Tuesday, March 07, 2006
That's a 10-4 good buddy
10 pounds 4 ounces to be exact. Yepper our "Wee Angus" has morphed into " Humun-Gus." It's no wonder, that kid is on the boob almost every 2 hours. I'm glad it's paying off.. I'm feeling a little like a "noonie" these days. Which segways me right into: noonie or not to noonie?This child obviously needs to suck on something. I'm guessing it's going to be his thumb ( he keeps trying to get his thumb in his mouth, but really only succeeds in punching himself in the eye over and over again... and getting more frustrated) I can't be sure if Gus really needs to eat every hour and a half.. or if I am fulfilling his needs to suck to soothe himself. Now, I'm not opposed to this, don't get me wrong. The idea of pacifying him with a rubber nipple makes me a little squeamish. Remember that it took me 2 years to help MS & HIP kick their habit. Yet: when I idealized the fact that I would be Gus' natural pacifier... I forgot to factor in those hours between dinner and bedtime that are ever so important to MS & HIP. Those hours (shut up.. it takes us a few hours to get MS & HIP all settled down to sleep at night. Hey, it's fun having a twin to tear it up and play until you literally fall asleep) have been the hours of attention they have always gotten that I believe actually meant something to each of them. They get to pick their own stories... not share which bed they sleep in and snuggle the mama. I value that time as wwell obviously. Now they have a baby brother who seems to want to play " howler monkey" from about 7- 11pm. Don't go thinkin' that Gus is screaming constantly for 4 hours... it's just that that's when he awake.. and he seems to fuss when I try to get everything all quiet. It really isn't helping the nighttime routine. I know that I will get better at the nursing and scheduling, but it has been noticeably hard on the 2 older peeps. Our pediatrian is "pro- pacifier." He says that thumb sucking is so hard to break. I'm gonna have to agree with him there. Once MS & HIP decided that they were ready to give up their noonies, they did it, and they never looked back. I will shamelessly admit that I have indeed put a noonie is Gus' mouth, but only when he was content. I haven't popped the ol' rubber neeple ( a la Ren and Stimpy) in there when he's screaming. Here's what I have noticed: he doesn't really like the noonie... but sucks on it nevertheless. He LOVES his thumb.. but it takes a half an hour to get his hand relaxed enough to actually get his thumb in there... which makes him MAD. His soothing technique of choice: my boob. This is fine during the day.. but I'm starting to wonder if I'm establishing a bad habit here. I feel awful for Millie and Holden. Millie said to me the other night, " Mom, if you finish feeding Gus soon, can you come back and snuggle us?" ( as she sat in her little bed with the light of the nightlight lighting up her long hair.) My heart broke, because I knew there wasn't a chance in hell I was going to be back when they were still awake. Sigh. I am in quite a pickle here. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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3 comments:
I don't know if it helps or not, but here's my experience with being the Big Talking Riding Noonie...
Nuvy finally found her thumb at about 6 weeks, and figured out that she can bring it to her face, rather than chasing it with her head, about 5 days ago. Before 6 weeks I was the human noonie, and still am now and then when she's cranky. I didn't show her the thumb, she just found it on her own.
I have decided that noonie nursing was not the bad habit I worried that it was, because she seems to be naturally getting over it. What with the thumb and all, I'm even feeling a little left out. :)
She comes from a long and illustrious line of thumb suckers who all managed to quit sooner or later, and without even having our thumbs removed! I guess in that way I'm biased toward the big digit. I like it because it's hers and hers alone. Nobody can give it to her, and nobody can take it away--even me.
Of course, I don't have M and H (I should be so lucky!)
Well I can't speak from experience but I am one to believe that kids will wean from things when they are ready so I PERSONALLY don't see a difference in pacifer vs thumb. I of course have no actual facts to back this up. I would actually prefer a thumb since like testdriver said, it's actually his. I have an adversion to plastic replacements even though I use them. Yes I do enjoy being a hypocrite :)
I've tried to get Julian to take a pacifer on many occasions when I desperately needed a break and he had absolutely no interest. He also found his thumb but never took to using it for self-soothing. That left me, which I'm totally fine w/especially now it's not 24x7.
But I understand why you would want to encourage some alternatives b/c I think the one on one time w/MS and HIP is very important. I don't think Gus would take a pacifier if he really didn't want to, he'd let you know that isn't what he wanted to I don't see a problem giving it to him. Plus I heard they really help w/reflux?? He'll also use his thumb instead of it if it's what he really wants to do.
Hame - my personal feeling is that you need to do what works for you & what works now, might not work in a few weeks.. ie, you might use a paci now b/c Gus is still so little, but in a few weeks, maybe he will find his thumb & use that..or maybe he just needs to nurse now for comfort, but wont in a few weeks as he grows.
Neither RAR & RMR were big paci users (RAR used one for a few weeks). BUT, RMR sucks her thumb now, when she's tired. RAR never sucked her thumb, but didnt necessarily nurse for comfort and RAR didnt have that option since no milk (I wont even continue to discuss that b/c you've heard enough of how I think that is so odd...)
Anyway, my personal opinion is that you just have to do what is right at the time and it will all work out.
Send some pics of Gus. PS - RAR & RMR just (finally) sent Gus something - hopefully you'll get soon.
ALSO, have you heard the new dolly song? Travelin Thru' - its so great.
AND, one more thing - i posted the other day re: Torpedos & it didnt seem to show up... All I can say is when youre done nursing, might be bebe's for you :) Long live the bevs! :)
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