la Ketch

my life story

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Hogging the bed.


This blog hasn’t been very mommy bloggy yet, so I’m going to take a few days to get my mom on. All uninterested parties can check back in a week for more craig’s list updates.

I want to write about my experience because I think it might be helpful to other moms & dads out there. The number one thing people ask you when you have a baby is, “is he sleeping through the night?” A few months ago I posted this but he did that exactly once and hasn’t done it since. It’s been tough going but we’ve now had a break through, turned a real corner. The thing that helped us was this book.

God I wish we had read it 6 months ago. Before he was born we read this book. It was very helpful. Davey was not a very fussy baby but we did use many of the soothing techniques to get him to settle and sleep. We especially used the “sway” and “suck” of the 5 s’s, which is great when they are 2-6 weeks but now he is 6 months and he can’t go to sleep with out either being bounced on the yoga ball or nursing, sometimes both. Also, he takes very short naps and wakes up many times during the night. He’s just not getting enough sleep, so he’s always tired and we’re always tired. It’s a problem

I really knew we had a problem when last Saturday he woke up for about the millionth time and I popped up out of bed and screamed “GOD DAMNIT!!!” Which scared the hell out of Davey, Dup and Eliott. Also, on Tuesday night I was up with Davey and Dup (who usually sleeps through the wake ups) sort of creaked his eyelids open and smiled at me reassuringly, then gave a little nod and went back to sleep, as if to say, “good job sweetie.” It was seriously all I could do not to punch him in the face. I really had a strong impulse to hit him in the face…. Hard! Something had to change.

For those who don’t know, Tracy Hogg’s book is a middle of the road between two prevailing schools of thought on sleep training: the Ferber Method = Cry it out where you leave them in a room by themselves and just shut the door and let them cry until they fall asleep and the Sears Method = “attachment parenting” where you let them sleep in bed with you, nurse them, rock them to sleep (to Dr. Sears credit he clearly states in his book that there is not one good method for every family. Each family has their own set of needs and every child is different). Tracy Hogg suggests that you have a firm schedule and that you train the baby to sleep in their crib by setting them down to sleep in it when they are tired and ready for sleep but still awake. Then, when they cry you comfort them, even picking them up if you need to but always return them back to their crib, “time for sleep now.”

So on Tuesday night I decided to try it. We had been trying to set up a routine for him for several weeks, so that was in place already. We finished dinner, I got him in the bath, we got a clean diaper on him, put some nice lotion on him. Now it’s about 7:30pm. I breast feed him and read him a book and time for bed. Usually I would cradle him in my arms, sit on the yoga ball and bounce him until he was well into a deep sleep (pacifier dropped out of his mouth, limbs limp), then I lay him in his crib and tip toe away. Instead, I lay him in his crib, “it’s time for bed sweetheart. This is where you sleep.” Then, I lay on the bed next to him and wait.

First he just screwed around a little, rolled over on his stomach, played with the ribbons on the bumper pads, talked to himself, smiled at me. Then, he started to fuss a little, wanted some soothing, I pat his back, he calmed again, fussed again, wash, rinse, repeat. When he finally started to cry, I would pick him up and walk him around, pat his back until he would stop – no nursing, no bouncing – then back into the crib. She suggests using the pacifier if they are used to nursing, which I totally did. He needed that for sure. We will try to take that away later. She suggests doing one step at a time. This first night I was focused on NO BOUNCING and trying no nursing too but I was mostly concerned with no bouncing. So, I would give him the pacifier when I lay him down, he would calm for a bit, then wind up again.

I wasn’t sure how long I could go for but I just wanted to see what would happen. All and all we did this dance for about an hour and a half before he finally went to sleep. It would come in waves and I would see that he was so close to sleep but he just couldn’t grab it, he didn’t know how. Finally at the very end I started to worry that he may actually be hungry and I decided to give him some milk. But instead of laying down and nursing him in bed like I usually do, I went to the couch where I nurse him during the day. He did take several big gulps like he was hungry, so I’m glad I did that but then of course, his eyes began to roll back in his head immediately and he was falling asleep. So, instead of letting him fall asleep there on my boob, I took him back to his crib and lay him down, “this is where you go to sleep.” He started crying immediately but I put the pacifier in his mouth and turned him on his side and gently rubbed his back and FINALLY, he drifted off. I wanted to run around the room and cheer.

