A lot of people ask, "How are things going?" Your initial reaction is, "Great. Things are just great!" But in reality, this motherhood thing is not as easy as it seems. I absolutely love being a new mom and feel so priveledged that this handsome little guy belongs to me, but it really is some hard work.
I've recently accepted that Roman is somewhat of a fussy baby due to (what I believe) is acid reflux and lots of gas and constantly needs to be held, rocked or soothed. The poor guy spits up LOTS after each meal and is often in pain and crying after eating. We are very lucky though since he is a good sleeper. He sleeps for (2) three hour sessions a night and only gets up for about 45 minutes in between them to eat. So I'm sleeping good and I feel well rested.
I just wish I could make this little guy happier and relieve his stomach pain since it just breaks your heart seeing him in pain. It has been good for me to hear other stories from mom's that had the same challenges and it sounds like it usually resolve itself in the 3rd month, so we are already halfway there. Last night he didn't cry for 2 straight hours and Jason and I looked at each other and realized how much we value the time with him when he doesn't cry. We just wanted to play with him and soak it all in.
In the beginning, I would get so sad thinking it was me but now I've learned to accept that I can't change it...only help to relieve it. Here are some photos of my favorite techniques to calm him down. Majority of the photos were taken with my photo timer. (Yes, these are the things I do now to entertain myself throughout the day.)
Dance
I love Pop 2K on XM. Today I got him to relax while dancing to Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls and Maroon 5. Hopefully this will help him get some rhythem early on and it helps me get a work-out.
Baby Bjorn
I think the upright position helps his little tummy. If he is screaming indoors, usually going for a stroll in our backyard helps soothe him.
The Bathtub
Due to all the spit-up, Roman needs a bath almost daily. Plus he is so content in the water. A future swimmer, maybe?
Leg Stretches
With just a few leg stretches and crunches, it is amazing how it can relieve some gas. It works like magic. THANK YOU HEIDI!
Walk
When all else fails, it is time to get him in the carseat and go on a walk. It immediately puts him to sleep. The last 2 days I was able to walk with both the stroller and Marley. I felt like that was a big accomplishment.
In the end, I just look at this handsome face and know that it is all worth it. I love this guy so much.
7 comments:
Heather,
Bella, my 20 month old, had horrible acid reflux. I waited thinking it would clear too, but at about 2 1/2 months the doctor decided to put her on medicine. While it was not fun to give a baby medicine twice a day, it was such a relief to have her not be in so much pain! The spitting up didnt stop, but was sooo much better. She was on medicine until about 9 months and then we were able to wean her off of it. I would talk your doctor, maybe Roman needs something. Hope he feels better soon!
Jessie(Coffman)Cooper
Hi Heather!
Logan was a super fussy baby too...but it did get better at 3 months. That's the magic number for a lot of things!Better sleeping, not so fussy, and justg overall more alert. Logan would cry so much at night, starting at 5:00. We called it the "not so happy" happy hour. It's frustrating, but will pass! Hang in there!!
Mr. Fussy sure is cute though! I hope the reflux gets better soon. They really do get much easier after a few months of age. Their little systems are just so sensitive and that little cry is heartbreaking.
Oh Heather! Poor little Roman and poor Heather and Jason. It's so hard to figure out what they need and if there is even anything you can do to help. I'm thinking of you guys. If I can ever help, please let me know. Love you!
Taylor didn't have any acid reflux problems, but I do remember the first two months and knowing how long I had waited for Taylor and how lucky I felt, those first two months were still hard. Hang in there... I promise it will be better before you know it!
He is so cute. Hoping for a good week ahead! I just love the little man so much!
Heather,
You are doing a great job. Just know that it will get better. You are so lucky to have so many friends and family around to give you moral support. I totally agree that the first couple of months are HARD!
Love ya!
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