Getting in the Swing of Things

When I first started this blog it was intended to be a means to give updates to friends and family about Eli since we are not exactly close to any of our family here in Warner Robins, GA.  As I gather the pictures and side notes I want to share in the blog each week I have begun to realize that the real use of this blog is a means for me to express the joys and struggles of parenthood as a new mom.  The more I learn the more I want to share and I hope that my posts reach people that are either going through the same experiences, will be going through similar experiences, or have gone through them and wish to give me advice.  I have found that my last post about my distress over going back to work struck a chord to many people and because of that I was overwhelmed with love and support.  Thank you for that…it was greatly appreciated.

Monday morning was one of the hardest things I have had to do.   I had to treat it like ripping off a band-aid, I had to do the drop and run.  I put his bottles in the fridge, kissed his little forehead and dashed out of that room and into the truck as fast as possible.  I tried to keep my mind off of it as much as possible and by the time I pulled into my parking spot all of my tears had dried.  I teared up several more times during the day and constantly had my mind on him and how he was doing.  Luckily I am able to take my lunches to go feed Eli myself.  I call this my “mommy” time.  I look forward to it every day.  I get to go into a private room and nurse him in the rocking chair and love on him.  If he doesn’t fall asleep I even get to share a few smiles!

 

The rest of the week went much smoother.  I was able to give him kisses before I left without crying.  I know he is in good hands, I wish they were my hands but I get to go pick him up every afternoon and spend the rest of the day and night with him.  The only thing Eli has had trouble adjusting to is sleeping in daycare.  The room is not exactly warm and very bright with high squeals and occasional screams from 7 other infants.  Eli is the youngest of the bunch by about 4 months.  The oldest is just under a year.  Eli has never slept well flat on his back in a crib without being swaddled and the daycare is not allowed to swaddle.  So he has yet to be able to sleep in the crib.  The first day of daycare he didn’t sleep more than 5 minutes!  This is a far cry from the 4 hours of napping he was getting with me.  Needless to say he passed out in the truck on the way home and slept for 3.5 hours until I woke him up to eat and bathe.  I put him back in bed and he slept for 7 hours!!  It was a good night for mommy and daddy!  Every day he sleeps a little more…he is learning to sleep in a little bouncy seat that the caregivers can bounce while attending to other children.  If anything this experience is teaching him to soothe himself...I may have spoiled him just a bit as I picked him up at every cry of distress. ;-) 

I am beginning to develop my routine for getting him and his bottles and what not ready each day and I will eventually share my ritual as soon as I have it perfected, so more on that later.

Hard to believe Eli will be 10 weeks tomorrow!