Organically Growing

In a frenzy of wrestling with wrapping paper tonight, Ryder tried to pull himself up on a table (fists full of paper), only to slip and fall on one side. He banged his head on the floor, broke into crying hysterics and it was only after a minute of cuddling that we realized he had a bloody lip! One of his new teeth must have nicked his lip. It was so sad to see him crying and bloodied up, but our little bruiser recovered quickly and dried up his tears over a graham cracker. Yes, I’m comforting him with food.

Top two teeth have broken through!

Ryder was kind of fussy last night, so I gave him a dose of Infant Motrin to help ease, what I presume to be, his really sore gums. Instead he was up for the next two hours, literally bouncing off the crib (albeit happy and smiley).

Never again. Sticking to my homeopathic Hyland’s teething tablets from now on.

Ryder had his two bottom teeth by Christmas and the way things are looking, he will have his top two for his first birthday.

His upper gums have been swollen for two weeks now, accompanied by slobbering, chewing on everything and general crabbiness. One spot has actually looked bruised for quite awhile, but we couldn’t see any evidence of a tooth poking through. Monday he was super grouchy, pooping constantly and today there is some white starting to show on the one side!

Really, he’s been a trooper with the whole teething thing so far. Considering what he’s going through, we have had to use our keen parent detective skills to figure out what’s up.

Ryder has been babbling now for what seems like ages. Mama, dada, baba, do. One day, I was about 98% sure that he said, “dog” when eKo came in the kitchen, but it hasn’t been repeated. We haven’t been confident enough of his intentions to deem any of these “first words.” Until last night.

I was standing at the kitchen sink, Marc and Ryder were saddled up at the island. Ryder was looking at Marc, enjoying some steamed carrots and hummus. Marc asked him, “where’s mama?” He turned straight to me, pointed and said, “Mama.”

I dont’ think we can get any clearer than that!

My goal for last night was to keep Ryder in his crib (and not bring him to sleep with me). Depsite a 45 minute crying fit at 11pm, we did it. And even better, he slept from 12:30 to 6am without another issue. I can’t believe how happy that made me!

I visited a free sleep consultant today and told her about the new issues. She suggested we spend time during the day (when he’s not tired and cranky), playing the crib and teaching him how to sit down. Brilliant! Sometimes I wonder how clueless I am to not even consider that option. She noted that he’s probably still not feeling 100% certain about the new room, plus layer on the new standing skill and we have a sleep issue.

She was concerned about the rocking to sleep – but because he once was able to fall asleep on his own, thought we wouldn’t have any trouble getting back to that place. She recommended putting him in the crib sleepy, in his favorite sleep position and keep a hand on his back until he falls asleep. After he masters that, I could move to the doorway, so he knows I’m still there and can fall asleep. Eventually, I should be able to leave the room more quickly and he wont’ have issues getting to sleep. This hitch is that we have to do it at naptime, too.

This will come in time. I know he can fall asleep on his own – we just need to remind him of it. But, he’s got a bit of a cold and right now I want to focus on getting him to sit down in the crib and stop this crazy nighttime freakouts.

She also confirmed by opinion that we have to stick with the plan and can’t be bringing him to bed one night and forcing him to stay in the crib the next. Consistency! Hopefully Marc can do it while I’m gone next week.

Baby steps.

Long gone are the days when everyone told me to “sleep when he sleeps” and yet, it is so much more pertinent this week than it ever was when he was a newborn. With Ryder tucked in, milk pumped and peanut butter cookies devoured … I am turning in for the evening at 8:20pm.

Wish us a restful night!

