Update: We tried giving Landon cereal last night to see if it would help him sleep better. Other than a somewhat funny and messy video, it wasn't productive. Landon hated it. He cried and gagged himself to get everything out of his mouth. Needless to say, we'll be waiting a little longer to start solids.
There are a few areas in my life right now where I'm losing it.
1) I'm losing my hair. Ugh. The hair that I lost after having Ella Beth had finally grown back about a month before Landon was born. Now, it's down the drain and in the trash all over again. Getting a shower is quite unenjoyable these days b/c my hair is coming out in gobs. Handfuls come out with each shampoo, and even more comes out when I condition. Even if it is my own hair, it's still icky having wet hair all over my hands. My hair has always grown fast; I hope this time it's no exception. So, I'm losing it...literally.
2) I'm losing my mind/patience/stamina due to pure exhaustion. Someone PLEASE help me!!! Landon is still not sleeping through the night, and it's killing me. He was up 3 times last night, and for some horrible reason decided that 5:25 AM would be a good time to start his day this morning. OH MY WORD! I was in tears b/c I was so tired. Before you give me the cry-it-out advice, we've tried it and it didn't work. We let Landon cry for 1 hour 22 minutes and he never even began to settle himself down. When I finally went in to get him, not only was he gassy from crying for so long, but he was starving b/c he had used so many calories. To top it off, he had gotten so worked up that it took him another hour and 15 minutes to go back to sleep. It felt cruel to let him cry for so long, and when it didn't work we felt like the worst parents. I'm desperate for some quality sleep, but not that desperate. So...do you have any other suggestions? Anyone???
3) OK, so this is an "almost lost it" - Yesterday, Ella Beth, Landon & I went to Carter's to do a little shopping. When we were checking out, a lady in line asked me how old Ella Beth was. When I told her that she was almost 2, she looked at Ella Beth, looked at me, and then looked again at Ella Beth. She then looked me straight in the face and said, "She's really short." Now, I'm not talking she said, "Oh she's so cute! She's short!" NO, NO, NO. She snarled her lip and said, "She's really short." It is a very good thing that I have good self-control because I wanted to slap that woman. I looked her in the face and said, "She's petite; just like her Mommy." I am fine with being short; had to accept that a long time ago. However, for an adult to snub my daughter was way beyond something that I will ever move past. Ella Beth has no idea what being self-conscience is. She isn't bothered by broccoli stuck between her teeth, a boogie in her nose, tangled hair, or mis-matched clothes. She is happy just being herself; being exactly who God created her to be. Scott and I want so badly to instill in her a sense of self-worth and for her to know that she was fearfully and wonderfully made. Today's society teaches such a false standard of "beauty and perfection." What if Ella Beth had been old enough to realize that the lady's negative comment was directed at her? That would have pushed this mommy from "almost" to "Done Lost It."
Here's my perfect-as-she-is-short-or-tall-or-anywhere-in-between Ella Beth in her big girl PJs.
And, here's Ella Beth "pretending" to be asleep. She was on my bed and called me, "Mommy, come see me. I'm sleeping." It was pretty funny!
Hug your daughter &/or son and tell them how wonderful they are just As They Are! Oh, and feel free to post any sleeping suggestions for Landon. ;)
2 comments:
well, let me first say that i have always thought ella beth was seriously the second most beautiful little girl i have ever seen (second to marissa, of course;)) and i'm sorry that woman said that...it's amazing what people think is appropriate to say, she was probably just jealous that your baby is so cute, so she had to find the one thing she could spin as negative. and in regards to landon, i wish i had some great advice...but i haven't been at this mom stuff too long, i will say though that a friend of mine told me about her "silky" trick. which is basically like a blankie, but very soft and small. i got marissa one of those little bears with a small piece of fabric attached to it and around three months i started giving it to her anytime she was sleepy, whether we were out and about or in the
crib and it was amazing how quickly it became a tool to help her sleep. she knew that when she had that in her hands or near her face, it was time to sleep, and we still use it to this day. she will literally like "melt" into when i put it near her face, she lays her head down and closes her eyes... it is never a toy or used any time other than sleeptime. maybe you can try it, maybe it will work-i know people say don't put anything in the crib when they are little, but it is so small that i never worried about it. i got mine at target. and if you do decide to try it, get a couple...just in case:) well-if there is anything else i can do, please let me know. we live so close that we should really get together as mommies to help each other out. i was right there with you on the lonliness blog, so let's hang out. maybe next week sometime. let me know a day that works for you! i lost your number (well, all my numbers...i had to get a new phone.) so call me when you can. i will be praying for you and your sanity and your little ones. talk to you soon-jj:)
I am a friend of Desta's who has read your blog through her site. Like you, I have very small children and have had many, many people make comments on their size. Sometimes the comments are "Oh, they're so cute and petite", but sometimes they are "Wow, they sure are LITTLE!" My 5 1/2 year old is frequently mistaken for somewhere in the 3 range and she gets furious when people call her little. "I am NOT a little kid. I am a big kid!" We have also had the problem of people treating her like she is much younger than she is because of her size. We've worked to explain to her that this is just the way God made her, and that her size in no way reflects her abilities. We've also tried to prepare her for the fact that she will probably have people comment on her size her whole life. I am only 5 feet tall, and despite being 33 years old, people still feel the need to remark on my stature - as if I don't know that I am short!
Wish I had some wonderful advice on the sleeping thing, but we have gone down that path with both our girls. Bria, our oldest, would actually make herself vomit from crying so hard, so crying it out was never an option because it only meant more work for me. Alyssa was a great sleeper, but has suddenly decided that she feels the need to see me at least two, if not more, times during the night. I keep reminding myself that this stage eventually ends, but that if she follows in Bria's footsteps, I have at least 10 more months of seriously interrupted sleep. Wow. Now I'm depressed.
Anyway, no real advice, just an "I hear ya, sister!", and I sympathize!
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