Before 4 monthsI felt like a zombie most days. Apparently, waking up every 3 hours means that you are never ever actually rested. A brain that isn't well rested has some trouble functioning now and then (who put that remote in the fridge?). Eleanor was lovely and tiny and perfect, but girl could scream! Even though it was probably only in 20-30 minute intervals, it felt like forever. D and I joked about how she was going to make us go deaf. Some of that was probably my fault. You know how a baby picks up on your attitude and all that? Well, those first few months I was panicked at the first little squeak she made or if we were out and she needed to be changed or fed. I put on a brave face, hoping that I wouldn't look as clueless as I felt. Internally, though, I was a wreck and she must have sensed some of that. Add that to the fact that my hormones were still going crazy and I was pretty much a mess.
On a more practical note, the things we use and do were different in those first few months. For our family, Aden + Anais swaddling blankets were the best things ever. Eleanor loved being swaddled and slept much more soundly when she was. The A+A blankets were bigger than any of the other ones and more lightweight. They made swaddling a breeze. Eleanor also wore the heck out of the same few long sleeve Gerber onesies with hand covers. She wore them so much and I liked them so much that we bought a second pack when she was a few weeks old. We put her in them to sleep because pajamas with snaps were a total pain for middle of the night diaper changes.
Eleanor also was one of those babies that needed something to suck on for comfort. We would have went insane without a paci in the first few weeks. I even briefly blogged about my relationship with her Soothie pacis here.
After 4 monthsEleanor has such a personality now and I enjoy that so much more than I enjoyed the snugly, needy little infant. Smiling and laughing was a real turning point. It kept me from feeling like she was miserable and I was doing something wrong. Although, she now knows how to give looks that clearly make it known that she thinks reading that book/swinging/playing in her bumbo are the worst ideas ever. She was never a particularly difficult baby, but now she seems to be especially easy. She only cries when he is overly tired or really wants that bottle that she can see you making. She will happily spend 20-30 minutes playing on her tummy on her own, more than that if someone will play on the floor with her. She has the best grins at home, and the most inquisitive faces when we are out and about. I feel so much more confident with my actions as a parent. If she cries while we are out, oh well. If she spits up or has a small diaper leak that gets on my shirt, no big deal. That's why I wear layers. Obviously, there are still times where I feel like I am going insane, but I have now recognized that those times coincide with her learning some new, awesome trick (or maybe teething...soon). Basically, I am just a lot less clueless and lot more rested than I once was.
At 4 months, we started sleep training. I didn't ever really think I would do a CIO method, but then I had my kid that wouldn't nap and cried for 30minutes to an hour before she fell asleep regardless. We went with the 3 Day Sleep Solution and it has been amazing. Eleanor naps at regular intervals and sleeps 12 hours a night (waking once to feed). In accordance to our plan, we ditched our paci and it went surprisingly well. It's so much easier now that I don't have to worry about putting in her mouth constantly or losing it. She does still have one for the rare occasion we are out and she needs something for comfort (the only time this has really happened was at the doctor and once in the car).
Since Eleanor sleeps in her crib, we almost never use our A+A blankets at home anymore. She sleeps without any blanket because I am paranoid she would suffocate. I am sure they will come back out once she is a little older. We do occasionally take them with us when we are out because they fold up small for the diaper bag just in case we need to put them on the floor, over her car seat, or whatever. I have started refusing to put her in pretty much any pajamas that aren't zippered. She kicks so much her legs get out of/caught with the pairs with snaps and since there are no blankets, it's too cold for a onesie. Toys are becoming a bigger and bigger part of our life, but unless she can put it in her mouth, my kid has zero interest in it.
It's crazy how much things have changed. I'm sure in another four months the list of things that used to be used daily will shrink even more and I will be enjoying my kiddo even more. Although, I am still terrified of that whole walking/crawling thing.
