Omission by error...and a little more

How could I forget to post very exciting news??? Well, at least it is exciting news in the realm of child rearing I suppose!! Crosby slept 8 hours 2 nights last week!!!! How good is that!!???!! Too bad I was only asleep for 4 of those 8 hours, both times. It still felt good to know he was able to make it that long.

To top that off...I decided to stop swaddling him, cold turkey, on Friday night. No more Kiddopotamus. He has officially moved into his sleep sacks! I was quite fearful that we would have a few rough nights while he adjusted to his new sleep system. But, he surprised me and has done really well. He even had one of his 8 hour stretches in his sleep sack! So proud... He has a harder time during the day. He still startles and can't consistently put himself back to sleep. We have yet to master the "laying him down while drowsy but not asleep" business. Once we get that down, I think we will be well on our way to sleeping through the night. That and adding a few more pounds to his frame!

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Disclaimer: This is graphic and could be disturbing to the reader...


I have gotten the night time routine running like a well oiled machine! It would be hilarious to catch on video but that is not going to happen!! So a detailed description will just have to do. I am pretty sure you will at least crack a smile!


Visual A: Hands-free pumping bra, aka boobtooth


Visual B: Medela Pump In Style
(more on both of these in a moment)



When Crosby wakes up, I get him out of bed and lay him in the Boppy, positioned in the floor at the foot of his bed. Then, I prop the bottle in his mouth with a burp cloth, blanket, or whatever I can find. Last night it was my sweater!! Then I get to hook myself up to lovely Medela Pump In Style. But, thanks to the ever-so-handy (only its whole purpose it to NOT be handy) hands-free bustier, I am free to remove the burp cloth/blanket/sweater and hold Crosby's bottle myself! He typically finishes eating before Medela has done her job. SO, I move on to the next task at hand, burping the not so little guy. While sitting "Indian style," I plop his bottom on my right leg, lean him forward at the waist, holding his head in my right hand, and pat his back with my left hand. I usually get a good burp rather quickly but he passes out in the meantime. (again, not following the "lay him down drowsy but not asleep rule) Now what? Here I sit, in the floor, holding a chubby, dead weight baby with my right hand while my right leg is literally falling asleep. The crib seems 10 feet high and I am still attached to tubing!!! But never fear!! I manage to work my way up onto my feet, trying my hardest NOT to step on the tubing (which I have done before and it kills) or heaven forbid, drop Crosby. Though I can't exactly stand all the way up and have to hunch over the entire time, I am able to gently place him on his back and then pat his belly to make sure he remains asleep. Once I am convinced it is all clear, I reach down and pick up my stylish bag, walk over to the lovely glider, and let her finish the job! Did I mention I use my cell phone as a flashlight to assist me in this process??


Is that a workout or what? I mean, it takes a lot of skill to get all of that done without breaking one of our necks. And I must say, I am pretty good at it! I have managed to get the night time feeding routine done in less than 30 minutes!!


Now, back to those visuals...

Just take a look at Visual A again. Would you look at her face!!! Could she be any happier?? I mean, she can get it all done. Talk on the phone AND write in her planner while the pump, that is not there, does its thing!! You can bet I have the same expression when I am using my hands-free bustier!!!! And "bustier"????? Are you kidding me??? Okay...so the truth of the matter is I couldn't live without this thing. It is seriously a life saver and I would recommend it to ANYONE who uses a pump.

As for Visual B. It just cracks me up that it is called "Pump In Style." I definitely feel stylish when I am using this pump!! I actually prefer it to the hospital grade version I introduced you to a few weeks ago. The more "stylish" pump takes less time, for whatever reason and it can be used in the car, at Animal Kingdom or where ever else you may need it! The only downfall about the Pump In Style is it's ability to speak. Blake and my mother-in-law can verify that the motor says, "wake up, wake up, wake up..." when it is in use. If you don't believe me, you can come over and listen for yourself!! It drove me crazy at first but now I can tune her out!!

So, there you have it. I am not sure why I felt the need to share this information. I started thinking about it last night around 2:20am and started smiling about the craziness of the routine. I would prefer to snuggle with my little one as he eats. But, this is how we do it!! Kind of crazy and pretty funny if you ask me!!