An hour and a half sounds like a long time but it wasn’t really that long to me when it was happening. Also, his crying didn’t really bother me. It was all about shifting my attitude. I really think that I was helping him find something that is going to help him his whole life. I was helping him find sleep on his own. We’ve been doing it for him this whole time and that is why he is not sleeping deep enough or long enough.

So anyway, that night he did get up about 6 times total. Normally, I will take him in to bed with me every time he wakes up and nurse him back to sleep. Then, once he falls asleep, I put him back in his crib. I did take him in to bed the first time he woke and nurse him but rather than let him fall asleep while he was eating, as soon as he stopped with his big gulps, I switched to the pacifier and put him back in the crib while he was still awake and gently rubbed his back, “this is where you sleep.” It worked! He fell back to sleep. I did this two of the six times that he woke, the other times I was able to just give him his pacifier and pat his back without taking him in bed with me or nursing him and he went back to sleep.

This was night one of trying the new training. It was exhausting but I felt really encouraged because he had gone to sleep without being bounced at all. Also, I really saw first hand how hard it was for him to get to sleep unaided. He just didn’t know how to turn the switch. He didn’t know because he’d never had to!

So last night we decided to do the same thing again. This time, Dup stayed with me and watched what I was doing because he was going to try it himself the next day at nap time, no bouncy ball (he stays home with Davey during the day while I’m at work). Last night was pretty much the same deal putting him down except that it only took 45 minutes for him to finally get to sleep. I didn’t nurse him at all to get to sleep and he only woke up one time during the night. It was still hard in the beginning, at times I was crouched over the crib, almost in it with him, pressing my face against his, “you’re ok, mommy is right here, you’re going to sleep now.” I was always wondering how long we could both do it. But I had faith in Davey that he would find sleep and that he needed sleep and was very tired. Also, I was never abandoning him and he was never scared. I never let him get so upset that he was screaming or near getting sick. I did let him cry more the second night than I did the first though.

I started to realize more with the second night that what I needed to do more than anything was to give him the space to figure it out. If I kept trying to hold his arms or turn him into a more comfortable position for him, then he wouldn’t be able to find it without me. So I lay there with him and just let him roll around and cry. If it got bad for him I would pick him up for a second and rub his back, lay him back down, give him his paci and rub his back until he settled. It came in waves about 10 minutes apart. Each time I could see the sleep boat drive up to him and he would be so close to climbing on board but he just couldn’t do it. Then finally, whoo hooo!!! He did.

And when he did sleep he slept well and long. He only woke up once, six hours after falling asleep intitially. Amazing. Like the first night, I brought him into bed with me and let him have a few gulps. Again, after he stopped taking big gulps, I switched to the pacifier and put him back in his crib while he was still asleep, “this is where you sleep.” And he drifted off. I was leary about not feeding him at all because he is used to it and is still getting some nourishment at night. I am hoping to not feed him at all tonight though, we’ll see how it goes.

Honestly people, I was amazed that the shit worked. I didn’t think it could be so successful and I didn’t think there would be results so quickly. Deron did the same thing with his nap this morning. It took 45 minutes for him to finally go to sleep but then he slept for two hours. He never does that. He woke up calm and cheerful! Yay!

The reason I wanted to share such a detailed account of the process is that sometimes when you read these books it can be confusing. After Dup read it he was like, “it sounds great but what do you do? I mean how do you do it?” What I did was just jump in and give it a try and follow my instincts. I probably did my own version of what she does but I think it’s fine to do a hodge podge.

Every baby is different and every parent is different and every family’s schedule and lifestyle is different. This certainly isn’t going to work for everyone. Some people have great success with cry it out and I don’t begrudge them a bit. I liked this better because even though he was having such a hard time I was there for him. He could see me and feel me the whole time. At times it felt like I was sitting with a heroin junkie trying to kick, so funny. Still it didn’t ever bother me deeply to hear his cries. I felt like I was doing him a big service by being by his side and helping him work it out and I was so, so, so proud of him when he finally did. Yay D!!

