I suppose I was spoiled when it came to Lily... She was the exception to the rule, the definite minority in that she slept through from 8 weeks old. Her routine was rigid in that she went to sleep at 6pm and woke up at 6am. I was the envy of all other moms who probably, in hindsight, thought I was lying and trying to make out like I had the perfect little baby. Well, I wasn't lying and yes, I did have the perfect little sleeper from 8 weeks old until around 18 weeks. For those 10 weeks I was truly blessed and was secretly hoping Zac would allow me the same spoils...
Well, I was wrong and in for a shock. Due to no fault of his own, Zac has been the complete opposite in terms of sleeping. He seems to have wonderful day sleep stretches and can barely manage a 3 hour stretch at a time at night. I'm not sure whether this is due to his reflux or not, but I'm surviving on minimal sleep. I'm totally convinced that sleep deprivation is one of the world's worst tortures imaginable - you feel lethargic, achy and not quite yourself. Hubby has been hinting at getting me another night nurse for an evening which I've been reluctant to do, but after yet another terrible night last night, the idea is starting to warm on me. Now just to get Zac used to the bottle - something he has been fighting of late.
His sleep patterns seem to see him going down at around 7pm until around 11pm - his longest stretch for the night. He then goes down after about half an hour for about 2 hours waking up at around 1:30am and then the worst, he seems to wake or stir every hour! The only way I can get him to stretch a little further to perhaps 1.5 or 2 hours is to have him sleeping on my chest. Not the most comfortable for me, but at least I do get some sleep...
So as I type this, my whole family is having an afternoon nap, but I know Zac is due to wake up at any moment and the worst feeling is having just nodded off into a deep sleep only to be woken up, so I'm trying to stay awake. Murphy's Law will have it that Zac will decide to have a nice long nap this afternoon and I could have actually had a bit of splendid shut eye. Never mind, perhaps tonight will be a different scenario from the last few nights. I can only hope and pray!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Paying dues
Due to work commitments and trying to build up his own business, my hubby has never been the most hands on of dads in the world. He has other great, fantastic and admirable qualities, but being overly hands on with helping around the house and with Lily, was not one of them... Well, that was the case before Zac's arrival.
I have to pay his dues and make mention of how incredibly proud I am of him. He has really and truly risen to the occassion and proven to be an exceptional father. I've noticed how the bond between dad and daughter has flourished, especially during the time when I couldn't be at home - when I was in hospital having Zac and then of course over the last few weeks being in and out of doctor's rooms and hospital with him as well. Lily's face just lights up when her dad gets home from work and I can see that dad's face lights up just as much too. Such a truly heart warming thing to watch.
Hubby has also been exceptional in doing the grocery shopping and preparing dinner every night. Wow, I'm truly lucky! With sick kids, I haven't had much time to get to the shops and with Zac's reflux and resulting 5pm meltdowns, I've had my hands full. So to have him help out so much has really been a blessing. And to top it off, he now helps with Lily's dinner, does Lily's bath times all on his own accord and then offers to read her her bed time stories if I am busy with Zac.
So this is a post to thank my incredible husband for doing so exceptionally well. You have been thrown into the deep end a little yet you've kept your head above water and are doing brilliantly. It alleviates a lot of stress and worries in my maternal department so I'm forever grateful. Watching you with our children makes my heart want to burst - you are an incredible father and we are all so very lucky to have you xxx
I have to pay his dues and make mention of how incredibly proud I am of him. He has really and truly risen to the occassion and proven to be an exceptional father. I've noticed how the bond between dad and daughter has flourished, especially during the time when I couldn't be at home - when I was in hospital having Zac and then of course over the last few weeks being in and out of doctor's rooms and hospital with him as well. Lily's face just lights up when her dad gets home from work and I can see that dad's face lights up just as much too. Such a truly heart warming thing to watch.
