybe next I'll compile a list of stuff we DON'T like...hehe...
g Diapers. These things are amazing. First of all, they are an excellent cross between cloth and disposable. The "pants" are made of a lovely soft cotton and the disposable "insert" is made of a flushable, compostable, biodegradable material that is oh so nice against baby's skin. They handle the poo blowouts wonderfully and I believe they are more comfortable than the disposable diapers. Plus they look freakin' adorable on my little girl's bum. Highly, HIGHLY recommended. However, I suggest that you wait to use them until your kiddo is past the pooping-ten-times-a-day newborn phase, otherwise, they're just not cost effective.
BioGaia Probiotic Drops. I've posted about this before. Designed for colicky babies, these drops are essentially the "good bacteria" that newborns lack to help ease gas pains and digestive troubles. Maya is a very gassy baby by nature (thanks in part to daddy's genes haha) and these drops have helped immensely. She still had gas but it seems to be generally less painful and much less frequent. And when she does have it, it seems to take her less time to pass it. And it's good stuff all around - D and I have been taking it too (it's not just for babies) and it certainly does seem to help provide digestive balance. It tastes like butter.
Our Little Giraffe Satin Chenille Blanket. This is the nicest, most luxurious baby blanket I've ever touched. We got ours as a gift and I can't recommend this enough. Maya loves it and it's become her favourite blankie. In fact, she's sleeping with it right now as I type this. These blankets are impossibly soft and they wash and dry beautiful. We never leave home without it. I guarantee if you buy this for someone's baby shower they will love you forever.
Bugaboo Stroller. We have the "Cameleon". This stroller is not only super fashionable (ooh la la) but it's also made really well and easily converts into a zillion different configurations. It's got nice hearty wheels that turn 360 degrees and are great for urban and trail trekking alike. It's a very sturdy and rugged stroller, despite it's trendy design. Okay, okay, Bugaboo strollers are indeed expensive. It's true. But worth every penny. We use ours every single day. Even in the house.
Gagou Tagou socks. We have a box FULL of baby socks. We must have 30 pairs. But the Gagou Tagou ones are the only ones that we use. Why? Because they are the only ones that stay on. I don't know how, but they do. Love 'em.
What To Expect The First Year. I know there is a lot of controversy over the "What To Expect" series. Some love it and some hate it. But I can tell you this: I have referred to this book more times that I can count. It has been really, really helpful in answering my millions of baby questions and providing much-needed information. Even D reads it. Our copy lives on my nightstand and never ever collects any dust.
Johnson's Bedtime Bath and Johnson's Baby Shampoo With Natural Lavender. Babies smell like heaven on their own. But these products smell almost as lovely. Especially when you use the combination of the body wash AND the shampoo in the same bath...delicious. The scent is so soothing and wonderful and I swear it's a big reason that Maya always seems to get sleepy after her bath. I also like it because it's really gentle - both in scent and in its cleaning. It's ohhhhh so nice.
So there you have it. Just some stuff that we like and that works for us. Maybe next I'll compile a list of stuff we DON'T like...hehe...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
finally bought those batteries
And I owe you guys some photos...
BUT before I get to the fun stuff, I thought I'd post an update on the thrush.
We went to the doctor yesterday and she agreed that while the thrush *might* be looking a tad bit better, it was a marginal improvement at best. However, she reminded me that fungi and yeast are a serious bee-yatch to kill off and it usually takes a while. And Nystatin is notorious for taking its sweet time. So, we're continuing with the nasty yellow banana juice until Monday, at which time we return to the doc for a follow up check and we'll decide where to go from there.
The good news is that Maya is getting waaaay better at taking the meds, smiling and being so stoic, even though I know she hates it. It almost breaks my heart even more to give it to her when she is so patient with this whole thing. What a good baby I've got. D reminded me that it would be worse and crueler to leave the thrush untreated, so I guess I've got to take solace in that. My goodness, how thankful I'll be when this thrush ordeal is finally over. Here's hoping it's right quick.
Okay, now on to the photos...
