BZZZZZ Baby Z

Baby Z encountered a bee yesterday. He got a nice little sting right in the end of this thumb. I didn't see what happened but I think he grabbed it (while it was almost dead on the ground). I saw the stinger with it's little flesh on the end so I knew what it was right away. Poor little guy.

I checked for any trouble breathing and his crying reassured me that he wasn't probably allergic to bee stings. The pain got progressively worse as I tried to find something to scrape out the stinger. I grabbed cheap cardboard, but Baby Z wouldn't hold still enough to let me push at his finger. I rushed into the house to get tweezers although they say not to use them since you can end up squeezing more venom into the skin. But I was able to grab stinger and not venom pouch and got it out quickly.
His poor little thumb was all swollen and red.

Baby Z would calm down and then I'm sure it would throb or something and he'd start to cry again. I got him in the bath so we could keep the thumb in water (water or ice is good for it). After an hour or so it was a lot better. It was the thumb he sucks when he sleeps, so I was worried about nap time, but by then it seemed better and he sucked away no problem.

Another milestone in a child's life experienced. Baby Z was a brave little trooper. Here's a picture, although not a great one:

Day Three of Special Alone Play Time

I mentioned in my previous post that I was starting an "alone" play time with Baby Z. I did indeed by the little play yard fence and have used it four times now (didn't do it over the weekend). This is a good reminder in the lesson of persistence while training children. When adjusting a routine, it always takes several (for me, 3-4) days before things settle down and aren't so hard (read: lots of crying). It's been a while since we've made changes but here we are making two changes at once: switching to one nap a day and instituting private play time.
Today, I'm focusing on alone play time. Here's the synopsis:
Day 1: Told Baby Z it was special play time, made a big deal about the new fence. Baby Z was eager to set it up and quickly got inside. We piled in the toys and I set the timer for 15 minutes. He was excited and played for about 8 minutes and then realized he couldn't get out when he wanted. Crying for the next 7 minutes during which he dragged the entire play yard fence across the living room and reconfigured it into the space between a dining room chair and the wall. When I got him up I told him good job and reminded him that I wasn't disciplining him but it was a special time just for him.
Day 1 night: I reluctantly report the play yard experience to my husband who is anti-stuff and was skeptical of it working. He asks if I kept the receipt. I double-check.

Day 2: Again, repeated that we were doing the special play time for 15 minutes. Lots of toys, music playing. Baby Z played contentedly for the entire time, during which I cleaned the bathroom (yeah!). When time was up, I opened the play yard and he stayed in for a few more minutes.
Day 2 night: I (prematurely) report success to John and the rest of my family. But I don't throw away the box or the receipt.

...A few days in between....
Day 3: Alone play time in the afternoon this time, so I can get dinner started. Baby Z is extremely angry about this. Crying and screaming for 15 minutes (okay, maybe 13 minutes). Baby Z stomps his raisin bran snack into dust on the living room floor. The rest of the evening the slightest thing sets him off into a fit of crying. I spend a good portion of dinner-making time teaching him about self-control and disciplining him. He doesn't really calm down until I put him back in bed for 10 minutes or so. (Will have to post another time on temper tantrums. Sigh.)
Day 3 night: My husband sees the aftermath of the temper tantrum. I briefly mention in passing that the alone time set him off. We go out that night and I watch my husband take my toddler onto the beach. I think to myself that there won't be that many more times I get to see Baby Z hobbling his toddler walk alongside my husband. I resolve to enjoy as much as I can and not get too down about temper tantrums and crying fits.

Day 4: Alone play time in the afternoon again despite the thought that I could have a repeat of Day 3. I build it up lots and spend some time talking about which toys he wants in there with him. I put him in, turn on music and have been typing this blog entry since then. After about 20 minutes, I notice he is getting a little restless. I walk on over and tell him good job and "you did it!" We do a high five and then I open the play yard. Again, he doesn't immediately run out crying "Free at last!"
Day 4 night: Not sure I'll say anything to John until we've had a few more days of success. Still have the box. Still have the receipt.

To prove Baby Z is not always happy (although this was the other time he cried. ha.):

Coming Out of the Storm

I feel better! Last Friday was 13 weeks for Baby Number Two (BNT), and I'm feeing so much better. Only very occasional icky-feeling and MUCH more energy! Yeah! On this side of a very tough period, I can see how much the first trimester affected me. It was a lot like going through depression. I didn't want to do the things I usually enjoyed doing (such as playing with Baby Z or getting out of the house). I felt tired and hopeless and sad a lot of the time. I didn't have a lot of excitement or joy about BNT. And then I started to feel better. I feel more like myself. I have a sense of humor again. I like being around Baby Z.