 *January 25, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
*Urgent Call for Human Milk Donations for Haiti Infants*

*Washington, DC*–The Human Milk Banking Association of North America
(HMBANA), United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International
Lactation Consultant Association/United States Lactation Consultant
Association (ILCA/USLCA), and La Leche League International (LLLI) are
jointly issuing an urgent call for human milk donations for premature
infants in Haiti, as well as sick and premature infants in the United
States.
*
*This week the first shipment of human milk from mothers in the United
States will be shipped to the U.S. Navy ship *Comfort* stationed outside
Haiti. *Comfort* is currently set up with a neonatal intensive care unit and
medical personnel to provide urgent care to victims of the earthquake. An
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant stationed at the U.S.
Navy base in Bethesda, MD is assisting with providing breast pump equipment
and supplies to *Comfort*. Dr. Erika Beard-Irvine, pediatric neonatologist,
is on board to coordinate distribution of the milk to infants in need.
HMBANA, USBC, ILCA/USLCA, and LLLI are responding to requests to provide
milk for both premature infants and at-risk mothers who have recently
delivered babies on board the USNS *Comfort*, but an urgent need exists for
additional donations.

At the current time, the infrastructure to deliver human milk to Haiti
infants on land has not yet been established. As soon as that infrastructure
is in place, additional donations will be provided to older infants.

Mothers who are willing to donate human milk should contact their regional
Mothers’ Milk Bank of HMBANA. A list of regional milk banks is available on
the HMBANA Web site at
(www.hmbana.org/index/locations<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5%2FYhz2KVuQDBmUwmjxSxmeMhRTeqI2Qi>).

Currently milk banks are already low on donor milk. New milk donations will
be used for Haiti victims as well as to replenish donor supplies to continue
to serve sick and premature infants in the United States. Donor milk
provides unique protection for fragile preterm infants. Financial donations
are also strongly encouraged to allow HMBANA, a nonprofit organization, to
continue serving infants in need.

UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Emergency Nutrition Network, and
medical professionals all recommend that breastfeeding and human milk be
used for infants in disasters or emergencies. Human milk is life-saving due
to its disease prevention properties. It is safe, clean, and does not depend
on water which is often unavailable or contaminated in an emergency. Relief
workers, health care providers, and other volunteers are urged to provide
support for breastfeeding mothers to enable them to continue breastfeeding,
and to assist pregnant and postpartum women in initiating and sustaining
breastfeeding.

For more information, contact HMBANA at 408-998-4550
(www.hmbana.org)<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=JctiaHWuArP5da1B%2FAAjo%2BMhRTeqI2Qi>.
Additional information can be provided from the United States Breastfeeding
Committee at 202-367-1132
(www.usbreastfeeding.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3PYv0vFD8×2sRc309qdvCuMhRTeqI2Qi>),
ILCA/USLCA at 800-452-2478
(www.ilca.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=7bE2ee%2FPELwKG55KBr2%2FHuMhRTeqI2Qi>or
www.uslca.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1PDtNmQTQNyPqkmjQNvIUOMhRTeqI2Qi>),
or La Leche League at 847-519-7730
(www.llli.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wn7aipTqrcyDTDpNL2WWfeMhRTeqI2Qi>
).

*The USBC is an organization of organizations. Opinions expressed by USBC
are not necessarily the position of all member organizations and opinions
expressed by USBC member organization representatives are not necessarily
the position of USBC. *

*United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)*
The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent nonprofit
coalition of 41 nationally influential professional, educational, and
governmental organizations. Representing over half a million concerned
professionals and the families they serve, USBC and its member organizations
share a common mission to improve the Nation’s health by working
collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. For more
information about USBC, visit
www.usbreastfeeding.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=80dMf86V2LBWpPTNjKb87%2BMhRTeqI2Qi>
..

###
——————————

*United States Breastfeeding Committee*
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/367-1132
Fax: 202/367-2132
E-mail: office@usbreastfeeding.org

I like this article:

http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Care/Get-that-Baby-to-Bed-0/1

Exactly what I posted recently about doing what’s right for you, tonight. This stage doesn’t last forever, and I have a hard time believing that I’m doing major damage to my son’s personal coping skills by cuddling him back to sleep when he wakes up in a fright during the night.

I’m pretty sure that over the course of one short weekend Ryder mastered the following skills:

1. Standing up on everything
2. Climbing stairs
3. Crawling at full speed on all fours
4. Pointing
5. Loud grunting when he wants more food

It’s chaos!

Woke up last night (twice) to a screaming Ryder who was standing up and reaching for the table top humidfier nearby.