Thursday, October 21, 2010

There Is No Possible Title For This Nonsense

Here's what I can't believe: Jameson is three weeks old and I haven't even attempted to tell any sort of official birth story, not even in the baby journal I keep for each kid while I'm pregnant. I especially can't believe it because I think he has such a cool birth story and it went beautifully and there is no reason I would be reluctant to tell it. I'm just so.darn. tired. is all. But I swear to you, one of these days my post is going to be called "I'm A Total Hippie Who Had A Baby In A Bathtub" or something like that, and it will be essay-length at the least and will have every detail I can remember. Because I really do want to write about it. Just as soon as I sleep for about twenty four hours straight.

I have gotten a grand total of two (2) naps since the baby was born, and he is just as rotten a sleeper as his brother before him was, so during the daytime I often feel like I'm just slogging through on autopilot. It takes me half an hour to get around to simple tasks like wiping a counter or switching a load of laundry, because about seventy five percent of the time I lay the sleepy little Jamie James down, he wakes back up and starts screeching for me.

He also doesn't sleep well at nighttime unless he is physically on my body, which has been very difficult because I am not comfortable with bedsharing and therefore spend half the night propped on the couch, dozing lightly, with the baby swaddled and wedged in my elbow as safely as I can figure out. The other half is when I actually get him into his bouncy seat without waking him, then lay rigid on the couch, trying not to get TOO comfortable just yet on the very good chance that he will start wailing within five minutes and I, having just fallen asleep only to be awakened, will then want to kill myself/roll over and ignore him/barf from sheer exhaustion.

Also, Eli has wet the bed every night for a week. He doesn't react well to this, or to the resultant clothing/bedding changes, but he still adamantly resists the wearing of a Pull Up, and I certainly don't want to force him to wear what he equates with a diaper. On the other hand, I don't like that laundry has apparently become my new hobby.

But! Once I am actually awake and functioning again in the morning (usually by eleven, if we're being honest) things are okay. Jameson sleeps in his carseat pretty well, at least, though he still wakes up every two hours to eat, which has already led to two public nursing sessions. Interestingly, both were in TJMaxx, which leads me to think I'm spending too much time there. It's one of my favorite places to kill time/get out of the house before picking up Addy from preschool. I'm not actually spending much MONEY there though, because I just keep buying wall art and then returning it. I'm terrible at visualizing things, so I have to actually take the thing home and hang it up before I realize it doesn't match at all. Plus, obviously, I'm delirious, so that doesn't help. But at least I'm not spending all day at home in my pajamas, right? Just nursing a baby in the front seat of my car or in a dirty bathroom stall while my son plays with the feminine hygiene product disposal box. That's MUCH better.

9 comments:

Barb said...

I so understand! This made me laugh as I am home on maternity leave and I feel the same way! I have been to the same lil restaurant 4 out of 5 days to just get out of house! And we're having exact same sleeping problems! ahhhh...this too shall pass...right!?!

d e v a n said...

Ah, the newborn phase. Hang in there!! i can't even count the number of times I've nursed in the car. lol
Can't WAIT to hear the birth story!!
Also, have you thought of putting crib sheet savers on Eli's bed? We do that for O and C, because they don't wear pullups at nap time and I still have to wash those and clothes, but at least not sheets as often.

Jess said...

Ooh. Now I'm wondering where my go-to place will be during the newborn phase. Interesting!

Mary O said...

Oh man... I remember this phase so well! It's hard, that's for sure. Keep soldiering on, girl.

Tracy said...

We do the same thing as Devan for our kids because they were wetting the bed.

Waiting anxiously for the birth story!

Nowheymama said...

Hey, I haven't written my story yet, either, and my baby is seven weeks old. :)

Fran said...

Our 3 year old still wets at naptime and sometimes her night diaper overflows. We employ the sheet lasagna technique: layers of sheets and waterproof barriers so we can whip one off and the bed is still made. It eliminates the IMMEDIATE need to re-sheet the bed. But those pissy sheets still need washing :(
Jameson sounds like the kind of sleeper my middle one was. It took me over a month to realize he was just going to nap for 30 minutes at a time. And he slept in our bed (the only one who did) until he was 6 months old. I hope he grows out of it for you! Can't wait for the birth story :)

Hillary said...

Oh Jamie James! WHat a wonderful nickname. I desperately wanted to name The Lad Jamie, but the husband would have nothing to do with it.

Take care.

Swistle said...

I am so happy for an update! And for the nickname Jamie James!