When Your Baby Just Won't Sleep...

Maybe I was spoiled with my first two kids.  Max and Ella were great sleepers from the day we brought each of them home from the hospital.

I actually remember thinking at one point, that Ella might be sleeping too much.  We would put her in her bassinet, and she would snooze for hours on end, day or night.

When Theo was born in early April, I was bold enough to think that he would be the same as his brother and sister... that we would bring him home and watch in awe, as he blissfully slumbered the days and nights away.

I couldn't have been more wrong...

I feel guilty referring to Theo as a "high maintenance" baby, because I know that it's pretty common for parents to complain about being sleep deprived in the early months, after bringing home a new baby, but if you're wondering what nights were like around here in the beginning, let me just say it wasn't pretty.

Theo would literally only sleep if I was holding him.  It was so bad, that I set up camp on our couch so that my husband could sleep, and M&E wouldn't be woken by his shrieking at 2:00 AM.  As if that wasn't enough, for while there, I even had to sleep sitting up, because it seemed to be the only way that he was comfortable.

All of this might have been bearable, if I didn't have a 2 year old and a three year old to take care of during the day as well.

I started to really miss sleeping... so I began desperately searching for solutions.

At first a tried swaddling Theo in swaddle blankets, but that was a big fat fail, because he's a pretty strong baby and he would break out in no time at all.  After that it was on to swaddle sacks... still no real improvement.

Now,  I know a lot of people are pro co-sleeping, but in all honesty, I'm basically just pro-sleeping in general, as in I'll do whatever it takes just to get in my precious beauty rest... so when I discovered the dockAtot, I was totally intrigued.

The dockAtot is a multi-functional spot made for sleeping, lounging, and playing, that you can take with you pretty much anywhere. DockAtot was designed in Sweden and is meant to provide a nurturing and cozy surrounding for your little one.

Everywhere I turned, parents were raving about this thing, and singing its praises as if it was the greatest thing that had ever happened to them

As I sat there in my sleep deprived state, large coffee in hand, reading people's reviews of the dockAtot, I began to want one desperately.  I truly believed that it would be the solution to all of my problems.

I am being 100% honest when I tell you that Theo's first night in the dockAtot was the longest he had slept, without waking, up to that point.  It was a bit of an adjustment in the beginning, since he was used to sleeping upright and in my arms, but thanks to the way that the dockAtot is designed, after a few nights, he got more used to it, and seemed to feel really snug and secure while sleeping in it.  We went with the deluxe size version, which is recommended for babies ages 0-8 months, and since it supposed to recreate a womb-like feeling, this seemed to be a great fit. There is also a Grand sized version, meant for ages 9-36 months. I should also mention that it comes with several options for covers in terms of  color and design, and they are all machine washable.

Theo is almost three months old now, and though he's still not 100% sleeping through the night every night, between the dockAtot and this amazing swaddle, he is only waking once or twice to nurse, and he immediately goes back to sleep, which for us, has been a huge improvement.

I love that with the dockAtot, I can sleep with Theo near me, but safely, and in his own little space.  We plan on transitioning him into his crib at night once he turns three months, but in the meantime, we have been putting the dockAtot in there during naps, and he has been doing great.  I think it will go really smoothly, since he is already so used to sleeping in the dockAtot as it is.

I also love that the dockAtot is so portable.  We recently went away for the weekend, and it was so nice not to have to lug a huge pack and play along with us to a hotel. It was so easy to bring the dockAtot along, and in addition to having a place to sleep, Theo also had a safe place to lounge, and I was able to throw a blanket over it and use it as a surface to change his diapers on while we were on the road.

We've also begun using the dockAtot for tummy time lately, and it has become a great place for him to play and explore things.

I've had quite a few people ask me at this point if I think the dockAtot is worth the price and I can honestly say yes, I think it is worth every penny.  I will likely purchase the Grand version when the time comes, because I truly believe that it is that good of a product!  The improvement in Theo's quality of sleep during naps and at night speaks for itself, and as someone who is exceptionally fond of sleep myself, any product that helps to provide me with that luxury, is worth any price!

Disclosure- I was provided a dockAtot to review for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

xoxo,

Ella Rose Is One Month Old

I remember when I was pregnant with Max, how I used to shrug off comments like, "Enjoy every moment, it goes by so fast," or "before you know it, he'll be graduating from high school, and heading off to college." At the time, those words of wisdom weren't really relevant to me, seeing as my child was still growing in my belly, and 9 months seemed to be taking forever to pass by.