I'm sharing all of this so that perhaps other pregnant Moms won't feel bad when they start to not like their other kids. Even my OB/GYN said the same thing, which was reassuring. And it is especially reassuring that this phase didn't last. (Although, from what I can tell, it pops back up again for a little while after the second child is born.) It's so nice to enjoy Baby Z again. We're back to having fun and I'm more patient with his toddler-ness.

I've started making lists (a sure sign I'm feeling better) and thinking about life with two kids. It looks like Baby Z is finally ready for one nap a day and now the thought doesn't make me want to cry. So, we're test driving that schedule adjustment now. I give him two naps when it suits my schedule for the day and especially on Mondays (he's always tired on Mondays) and switch to one when it makes sense.

I always said I would keep a "quiet time" for Baby Z when the morning nap dropped away, so I'm strategizing about that now. I think I'm going to buy a portable play yard fence. I think he might like the space and newness of it more than his crib. And, I can take it outside or to other people's houses when I need it. This is probably one of those products I should have bought months and months ago, but a recent endorsement from Oh Cripe finally sealed the deal. It will come in handy when I can put Baby Z in his special place (Note to self- think of cool name to give it appeal) while I feed BNT or clean up a mess or whatever. It's all about containment. Why didn't I get it sooner? Ah, well. Live and learn. I'm off to buy it right now. Seriously.

Good Lesson with a Happy Ending

Last week Baby Z and I were at a friend's house, playing in the backyard and swimming in her pool. And the moment I had thought through many times happened: Baby Z fell in. We were on the edge of the pool and I was very close to Baby Z, thankfully (now I understand why they say stay within arm's reach). Baby Z went to grab an air mattress floating on the water that was about 5 inches from the side of the pool. I said, "No, stop, let Mama help," and then he was in the pool. I got to him very quickly and plunged my arm in to grab him, while thinking through how I would dive in after him if I couldn't get him with my arm. Looking down, I saw Baby Z sinking quickly down on his back with his arms and hands raised up toward the surface. His little face was scrunched up and his eyes were closed.

I was able to reach his forearm by pushing my arm in up to my shoulder. I pulled him up and sat him on the side of the pool where he sputtered a little and started to cry. He had held his breath the whole time but he was scared, obviously. We are so thankful we've had him in swim lessons where he has learned to hold his breath. He calmed down pretty quickly, and amazingly, I was calm the entire time. It felt like this lasted 5 minutes, but my friend said the whole thing lasted probably 4 seconds.

What blew me away about this whole thing was how FAST it all happened. How quickly would he have sunk all the way to the bottom? How long before he wouldn't have been able to hold his breath? How long would it have taken me to get to him from across the pool? I am so thankful I was nearby, because, honestly, I haven't always been right next to him. God is gracious and good. And I very quickly learned the prudence of getting a fence or safety net for pools. We are looking into that now for my Mom's pool (where Baby Z spends every Friday). After telling my Mom the story, she was also quick to agree that a barrier of some kind was needed. And, the perk of it will be that she doesn't have to chase Baby Z around her back yard constantly. She'll be able to sit on a chair and watch him from, say, 15 feet away.

Falling into the pool is kind of one of those things that happens to most kids at one time or other (hopefully when they know how to swim), but as with everything else, it's an eye opener when it happens to your child. I am so extremely grateful for the lesson early on in Baby Z's life which will better prepare me and my family for what lies ahead.

Here's a recent picture, just to reassure you that Baby Z is alive and smiling (Smile!):

It's Not an Alien

Had my first ultrasound of baby number two today. It was very reassuring to see the little one moving around in there and his/her heart beating. Of course every logical thought tells me I'm pregnant, but, I sure like some proof. I know, what did I think it was? An alien? Well, it might look a little like an alien at only 2 inches big, but it's a baby. (The technician assured me of that. Smile.)
Remembering back to my experiences last time with Baby Z, it rekindled in me the joy of having a child, instead of just thinking about how sick I feel. There isn't the same euphoria this time as with Baby Z, but there is a reassuring regularity of everything. Oh yeah, I remember my hips hurting last time. Oh yeah, the baby moves around in there but I can't feel it yet. Oh yeah, there will be a time where I feel better and it's actually kind of fun to be pregnant.
So, thank you B.N.T. (Baby Number Two) for the encouraging wiggles and flips today. We've got a ways to go, but I'm looking forward to meeting you. I'll do my best to fatten you up before then. :)