A mommy issue

It took almost 8 months, but my son is sleeping in his crib. It’s not where we just purchased the crib, or that we were missing the mattress, or the bedding or something like that. No, no, no. Jackson has always had a beautiful crib…scratch that…a beautiful bedroom, waiting patiently to be used. The reason Jackson had never spent a night in his room is, well, me. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t cut the cord. I absolutely loved waking up at any time during the night and seeing him right next to me in his bassinet. I loved hearing his coos and deep breathes. I loved waking up to giggles and seeing that little head pop up with a big old smile on his face. Yup, this growing pain was all mine.

So, flash back to about three weeks ago. When Jackson and I went to bed about 9:30 on a Sunday night (Chris stays up later to let the dogs out). Jack was incredibly fussy and would not stay asleep for more than 5-10 minutes. By the time Chris came up for bed, I was exhausted. We tried everything – putting him in our bed (which I hate), walking him, giving him a bottle, giving him a bath – nothing worked. Every time we put him in the bassinet, he would jump and shake and I was really worried that he would cave the thing in (mostly because he outgrew the weight limit about five pounds ago!). Finally, about 3AM, Chris said, “Amanda, we need sleep and he needs to be in a place where we can put him that he is safe. I am putting him in his crib. I’ll sleep in there with him on the floor.” Chris drug the futon mattress into the nursery, and I attempted to put the breathable bumper on the crib (a lot harder than it sounds at 3 in the morning!). We put the baby in the crib and he screamed and screamed. It was heartbreaking. We rubbed his back and sang to him and finally, about 3:30, he fell asleep. I went back to our bedroom and slept until 5:45. We decided at that point to keep the baby in his crib at night. We had a streak and didn’t want to break it! ;)

Over the past three weeks, we have fixed the breathable bumper, organized his bedroom a little more and opened our lovely video monitor. Do you know what I discovered? With that video monitor that I keep on my nightstand, I can still wake up at any time during the night and see him. I can still hear his coos and deep breathes. I still wake up to giggles and the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I guess it’s true what they say…you have to grow up sometime.

Why hello again!

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my last posting! I can’t believe it’s 2011! I can’t believe my baby is almost 8 months old! Needless to say, it’s been an exciting, tiring and fun time of our little family! Here’s a highlight reel of the last 45 or so days:

Thanksgiving: Jackson had his first baby food: SWEET POTATOES! He absolutely loved them! He tired them on Thanksgiving and since then, we’ve done all the baby foods. Pears, apples, bananas, sweet peas, peaches, carrots, butternut squash, green beans and prunes. He’s not really a fan of sweet peas or green beans, but he’ll get there. We’ve also started the sippy cup, but he thinks is more of a toy, but he’s getting the hang of it.

On the first day of Christmas…: The holidays were hectic. Beyond hectic. Chris and I always say we aren’t going to overscheduled ourselves, but sure enough, we had something going on most every weekend in November and December leading up to Christmas. Not that I mind. I feel very blessed that we have so many family and friends who love us and want to spend time with us, and vice versa. But it does make for very tired parents, and sometimes a cranky little baby.

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas: Jackson’s first Christmas was a White Christmas! It was the first time in over 100 years that we’ve had real snow in Georgia on Christmas! Yup, it was truly magical and something very special for such a special little guy!

Santa, take this present and shove it!: Jackson did get one thing for Christmas I wish we could take back. The flu. :( We took him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s emergency room on December 26. Basically, they made us feel like we were overreacting and sent us home. But Baby Jack got worse as the night went on, and the next day, we took him to the pediatrician and sure enough, our little guy had the flu! Our doctor was very upset with CHOA, but all that really mattered was getting Jackson well. He was on breathing treatment for a week and several medicines. It took a few days but he was back to his old self again by New Year’s! My mom came over on the Thursday before Christmas and we had our 2nd Christmas, where Jackson opened his presents. We had a wonderful time and he felt so much better.

Start spreading the news: Uncle Jeremy moved to the Big Apple. New York City. I mean, I’ve known for quite a while this was coming, but it didn’t seem real or like it would actually happen. Even now, it’s hard for me to believe that Jeremy LIVES in NYC. The funny thing is Jeremy and I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye. He came over on Christmas, but the plan was to see him Monday before he left. Well, with Jackson being sick, I didn’t get a chance to go to Atlanta. You know what? It’s probably better that way. I can continue to live in my fantasy world that Jeremy is just on an extended business trip.

Welcome 2011!: So, did Baby Jack make it to midnight? Well, the better question is Did Mommy and Daddy make it to midnight. Yes, we all made to watch the ball drop. And while Mom and Dad were quite ready for bed at 12:01, Jack kept us up until a little past 1. He’s a party animal, that kid. He’ll do well in college, I’m sure.

So that’s my update! Here’s to an awesome 2011 and lots of fun things – Valentine’s Day, Easter, FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY (which I may or may not have already starting buying things for…) – to come!