Baby to Bee: Busy Busy Baby P.

Wow! I'm so sorry that it's been almost 2 weeks since the last post! We have been very busy around the Petersen household. Last week, Aaron's dad, stepmom, and family friend all got to come stay with us for a visit! It was so much fun! Michael enjoyed meeting Grandpa Mike, Grandma Petersen, and Pat. Lots of pictures were taken to document the special trip.

This past Sunday, Michael had his first church trip! He did pretty well. We made it through most of Granpa Bil's sermon before Michael needed a diaper change and a feeding. Fortunately, Grandma Dana was in the nursery for Michael and I to visit! Michael likes to be moving whether that be in his swing, in the arms of somebody, or in his carseat while in the car or as part of his travel system stroller. So, I had him in his carseat as part of the stroller on Sunday so I could push the stroller gently to simulate a rocking chair motion. It lulled him to sleep during the singing and visiting time, and through the first part of the sermon.

I think that over time, he will get used to being around the church crowd and will be able to make it through a full sermon. He was very tired on Sunday afternoon and I'm sure it was from being overstimulated. I did my best to keep him on his schedule, but I also realized that sometimes, he's just gonna have extra sleepy times and will need extra rest. He did wonderfully on his schedule on the 2nd half of Monday and pretty much all day yesterday. Today has been a pretty good day as well. We were able to run some errands in the early afternoon during one of Michael's naps. He slept all the way until we pulled back in the driveway! :)

Bedtimes have become somewhat of a fussy activity this past week. However, I've started implementing a new bedtime routine. Hopefully, I will get better at it as time goes along. Right now, it seems to work really well every other day. We'll have a semi-easy bedtime one night, and then the next night will take extra effort and time to get Michael to settle down for bed. Usually somewhere around 7:30, he begins to get sleepy.

On the best nights, Aaron or I can rock him in the living room til he's asleep, then give him a diaper change, swaddle him, and place him in his bassinet without a fuss.

On the good nights, Michael will probably fuss enough to make me realize that he’s not hungry, he doesn’t need a diaper change, he doesn’t have to burp, but that he’s just tired. I’ll take him to the bedroom and lay him on his swaddle blanket on our bed and swaddle him up. He will smile at the ceiling fan and at me, and I’ll pick him up and put him in his bassinet and turn on his Twilight Turtle night light. Then I’ll lay on the bed with my stopwatch and I’ll time his cries. He starts to fuss a bit, and I try to wait 3 minutes before I pick him up. If the 3 minute mark comes, I’ll pick him up and rock him while I sit on the side of the bed or in the rocking chair in our room. After he settles down (sometimes he even falls asleep in my arms), I put him back in the bassinet and he usually goes right to sleep and stays asleep for 3-5 hours.

On the “not-so-good” nights, we do the bedtime routine of diaper change, PJs, swaddling, songs, rocking, etc, but Michael just won’t settle down. It’s on these days that I realize he’s overtired and is having a hard time winding down enough to sleep. It takes a lot of patience on these nights to keep rocking, to keep singing, to keep walking around and bouncing him in our arms, etc. On these nights, it might take us an hour to 2 hours (rarely more than that) to get him to sleep.

Usually we’ll have a good night, then a “not-so-good” night during the week. The great nights are the rarest, but I know they will soon become the most common type of night we experience as Michael gets older and grows more accustomed to bedtime.

Yesterday Michael turned six-weeks old! Can you believe it?!? I surely can’t! I had my 6-week check-up yesterday at my OB’s office. Everything checked out okay. I’ll have to return in 3 months to get my blood levels checked for my thyroid. By that time, I’m positive that Michael will be sleeping through the night!

I start back to work on Monday. :( Sad, sad, sad. I will miss my Little Bitty Boo so so much! He will be in good hands as his Grandma Chips, Grandma Dana and Granpa Bill all take care of him, but I will surely be a nervous-wreck as I have to recall how to do my job and do it well. :)

Please keep us in your prayers as we go through the “back-to-work” transition this next week. And for anyone reading this who will be going on maternity leave, please please enjoy every second. It goes by way too fast! :)

Enjoy these pictures of Michael. We are amazed every day at the new things he can do. He’s currently working on laughing. :)