Who's going crazy?

I don't know...who do you think is going crazy?  If you guessed me, than you are absolutely right.  If you guessed my daughter...well, the jury is still out on that one.  So, why am I going crazy?  Well, because, as we  speak (or I guess, as I type) I am watching my daughter on the video monitor as she pulls her socks off her feet, then chews her feet, then chews her socks...cute...except she is supposed to be NAPPING!

Naps are supposed to be this magical time.  It's a time when your precious baby gets the restorative rest she needs to be a smart, happy baby.  It's also the time where mommies are supposed to get a few minutes of alone time...to restore their sanity.  Seems like a win, win...right?

Well, it is if your baby will actually nap.  Now, I am not saying that my daughter won't nap, it's just never an easy situation.  I have read the books, websites, blogs...blah, blah, blah...and I am trying the tricks (looking for signs of tiredness, keeping up only 1.5-2 hrs, routines, etc), but sometimes, she just won't buy it.

I hear other moms talking about their little baby blobs who just settle down for their regular daily naps, and I am not going to lie, I am jealous.  I would love it if my little blessing would just rub her little eyes, yawn, and then lay down for a nice little snooze.  Nope, about 75% of the time my little girl wants to just PARTY!  Even when she's tired!

So, I spend about half of my day trying to get her to nap and the other half wondering if I am doing the right thing.  It really is enough to make a person crazy....

Welcome to motherhood...right?

PS-If you are a baby sleep expert, please feel free to contact me!  :)

Blowout

When I say blowout, I am not referring to the beauty service that women get to have their hair blow dried and styled.  Nope, I am referring to the hazmat situation that occurs in my daughter's diaper about every other day. I don't think I need to go into detail here, but I am talking about the big old poops that are so big and powerful they escape her diaper.  Whoops, maybe that was too much detail!?  :)  (If my goal is to horrify my daughter when she is 16 with this post, than I think I am succeeding.)

So I have gotten used to these blowouts...especially when they happened multiple times a day.  It was a ritual...find baby in crib, pick baby up, smell something funky, lay baby down on changing table, open diaper to find hazmat situation, remove diaper, remove soiled sleeper/onesie, wash hazmat situation off of baby's back and bum, re-diaper (not a word, but I like it), and put in clean sleeper/onesie.  I can't tell you how much poop I have cleaned off not only my daughter, but her clothes, sheets and changing table covers too.  

You know your life has changed significantly when you spend time thinking of ways to prevent these hazmat situations.  So, one day, I was feeding my precious daughter...thinking of what I could do to possibly save some money on laundry detergent and soap...when I had my aha moment.  Ironically, at about the same time, my daughter had a blowout.  Perfect timing!  I could try my new technique!  What did I do?  Well, without grabbing her bum, I unsnapped her onesie and pulled it up to her armpits.  I picked her up and took her over to the changing table, sat her up and stuffed a paper towel down the back of her diaper...then laid her down.  I crossed my fingers and what do you know!?  It worked!  Woo hoo!  Hazmat situation avoided.  Yes, there was still a ton of poop, but it wasn't all up her back!  Success!

So, there you have it.  Ladies and gentlemen, if your little one creates similar hazmat situations, give the paper towel trick a try.  It may not prevent the blowout, but at least it will prevent what we lovingly call at my house the "up-the-back blowout!"  Good luck!

Beautiful

Today I watched my daughter sleep.

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

She looked so peaceful, laying in her crib...with no idea that I had quietly entered her room and was peering at her from above.  There she was, my precious miracle...a sight I had to almost pinch myself to believe.  It wasn't that long ago that I had dreamed of a day like today.  Praying that God would bless us with a little one.

And here she was...her little hands clenched loosely into fists, her little legs splayed out like those of a frog, her little cheeks warm and rosy...her chest rising and falling ever so slowly...relaxed, content.  It was beautiful and a moment I feel so blessed to have seen.

Rest well darling daughter.