another hard phase

[flea]

I'm about at the end of my rope with the Dillo this week, and it's sort of a weird combination of minor changes in him and (I hope temporary) impatience in my that are mixing badly. He's demanding, and fusses when left alone, and his eating is weird (specifically his nursing - he has only been taking one bottle at day care and often doesn't want to nurse before I leave the house; yesterday he nursed at 4am, had a bottle at 9:30, had solid food at mid-day, and barely wanted to nurse at 4pm), and his sleeping is weird (he used to wake to nurse and then go right back down - now he doesn't want to nurse and wants to crawl around the bed and have a party.)

And I sort of want my room and my bed back. It's been almost nine months, yo.

So I'm contemplating what to do - mr. flea suggested putting up his crib in Casper's room, but I can't imagine making that work with their disparate bedtimes and wake-up times and his night waking and her light sleeping. Plus, as he's just about crawling she is going to feel sort of invaded, as he can now get into her toy projects, and I had this idea about having her room be a safe-from-baby space, gated off with a babygate.

I'm thinking about redoing the study as his room - put up the crib and move in the chaning table that's in our room now, maybe put the chair from Casper's room (which we never sit in with her). There's also already a la-z-boy chair in there. We'd need to move out the (dangerous to crawlers/climbers) big melamine bookcases, maybe into our room (not sure they'd fit - I'd need to measure). Could we get the computer and its table into the dining room? Could leave the file cabinet (it is low and locks). Move the TV (on a trunk) into the living room? And repurpose the DVD bookcase for baby toys and books, move some of the older kids' books from the living room to Casper's bookcase, move the DVDs to the living room.

Really, though, rearranging furniture is not going to solve things. What I need is patience.

Comments

[smonsterbite.livejournal.com]

I shared a room with my sister briefly, when I was six and she was an infant. It was a small room, so my parents put the baby gate from the end of my bed to the wall; the other side of the gate was my babyfree space. It worked okay b/c I was a heavy sleeper - she was a late night screamer. We moved to a bigger house after 6 months or so.

Good luck figuring out a solution/growing some patience.

I can't say that I enjoy hearing about your struggles, but I find it fascinating to read. I don't know when or if I'll have children, but I feel like I learn so much from reading about the experiences of my friends who do. Not like your pain is my education... just letting you know that I'm an interested reader. (I feel like this is coming out in a really awkward way. Oh, well.)

Hmm. If you and DH and Casper need a few hours break from the Dillo, I would be willing to babysit. Or I could take Casper for a while. Not sure I'm up for both simultaneously, unless I bring along luluminion. Hit me up on email if you're interested. It would be my pleasure - no compensation needed.