I hope this is helpful to any mom’s and dad’s who are interested. I think it would have helped me to hear something like this so that’s why I wanted to write it down.

Watch now he’ll be up 10 times tonight… I’ll keep you posted!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

craig's list post of the day


Free LARGE Cactus!
Reply to: mailto:sale-555610963@craigslist.org?subject=Free%20LARGE%20Cactus!Date: 2008-01-29, 11:32AM ESTI have a large 15+ year old cactus free for a good home. It is roughly six feet high with a (roughly) four foot span. You will need to wrap it in a packing blanket or two in order to transport it. I recommend that you have a car or be very close, and also have help. It includes a larger pot to replant it in and some sand as well. It is currently leaning on the walls and the refrigerator you see below. So, you will want to have space for it to brace against something, if you aren't going to cut it back a bit. We've taken care of this lovely cactus for 11 years, but need to reclaim the space now. We are available at different times throughout the day today, and the evening tomorrow.

Monday, January 28, 2008

holymotherfuckingshit

FREE Air Hockey Table
Reply to:
sale-553789914@craigslist.orgDate: 2008-01-27, 7:25PM ESTAll Parts Are Here, Works Fine, Must be assembled
Location: Sayville
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interestsPostingID: 553789914


i'm so getting this. don't tell dup.

oh my god here's another one.

people please. if you decide that you are going to get a turtle PLEASE be sure that you have the time to care for it! this is just too much for me. I can't take all of these turtles. Who will take care of the turtles!!??

FREE turtle and tank!!! (Inwood / Wash Hts)
Reply to:
sale-554002825@craigslist.orgDate: 2008-01-27, 11:18PM ESTHi there! I'm looking to give away my red eared slider turtle to a loving home. I don't know how old she is (I adopted her from someone else) but she's about 7.5" long. If you take her you'll get: a huge tank and stand clip on UV lamp rocks for the tank sunning floating ramp water filter water heater ~25 foot hose to empty/refill her tank I'll even throw in an almost full bottle of turtle food and bottle of turtle treats. Most of the equipment is about 7 months old so still in fairly good condition but it's all FREE if you'll adopt her and take care of her! Please email to arrange a time for pick up. I live on a third floor walk up so if you're taking the tank you will DEFINITELY need 2 people as it's very heavy! Please see attached pictures. Thanks!

craigslist post of the day

why don't people want their turtles anymore? it's so sad. i hope they don't split these turtles up. poor turtles...


2 Free Turtles
Reply to:
sale-554094308@craigslist.orgDate: 2008-01-28, 1:36AM ESTI am giving away Two turtles with a tank. I do not want any money just call and come pick them up. I don't have the time to clean the tank and feed them. I have had them for a little over a year and they are about 5 1/2 to 6 inches long. 2 Turtles 1 Tank 1 Fillter 1 Heat Lamp .......................................(914-751-4224)

Friday, January 18, 2008

Craig's List Post of the Day

http://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/zip/541587993.html\

you might have a suction cup for one of them? Listen, I'm not going to haul my cookies all the way out to Staten Island unless you are like 100% for sure that the suction cup is included.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

i'm sure this is a phase but i have to share...

please bear with me. Sometimes my job is very boring. NOT all the time. Sometimes it's bam bam bam, day is over. Sometimes it's slow. Today is one of those days. It's not that I have nothing to do. It's just that the stuff that I should be doing is extremely boring and tedious and if I don't do it people aren't really going to notice, not for a while anyway...

So I get a lot of joy at work by shopping online. It's a full on rush. I'm completely addicted. I get paid once a month so this is an addiction that is not easy to feed. Also, Dup took my credit card away. Thank God he took it away because honestly people, I can not be trusted with the thing. I will justify a purchase the way a junkie justifies his next fix. I will think of a really good reason to buy the thing and swear up and down to myself that I will pay it off as soon as I get paid. This is a little game I call "spending your chickens before they hatch". Because of course when I do get paid, I want to spend that money on that month's expenses and treasures, not last month's. Pour Exampla: Let's say, I have racked up $350 in credit card purchases. When I get paid I tell myself, "Well if I pay all of this now, I might run out of money before the end of the month and have to put more stuff on my credit card so I'll pay $150 now and $200 next pay day." But of course before the next pay day, I've justified putting something else on my credit card so that now it's not $200 but $400 and I do the same thing all over again: wash, rinse, repeat. And THIS MY FRIEND is how a person builds debt. This is called, "living beyond one's means." My mother taught it to me and her mother taught it to her. It's a long, long family tradition.

