Let's Get Real: Day in the Life

I was texting with a wonderful friend of mine yesterday about just HOW FREAKING HARD this whole newborn stage is and about how I was worried because Bailey isn't smiling or really making eye contact yet and how "everyone" says she "should be" by now (false) and how "everyone" else's baby is already sleeping through the night at 10 weeks and Bailey isn't and how she "should be" by now (false). My very wise friend first asked just who all these "everyone's" were and then reminded me that just because people SAY their babies do x, y, z doesn't necessarily mean they do AND, if they do, doesn't mean their babies are perfect.

Like I said, she's so wise.

She also reminded me that I posted a "Day in the Life" post not too long ago that painted a pretty darn pretty picture. BUSTED. She was right. I was being honest. SOMEDAYS were/are like that. However, let's get real. Not everyday is all unicorns and sparkly. Some days there are more of my tears shed than Baileys. Some days girl just refuses to nap. Some days I am COVERED in baby vomit all. day. long.  So, for the sake of full transparency, I figured it was time to see what one of those days look like.

Bailey's been having some SERIOUS sleep regression issues lately. For a  while, she was doing SO well. Not sleeping through the night, but sleeping in her crib like a champ and, oh yeah-- SLEEPING. The past 2 weeks girl has 100% refused to sleep in her crib at night and has been way too cool for sleep in general. FUN.

So, here's what Wednesday, January 22, 2014 looked like. I use an app to track all of B's diaper changes and nursing sessions, so it's pretty easy for me to recap these dead on. With that, let's do this...

Backing up a bit to the Tuesday evening before was SUPER fun, starting around 8pm with a diaper change and nursing session and then trying to put B to "bed" after her normal night time routine. Girl was not having it. She and I spent about 2 full hours where I would put her down in the crib, she'd immediately start crying, I'd pick her up and shush her and then set her back down after she'd calm then she'd immediately start crying again. SUCH A FUN GAME.

At about 10pm, I try to nurse her again, thinking maybe she's still hungry. She is and has a full nursing session and then another diaper change. By now, it's about 10:40pm. She is OUT LIKE A LIGHT, so I put her in her crib. That lasts for less than 10 minutes. We do the crib game for another few minutes before I wave the white flag.

So, it's now about 11pm and I gave up and decided to just let her sleep in her bouncy seat (the ONLY place we can get her to sleep right now). So, we move downstairs, get her in her seat and then I cozy up for another night on the couch (it's easier to sleep on the couch when she's SOOOO fussy and when she's in her seat b/c they're on the same level so I can calm her without having to get up). I get about 5 minutes before she starts whimpering again. I pop the paci in and we do this game for 40ish minutes before she's finally, FINALLY out and I get to fall asleep.

So, now it's almost midnight and Wednesday officially beings...

1:47am: Diaper Change

1:48am-2:15am: Nurse, then I get her settled back in her seat (where she actually goes back to sleep pretty quickly) and then I go to the bathroom.

 I have no relevant pics... so, enjoy the many faces of Bailey. :)

 

2:15am-4:09am: SLEEP! Glorious, glorious sleep. Well. Semi-glorious. Girl wakes up 3-4 times and I have to pop the paci back in her mouth.

4:09-4:35am: Another nursing/diaper session

4:35-5am: Girl really, really fights sleep. We play the paci game and I end up pulling her out of her seat and let her sleep on my chest, which means I don't get any sleep. Fuuuuun. But, she finally falls asleep, so I put her back in her seat.

5-6:28am: Girl is OUT, which means I get to sleeeeeeeeeeep.

6:28am-6:54am: We start our day! Nurse and diaper

6:54-7:15am: Play! Sing songs, dance a little, etc.

7:15am-7:20am: Diaper and swaddle her for her nap. Set her down IN HER CRIB (!!) while she's awake and sneak out.

7:20-9:30am: Girl is OUT. Yep- she'll sleep in her crib for (some) naps. SO WEIRD. And frustrating. Anyway- this is by far her BEST nap and I use the time to get shit done. I pump, workout, eat breakfast, and clean up the living room.

9:31am-10:02am: I had to wake her up from her nap and then we diaper and nurse.

10:02-10:25am: Play!

10:25-10:30am: Diaper and swaddle her. Put her in her crib for nap #2.

10:30-11:30am: She sleeps and I try to nap, but wakes early so my nap is cut short. I get maybe 30 minutes of sleep in before we play the paci game for a bit and then I give up.

11:30am-12:15pm: I bring her into my bed and try to get her to nap a little while longer while laying next to me while I facebook and read blogs on my phone.

12:15-12:58pm: Nurse and diaper

1-1:30pm: Play!

1:30pm: Another diaper change, then swaddle and put her down for a nap.

1:30-2:30pm: She naps for a solid hour, while I get to eat some lunch! I was planning to try to nap again after lunch, but she doesn't nap long enough.

2:30-3:30pm: She lays on my chest and kinda dozes in and out.

3:37-4:02pm: Nurse and diaper

4:02-4:30pm: Play!

4:30pm: Diaper

4:30-5pm: I rock her and try and try and try to get her to go down for a nap, all to no avail. Girl is just not having it.

5pm: Put her in her swing and she finally does doze off.

5-6pm: The Hubs gets home and we reheat some leftovers and eat dinner while watching an episode of Dexter (we're ALMOST through the last season!! OOOMMMG!!!!).

6-6:32pm: Nurse and diaper (well, the Hubs diapers :) )

6:30-7pm: Play!

7-7:30pm: Diaper, bath and then bedtime routine.

 

7:30-8:55pm: Play the OH-SO-FUN crib game again. AHHHH!!!! Start to LOSE MY MIND because girl will JUST NOT SLEEP IN HER CRIB. I start crying because she won't stop crying. Hubs and I take turns for a while before we wave the white flag again. Bailey wins. I take her back to the living room.

8:57pm-9:24pm: I think maybe she's hungry again and am right. Another nurse and diaper session.

9:25-11pm: Try over and over and over again to get Bailey to stop crying and go to sleep. Even her bouncy seat isn't doing it tonight.

11pm: FINALLY she's out and I pass out about 2.2 seconds later.

Rinse, lather, repeat.

 

So, as you can see... it was a far cry from the perfect day. But, at the same time- it wasn't a total bust either. She wasn't crying ALL DAY by any means. She also wasn't the never-cries baby. Life is usually somewhere in the middle. I'm far from living a perfect life. I'm also so incredibly lucky and love, love, LOVE my life and wouldn't trade a single thing. I mean... if someone wants to come change the really poopy diapers or clean my house while I sleep, I wouldn't turn them away, but I know you gotta take the bad with the good and if a poopy diaper and a sleepless night is the "bad" I gotta take, I can handle it.