Thursday, March 6, 2014

Time travel

To the person that thought it was wise to bump the clocks forward or back two times a year, I say...


EFFFF YOOOOOUUUU!!!! (sorry Gaddy)


I remember when I was 24 and I was out at the bar at 3:00 in the morning (sorry Dad) one cold night in November and it was closing time. Then, like magic, it was all of a sudden 2:00 am again and we didn't have to go home. It was the closest I have ever come to time travel, which I normally hate. It was also the only time in my life I have appreciated the time change. Of course, I was cursing the time change inventors the next day as I slammed my double cheeseburger and super-sized fries in an effort to get rid of my hangover, but I digress.


So what I am trying to say is that I have never, while sober, liked the whole time change thing. And then, you add kids into the mix and it's like those time change inventors are actually wagging their middle fingers right in your face and saying, "Hey, glad you had that sleep schedule all worked out, but...better kiss that whole scene goodbye because now your kid's going to be waking up at 4:30 in the morning for the next five months until you finally get them to sleep until a semi-normal hour and just when you settle into a new routine, we'll change things up again and they will be up until all hours of the evening. We hate you. Good luck."


And since Annie's on a strict circadian rhythm sleep cycle and lives and dies (or sleeps and wakes) by if it is dark or light outside, I expect us to be doubly screwed. But because I am missing the part of my brain that can figure out if I am going to be early or late if I miss the time change (I assume this is the same part of my brain that cannot figure out how Marty McFly can both be in the parking lot of the mall in the Delorian as well as watching himself from a hill overlooking the mall parking lot), I can't ever anticipate exactly how I will be screwed by the time change. Should I start moving the bed time up for this change, or moving it back? Will we be up late or up early?


I also feel like we should be able to opt out of the change. Certain people should not have to comply. Specifically the change where we lose an hour (I think that's this one). I am already getting a max of six hours of sleep a night. The last thing I need is to lose an hour because of some arbitrary shift in the clocks likely decided to be a good idea 100 years ago by some childless drunks trying to figure out how they could plow the fields for an extra hour a day. I would gladly get up and harvest corn before the light of day rather than watch 15 episodes of Calliou before the sun even comes up.


But, it will happen. And until I run for President, there's not much that I can do about it. If anyone wants to call me any time to gripe about this, feel free. I am sure we'll be up.


Edited to add: If you really want to make your brain bleed, think about Indiana and how they don't acknowledge the time change. It is both brilliant and terrifying. How anyone ever knows what time it is around there is beyond me. Or do they always know? Seriously, I might have a stroke....

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Thank you-2.5 Months

Oh John,

I am so sorry. You are so neglected on this blog. But I wanted to take a second (because that's really all we have these days) to say thank you. Thank you for being such an incredibly good baby. You are so sweet and are always smiling. This could partially be because your big sister is constantly one millimeter away from your nose screaming "SMILE JOHN!!!!!! JOHNNNNN, SMIIIILLLLLLE!" Every once in a while you manage to get your little baby fingers tangled in her hair. That'll teach her to get so close.

I hear these horror stories from mothers, telling of how their baby can't be put down, wouldn't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time, wouldn't stop crying, had colic, wouldn't let anyone else feed them/wouldn't take a bottle, wouldn't sleep unless they were held...the list is endless. All the while I am holding my sweet little boy a little tighter while they eye you like a hungry person eyes a sandwich. I really do feel like we won the baby lottery. Again, thank you.

You transitioned to Jen's house very easily. A little too easily, if you ask me. Part of me was hoping to hear that you wanted your Mom, but you are so easy going that it wasn't to be. I guess I am even more happy that you are so content all the time. You have started taking a monster nap in the afternoon from around 10:30-1:30. Unfortunately, there are only a few days of the week where your slumber isn't interrupted with us throwing you into your car seat to shuttle your big sister somewhere. You second babies get no respect.

You are still in size 1 diapers, you weighed 13 lbs 6 oz (70th %) and were 24 inches long (83rd %) at your 2 month check up. Your head was a whopping 16.5 inches (96%). Doctor Eaton confirmed that you are perfect and have no issues growing. Music to my ears.

You are a great sleeper and go to bed around 7 each night. We then get up for one feeding at around 3-4 and then back to bed until 7. Lately you have been so charming after our middle of the night session and smile and coo at me. I am on to you and know you are trying to keep me up, and believe me, mister, it is very tempting. But no one wins when Mom is tired.



Oh look, so sweet.....

.....until she looks like she wants to bite your head off.
My little man.
Let's be honest, these are going to be more around the half month mark. 2.5 months old in this pic.
You hate the swaddle, but can't sleep without it. Or can't sleep for more than 15 seconds at a time.

Basically, life is starting to feel like "normal" again. I feel like our family is complete with you in it. Thank you for that, also.

I love you, sweet boy.
~Mom