I get paid once a month and for 2 days it's a full on party. I spend the whole month thinking of what I will buy with my small amount of expendable income once I get it and as soon as I sit down at my desk it's rapid fire. I swear I can enter my credit card number and billing address into an online shopping form faster than anyone I know, anyone except for Trisch that is. She's really, really fast at it.

So, I got paid on Tuesday and it's already gone, my expendable cash. Mostly because I bought one big ticket item this month (new rug for the front room) but also because Dup the PENNY MISER (aka smart person) has set up all of these automatic deductions so that money instantly gets sucked out of my checking account just as fast as it goes in. That money goes to rent, bills, household expenses (like food WHATEVER), long term savings & short term savings. This leaves me with very little to work with.

So yesterday I started doing what my mom and sister do all the time which is surfing craig's list for cheap and/or free shit. You don't have to buy the shit. You can just look at it and maybe you see something your friend needs to buy and you send it to them and that's great because you're not spending any money. You're shopping vicariously through them. Maybe you see something you do want, the great thing about that is that with craig's list half of the sales interactions fall through anyway and you have time to think about it. When you're shopping on line it all happens so fast that you don't have time to think and stop yourself.

So I'm loving my new hobby. You can kill some serious time with it and it kind of looks like you're working. Plus, lord there is some funny stuff out there, which was the original point of my post. I have to share this shit with you. I'm just going to have to start posting a favorite craig's list sale of the day. Yesterday was the turtle. (Please read my sister's comment on that. It's pretty great.)

Today it's the chair of tourture. (click the link)

$7! OMG. I wonder if it's the actual child who is selling it.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

For some reason this is breaking my heart...

From Craig's List:

Giving away lovely Turtle
Reply to:
sale-540193056@craigslist.orgDate: 2008-01-15, 4:28PM ESTI am giving away a lovely lady turtle. She is 2 years old. If you like pets, and have children this will be a lovely , and safe one. I am giving away her water tank as well. If you are intereted please let me know , and we can arrange how to pick up.

Why? Why are you giving it away? Oh my GOD! WHY!?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

this blog could get pretty boring


You're all like, "Get boring? Um, it's been boring for a while now." I know! I don't know where to take this thing because all I feel like blogging about is dieting and sit ups. It's all like, "I ate a cookie." Who cares???
You've been warned.

I made it through the 2 week detox pretty well. I lost approx 5lbs. I need to lose 5 more. what i really need to do is the sit ups and the diet together now. I know that but I'm too tired out by the end of the day to do the damned sit ups.

Yesterday, I was able to add dark chocolate. I ate an entire dove bar. I don't think that's really the idea, that you can eat an entire chocolate bar, more like 2 pieces a day or something. It was really good. I won't make a habit of that.

"Why don't you talk about your baby la Ketch?"

Ok, I will! Davey is starting to eat some solids. I fed him some rice cereal the night before last and he was taking real bites, opening his mouth and everything. Mostly he is interested in eating the bowl and the spoon, not the bowl full of cereal or a spoon full of cereal but the actual bowl, the actual spoon. It's pretty fun feeding him. I like it. I do airplane and say, "Mmm, mmm good, mmm, mmm good, Campbel's homemade soup is mmm, mmm good," like my mom did with me. We're trying to get him on a regular night time schedule but it's pretty patchy. Also, He says "mama" a lot now, just babbles it constantly, "mama, mama, mama, mmmmm, mmmm, mmmmm, mama ..." He isn't attaching it to me at all but I'll take it. Also, he is cute (see photo above).

I guess I'll just keep motoring on with the diet in detox mode. I forgot to tell you that red wine is on the detox diet. In case anyone decides to do it with me. You can drink red wine. Go a head, have a glass right now. Pour it on your whole grain cereal. It's good for you.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

detox update

I got through the first week. Stuck to it. Lost 4 pounds. Probably all water but it feels good to see some progress. Don't talk to me about the sit ups. I want some chocolate.