Hubby has also been exceptional in doing the grocery shopping and preparing dinner every night. Wow, I'm truly lucky! With sick kids, I haven't had much time to get to the shops and with Zac's reflux and resulting 5pm meltdowns, I've had my hands full. So to have him help out so much has really been a blessing. And to top it off, he now helps with Lily's dinner, does Lily's bath times all on his own accord and then offers to read her her bed time stories if I am busy with Zac.
So this is a post to thank my incredible husband for doing so exceptionally well. You have been thrown into the deep end a little yet you've kept your head above water and are doing brilliantly. It alleviates a lot of stress and worries in my maternal department so I'm forever grateful. Watching you with our children makes my heart want to burst - you are an incredible father and we are all so very lucky to have you xxx
2 months old
Our precious little baby is 2 months old today. Yet again, I cannot believe that he has already been in our lives for 2 months... It seems just like the other day I was in the hospital waiting anxiously to meet him, yet on the other hand, I can't picture our lives without him.
As of 5 days ago, Zac was weighing a healthy 4.5kg. Even though he was sick and didn't gain weight for 2 weeks, he is still looking healthy and definitely not on the skinny side. His little legs and bum have definitely grown some additional padding and aren't as skinny as they were when he was born. His size 1 nappies are getting more and more snug, but I'm determined to finish the last few I have lying around before moving onto size 2's. I think he is quite a tall baby as his clothes are definitely more fitting in length than width and sadly, I had to pack away all his newborn items over the weekend. He is now definitely size 1-3 months even though the arms are still a little too long.
It would appear that Zac has definitely "turned the corner" from crying, moaning, niggly baby to content, happy, smiley baby. I don't want to hold my breath but for the last 4 days, he has definitely been a changed little baba and much less work for mommy. I can focus on Lily while leaving him to sit in his little rocking chair or he happily sits on Ritah's back while I get dressed and get ready for the day. When I hold him now I can enjoy his little smiles, his gorgeous little face and stare into his big, beautilful eyes. My word does he have long, thick eyelashes for such a small little person!
Zac, you're my little prince and I love you more than words can ever express. You complete our little family perfectly and I look forward to watching you grow into the precious little person I know you're going to become (and already are). xxx
As of 5 days ago, Zac was weighing a healthy 4.5kg. Even though he was sick and didn't gain weight for 2 weeks, he is still looking healthy and definitely not on the skinny side. His little legs and bum have definitely grown some additional padding and aren't as skinny as they were when he was born. His size 1 nappies are getting more and more snug, but I'm determined to finish the last few I have lying around before moving onto size 2's. I think he is quite a tall baby as his clothes are definitely more fitting in length than width and sadly, I had to pack away all his newborn items over the weekend. He is now definitely size 1-3 months even though the arms are still a little too long.
It would appear that Zac has definitely "turned the corner" from crying, moaning, niggly baby to content, happy, smiley baby. I don't want to hold my breath but for the last 4 days, he has definitely been a changed little baba and much less work for mommy. I can focus on Lily while leaving him to sit in his little rocking chair or he happily sits on Ritah's back while I get dressed and get ready for the day. When I hold him now I can enjoy his little smiles, his gorgeous little face and stare into his big, beautilful eyes. My word does he have long, thick eyelashes for such a small little person!
Zac, you're my little prince and I love you more than words can ever express. You complete our little family perfectly and I look forward to watching you grow into the precious little person I know you're going to become (and already are). xxx
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Life in the Aufrichtig Home
Thankfully the kids are both well and truly on the mend and the dark, emotional, challenging and overall horrendous last 3 weeks seem to be a thing of the past (for which I am eternally grateful!). I wouldn't wish those 3 weeks on my worst enemy and hope to never have to go through a similar ordeal in the future.
Thanks to Losec and Infant Buscopan, Zac is a much happier little baba. He is smiling beautifully and will sit quite contently in his little rocking chair while he lets mommy deal with his sister, prepare meals or get dressed - something she couldn't do quite so easily as of a few days ago. He truly is just a cutie pie and gets more beautiful by the day. His eyelashes are an absolute phenomenon - so extremely long and gorgeous! I was actually looking at his newborn photographs a few minutes ago and already I can see how he is changing from a scrunched up, wrinkly little baby into a beautiful little boy.
