MONTH SEVEN: Yes, you just read that headline right. Awake is no longer the new sleep in this house. Be gone, Ben Lee. After seven months of mostly one or two-hour stretches of night sleep after her initial four-hour sleep (I am so, so tired!), just prior to Mother’s Day Baby Holly delivered a whole seven hours of sleep in one sitting (or laying, rather).
I would have benefited from the full seven hours, except for some rather explosive-sized milk tankers. Time to back myself into the dairy and whack on those suction cups, I think.
It happened the night before Mother’s Day and was by far the best present my daughter could have given me. We’re not in dreamland just yet, but there’s at least now light at the end of the tunnel.
SOLUTION: We’ve done so many things, I really can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that’s helped. However, here’s what we’ve done:
* Letting her cry a little longer before she drifts off to sleep seems to help wear her out and sleep more soundly.
* During the night feeds, pulling her off just as her sucking slows so she’s not falling asleep on the boob. She usually tries to latch straight back on. I let her, then as her sucking slows I pull her off again. You continue this pattern until she no longer wants to suck. Each night the sucking will get less.
* Getting her tosleep unwrapped. This is still a work in progress. We’ve achieved this by first unwrapping one arm, with her hand either holding a pacifier or her cuddly toy. Another dummy is in her mouth. Having her hands full stops her from pulling her dummy out.
* Cutting back to two day sleeps. We think this has been a major contributing factor. She now has a mid morning sleep and a mid afternoon sleep.
* I think the biggest help, and probably a tad controversial for some, has been fast-tracking her food. Our health nurse said, because Holly is such a big girl, she’s constantly hungry and needing more than just my boobie juice. Hence, she feeds all night. It also kind of explains why she was screaming and wouldn’t settle to sleep. Poor thing was starving! So we put her on a fast-tracked diet to red meat to increase her iron levels. Note: It’s since been mentioned to us that some babies struggle to digest meat at such an early age and is what could be contributing to her lapse in sleep this last week. We’re still experimenting with the whole meat and veggies situation and will keep you posted.
What tips do you have for getting your baby to sleep?
DISCUSSION between myself and Princess Kel during a city stroll this week turned to bananas (you know bananas, the fruit which now has a higher price per gram than crack cocaine). Well, the conversation was around the fact we should buy two – despite the cost – to at least give the newly solid-eating Princess Holly a taste for them and Ella a treat.
So after quick call to the bank manager to secure the funding for said purchase, the decision was made. Later in the day we call in to a supermarket and I pop in to grab a few essentials, scruffing an extravagant three bananas on the way. People at the checkout look at me like I’m P Diddy.
On the drive home, Kel remembers a couple of other things she needed and we call by a little supermarket in the neighbourhood. Upon re-entering the car, Kel says “oh, I got bananas’’.
“Um, so did I,’’ was my response. We look at each other and swear quietly enough not to be heard by the princesses in the back seat.
“How many did you get?” says I.
“Two. How many did you get?’’ says Kel.
“Three’’. Yep, five bananas coming in at a nice little sum of about $16.
We cut our losses, decide to live on bread and water for the next month and tell a delighted Princess Ella in the back seat she can have her first banana since the floods hit Queensland …. AS LONG as she saves part of it for Holly. Ella, clearly switched on to the new high value on the bendy fruit, proceeds to jump from the car on arrival home saying “see, I saved some for Holly’’ holding up a piece of banana roughly the size of a walnut. Not even a very big walnut.
Later in the day I posted this status on Facebook: “Bought five bananas today. May not be able to pay the power bill this month.” This is a selection of the responses which followed:
Coley: I’m working two jobs just to pay for my girlfriends 2-a-day habit.
Shae: You can buy a pair of Jimmy choo heels for the cost of bananas.
Testy: I never even gave it a thought and bought 3 the other day from Woolies – got home and realised that they cost me over $8.00 WTF??
MY MOTHER’S Day weekend couldn’t have been more perfect. There were moments of laughter (yes, OK, so you expect that from the O’Briens) and plenty of happy tears.
Ella wearing the matching tiara and earrings she bought me
Here’s how it played out:
HAPPY TEARS: I was given the best Mother’s Day present ever the night before when Baby Holly, whose five-hour stretches of sleep in the past seven months could be counted on one hand, delivered an incredible seven-hour stretch of sleep. Yes, I got up once, Just once. Bliss. Sure, it was followed by then being awake for 1.5 hours from 3am, but I am so not complaining. A full report of how this was achieved is coming in the Sleep Challenge on Thursday.
LAUGHTER: Saturday night was spent trying to get out of three-year-old Ella what she had bought me for Mother’s Day. Here’s the script:
Mum: “So, what did you buy me?’’
Ella (in a hushed voice): “Shh, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “How many presents did you buy me?’’
Ella: “Lots. But shhh, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “What was your favourite present?’’
Ella: “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “Hmm, which one did you wrap first?’’
Ella: “No Mum. I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’’
Mum: “Did you get me a book?’’
Ella: “Yes! Ah, no, it’s a secret.’’
Busted!
LAUGHTER: As a follow on from that conversation, that night Baby Holly and I went into Ella’s room to give her a kiss goodnight. At the same time, her Dad was trying to decide with her what books, picked up at the library that day, to read. Ella caught sight of one of the books and yelled out: “NO DAD! It’s meant to be a surprise. Remember?’’ Apparently, one of the books they’d bought for Mother’s Day looked remarkably similar to one of her library books. Busted, again!
