Monday, June 9, 2008

Only a season

I write this not so that I can remember for the next time (because as far as I'm concerned there won't be a next time) but so that some day I can help some other disheveled mommy like my friends helped me yesterday...Thank you friends for reminding me that this is temporary (and for your tips)!

Dealing with Eli's colic has been tough. Just like every other mom and dad who've had a baby with colic, I've tried everything I can think of. It starts precisely at 7 p.m. and lasts anywhere from 11 p.m. to all night...I prefer 11 p.m.!

Last night he got temporary relief from laying on a pillow on Chris lap - that lasted about 5 min. but when you've got a screaming kid, 5 minutes of silence feels like an eternity. Standing in front of the dryer and bouncing worked temporarily too - whatever works!

Last night I just wanted to watch Army Wives...my guilty pleasure for the summer. I always like to pick one "can't miss" show each season - and this is it for me. Sunday night 9:00 - shouldn't be too hard to work that into my schedule. Except for Chris was trying to get Carlee in bed and I was holding a screaming baby. I found myself telling him "Eli, mommy just wants to watch this show, then you can cry". Ridiculous, I know. And he didn't care. We're getting a DVR when we move.

Anyways, since his next bottle was at 11, I put him in a warm bath at about 10:45 - which totally relaxes him - put him in his pj's, swaddled him (while he was screaming) and gave him a warm bottle with a little shot of Milacon in it. He tooted like crazy then finally relaxed and fell asleep right after his bottle. I put him in his bassinet, expecting that he would start screaming within minutes, like usual...but he didn't. I stayed awake for a while - not wanting to go to sleep just to be awakened with screams...but nothing. I checked his breathing...yep, still breathing. The next thing I knew I woke up to his grunts and it was 3:15!! He slept from 11:30 to 3:15! So, up for a warm bottle with another shot of Milacon and we were both back asleep by 4:00. Then, didn't hear a peep until 6:30. I feel like a new woman. Now...if we could just get rid of the screaming at 7.

I have to say that Saturday night was a terrible night. I was so exhausted and just spent. But, when I was bouncing Eli up and down sometime around 4a.m., I couldn't get out of my mind all of my friends who have lost babies - either before they got to meet them or after, and I just kept thinking that they would give anything to be up at 4a.m. rocking their screaming baby. This is a season. I will praise my God for the wonderful blessing he has given me in Eli and Carlee.

1 comment:

Becca said...

That's such good perspective you already have. That's hard when you're in the middle of it... I also had someone recommend giving Cy Mylicon before every bottle, so that it is in his tummy before the formula every gets down there. I could tell a difference on the time we didn't do that. So glad last night was better. I hope it continues that way! That's actually a pretty good little schedule for one month, even without the colic. Here's hoping for another night like that!