Call it a blessing I guess. Isa has taken interest in her right thumb to self soothe (and under careful observation she favors her RIGHT hand). It couldn't have come at a better time. El had to start back at work again this past Friday and Saturday and I was to become Mr. Mom. I had been anticipating this moment with much anxiety.
Understand that I do what I can when I'm with her. I change her diapers, feed her formula when I have to and carry her while El needed to get something to eat, but never for a whole day by myself. I guess it was good "training wheels" on my part to slowly do all the things El does short of whipping out a boob to feed her.
Like an idiot after work Thursday I stayed up waaaay too late and went to bed around 4am. I didn't want to wake up El who had to leave for work by 6am so I crashed on the couch. 6am came in the blink of an eye and Isa was crying for some attention. With two hours of sleep I groggily did my bit and changed, fed and cradled her. I could barely keep my eyes open. In an hour the sun was up and a full day had begun for me. Bailey had to be tended to, the house chores, and Isa. I could barely keep up.
It's amazing how out-of-wack your body gets with no rest and I found myself losing my cool with her. Every chance I got to put her down, so I could snooze, she immediately woke up 15 minutes later screaming bloody hell. I literally had to sit up catnapping while holding her. As a little bonus I rocked a small headache all day and barely managed to get myself something to eat. In addition, she refused all her food (she hadn't eaten in 7 hours) and I was getting worried. She obviously knew her routine had been broken by a newbie intruder and she was not playing fair.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
I called El at the hospital with my concerns and she made a few suggestions (which didn't work) to get her to eat. By noon she must've been extremely hungry cos she finally drank a half bottle of milk. Her schedule kicked in and she started eating every 3 hours - yay! Her burping, diapers, and napping were on like Donkey Kong.
Before I knew it 6pm had rolled around and I wanted to cook a nice dinner for El. I knew she had her own anxieties about coming back to work and wondering if she still "had it". One of her favorite dishes, Chicken Scallopine, was in order and I wanted her to get to bed as soon as possible. I knew after 14 hours she would be dead, but still wanting to relieve me of duty. She had another 14 hour day the next morning so I wanted to be sure she came home to a hot meal, a shower and some sleep.
Another first! Once El got home and was showered I decided to try my hand at giving Isa her bath. With a couple of stumbles Isa was bathed and fed and ready for bed. By 10:30 we were all in the sack and sleeping soundly. Surprisingly I awoke the next morning at 9am. OY! El was gone and the house was quiet. I didn't realize how late it was and was worried Squeakers was crying and hungry while I snoozed.
I felt great, though. I needed that rest. I showered; fed, walked and washed Bailey; got Isa's breakfast ready; started laundry and caught her at the brink of waking up. In short the day was the exact opposite of the day before. She wasn't fussy, napped between meals and I got a lot of housework done. I decided to celebrate the easy day by dancing with Isa to some Nat King Cole in the den and then a car ride to Target and Starbucks - Isa being a little angel the whole day.
It was nice feeling to hear her cry and be able soothe her just by simply holding her. A nice validation as a parent. I know this entry was long-winded, but it felt like a milestone to me. These past two days were a great learning experience and I learned a few more things about her:
1. She smiles when when Either El or I greet her
2. She now follows me with her eyes as I move thru a room
3. She holds her head up better and can prop herself up with
her arms
4. She enjoys Nat King Cole (she never cries when he's on)
5. She can coordinate both her hands to grab my hand and pull
it to her face
6. She loves to splash in her bathtub
7. She makes me feel great
Before I knew it 6pm had rolled around and I wanted to cook a nice dinner for El. I knew she had her own anxieties about coming back to work and wondering if she still "had it". One of her favorite dishes, Chicken Scallopine, was in order and I wanted her to get to bed as soon as possible. I knew after 14 hours she would be dead, but still wanting to relieve me of duty. She had another 14 hour day the next morning so I wanted to be sure she came home to a hot meal, a shower and some sleep.
Another first! Once El got home and was showered I decided to try my hand at giving Isa her bath. With a couple of stumbles Isa was bathed and fed and ready for bed. By 10:30 we were all in the sack and sleeping soundly. Surprisingly I awoke the next morning at 9am. OY! El was gone and the house was quiet. I didn't realize how late it was and was worried Squeakers was crying and hungry while I snoozed.
I felt great, though. I needed that rest. I showered; fed, walked and washed Bailey; got Isa's breakfast ready; started laundry and caught her at the brink of waking up. In short the day was the exact opposite of the day before. She wasn't fussy, napped between meals and I got a lot of housework done. I decided to celebrate the easy day by dancing with Isa to some Nat King Cole in the den and then a car ride to Target and Starbucks - Isa being a little angel the whole day.
It was nice feeling to hear her cry and be able soothe her just by simply holding her. A nice validation as a parent. I know this entry was long-winded, but it felt like a milestone to me. These past two days were a great learning experience and I learned a few more things about her:
1. She smiles when when Either El or I greet her
2. She now follows me with her eyes as I move thru a room
3. She holds her head up better and can prop herself up with
her arms
4. She enjoys Nat King Cole (she never cries when he's on)
5. She can coordinate both her hands to grab my hand and pull
it to her face
6. She loves to splash in her bathtub
7. She makes me feel great
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