Due to the extensive sleep deprivation of the last 3 weeks, I finally relented and listened to hubby for us to hire a night nurse for a night. I have to admit I secretly shed some tears when I got into bed - it just didn't feel right for me not to have Zac right next to my side of the bed. It didn't feel natural to have someone else taking care of him at all. However, having said all that and having experienced extreme guilt, I did manage to get a few hours of sleep in and felt all the more better for having done so and ultimately, I will be healthier too which allows me to be a better mother. Hubby has asked if I am going to get another night nurse next week, but I've declined. I will only make use of their services when I'm truly sleep deprived. It just didn't sit well with me knowing someone else was taking care of my precious little angel.
Lily is the cutest little thing on this planet. Her little antics and characteristics provide copious amounts of entertainment. Not one day goes by without me having a little chuckle to myself or just staring at her in pure amazement. Such a perfect little being that I created... How is it actually possible?!
However, as cute as she is, she is going through an awfully difficult phase when we try to get her dressed in the morning. The resistance is phenomenal! She performs like crazy, kicking and screaming throughout the entire ordeal. It is truly exhausting. The whole exercise of getting her dressed can take up to half an hour and ultimately ends up in her being reprimanded over and over again and her coughing, snotting and hoarse. Eventually we do obviously win, but she is quite traumatised by the whole event. I hope this phase isn't going to last too long as it is truly trying, frustrating and exhausting to say the least! Luckily for Lily I have more patience than her father...
I still haven't ventured out of the house, besides from the hospital and doctor visits, for the last 5 weeks! I have incredible cabin fever to say the least. I am still quite overwhelmed by the thought of having to go out with both kids on my own so in the mean time, when we do eventually get out and about (when I'm 110% sure both kids are well and truly 110% healthy again), I will take Ritah along. I don't know how people with kids my age actually do it. You need 4 arms, eyes at the back of your head and exceptionally fast reaction timing. But time flies - I actually can't believe that Zac will be 2 months old in 2 days time already - so I'm sure in no time, I will be the Super Woman I believe I can be and I will be out and about solo with both little angel pies :)
Thanks to Losec and Infant Buscopan, Zac is a much happier little baba. He is smiling beautifully and will sit quite contently in his little rocking chair while he lets mommy deal with his sister, prepare meals or get dressed - something she couldn't do quite so easily as of a few days ago. He truly is just a cutie pie and gets more beautiful by the day. His eyelashes are an absolute phenomenon - so extremely long and gorgeous! I was actually looking at his newborn photographs a few minutes ago and already I can see how he is changing from a scrunched up, wrinkly little baby into a beautiful little boy.
Lily is the cutest little thing on this planet. Her little antics and characteristics provide copious amounts of entertainment. Not one day goes by without me having a little chuckle to myself or just staring at her in pure amazement. Such a perfect little being that I created... How is it actually possible?!
I still haven't ventured out of the house, besides from the hospital and doctor visits, for the last 5 weeks! I have incredible cabin fever to say the least. I am still quite overwhelmed by the thought of having to go out with both kids on my own so in the mean time, when we do eventually get out and about (when I'm 110% sure both kids are well and truly 110% healthy again), I will take Ritah along. I don't know how people with kids my age actually do it. You need 4 arms, eyes at the back of your head and exceptionally fast reaction timing. But time flies - I actually can't believe that Zac will be 2 months old in 2 days time already - so I'm sure in no time, I will be the Super Woman I believe I can be and I will be out and about solo with both little angel pies :)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Lily-isms
Before I forget and the cute little pronunciations Lily makes escapes me, I thought I must document them as they are so worth remembering!