Fast forward almost 2 years, and 2 babies later, and comments like these are still getting shrugged off... This time though, it's because I have come to realize how true the statements are, and I loathe the constant reminder. Max will be 2 in a little over a month, and Ella Rose has just reached the one month milestone. If you want time to pass quickly, then have a couple of kids... This seriously has to have been the shortest month of my life thus far.

Having a newborn again, truly made me realize just how much Max has grown over the last 22 months. Picking him up after holding Ella makes him feel like a hundred pounds. Seeing just how helpless a newborn is, while watching a toddler's indepent streak grow by the day is numbing. Everything about Max now seems huge compared to Ella's teeny tininess.

I would have to say one of the greatest lessons I've learned through having children, is to document everything with photos. I am obnoxious when it comes to posting on Facebook and Instgram, and my children constantly have a camera or an iPhone in their faces, capturing a moment... But truly, nothing makes me happier then to be able to look back at photos and recall a special memory. I found this quote on Pinterst, and couldn't love it more! It's so true.

This first month with Ella has been magical in every way. It's so fun to see the differences and similarities in having a baby girl this time around. She is such a calm and good natured baby, until she is hungry, and then she lets you know with a high pitched shriek of a cry.

Her head of hair still amazes me every time I look at her... It's as if God knew that this girl's mama has an obsession with hair accessories, and gave her the perfect locks to make her the best little model ever. As of right now she has these beautiful big blue eyes... I'm not sure if they'll stick around, or if they'll end up brown like the rest of ours, only time will tell.

She makes the cuties little sounds and faces, and I could put off my mile-long to do list and just sit and watch her forever. If only time would allow it.

For now though, you can be certain that I will be catching and documenting all of these precious changes through photos. It is my way of perpetuating the whole "living in the moment" thing, and having something to look back on as this special time rapidly passes by... And when I'm not photographing, I'll be spending every spare moment I have snuggling these tiny humans while they let me, because that too is privelage that I don't want to pass by too quickly.

Hope you're treasuring the moments with your littles... Today, and every day!

-J

My Baby... Plus One

I've been experiencing a fair amount of anxiety lately. I can't seem to escape the frantic to-do list in my head, of things that MUST be done before baby #2 arrives. Time is ticking, and with a presumable 4-5 weeks to go, give or take, I can't help but feel a little doubtful that I actually can, and will, accomplish it all.

It dawned on me the other day, that the time I get to spend one on one with my sweet little boy is rapidly passing by, and soon will come to an end.

Of course, I am elated to welcome our baby girl into the world, and feel blessed beyond belief to be giving Max a sibling... However, there is a slight touch of fear to go along with all of that joy. The uncertainty of how our family dynamic is about to change is a bit intimidating.

I remember, shortly after we brought Max home from the hospital, when my brain was still fogged with the perpetual bliss (and hormone overload) that comes with welcoming a new life into the world, wondering if I could ever love another living thing as much as loved him. I sat there rocking him in my arms and inhaling his intoxicating newborn smell, thinking this, THIS, is what the unwavering feeling of true love really is!

Naturally, after 35 weeks of carrying this new bundle, I now know that it will most definitely be possible to love this baby just as much.  There is no denying however, that over the past 20 months, Max and I have formed a very special bond.

Lately, the hugs, kisses, and snuggles from my little man have been overwhelmingly abundant, and I couldn't be more pleased. I am making the best effort I can to savor these special moments with him, before I am bombarded with the reality that I will have 2 to care for, 2 to split my attention and time with. I imagine most women struggle with this same anxiety as they make they jump from mommy of one to mommy of two. Maybe not though, maybe it's just me.

Either way, it's inevitable that our baby girl is going to make her way into this world sooner or later, and I'm doing my best to be prepared... If that's even possible.

At the moment, the main source of my anxiety is the knowledge that I will have to be away from Max, overnight, while I deliver this little princess. I have never spent one night away from Max, since the day he was born, and while I knew this day would eventually come, the sadness I feel over not being able  to tuck him in for the night, and watch him fall asleep on the video monitor is very raw and real.

Is it normal to feel so much guilt over something like this? Will I feel this anxious next time around, or by then will I be a seasoned professional?

Perhaps this is what being a mother is all about, the ongoing worry and struggle that you're giving all that you have to each of your children... Being carefully sure that your love and attention is being spread as fairly as possible, so that none of your sweet babies ever feel as though they're not getting enough. 

I suppose soon enough, I am going to find out. For now though, I'm treasuring my time with this precious little boy who is currently carrying a baby doll around the room, proudly shouting, "Ba-by, baaaa-by, ba-by!" Little does he know, he still is and always will be, my baby.

-J