Joshua is having the textbook three week growth spurt. I wish I'd known about this with Eva- I remember being incredibly frustrated and confused and feeling inadequate. Now I know that the constant nursing that happens for a couple of days around 3 weeks, six weeks, three months and six months is actually very normal and will bring my milk supply to the next level to accommodate Joshua's needs. I know it is a temporary change in nursing habits and I have adjusted my expectations and behaviour accordingly for these few days. I always have some water, a book, my iPod close at hand. I know to take advantage of his naps to run around and get things done while I have the chance. I've gone to bed quite early with baby and book the last few days. Andrew has been totally picking up the slack, uncomplainingly.
The big kids are struggling a little. They are having trouble entertaining themselves. I don't want to stick them in front of the tv all day, but I don't have the hands or the energy to attempt big projects with them. Can anyone offer ideas and suggestions for keeping 3 and 5 year olds happily entertained with minimal parental input? Days like this I really miss Canada and all the people and places there are to visit.
Early this morning I did a bad job of aiming Joshua's little fire hose when I changed his diaper. Woke up a few hours later soaking wet... oops. Chalk that one up to experience.
Joshua's skin has totally cleared up now. Whoo hoo! He had his first shower yesterday and he loved it. Had one of his longest awake-alert-happy stretches ever. I'm so glad! I tried just using water to clean him but between all the sweating he does when he's freaking out about being in the car seat and the smell of my armpit from being tucked in there all night... I was forced to use some baby wash. That said, I've gone to plain water for wetting wipes so at least his liver only has to process stuff every day or two, not every dirty diaper change.
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Glad Joshua is doing so well. Ah the marathon nursing. I remember Kai eating every hour for 24 hours, that was crazy! Koen didn't really have any growth spurts, he always just ate every 2-2.5 hours so maybe it was non stop growth:)
ReplyDeleteAs for keeping the kids busy, I don't have any ideas. Kai did watch a lot of tv when Koen was first born. Otherwise, I would ask him to arrange all his cars in a circle or build a huge castle with his blocks etc. I let him play in the sink with a bunch of bowls and cups...that just required a lot of clean up:)
Joshua is sort of halfway in between Eva and Micah... Eva was extremely demanding and nursed for long periods, frequently. During her growth spurts she would cry when she wasn't getting it just to her liking. Micah was very laid back and could be put off for a little bit if I couldn't get to him right away. He was a fast nurser and I don't remember marathon nursing him. Joshua won't be put off but doesn't nurse for super long periods at a time; it's shorter sessions one after the other right now.
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued by your comment about using plain water with your wipes and baths because you're concerned about the things his liver has to process. Where did you get your research from? Do you have a link? Is water enough to keep his diaper area clean? Just curious :o)
ReplyDeleteI use this soap for wiping at diaper changes and for bath and I really like it: http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/OLBA32EA/BabyMildLiquid%20Soap.htm
ReplyDeleteSounds like Eva and Izabel nursed very similarly :) My only ideas for keeping the kids entertained and busy is reading to them while nursing and doing situation plays with them like you did while we're driving around together last year during our visit. You're so good at occupying them, I wish I could do that one day. But I'm probably totally idealistic in imagining that this would work as I've never tried it, so my comment doesn't really count...
playdoh always buys me time. You can make your own! It takes like 4 ingredients?? My friend makes her own playdoh and adds lavender essential oil to it, to make her kids nice and calm.....covert tricks!
ReplyDeleteI also buy dried beans and put them in a big bowl (two big bowls) and let them play for awhile with measuring cups, whisks, spoons, and etc, in the beans. Dried beans are easy to sweep up, and the kids love the hands on montessori style play. Could also be done with dried rice. Food coloring on the rice could make it interesting.
My mom had a breastfeeding toys basket. It was full of special toys that were JUST for playing with while she was nursing. In it she had a gun that shot ping pong balls that my brother L.O.V.E.D., esp. because he was not allowed to play with gun toys. That bend in the rules bought her a lot of nursing time.
Water and soap bubbles in the sink sounds like a fantastic idea.
Turning on the hose in my yard and letting them play with it always, always, ALWAYS buys me time.
Sticker books.
Large kid puzzles.
fingerpainting the sides of the shower/bathtub (easy to wash off when they are done)
eating bowls of whipped cream. If you don't put sugar in it, it's not really unhealthy, and it is a popular treat and can keep them busy for at least 15 minutes!
My mom had a 'boodle box,' where she kept odds and ends like egg cartons, ribbon bits, cotton balls, scraps of wrapping paper, etc, and it would be used for crafts periodically. It was awesome.
tv.
A bowlful of ice cubes on the back porch keeps them entertained for awhile.
Diluted, watery paint and dish soap in a glass, on top of a sheet of paper, and the kids blow bubbles in the watery paint until the bubbles spill over onto the paper makes a nice painting.
Do fun stuff with food: have a 'no hands' picnic lunch and feed them really messy food they can't use their hands to eat. Hand out prizes for the messiest face.
Competitions work awesome for my boys, but they ARE boys! Who can win the prize for the craziest face/funniest clothes/fastest toy cleanup/longest train track/loudest fart/best drawing/etc. If they get to decide the prize beforehand they really love that.
unloading the dishwasher for me. For some reason they love it and it keeps them busy for about ten minutes.
computer games; try lego.com for some good, free preschooler level games.
crayola makes some paint books where the paint is clear until it hits the special paper--safe to paint unsupervised because it is minimally messy.
Hope that helps! I find I get more mileage out of trying to keep my older ones entertained if I intersperse the 'keep them busy' activities with 'close attention and cuddles' activities, like reading a book or sitting down to do the task with them for a bit and really talking or listening while I'm there, and then leaving for awhile again.
The absolute best thing for getting ME a nap is a kids movie. If you are needing a nap, save the tv for that, and use the other distracting activities for the other times. In the meantime, don't feel guilty for using the tv. We all do it, and it is a temporary necessity, and their brains will not wither away and die in the meantime.
:)
xo