3/2/08

We Do it All For The Nuk

So, the last two weeks with Taylor have been pretty fun. She's grown out of that newborn stage and is actually a baby. Make sense? I do better with babies who are just a tad older- newborns really do make me nervous. Get that first 4-6 weeks out of the way, and I'm good. I think it's the adjusting to someone new in your house, plus your routine is shifted all around because this new someone is 100% needy and dependent. Things smooth out a little as everyone figures out how to work around stuff, and other people. Or you cry a lot. **shrugs**

Now it's easier. I won't say a lot, because life isn't easy with children. Not that it's hard in a bad way, but it's just not easy. You're responsible for them, in every way. And unless you want to be the parent explaining to everyone why the little sweetheart was expelled from their fourth school, you have to be on top of stuff. I look at her now and wonder what will be the thing she does, that one thing, that makes me insane? You know what I'm talking about- there's either a sigher, eye roller, pig pen, school hater, people phobe... something. There's always some habit or behavior that has YOU rolling your eyes, or muttering under your breath.

But see, I'm that parent that can only deal with it so much. Especially talking back to me or being a smart ass. I'm not the parent who will threaten to take this or this or this away from you eight hundred times. I'll tell you to cut the crap and then yank the game system plug, TV plug,radio, crayons or whatever else out of the wall, your hand, or the room. I've done it, several times. The first time, Alyssa (the one with this lip issue) actually turned around and informed me that she was "playing a game here." Complete with hand on hip and glare.

Wow. Really? Well, you can certainly finish it up then. In a week or so. And that's how it goes down. I'm usually pretty easy with some things- but don't talk to me like that. That's a major peeve of mine, from adults or kids. I'm not an idiot, or an animal, or here to serve you. Don't talk to me as if I am. And I'm a big believer in that whole do unto thing- if you talk to me like that, be certain I'm answering you in the same way. Don't like it? Don't do it.

Anyway, I digress. Back to Miss T and her adventures. She's rolling on both of her sides now (she's 3 months), and eating some stage 1 food. Before anyone tells me I'm harming my kid, do me a favor- shut-up. I learned the hard way with Alyssa that some babies are simply hungry, and for a short time, because I wanted to do everything "right", I was actually starving my baby. When we started her on solids, at almost five months, she became a different baby. Before that, she was eating eight or more ounces of formula every hour and a half to two hours. Including through the night. Yeah. So I'm a big believer on watching baby's cues, and taking them. Jake wasn't ready till four months. Taylor is ready now. She likes carrots and peaches best... applesauce is the devil, apparently. Bananas are tolerable. Rice cereal will cause a screaming fit, so we gave up. After trying cereal bottles, cereal with formula, then juice, then the cereal with bananas. No dice. Lyss did this, too. But once we started her on that cereal in a jar... the Gerber 2nd Stage oatmeals and rice cereals (which I don't believe they carry in rice now) with bananas and cinnamon, etc., she loved her cereals. And then onto regular oatmeal, which she also loved... and now refuses to eat. So far, these two girls are eerily alike in some areas, although Taylor will not be allowed to grow as picky as I let Lyss get. My mistake- again, trying to do it all "right", I never exposed her to regular food until she was older, because it wasn't "good for her". With Jake, he ate everything he could tolerate- mash it up, cut it small, whatever you have to do. And he eats EVERYTHING. He always has. And never had a weight issue until the medications, but that's another post for another day. He's losing it, though. So, fingers crossed.

So, she's eating, babbling, rolling... she's a baby! Then, the screaming started. This howling, God awful screaming. She had to be in pain, just had to. Like I said, I'm out of practice with small ones. Then it would be this pathetic sounding mewling. No fever, nothing obviously wrong with her. We tried EVERYTHING. And I worried- was she getting sick, was the food bothering her, did she have allergies to something... and then it hit. Teething! She had to be teething- we already knew she didn't have gas, wasn't constipated and didn't have the plague!

So, armed with Ora-jel, Tylenol and Mylicon, we attempted to soothe in any way possible. Walking, rocking, bouncing, talking, singing... all would work for a short time, then the crying again. She was refusing her pacifiers (of which she has four kinds), and this went on for days. Then, Jim found her pink Nuk. She came home from the hospital with it, and unlike the other two, she was somehat in love with it. But, she never liked any of them too much. So, in a last ditch effort to save hearing and sanity, I cleaned the Nuk and popped it in, waiting for her to spit it out angrily, and cry some more. (To which I'd respond wearily "It's a pacifier, please let it do it's job. It pacifies. Let it.")

Silence. Complete, total silence as Taylor happily took the Nuk and passed out. I stood there with my mouth open for a little bit. This... this terror? and angst? And screaming? It had been over a pacifier? A binky? A friggin BINKY had thrown us off for four days?!? A binky that, quite honestly, we'd never given much thought to? She never had that instant love for bink that Lyss had. She had that semi- interest occasionally, but not all the time. Apparently, that has changed.

My plan now? Make sure she has a few Nuk's lying around. Been there, done that, with the certain brands. And then, when she's older, we'll go through the weaning all over again. Because, dear god, don't go cold turkey. They're like little crack heads if you do that- the withdrawal is fearsome. You're lucky to get out alive.

So, that's where it is these days. I'm having so much fun with her, though- I love this age. When they start exploring just a little more, and enjoying a lot more interaction with you.... it's so sweet to just sit and talk to her, or watch her roll. I am definitely where I want to be. All the crying and sleeplessness on the planet wouldn't change it. Although, it may give me pause sometimes.....

7 comments:

Jennifer S said...

My son loved his Binky, but my daughter never took to them. As much as I would have loved for her to just take the darn thing.

Glad to hear she's happier now!

And you also?

The Rambling Housewife said...

Great post! I think this one is my favorite one yet! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy that my son has his thumb...until it's time to wean that!

Funny post! Reminds me of my girl's 'neeny' years!

Unknown said...

Dear God, you have just scared the crap out of me. We are about to take away the Nuks - or soo-soos - as they are called in my house. Me? Slightly frightened!

Unknown said...

Our sons never took to the binky - nor did they suck thumbs. They just ate like crazy. And pooped, peed and farted their way through to toddlerhood. THAT'S when things got interesting.

Catherine said...

When you were mentioning the newborn vs baby, I just kept thinking "how do parents of newborns and older children ever, ever sleep???" (I still just have one).

nice to meet you. :)

catherine

Anonymous said...

We used Nuks for both our boys. My oldest called it his Nunu and we've been calling it that ever since. With Buddy, we simply told him that he was too old for his nunu and he agreed (he's very laid back). My youngest still uses his at night, but he's definitely getting to old for it, so we'll have to figure out a way to stop soon. I keep hoping he'll just forget to ask for it. He doesn't use it for naps anymore, after all.