A Cry in the Night

Don't you wonder what goes on in those little bald heads of theirs.....? Especially when they are sleeping? I do. I watch Nicholas sleep, and I wonder if he's dreaming and about what. Does he dream about his bottle or his toys or me or his dad or the dog? What???

Sometimes, he'll be sound asleep, and he'll suddenly start laughing. It's the cutest thing. Little baby giggles in the middle of the night. Or he'll talk.....like the time he said "hello!" twice, very loudly and very clearly.

Tonight, though, he suddenly started to cry in his sleep. I mean, he let out a howl and started to gear himself up for a major crying jag. Then, about five seconds into it, he stopped and was silent. He's actually done this once or twice before.

The first time, I was flying up the stairs the moment I heard him start to wail. By the time I reached his room, all was well. Very odd, I thought. What was THAT all about....?

The second time, I waited a few seconds. This time, he kept crying, so I ran upstairs to comfort him. He was making such an awful noise -- I had never heard him cry like that. Something in his dream had obviously scared or upset him. But I rocked him and kissed his soft forehead and sang "Let it Snow" quietly.

See, I don't know all the words to too many songs, so that's why I sing Christmas carols many times. He seems to especially like "Let it Snow", and I have altered the lyrics, so it goes like this:

Oh, the weather outside is frightful....

But my baby, he's so delightful.

And since we've no place to go.....

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Anyway, I'm not sure what scared him tonight, but it was THANKFULLY over in five seconds.

Visit to the Dentist

I'm not real good about flossing. Just seems like such a pain in the butt. I know I should do it, but I have been blessed with good teeth and strong enamel....so, it hasn't always been necessary.

Well, unfortunately, the gums have been receding for years now. It's made my toothy grin even toothier! And exposed a little root here and there. Thus, I had to make an extra visit to the dentist to have some enamel added to an area. I really don't know how to explain what I had done, so bear with me.

Had NO idea they were going to numb my mouth. It's been sooooo many years since I had a numb face.....I forgot what it was like! I ended up spitting water in an arc when I tried to rinse. I was laughing so hard after it happened that I spit some more water.

It's been about four hours since the shot that numbed my face.....and whoa, it's wearing off. That area is definitely feeling a little sore......and weird.....SO unexpected!

While I could still talk without drooling on myself, we were discussing epidurals and childbirth. My dentist, who is a male, had to weigh in on the subject....which, OF COURSE, had the women rolling.

After my appointment, I chatted with one of the women who works there. Her husband, ironically, works for my company, and she just had a baby in December. And her son's middle name is Nicholas, so will the similarities never stop??? I hope I gave her some good advice. I realize that so many moms have gone before me, but I would like to think that I have one or two tidbits of gold to share....

1. I had a big baby -- 9 lbs. 6 oz. He was, is and will be a healthy eater. Breast milk didn't hold him, especially at night. So, I switched to formula. That worked better, but he still woke at 4:30 a.m. like clockwork for a "midnight" feeding.

Then, I discovered Enfamil Lipil A.R. It's meant for babies who spit up, so there's rice cereal added to it. Hmmmm.....rice cereal......maybe this "heavier" formula would stick with my kid longer, and he'd sleep longer....hmmmm......sleep deprived wheels are churning......

So, I tried it, and BINGO! The kid was sleeping about ten hours a night around 10-11 weeks. As he's gotten bigger/older, we've had to add a solid food feeding before bedtime, but the bambino is snoozing from 8:00 p.m.ish until 7:00 a.m.ish, and we are enjoying a full nights sleep.

2. Pack and Plays/Playpens/Play Yards.....whatever you want to call them. The one we got is from Chicco, and we love it. It's very versatile. Nicholas slept in the "bassinet" part of it until he moved to his crib in his room. But the base/bottom of it was SO hard....how was a baby supposed to sleep on this slab of concrete?

The solution? We bought one of those memory foam mattress toppers. We got one for a twin bed at Target for about $19 and cut it down to size. What a DIFFERENCE! Made his little bassinet so much more comfortable. You know, this little "fix" might have also contributed to Nicholas being such a good sleeper.

3. When you have a baby, you MUST buy some things.....a carrier, clothes, bottles, diapers....you know, the ABSOLUTE necessities. There's no debating these things.

Then there are the "nice to have" things or the "you don't really need these things, but it's your first kid, so what do you know?" items.....the ones that aren't REALLY necessary....or, you could buy cheaper, less fancy versions. Like, do you REALLY need one of those wipe warmers? Do the wipes actually get SO cold that you need to warm them up first? My kid just seems happy to have the poop wiped off his back -- he doesn't seem to mind the room temperature wipe.

Anywho, I would include "video baby monitor" on the "nice to have" list. I think a monitor is necessary, but a video one with a 2.5" screen [which is a wide screen in the world of video monitors] might not be a "must have."

However, I love, love, LOVE my video monitor and consider the $165 we spent on it to be WELL WORTH the price. I have such peace of mind knowing that, with the click of a button, I can see my baby. I hear a whimper and CLICK. I hear a cough and CLICK. I hear a fart and CLICK.....wait, was that my husband.....? I can make sure that the baby is okay without running up a flight of stairs.

Plus, it's so much fun to watch him flailing around in his crib while he sings to his fishy mobile. Lately, he's been rubbing his fingernails against the cloth crib bumpers. He seems to enjoy the sound it makes. And he's been practicing the "raspberry" sound I taught him. Watching him entertain himself is far more amusing than the best of the worst of "American Idol."

The monitor we got is by Summer. The 2.5" screen, 900 mHZ one. It doesn't interfere with our wireless Internet nor any of our 5.8 mHZ cordless phones. All coexist in peace and harmony.

You know.......I would probably lose more of this baby fat if I were running up that flight of stairs every time I heard a whimper, cough or fart......but I still recommend the monitor! I'll get plenty of exercise chasing after Nicholas in a few more months.....