The greatest moment of my life (so far) has been the birth of Scotty. The moment he came into the world - seriously unbelievable. It made 9 months of pregnancy totally worthwhile (and immediately made me want to do it again, much to Brian's horror. Poor guy was still thinking about wheelchairs, bed rest, and back pain while I bathed in the glow of new motherhood.)
And now, I present the second greatest moment of my life: tonight, around 7pm. I had spent a horrible day yesterday with a very fussy infant that screamed for 3.5 hours in the morning and another hour when Brian got home. I googled reflux.I googled GERD. I looked up 'spit-up' and tried to figure out if my baby was normal. I posted my situation on Facebook, seeking advice from other mothers. I steeled myself for another 7+ weeks of this, telling myself I could do it. I might get a lot of lines around my eyes and mouth from the stress, but I could do it.
It was so bad yesterday morning that I actually had to step outside. I was crying so hard that I don't think Scotty could hear it over his crying. We were both a mess. The thought that I had to deal with a fussy, screaming baby for almost another two months seriously depressed me but this motherhood, I told myself. Buckle up and deal.
And then today, Brian showed me how to work the PlayStation so I could play a DVD. Our DVD player doesn't work (not sure why) so we play things through the PlayStation, a contraption I have zero experience with. A few months ago, one of Brian's co-workers gave him 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' DVD but I never watched it since I don't know who to work the damn PlayStation thing. After yesterday, I begged Brian to please set it up for me since I was desperate for any new ideas.
I had read the book (even reviewed it) but the book, like most books, is nothing like the movie. The DVD is 100x better - and gives real and actual descriptions of HOW TO swaddle, shush, side-position, swing, and suck. Scotty had a great day this afternoon, so I didn't get a chance to put my new skills into action until tonight.
And then, right on cue, around 7pm, Scotty began to fuss. We did our usual 'talk to the baby,' 'snuggle the baby,' 'walk with the baby' routine. And then I busted out my new swaddling technique. Scotty still screamed. I did the side-position move and in 30 seconds...silence. Blissful, lovely silence. I looked at him to make sure we weren't hurting him, and he looked absolutely content. Wonderfully content. Like a switch in his brain had been turned off, and now he was happy. I was so happy I started crying (again). BEST DVD EVER, PEOPLE. This man, Dr. Sears, needs a Nobel Prize or something.
When Scotty got fussy again in two hours, we repeated our behavior. And you know what? IT WORKED!!!!! Again. Phenomenal! Scotty is now blissfully asleep, growing and developing, without having to waste all kinds of useless energy on screaming and fussing. I now have so much time on my hands that I can blog, talk to friends, write a book, maybe even make dinner. Brian will have a hot meal waiting for him? Truly a blessed event.
Anyways, I HIGHLY recommend this DVD. An A+++++ on my rating scale. Don't get the book; get the DVD. Much more helpful.
And let's keep our fingers crossed that our good luck/baby wrangling skills continue to improve. :-)
And now, I present the second greatest moment of my life: tonight, around 7pm. I had spent a horrible day yesterday with a very fussy infant that screamed for 3.5 hours in the morning and another hour when Brian got home. I googled reflux.I googled GERD. I looked up 'spit-up' and tried to figure out if my baby was normal. I posted my situation on Facebook, seeking advice from other mothers. I steeled myself for another 7+ weeks of this, telling myself I could do it. I might get a lot of lines around my eyes and mouth from the stress, but I could do it.
It was so bad yesterday morning that I actually had to step outside. I was crying so hard that I don't think Scotty could hear it over his crying. We were both a mess. The thought that I had to deal with a fussy, screaming baby for almost another two months seriously depressed me but this motherhood, I told myself. Buckle up and deal.
And then today, Brian showed me how to work the PlayStation so I could play a DVD. Our DVD player doesn't work (not sure why) so we play things through the PlayStation, a contraption I have zero experience with. A few months ago, one of Brian's co-workers gave him 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' DVD but I never watched it since I don't know who to work the damn PlayStation thing. After yesterday, I begged Brian to please set it up for me since I was desperate for any new ideas.
I had read the book (even reviewed it) but the book, like most books, is nothing like the movie. The DVD is 100x better - and gives real and actual descriptions of HOW TO swaddle, shush, side-position, swing, and suck. Scotty had a great day this afternoon, so I didn't get a chance to put my new skills into action until tonight.
And then, right on cue, around 7pm, Scotty began to fuss. We did our usual 'talk to the baby,' 'snuggle the baby,' 'walk with the baby' routine. And then I busted out my new swaddling technique. Scotty still screamed. I did the side-position move and in 30 seconds...silence. Blissful, lovely silence. I looked at him to make sure we weren't hurting him, and he looked absolutely content. Wonderfully content. Like a switch in his brain had been turned off, and now he was happy. I was so happy I started crying (again). BEST DVD EVER, PEOPLE. This man, Dr. Sears, needs a Nobel Prize or something.
When Scotty got fussy again in two hours, we repeated our behavior. And you know what? IT WORKED!!!!! Again. Phenomenal! Scotty is now blissfully asleep, growing and developing, without having to waste all kinds of useless energy on screaming and fussing. I now have so much time on my hands that I can blog, talk to friends, write a book, maybe even make dinner. Brian will have a hot meal waiting for him? Truly a blessed event.
Anyways, I HIGHLY recommend this DVD. An A+++++ on my rating scale. Don't get the book; get the DVD. Much more helpful.
And let's keep our fingers crossed that our good luck/baby wrangling skills continue to improve. :-)
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