What does that mean exactly?   Is it meant to a be a compliment or is it an analogy?   Does it mean that someone or something is sleeping intently?   I suppose I’ve never really understood the real meaning of that saying, but either way…my son is sleeping like a baby!   And guess what!?!?!  That’s what he should be doing since he is a baby!

We were blessed with a beautiful baby boy inside and out, but we still had our own little anomalies where he was concerned.  I guess we still do and since he is a baby, we will continue to experience those anomalies. 

One of the things I never expected, although it was foretold, was that my child would need to be swaddled in order to sleep.   I thought, this is ridiculous!  I’ll just lie him on his back and he’ll go to sleep.  Not the case.  As matter of fact, not even CLOSE to the case.   My son ended up needing to be swaddled regardless of whether it was a mid morning or late afternoon nap or just to sleep through the night.  I actually wondered how long we would have to deal with this.  I even bought bigger Swaddlers as he was getting much too long for the others.  

2 weeks ago, Davey started rolling over.   He’s a bit ahead of the curve there as he wasn’t even 4 months old yet.  And although, he was rolling over I didn’t take into consideration that he would do it while he slept.   So, the following morning after his first day of rolling over, I found my son, arms wrapped tightly against his body, sleeping soundly on his tummy with his head rolled to the side.   I immediately panicked as thoughts ran rampantly through my head.  

Of course, he had survived the night, rolling over without his arms being free.   Of course, he slept soundly, not a peep from him to wake me or my husband, but what if, just what if he rolled over onto his tummy, his face down on the mattress and he was unable to breathe?  He could suffocate and I’d never know!   I’m already an OCD, worry wort of a mother, let’s just couple the thought of me sleeping through my son’s death and imagine how much of a nutso I would be!   Psych wards would love me!

Yes!  Those were my thoughts.  So, I told my husband no more swaddling.  I didn’t care how long it took Davey to fall asleep, if he would even fall asleep at all.   My rationale was that I wasn’t going to get sleep if we did swaddle him, so why not just NOT swaddle him.  Problem was, as stated before, he’d NEVER fallen asleep without being swaddled.  

One week and 4 days ago we went “cold turkey” in the de-swaddling department and surprise, surprise…my son is sleeping through the night!  I think he actually sleeps better now that he can freely move throughout the bed.   And freely move he does!

This child can do a completely 360, flip over, kick on his mobile, and even push himself onto his knees to sleep!   It’s absolutely amazing!  And the best part…my husband and I are sleeping like babies as well.  

Too bad I just spent $40 on Swaddlers the week BEFORE he started rolling over.   What a waste that was!

What does that clear colored Pedialyte taste like and what about the Keflex medicine Davey had to take?  And then there’s the breast milk and the formula.   What do they taste like and can my baby taste them already?  Is one more appealing to the other?

My husband and I had this conversation last week as we noticed how quickly Davey would take down the Keflex, but not the Pedialyte.   The Keflex, with its Pepto Bismal pink coloring hinted of a scent of strawberry, so to us it seemed appealing and obviously it did to my son as well. 

The Pedialyte had a scent of flavored water, something not too strong and with zero sugar, but when we tasted it, my husband and I were not impressed.   And neither was Davey considering the fact that the child could be starving and still wouldn’t drink the Pedialyte.   So, all of this led us to question whether our child has taste buds and are they fully developed?   At what age do they start developing and what characteristics do they have and by that I mean will he get his sense of taste from me or from my husband?

According to research I have read, a baby’s taste buds develop at 5 months when he is still a fetus.   So once he’s made his grand entrance into the world, he has fully functioning taste buds, but what formulates them?   Will Davey have an aversion to coconut as I do or will he absolutely loathe the taste of lemon cakes, as his father does?  

 

I hate it when people are picked on, made fun of, or just treated differently because of their appearance.  It’s a normal part of society and our day-to-day interactions with each other.  And if you remember correctly from one of my previous blogs, I too at times can be superficial and vain.  Unfortunately, I don’t appreciate society’s obsession with vanity projected onto my child. 

We are still undergoing treatment for my son’s severe case of eczema.  Thankfully, yesterday we were able to finally attain his medication and creams in order to calm the inflammation and he’s well on his way along the road of recovery and not a minute too soon.

I suppose I’m an over-protective momma because lately I’ve been a bit too aware of the public reaction to my poor baby’s face.  Mostly the gasps and shocked faces are coming from older members of society, which I suppose they have a “get out of jail free” card because of their age.   The geriatric population seems to lose that filter in their brain that encourages them to not speak what they’re thinking, the older they get.  

So, I’m looking forward to taking my son out in public now that his face doesn’t look like he’s been baking under an intense solar lamp for 24 hours day.    I’m looking forward to no longer getting the expression of smelling dog poo and trying to conceal it from people.  You all know what I’m talking about….

It’s the whole, “I’m smelling dog poo, but I don’t want someone else to know that I think it’s on them so I try to hide my shock and keep my nose from turning up and my eyebrows from furrowing” expression.   I’m sick of it.   If I get one more person looking at my son in that way, I’m likely to go Momma Bear on them and start tearing them apart limb by limb. 

Becoming a mother has brought on a whole new level of protection and not just for me but also for other children.   Children can not always help the cards they are dealt and adults shouldn’t find a way to make it so obvious that medical conditions are occurring.  

I look at my son and I see the most beautiful baby God has ever created.   Sure, his face isn’t silky smooth and soft like many other babies and he may have the occasional pock mark brought on by the atopic dermatitis, but his glowing smile, alertness and all around love for anyone that comes into his life is amazing.  And unfortunately, I don’t think everyone is deserving of his wonderful grace.   So for all of you who may look at my child and gasp about his appearance or even be outspoken as to what he’s going through, be careful about what spills out of your mouth, lest you deal with the wrath of this Momma Bear.