1st December 2008

To My Mom & Every Mom: Who’s Been There, Done That: Staying Up With Baby Night 2 replies

To my mom and every mom who’s been where I’m at, who’s done it before, and we’re here today because they did.

Who was the one who got up with you every time, or the majority of the time?  Was it your mom or dad that got up, when you needed a diaper change, a mattress cover change, a sheet change, your butt wiped, and the other stuff down there too, at midnight, 3 a.m., 5 a.m. all in one night?  Who nursed you, on top of all this?  Who got up and still went to work and paid the bills, on top of changing you all or the majority of the time?

This post is also for all those working moms and dads, some of whom I’ve done business with over the years who support me now, and read this blog - This therapeutical blog moment is for you, and if you’d like that with a movie and popcorn night out, feel free to share a story here.  As you know, with every midnight, 3 a.m, or 5 a.m. feeding, there is at least one diaper change, or in my case more than one. 

So, my daughter seems to like peeing on me.  I thought only boys did that.  It first happened Saturday morning.  I’d knocked off my glasses in the middle of the night.  Getting on the floor and groping around for glasses in the middle of the night with a fresh c-sec abdomen didn’t seem like a good idea.  I figured I could change my daughter’s diaper and feed her without my glasses.  My sister-in-law was willing to get on the floor underneath the nursery bed and find those glasses - thank you Lilly.  But just a few minutes prior to this, Melina was up, ready to be fed, changed, and let the world know it, loudly, I might add. 

A quiet cooing baby is a wonderful experience, but a baby not happy about something is an amazing moment in time and crisis management, efficiency and patience.  So before Lilly could get upstairstto help me find my glasses, I was changing Melina’s diaper, which funnily enough ended up in her peeing all over me, the bed, you name it. 

In case you’re wondering why she peed on my bed?  Well, my nursery is a admittedly small.  I don’t have room for the changing table.  I figured what’s the big deal?  Why can’t I just change her in the crib (breaks your back), or on the day bed?   I just couldn’t bring myself after forking out the money for everything else to buy a changing table and pad, one more piece of furniture to take up room. Yes, a small changing table and supply console (that doesn’t require bending over for everything) right now would be really, really appreciated.  Don’t ask me where I’ll put it, but I’d find a place -

So, I’m using disposable diaper changing pads that go underneath the baby.  It’s amazing how far away a diaper, or extra washcloth seems when you have a newborn child at your fingertips.  I’ve got one of everything - yes, now two or three would be better.  Diaper, changing pad, newborn wipes - and baby, screaming and wigglin like crazy!  I’m changing her, picking up dirty diaper underneath her, reaching for new one - wait a second - there is something wet on the pad, and it’s running everywhere.  Seems in my half-blind moment that I put the changing pad slick side up - so the pee is running all over the place.  I get the diaper underneath her quickly, change her, but wonder where did all that pee come from? 

My daughter decided to pee on me, giving me something fresh to work with.  Lesson pondered - Change your daughter before you feed her - seems logical, but try telling your screaming baby who woke up in the middle of the night rooting for breast milk that she needs her diaper changed first. And what this is like, is yet another blog post.

Since Saturday morning, her first night home, I’ve discovered that Melina likes to pee frequently on me, when I’m changing her diaper.  I so much as touch her with a wash cloth after a diaper change, and she gives me fresh material to work with.  An hour ago, I think I’ve managed to overcome the peeing thing, only to have her spit up all over the fresh sheet and mattress pad.  Damn formula - she always spits up after formula.  On breastmilk, she hardly spits up at all. 

She’s now quite happy, she’s been fed, changed, we’ve avoided the whole extra pee thing, and she’s now got fresh clothes on.  I look at the wet spot and figure that can’t be pee - no it’s spit up - lots of it.  I move her, and begin changing the sheet.  I’m happy to see the spit up hasn’t gone through to the mattress pad.  Everything is changed, finally, laundry items adding up, items tossed into the trash - it seems Melina is happy - she’s curled up in-utero style and already falling fast asleep.  Good, perhaps this means I can return to bed at 6 a.m.  and get some much-needed rest for a c-section recovery. 

But then it happens.  Breastmilk has responded to Melina crying so much - now I need changing.  I figure I can feed Melina my response-system, but of course, Melina is fast-asleep and really not interested in feeding right now.  I could pump, but instead this blog post will have to do. 

New respect on many fronts for many women and men who’ve consistently been the one to get up, do all this, and still make it into work the next day to pay the bills. 

With this, I have one request from my friends - since I’m choosing to do all of this - please don’t be mad when I don’t get back to you right away - or when I can’t take your call - because in the past two hours, this is what I’ve been doing -after I prepared breastmilk, or pumped, or prepared formula.  And please, don’t just stop by and check on how I’m doing - unless you’re more than willing to change a diaper, do laundry, witness a human pumping station, or make dinner for me which I’m not sure I’ll have a moment to eat.  But I do appreciate the fact that you’re willing to do all of these things, if you’re one of the few who’s already been by to do just that for hours on hand. 

2 Responses to “To My Mom & Every Mom: Who’s Been There, Done That: Staying Up With Baby Night”

  1. Stephanie says:
    December 1st, 2008 at 9:31 am

    So when do we get to see pictures of your new little treasure?

  2. Kristi says:
    December 1st, 2008 at 11:40 am

    Aww, pretty crazy huh! It’s a tough job, but oh so worth it! Glad to hear from you!

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