Single Parenting: Day 1

Bye bye, Daddy!

E left late last night (early this morning) for China. He's going with a group from church to help out at a new orphanage for disabled children, and will be there for 3 weeks. I will be trying to update this blog more often so that he can see what G's up to while he's gone. It is his first time away from her since she was born, and the longest he'll be away from me since we were married.

This morning, when G woke up, she was hysterical. And not in a good funny way. Normally, G wakes up around 7-8, which is also when E wakes up, so he retrieves her from her crib and brings her to our bed for me to nurse her, then takes her back to her crib to go back to sleep for a few more hours. This morning, I went to get her and brought her back to the bed. And she became very upset and didn't want to nurse, but was just hysterical crying and writhing around. After a few minutes of not being able to console her, I set her down on the floor by her exersaucer and went to the bathroom. By the time I came back, she had calmed down, and I brought her back to bed and was able to nurse her. She then slept until 11:30.

Today we had a picnic lunch (G's breakfast) in the park with two other friends. Then we went to Costco (yes, E went there yesterday for me, but I wanted to get more stuff and was in the wrong direction to go to Whole Foods), where I expected G to nap while I shopped. She apparently had other plans and didn't sleep until we got home and I put her in her crib, but at least she had a nice long nap. My women's group met at my house tonight so that I could put her to bed at a normal time, which worked out well, since they ended up staying rather late (it was a good time of catching up and sharing). 

I'm considering adjusting her schedule and not letting her go back to sleep in the morning so that she can have meals at more normal times. But that also means that I would have to get up earlier too.

Multi-tasking

Today G had her biggest playdate yet, with 6 other kids/babies (not counting two in utero)! I got together with 4 other moms, it was so good to get out, talk, eat, and see the other kids playing. G slept for the first 45 minutes, then sat on Mommy's lap while she ate, then we moved to the sofa to feed G, then back to the table because G was too distracted to eat by the other kids and noise so S got to finish her lunch. By the end of lunch G started to complain and attempted to eat some more despite still being distracted, then, as the kids went back to playing and also started leaving, G finally fell asleep in S's arms. She woke up briefly while being put into her carseat but slept the rest of the way home, even while S made a quick stop.

So, what was the quick stop and why is this post entitled multi-tasking? I went to pick up a rat to feed the snake (yes, finally!). In the time it took to for the snake to eat, I changed G's diaper, fed G on both sides, put her down for a nap, uploaded pics from one of our cameras, ate some fruit, filled up the chip bowl, and blogged. Yes, he's a slow eater. Yes, I washed my hands countless times in between.

Speaking of ECing, we haven't since that first time a few days ago (ok, I tried once, but G was uncooperative and nothing came out), but I should have today. While I was on the computer and she was sitting on my lap, I heard the dreaded squirt. I should have just taken off her diaper and put her over the toilet, but I thought it was too late since I already heard the squirt. So I took her to her changing table and started to undo her diaper. Then I paused, and just in time, because I heard a second squirt. I held her diaper closed and waited. After the fourth squirt I decided to just close her diaper back rather than holding it closed. After the SEVENTH squirt (she was still trying to push stuff out too!) I finally ventured to open her diaper. WHOA!!! There was a yellow lake in her diaper! As I was trying to figure out how to contain the mess (I didn't, it spilled to the diaper below and onto the changing pad) her hands were waving around and I was so afraid her fingers would get into it (I don't think they did but I wiped them anyways, just in case). It was only because I had already opened up her clothes that it didn't get on them too. With each squirt I kept thinking, "I should have put her over the toilet, darn!"

Her giant poop must have tired her out, she's fell asleep again.

BTW, we finally got a scale. G is 11.5 lbs and is about 23 inches tall now.

And best of all, G GOES MOBILE! She can pretty reliably roll from her tummy to her back, even with her arms at her sides (though that takes a little more effort). E has to do something to the videos before we can post.