I call these "Lily-isms":
* Popcorn - poppicorn
* Octopus - opipiss
* Fingers - fingins
* Grandpa - boka
* This way - ziss way
* Elephant - enfant
There are more but I just can't think of them now. I will try to document more of them as they arise. Too precious for words! Oh and Lily can sing the alphabet (24 months old) - something neither hubby nor I taught her. We think she learnt from one of her iPad apps all on her own. Clever little monkey!
I call these "Lily-isms":
* Popcorn - poppicorn
* Octopus - opipiss
* Fingers - fingins
* Grandpa - boka
* This way - ziss way
* Elephant - enfant
There are more but I just can't think of them now. I will try to document more of them as they arise. Too precious for words! Oh and Lily can sing the alphabet (24 months old) - something neither hubby nor I taught her. We think she learnt from one of her iPad apps all on her own. Clever little monkey!
Little did I know...
Little did I know that things were not going to get easier... Since my last post, Zac has been admitted into hospital another two times. The first time was for a continued chest infection and now, as I type this from his hospital room, he has been diagnosed with Croup. The second admission saw us spending Thursday night here only to be discharged the next day. Then on Saturday night, he sounded very chesty and hoarse so we were admitted yet again!
We have so far spent Saturday night here as well as tonight. Not sure when we will be going home, but my thinking is just to stay admitted until Zac is MUCH healthier - I honestly do not feel like being admitted again!
During our second admission 3 days ago, our doctor decided it was time to do some testing. Poor little guy, at only 7 weeks old, had to have bloods withdrawn from his tiny hands as well as a chest x-ray and a barium meal to test for reflux. Thankfully the blood works came back normal for everything. However, the barium showed that he has quite severe reflux and actually has it in several places. My poor angel has had indigestion and heartburn type symptoms for weeks now! Thankfully Losec seems to be providing the answer and he doesn't cramp and pull up his little legs after his feeds any more.
Then to add to it all, on admission this time, the doctor found that he has a middle ear infection which is rather painful, hence the crying and niggles. Apparently they liken an ear infection to toothache - PAINFUL! Again, my poor little boy. I wish with all my heart that I could endure the pain and discomfort for him. It isn't fair. He is still so very new and has had to endure being prodded, poked, smacked (physio) and fiddled with.
I honestly hope and pray that this is the last of all of this so we can go home and get into a routine as a family of 4. I so want to enjoy my little guy as even though he is enduring more than a baby ever should, he still smiles and even gave us his first giggle at 6 weeks old! Such a cutie pie who is growing into such a handsome little fellow. Please may this be the LAST post about my sick children and in future I will only have happier child related posts to write :)
We have so far spent Saturday night here as well as tonight. Not sure when we will be going home, but my thinking is just to stay admitted until Zac is MUCH healthier - I honestly do not feel like being admitted again!
During our second admission 3 days ago, our doctor decided it was time to do some testing. Poor little guy, at only 7 weeks old, had to have bloods withdrawn from his tiny hands as well as a chest x-ray and a barium meal to test for reflux. Thankfully the blood works came back normal for everything. However, the barium showed that he has quite severe reflux and actually has it in several places. My poor angel has had indigestion and heartburn type symptoms for weeks now! Thankfully Losec seems to be providing the answer and he doesn't cramp and pull up his little legs after his feeds any more.
Then to add to it all, on admission this time, the doctor found that he has a middle ear infection which is rather painful, hence the crying and niggles. Apparently they liken an ear infection to toothache - PAINFUL! Again, my poor little boy. I wish with all my heart that I could endure the pain and discomfort for him. It isn't fair. He is still so very new and has had to endure being prodded, poked, smacked (physio) and fiddled with.
I honestly hope and pray that this is the last of all of this so we can go home and get into a routine as a family of 4. I so want to enjoy my little guy as even though he is enduring more than a baby ever should, he still smiles and even gave us his first giggle at 6 weeks old! Such a cutie pie who is growing into such a handsome little fellow. Please may this be the LAST post about my sick children and in future I will only have happier child related posts to write :)
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