Apparently there is an unspoken rule in the blogosphere that if you blog and also recently had a baby, you must write a post on how wonderful your baby is, sleeping through the night at 5 days old, being super cuddly and agreeable, gaining weight like a champion, and the closest thing to perfection in human form.
But I'm not here to write that post.
Because until I moved her and I down to the guest room where the furnace noises rumble all night, Katri wasn't letting me sleep much, if at all. This wasn't a bit fun considering how hard it is to get a nap with 3 other kids and considering our family caught the stomach flu bug a SECOND time this fall, causing me to lose all remaining hopes of ever sleeping or feeling normal again.
Many a night I tell my hubby I feel like I'm a slave to a two foot tall tyrant.
And he nods in agreement, because it's true.
I can barely set her down long enough to go to the bathroom once or twice a day!
A shower is a big accomplishment!
Katri is a "womb service" kind of girl, wanting to be held all day and all night too, though I've recently gotten her to the point of just sleeping inches away from me instead of in my arms. I am so glad I bought the book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" at a yard sale this summer because it helped me to understand the fourth trimester and how to care for needy newborns who miss the womb.
My hubby adores babies and was hoping she'd be another "Daddy's Girl" whom he could cuddle every night but instead, she usually insists on being held by Mama exclusively, due in part to her 3-4 hour nursing jags in the evenings.
Don't get me wrong! Katrielle is every bit as loved and as darling to me as the super easygoing babies are to their mamas. She is snuggly and soft and doesn't cry when you are holding her. She makes the funniest little faces and delights our hearts as we spent countless minutes each day staring at her tiny fists, or her little peaceful face as she sleeps. We wouldn't trade her in for anything in the world! We would do anything for her, as my cricked neck from awkward sleeping positions attests!
But she is definitely a mystery to us sometimes! For the first time as parents we aren't sure what kind of personality she has yet. Easygoing or strongwilled, energetic or prim and proper, social or hermit-like--we don't know!For the first time we are having to use burp cloths, as she's the first baby we've had who spits up occasionally. She's the only baby we've had to burp consistently, and she absolutely adores being swaddled, which none of our other kids liked. She hangs out in a sling all day, unlike her sister who absolutely hated slings.
So, I live in a strange paradox of feeling totally confident in my mothering abilities with Baby #4 and totally unsure of what to do at other times. I know what I'm doing in a general sense, and yet, because each baby is so different, I still feel like I have much to learn and grow in as a parent of this little one.
The journey isn't easy and breezy, but I am enjoying it!!!
8 comments:
I just wrote a post on how great things are going now at 3 months, BUT I can totally relate. Jaymes was fussy for the first 2 months, wanted to be held all the time, wanted to eat constantly, etc. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing because Isabella wasn't like that at all, and would have been content to hang out in her car seat all day. We've had a complete turn around in the last month, thank goodness. It gets better!
Be thankful only 1 out of 4 spit up and was so fussy! We are going on 3 for 3....Elle projectile spit-up after every feeding and still at age 2 does not sleep through the night. Between Elle and 10 month old Morgan, I am up every couple hours all night long. I can totally relate to feeling like a slave to your children! But thankfully, we chose to have these little blessings and can't help but love them to pieces!
(PS - seeing your adorable new baby pics makes me want another.....but reading about having 4 5 and under makes me content with only!)
oops - that should say
"content with only 3!"
Very honest! :) Good for you.
Only one of my four has been what I would term "easygoing." The others were all complicated in one unique way or another.
We have two girls and two boys, also, ages 11/7/4/1 (My body apparently has the "natural child spacing" book embedded!) and when people say, "Oh, you have two of each!" I say, "No, I actually have one of each." Ha.
AK
must be rough going.. especially with 3 others to care for. hopefully it won't last long. really commenting to tell you I think she looks just like you!
Sweet pictures!! My first and so far only has never been a sleeper he rarely slept if we were out anywhere like church, etc. He is 2.5 years and I count the times he has slept through the night on one hand! He is still waking up 2-3 times and sometimes even 5 or more! Other than that he has been an easygoing baby but very insistent for what he wants and how he wants it. It is neat how your girls have different personalities.
Just wanted to say hello! I'll pray that the sleep will increase! It makes such a difference, doesn't it? :o)
"Katri" is very beautiful, and I look forward to getting to know her from a distance as you write more about how her personality develops!
Wish I lived closer so I could lend a hand. :o) (I totally feel your pain about the spitting up and wanting to be held so much. I remember rejoicing when both of ours reached the age when the crazy amount of spit-ups finally subsided!)
God bless the six of you! :o)
It is amazing how they are all so different. So far, I am thankful to say, #4 is the easiest of the group. But I don't think that's saying much...haha. Sleep issues abound among them and each one has their individual personality, in all the goodness and stubbornness.
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