Crap Naps... I Mean Cat Naps

My son has just now, at the age of 3.5 months, started to take okay naps. Actually, I'm almost afraid to write this post because I might jinx it. For real. 

My hope is that some glassy-eyed exhausted mom out there might read this post today and say, "I KNEW it was normal!"

If your baby has never ever taken an hour long nap, let me tell you you're not alone. When Little was around 6 weeks old, he stopped doing the newborn fall-dead-asleep-at-the-drop-of-a-hat thing. He instead fought naps like crazy and in turn was driving me crazy. I clearly remember days when he and I would both be crying while I was trying to rock him to sleep. 

Everything I read said my baby should be getting x amount of sleep during the day and x amount of sleep at night. I also read that naps less than 45 minutes long were not restorative and by not getting my baby to sleep the right number of hours in a day my baby was going to turn into an overtired monster. 

I was searching for help out here in the interwebs and what I found was a load of crap. Instead of giving helpful advice or (gasp!) a little encouragement, the sleep websites were full of people trying to sell books and a bunch of moms bragging about their babies who had always been good sleepers. Gag. 

So, let me be the voice of reason floating around the internet. If your baby takes cat naps, he or she is... NORMAL. 

I realized that although his naps were short and he wasn't all that great at falling asleep during the day, he was happy and healthy and getting decent sleep at night. I (sorta) stopped stressing myself out about it and ditched the schedule. Instead of trying to feed every three hours (he still eats about every 2.5 hours during the day) and get him down for a nap after some awake time, I decided to just feed him on demand and put him down for a nap when he was tired. So basically I feed him every 2.5-3 hours and out him down after he's awake for about an hour and a half. This means that sometimes I nurse him to sleep and sometimes I don't.  So sue me :)

I have decided to go with the flow. He's not going to be a baby forever, so instead of freaking out (and believe me, I was actually freaking out) about it, I am choosing to embrace it. And what do ya know- now that I'm just doing what feels right, he's actually started taking some longer naps. 

I know this was a long post, but I really feel strongly that those sleep websites are designed to make type A moms like me feel like there's something wrong with our babies when, in fact, they are all just babies. So, my advice to you is embrace the crap naps and ditch the "schedule". Life's too short to get your nightie in a knot. 

Love!

Katie

|PS| if your babe takes teeny tiny naps, I'd love to hear from you! Let's form a club or something. Or better yet, let's write  a book in all our spare time ;). 

Treat Yo'self

This week was rough. RUFF. 

The short version of the story:

I worked a lot and my husband did, too. The Little decided sleeping at night was for losers, so we were all tired and cranky. I was the worst of all.  

At the end of each day, I was dragging my arse around. I barely made it through bathtime with a cranky babe and our nightly hour-long nursing session each night. I know I shouldn't complain but it just sucked. 

I had nothing left. I wasn't being a very good mom and I definitely wasn't being a very good wife. So on top of being exhausted, I heaped on some good old fashioned Mom Guilt. You know-- when you're so tired all you want to do is crawl in bed and sleep like you used to in the days before baby, and then you feel guilty for even thinking that way. Oof. 

Here is where I stop whining about my week (finally, woman!) and tell you what turned it all around for me: my sister came to visit for the weekend. 

She rolled in on Friday afternoon and didn't leave til Sunday. It was glorious! My husband and I got to sleep in (a little), go out with some great friends, be there for the birth of our niece (!!!!), and go to brunch just the two of us. All the while, we were totally comfortable knowing the babe was safe and (mostly) happy at home with his Auntie. 

Now, I'm not writing this post to boast about my weekend That's what Facebook is for, amiright?). I'm writing this as a reminder to you.  You are still a person. You deserve some fun every now and then without the dreaded Mom Guilt dragging you down. 

I want all of you, my fellow dog-tired moms, to get yourself a babysitter and get your scraggly butt out of the house. Do it. Even if it's just for a couple of hours, go and do something you enjoy. Change out of your (super sexy) sweatpants, slap on a bra, and go out into the world. You'll be a better mama afterward. Promise. 

Love!

Katie

|PS| What do you enjoy doing when you get the chance to get away? I'm guilty of going to Target alone at 8am on Sunday for "toothpaste" (See also: Starbucks). Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. 

