January 12, 2008

Be warned - I'm whining here

So now I'm getting to the point where the sleep deprivation is getting to me. Isaiah is still sleeping so much better than our other two did, but after several weeks at the end of pregnancy of getting up every 2 hours, surgical delivery and recovery then 3 weeks with a newborn is starting to wear down my patience. That's the bad part. I don't feel overly exhausted. After working night shift for several years, I'm used to not getting 8 hours of sleep. It's my attitude with my 2 older kids and husband that's bothering me. I've noticed that the usual things kids at 3 adn 4 do are setting me off much quicker than they used to, and I've raised my voice at them more than I'd like to admit. They have been a bit trying. I feel like a broken record telling them not to run in the house, to quit playing on the stairs, to pick up their toys, and to sit still and eat their meals. Meal time has always been a pain in the a*s. Jacob refuses to eat most foods and Clara bounces in her booster seat, drops her fork and falls out of her chair. And they'll sit there and not eat for 45minutes! Lately, I've been setting a timer and they get 30 minutes, and if they don't eat, then they have to wait until the next meal. I've been told that's what you should do, but it's hard to watch your kids not eat and then whine in 3 hours that they're hungry.

Husband has also been a bit annoying. The first week I was home, he was wonderful. He made sure the older kids were taken care of, laundry done, meals, and made sure I didn't try to do things I shouldn't do. But man, the last week he's been the complete opposite. For example, he hasn't gotten up to change the baby's diaper in the last 1 1/2 weeks. I am breastfeeding, exclusively until 6 months. The plan was he would change the diapers since he doesn't have the equipment to do feedings. That didn't last. And the other day, after a more fussy night and I didn't get much sleep, fighting to get 3 kids into the van only to find that husband didn't move the middle seats up so the kids had leg room (I'm not strong enough), didn't put gas in the van and he had taken the debit card (of course, I was out of cash). I had pictures at a friends followed by yet another MD's appointment and he complained that he didn't get a nap that day. This complaint was voiced to a woman who by 4 pm had only eaten 2 pieces of toast and drank 1 glass of water and a can of pop. Needless to say I was a bit irritated. I managed to bite my tongue, which is a HUGE feat for me because I knew it'd get ugly. I did remind him the next day that I could be formula feeding or supplementing and he could be getting up and doing every other feeding in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. Men, I tell ya.

Anyway, last night was the best night so far. Isaiah was the fussiest he's been from about 8 until 10:30. I think he was gassy and overtired, but once he fell asleep, he slept until 3:30 and went back to sleep and didn't wake up until 7a.m.! It was great. Well, I've rambled on enough.

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