Many thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions on the previous post ... I think Seamus is secretly reading this blog, because he's decided to make me a liar today. He's followed up his five-hour overnight sleep with two more 2-hour-plus naps, and has fallen into them after nursing with blissful ease. Perhaps it has something to do with Nanabanana's calming presence -- she returned to us in the wee small hours this morning to stay with us again for a few days ... it's so good to have her here. Or maybe they're just very mercurial at this age. It's like getting a brand-new baby every day!
Seamus actually fell into his first nap without even nursing first. He's been transitioning from the newborn "nothing but eating and sleeping" behavior into spending more time just hanging out and staring at things (which, coincidentally, is how our cats spend their free time as well). He loves his changing table (many thanks to Teri's friend Mary-Margaret), and was enjoying lying there for a while this morning, staring at the bright (though bitterly cold) day outside while I talked to him, moved his legs to make him "dance", etc. Eventually he got tired of that, so I cuddled him on my lap on the couch. Soon, his eyes got droopy and he fell asleep. Sooo frickin' sweet, to have my son falling asleep in my lap, while stroking his silky little head ... I said to him (quietly), "Seamus, I'm going to try to remember this moment when you're sixteen and you want to get something pierced."
Of course, Uncle Frank will probably just take him out to the piercing place upon request ... :-)
5 comments:
OK, are you glad about the changing table after all? I remember how dubious you looked when you loaded into the back of the car in November.
It's the same one used by Seamus's cousins. Nice durable and simple.
I also always liked the way it was the right height for delivering a belly raspberry!
Rock on, little Seamus!
Love,
Auntie Teri
i'm going to say something that sounds horrible, because it sounded horrible to me when my therapist told me... babies can sense our emotional state. makes sense he's being more calm if you feel more at ease now that nananbanana is back.
we see this with leila all the time. when we stress, she acts super needy and freaks out. just remember they don't know why we are distant and they don't want us to be far away from them so they react by doing things to get attention and to bring you close again.
things that really seem to highten everyone's emotional and psychological state. thank god for shannon who reminds me of this when i don't know why leila is throwing things and acting zany.
love you guys!!
-evelin
I have to second the above from evelin; there is no more accurate barometer of a parent's psycho-emotional state than a child. I am personally very grateful that Sandy was able to come back and be with you guys -- as I hate to see my dear Elves suffering, especially during a precious and fleeting time like these first days with Seamus. Now I hope you will both lean back and relax a little, and I'll bet His Eminence will become an absolute marshmallow of love, held by his calm and peaceful parents.
I'm thirding this motion. I had a really weird experience when Rowan was really wee - I was freaking out, he wasn't sleeping, blah, blah, blah, and I was so delirious, I suddenly gave up. I just stared at him and thought about what it would feel like to sleep. mmmm... I kept rocking him (god I love the glider), and thinking yummy, warm, sleepy, lovely thoughts. He passed out within 5 minutes. A few weeks later I realized it worked all the time - I just had to put my head in the space where his needed to be. I know, it sounds like hoodoo, but I swear it works.
I think it's the same whatever that makes you wake 1 minute before the baby does. That still freaks me out.
I also realized that it is a REALLY BAD IDEA to nurse a baby when you have insomnia. Turns out adrenaline gets passed on. Not sure if that's really true, but it sure seemed to be the case. That's when you really need pumped milk.
btw, you never appreciate the changing table until you don't have one. Leaning over the baby, trying to keep him rolling off of whatever, really sucks.
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