Snot Sucker!

Before you became a mom, did you ever see another mom do something that really grossed you out? Like stick a finger into her baby's diaper to check for poop? Or pick up a pacifier off the McDonald's floor and pop it in her mouth to "clean" it?

While I can homestly say I've never done the finger in the diaper thing (only witnessed it. Ew.), I have done the paci trick (but not at McDonald's... yet.).

 And perhaps equally as yucky, I have also sucked snot from my child's nose. Read on-- it's not as gross as it sounds (okay, maybe it is. Just keep reading). 

When Little was just 5 weeks old, he was super congested. It was interfering with his ability to nurse and he was snoring at night. I felt terrible because the (stupid piece of crap) bulb syringe from the hospital was too big for his teeny baby nostrils and I couldn't get the snot out. I told my husband, "If I could, I would literally suck the snot from his nose." He looked at me in shock and horror but I meant what I said. I wanted to get that snot out by any means necessary, even if that meant sucking it out myself. 

So I did... with the help of the best invention ever: the NoseFrida "Snot Sucker."  I bought it at Buy Buy Baby and it was about $17 for the Snot Sucker plus replacement filters (These are important!)

The NoseFrida is this clear plastic pencil-shaped tube with a filter and "straw" attached to one end. At the other end of the straw is a mouthpiece which allows you to actually suck the boogs and snot from your babe's microscopic nostrils. It sounds disgusting, and it is, but it WORKS!

It's something I never would have done pre-baby, but as you know, there's nothing a mama bear won't do. Plus, have you ever seen how NASTY the inside of a "clean" bulb syringe can be? Barf. Mold and old boogers. 

So, if you want to be cool like me and suck snot out of your kid's face, here are some tips:

1) Buy the replacement filters! Otherwise you run the risk of accidentally slurping snot into your mouth. Ain't nobody got time fo' dat. 

2) Use saline nasal spray beforehand. You don't have to go buy the million dollar bottle of baby nose spray, just the dollar stuff from CVS will do. A couple drops in each nostril will help loosen up all the gunk and make the whole process much easier. 

3) If your babe is still pretty little, prop him or her up with a Boppy. You'll want your hands free to ever-so-lovingly restrain your angry babe during this process. 

4) Clean it right after you use it. Speaking from experience here. For stubborn boogs that can get stuck in the "booger catcher" part, I use one of my extra little pipe cleaner thingies that came with Little's bottles. Yummmm. 

Again, I know the idea of this may repulse you but it really does work! Good luck with your boogie adventures:)

Love!

Katie

PS- Tell me something disgusting you swore you'd never do before you were a mama. 

Images via fridababy.com

Growth Spurt Update |You're Killin' Me, Smalls|

Just sitting here in the dark nursing my babe and praying he sleeps halfway decently tonight.  Fingers crossed!

For those of you who are interested (or maybe in the growth spurt boat with me), day 2 was a teeny bit better. Took him 3 hours to fall asleep last night, but then he only woke once. Wahoooo! Sleep!

And then...

He barely napped all day. 

Needless to say, I was a tad (ok, extremely) grumpy/angry/completely doubting my skills as a mom :) BUT!!! Then I talked to a dear friend who's going through the same thing and we were able to have a little pity party. Misery loves company :)

I'm constantly reminding myself that my little boob hogging monster baby is meeting milestones and growing like a weed. And, most importantly, this won't last forever. 

Now, time to put this crazy man to bed (maybe!). 

Goodnight!

--Katie

PS: How do you pass the time during marathon night time nursing sessions?

3 Month Growth Spurt

Holy moly!

Little One is 13.5 weeks old today and he is smack in the middle of the good ol' 3 month growth spurt. Last night was RUFF. He woke up every two hours to nurse. 

I'm not going to pretend it doesn't suck (because, let's face it, it really sucks), but I will tell you that it hasn't sucked as badly as previous growth spurts. How's that for encouragement? :)

He's definitely hungry and definitely cranky, but I haven't resorted to sobbing into my pillow (yet). 