Look how lovely and acne-free!
This was taken today - we went for a walk to the park.
The bib don't lie: Maya loves her zeda.
I love my girl.
BUT before I get to the fun stuff, I thought I'd post an update on the thrush.
We went to the doctor yesterday and she agreed that while the thrush *might* be looking a tad bit better, it was a marginal improvement at best. However, she reminded me that fungi and yeast are a serious bee-yatch to kill off and it usually takes a while. And Nystatin is notorious for taking its sweet time. So, we're continuing with the nasty yellow banana juice until Monday, at which time we return to the doc for a follow up check and we'll decide where to go from there.
The good news is that Maya is getting waaaay better at taking the meds, smiling and being so stoic, even though I know she hates it. It almost breaks my heart even more to give it to her when she is so patient with this whole thing. What a good baby I've got. D reminded me that it would be worse and crueler to leave the thrush untreated, so I guess I've got to take solace in that. My goodness, how thankful I'll be when this thrush ordeal is finally over. Here's hoping it's right quick.
Okay, now on to the photos...
Look how lovely and acne-free!
This was taken today - we went for a walk to the park.
The bib don't lie: Maya loves her zeda.
I love my girl.
Monday, October 13, 2008
am i seeing things?
Maya is upstairs having a nap with daddy, giving me a much treasured moment to update my blog.
I'm not sure, I really can't be certain and I wouldn't put any money on it or anything...BUT...it looks like maybe, just maybe, the thrush is starting to improve a little bitty bit. It's really hard to tell with any certainty. When I catch Maya in a yawn I can get a good, if not momentary glimpse at what we're dealing with and today it might look a teeny tiny bit better. But perhaps it's just wishful thinking. Those yeasties are pure evil, I tell you.
In other news, we've been using BioGaia drops for the past week and half or so and we're definitely starting to see improvement in Maya's gas pains. BioGaia is actually supposed to be for colic (which we are so lucky not to have) but it's certainly helped put our little one's immature bowels at ease. She still gets gas every day, but it's a lot less painful (seemingly) and a lot less dramatic (certainly). I would definitely recommend BioGaia drops for a gassy baby. As for the colic it's designed for, I don't know, but I imagine it would help greatly.
Maya is 7 weeks as of yesterday. I just can't believe how quickly the time has flown. I really need to get some batteries for my camera because she is looking different every week now. And she is so precious. We are so lucky. We've got such a good natured, happy, patient, silly, sweet baby and I just couldn't possibly love anything more. I can honestly count the number of times she's cried on one hand.
D just informed me that we had a spit-up and pooping incident take place upstairs and could I help him clean it up. Ah, a mother's work is never done. And I'm loving every minute.
I'm not sure, I really can't be certain and I wouldn't put any money on it or anything...BUT...it looks like maybe, just maybe, the thrush is starting to improve a little bitty bit. It's really hard to tell with any certainty. When I catch Maya in a yawn I can get a good, if not momentary glimpse at what we're dealing with and today it might look a teeny tiny bit better. But perhaps it's just wishful thinking. Those yeasties are pure evil, I tell you.
In other news, we've been using BioGaia drops for the past week and half or so and we're definitely starting to see improvement in Maya's gas pains. BioGaia is actually supposed to be for colic (which we are so lucky not to have) but it's certainly helped put our little one's immature bowels at ease. She still gets gas every day, but it's a lot less painful (seemingly) and a lot less dramatic (certainly). I would definitely recommend BioGaia drops for a gassy baby. As for the colic it's designed for, I don't know, but I imagine it would help greatly.
Maya is 7 weeks as of yesterday. I just can't believe how quickly the time has flown. I really need to get some batteries for my camera because she is looking different every week now. And she is so precious. We are so lucky. We've got such a good natured, happy, patient, silly, sweet baby and I just couldn't possibly love anything more. I can honestly count the number of times she's cried on one hand.
D just informed me that we had a spit-up and pooping incident take place upstairs and could I help him clean it up. Ah, a mother's work is never done. And I'm loving every minute.
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