LAUGHTER: Mother’s Day morning, Julian and Ella donned their Masterchef aprons and made me a bowl of cereal, a cup of tea and a platter of fruit with “drizzled’’ chocolate. Unfortunately, it just looked like poo on a plate. Even more unfortunate was that a chocolate Easter bunny died to make my breakfast.
HAPPY TEARS: Last night I gave Ella a big hug and kiss and thanked her for a wonderful Mother’s Day. She stroked my face, smiled at me and said: “You’re welcome.’’
What was the highlight of your Mother’s Day?
Linking to FlogYoBlog Friday (ah, Saturday) with Where’s My Glow?
Marrying the right man. Not only is he attached to royalty (he’s Prince William’s 13th cousin – thankfully on the Spencer side. I shudder to think what our children would have looked like with those ears!), but he made me cry this week with a post called For the love of a mother. All together now…. awwwwwww!
Air kisses. Three-year-old Ella HAD to have a bit of lippy on for childcare. As I went to kiss her goodbye before she walked out the door with her Dad, she said: “I can’t kiss you, Mum. I’ve got lipstick on’’, then proceeded to blow me a kiss, smile and turned on her heels to leave.
Baby Holly mastering her next skill: sitting. Then falling down. And sitting up. And falling down again. Another milestone passes us by. (Oh, why does it all go so quickly?).
Multi Golden Guitar winner Sara StorerTODAY I’m handing the blog over to multi Golden Guitar winner and mum Sara Storer. The aim is simply to show mums out there that, no matter what cards you’re dealt in life, we all share similar experiences. Even celebrity mums.
This down-to-earth country music star, who’s renown for her unique Aussie sound, is mum to little Harry and has her second bub due at the end of the month. Her latest single, Children of the Gurindji with Kevin Carmody, will speak to many mums this Mother’s Day. You can see the video clip at the end of this post. Some of you will already be familiar with Tears, a song which touched so many with its direct message about domestic violence towards children.
Kellie O’Brien: You’re one of country music’s newest mums. How did mums like Beccy Cole, Kasey Chambers and Gina Jeffries support you on your new path?
Sara Storer: The girls were a big help and a wonderful support during my first pregnancy and after Harry was born. I was on the road touring with the Songbirds… Beccy & Gina. Being mums they had heaps of advice especially about my future concerns of being a mum on the road with a baby. The girls also took it in turns of babysitting Harry whilst I was on stage or having a number of wonderful tips for those moments of chaos just before I was to go on! They (Bec, Gina & Kasey) were very inspirational and encouraged the idea that I can be a mum and a singer at the same time.
KO: What is the story behind naming your son Harry? Is this a nod to the retired buffalo shooter who inspired your first song, Buffalo Bill?
SS: It was just a nice coincidence that we named our boy Harry. Not directly linked to Harry the Buffalo shooter who inspired my first song but the love of the name and the lovely song it sings when I say…’ Harry O’Hare get out of the fridge!’
KO: You took time off from your music career to play mum to Harry? How important was that time for you?
SS: Well initially it was extremely important to bond with our baby and take some time to rest and recover from the big day! It definitely has been a challenge between balancing motherhood and career. Motherhood has been and still is the most wonderful thing I’ve experienced but I still love performing and being Sara Storer the artist and all that that brings.
KO: How has that period inspired you musically?
SS: Motherhood is so much more than I expected. It’s huge and has and will inspire many songs about my family. I have been introduced to so many new emotions and every day brings something new. I hate it if I miss anything and would prefer to see it all for myself… that’s why balancing motherhood and career is such a challenge.
KO: Your singles Tears and now Children of the Gurindji (with Kev Carmody) are very much centred on our Australian children; the latter from your experiences as a teacher in the Northern Territory. Has having Harry made you look at life – and children – differently?
SS: I guess having Harry has reinforced my beliefs and values about the upbringing of our children. We can change a child’s personality by exposing them to things that should never be seen, heard or felt. It’s up to us to protect them from abuse of any sort, so let us start in our own backyard… our neighbours and our students and our families and give a child a fair start.
KO: What one moment shared with Harry stands out most for you?
SS: One true special moment would be watching my fiancé become a big softy. When Harry and I have been on the road for weeks and we come home to Darwin and Dave meets us at the airport, it’s very special. The relationship between a father and son is such a lovely thing to watch at any age. And I see a big toughie reduced to a big softy in seconds!
KO: What do you love best about being a mum?
SS: I love not missing anything. I love the fact that my job allows me to take Harry on the road with me. I love that I haven’t missed funny things he has said and his first steps and triumphs. Of all the advice I’ve been given the one that I take seriously is that it all goes so quick and before you know it they have grown up. So I try to slow down and never wish to rush the day away. (Even though there have been days that I could definitely put into fast forward… and nights!)
KO: What’s in store for Mother’s Day?
SS: I have just turned around and asked the two males on the couch ‘what is installed for Mothers Day?” and the reply was…”When is Mothers Day?”I will be working on that one! Look, I don’t get too precious about those days… as in I don’t turn into a psycho and demand presents, but I do appreciate mums and what’s involved in the day and life for a mum. For example, today I have done 18 phone interviews as well as squeeze in four loads of washing, a quick whip around, this questionnaire and the days not finished yet! I think I will demand some chocolates!!
What aspects of Sara’s life can you relate to?
This post is joining in with FlogYoBlog Friday over at Where’s My Glow?