For those of you who aren't familiar with infant growth spurts, allow me to enlighten you. There are periods in each baby's development where said baby turns into a cranky, sleepless, boob-hogging gremlin maniac. These growth spurts typically occur during your first few days at home, 7-10 days (for me, this was the toughest spurt), 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months (ding ding ding!), 4 months, 6 months, and 9 months. 

Woof. 

These times are really freakin' tough on a mama. Baby is more irritable, sleeps less, and eats all the time. I remember at one point when my guy was about 10 days old, he and I both cried for a solid 3 hours straight every night for 4 nights. It was a killer. But, notice I said it WAS a killer, meaning that it eventually ended (thank you, Lord!). 

It's really hard to imagine you'll ever get to sleep again when you've been up all night for several nights with a boob shoved in your babe's mouth. But I'm living breathing proof that growth spurts are not infinite and you will make it through! 

Here are some things that I try to keep in mind when I'm headed to the nursery for the bazillionth time to feed my growing babe:

1) This will be over soon. (Hallelujah!)

2) (if you're a breastfeeding mama) Frequent nursing serves a purpose: to boost your supply. Your baby is helping you (ha! Helping!? Letting me sleep would help!!!) keep up with his increasing appetite. An added bonus for breast feeders: more nursing sessions = more calories burned! 

3) Most importantly --- You are not alone. Don't give up. You're a wonderful mama and you can do it. 

-Katie

PS: Do you have any words of encouragement for mamas enduring crazy growth spurts? Please share!

Freakin' Cradle Cap

The Little One has had cradle cap since about 8 weeks.  Now he's 3 months old and it's still flakin' up his big ol' (adorable) melon head. 

My sister in law told me to try coconut oil, so I popped into Trader Joe's and bought a jar for ONLY $6! 

Little's head was super scaly and crusty (gag), and even though the scales were hard to see under his dark hair, he was beginning to scratch his head until it bled. Bad mama alert! 

So, for the past few days I've been slathering his crunchy noggin with coconut oil, covering it with a hat, and letting it sit for a half hour/hour before bath time. In the tub, I wash his hair and then use a baby brush on the cradle cap. 

The first time I did this, I was amazed! About 75% of those nasty scales came off in the tub, and even more came off when I brushed his hair after it had dried. 

Three days later and the scales are totally gone, but he still has some dry spots. Awesome! (And I have to mention the added benefit of a baby who smells like vacation)

I wish I had taken a picture for before and after but, alas, I ain't that smart. 

I'll keep you posted:) 

In the meantime, go gitchyou some coconut oil! This stuff is awesome! 

Katie

PS: a link to an article about a bazillion uses for coconut oil: http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

World's |Okayest| Mom

Hello, world of bloggers and blog readers! This is my official first post. Prepare to be un-amazed!

The idea for Help Me Mama came from several things that have happened to me recently:
1) I became a mom to a tiny(ish) human being who was amazing and beautiful and CONFUSING.
2) Being the researcher/control freak that I am, I researched every little thing he was/wasn't doing (ie:Is he pooping enough? Is the color normal? How much should he eat!? WHY ISN'T HE SLEEPING!?).
3) I found that many websites/blogs/message boards seemed to be outlets for moms to brag about their perfect babies that take 2-hour naps 3 times a day and never ever cry.

I did, however, find a few tiny corners of the internet where normal moms shared normal stories about their "normal" babies, and I found these real people to be more comforting to my weary sleep-deprived self than any book or blog that told me what my baby "should" be doing.

I can't help you "fix" your baby's (freakin') short naps or give you the secret to a "happy baby", but I can try to help you keep your sanity on the days when being a mom is hard (which, in my experience, is every day).  And I can tell you things like, "I just nursed my baby to sleep even though all the books tell you not to.  Why did I do it?  Because it's what I needed to do in that moment to get him to go to sleep so I can get ready for the day.  Boom."

In part, this blog is my personal fight against The Super Mom. I say, let's all just be GOOD moms.  Let's be moms who are nice to each other.  Let's be less Judge-y and more Help-y.  Or, if you'd like to be a bit of an underachiever like myself, you can join me in my journey to becoming the World's Okayest Mom.

Enjoy the heck out of your babies today.
-Katie

PS: Will someone please buy me this? http://www.zazzle.com/original_worlds_okayest_mom_mugs-168350901019700487