Sleeping Throught the Night

Our youngest child is approaching the nine month mark. I can honestly say he has been our "easy child" (if there even is such a thing) up until recently. Let me begin by telling you how much of a blessing he has been to our family. He truly does have the sweetest disposition and is rarely demanding of anything. By two months, he was sleeping through the night and up until about two months ago, I could count on one hand the number of times he had cried (maybe two hands). He is developing appropriately and has recently begun to sit independently. That has made him much more content because now he can see what his sisters are up to. About three weeks ago he started going from his belly to sitting up. What an accomplishment! I was so proud, as any mom would be, then reality hit! Sure he could go from his belly to his bottom, but he couldn't do anything else! He was stuck. That is just fine when one wants to play or see the scenery but it is a different story when one is sleepy. I'm sure you can imagine the scenario I'm coming to. At nap or nighttime, when he isn't completely exhausted, I creep as smoothly and quietly as is humanly possible to gently lay my sleeping angel in his crib. His precious blue eyes sleepily flutter open and I get a toothless adorable smile. The smile continues as I sing softly and turn to leave his bedside. As I'm shutting his door, I hear him wriggling around to get in the sitting position so he can see me better and you guessed it, He's Stuck! Then comes the crying and wailing and screaming from a sleepy child who can't get comfortable. At first I tried just letting him cry himself to sleep, but then when I would go to check on him after the crying stopped, he resembled a yoga instructor. I'm not sure what position it would be called, but he was sitting with both legs straight out to each side and nose on the mattress in front of him (I wish I were so limber). Thankfully he has in the past few days figured out how to get back onto his belly from the sitting position.

Now for our next dilemma. We are very grateful for the baby bed that was given to us when our first daughter was born five years ago. It is a beautiful white antique. That's right I said antique and not exactly up to all of the safety standards in place. It is sturdy though so we have made very good use of it. One of the requirements for newer baby beds now is the spacing between the side slats. Ours obviously doesn't meet those standards because my son's chubby little legs have begun to get stuck in them with all of his gymnastics that he practices every night before falling asleep. As I mentioned before, he is a very amiable child who rarely cries, but let me tell you he can scream. I really thought a bear or something worse must have gotten ahold of him the first time his leg got stuck in his bed. After unsticking his leg, comforting him in the rocking chair, singing Mama's Gonna Buy You a Mockingbird, and quietly laying him back down about four different times in one evening, we decided to set up his pack and play for him to sleep in that night. He did much better after that and is still sleeping in his pack and play several days later. In fact, my husband went ahead and took that antique baby bed apart and set it out in the garage for a yard sale!

I'm not sure that there is a point in this post other than to encourage you if you are having trouble with a child sleeping through the night by telling you that I'm right there with you. Also to remind you as the saying goes "This too shall pass," hopefully sooner than later!

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

No, I am not referring to the sometimes fatal viral disease affecting livestock.

Earlier this week my 8 month old developed 102 degree fever but had no other symptoms of sickness. He remained feverish all day and night so the next day I took him to the pediatrician. His only symptoms were a high fever, loss of appetite, and a few small spots on his feet and hands. The doctor looked in his throat and confirmed that it was full of lesions. When she first told me he had hand, foot and mouth disease my heart leaped into my throat, but then she assured me it was in no way related to Hoof and Mouth Disease in cattle and horses. Whew!

Since it is viral, there is no treatment. It simply has to run it's course, usually around a week. Symptoms include fever; loss of appetite; sore throat and mouth; difficulty swallowing; lesions in mouth, then fingers, feet, bottom, and chin. As is the case with any fever, hydration is most important so keep the fluids flowing! I alternated Tylenol and Motrin to keep his temperature down. Our pediatrician recommended mixing 1/4 teaspoon each of Maalox and Benadryl and giving every 4 - 6 hours. This was only for relief on his tender throat. It does not speed up the recovery process. Let me emphasize this, I am in NO way a doctor! I am only repeating what our doctor recommended so if your child develops a high fever always call your pediatrician to confirm a diagnosis.

There is no vaccine for this virus and it can recur so my advice is to be an adamant hand washer and encourage your children to be too. Obviously 8 months is a little young to be washing hands by oneself, but make sure you do it for them :) !

Dealing with Diaper Rash

I am having my first real experience with diaper rash and it is no fun! My seven month old has been extremely uncomfortable for the past several days. Since diaper rash is a fairly common ailment of babies in diapers, I thought it would make for a good post.

The most likely age of your baby developing it is between seven to nine months. The reason is because of a more varied diet combined with delicate skin. Diaper rash is caused by that delicate skin becoming irritated by chronic moisture. The following are some tips that have been successful in our case.

• Less Moisture Change your baby's diaper often, as soon as it gets wet or dirty.
• More Air This can be tricky, especially with a little boy. I suggest placing a towel in the dry bathtub and letting your baby lay bare bottomed.
• Do not use baby wipes Even unscented ones contain irritants, so for the time being, use cotton balls dipped in warm water to clean baby's bottom.
• Gentle Soap I recommend Dove or Johnson's no more than once a day.
• Creams Desitin, Balmex, and A & D are all good ones. Only use the cream at night or nap time. During the rest of the day you should change the diaper frequently enough to not need it (creams can be quite difficult to get off).

Remember that prevention is the key with diaper rash!