Rough Night With Tristan...

First "rough" night with Tristan last night... I feel for mothers who have colicky children. I don't know how you do it.

Tristan has always been so good. He eats well, sleeps well, and only really fusses or cries when he is really hungry or when he is wet - he hates being wet! He sleeps so well at night and only wakes up about two or three times after we put him to bed. And then he is generally pretty easy (at least for me) to get back to sleep. I am the first to admit I have had it easy with this little guy!

Even last night was nothing compared to what some people have to go through every single night and day with their little ones. But for me, well, it was a little rough.

We went to bed around 7:30. I know, we're lame, but I figure that the earlier we go to bed, the longer we have to sleep. So, 7:30 we were all in bed. Quarter to eight, Tristan decides that he is not quite ready for bed yet. That's fine. He's hungry. Since I am off my medications now, I decided to try him at the breast again. Well, that wasn't so successful and he starts screaming bloody murder. I had some pumped milk, so I tried giving that to him. Again, no luck. He spit the milk right out and then refused to take the bottle. I won't go in to how discouraged and failed I felt. That is another post all together!

Screaming baby in my arms, I managed to fumble through making a bottle of formula. The moment I put it to his mouth he started gulping it down. He got about an ounce and then for no apparent reason he just started wailing again! Figured he needed to burp, but he fought me and cried the whole time. And even when he had burped, he still screamed. He kept putting his hands in his mouth and sucking on them, opening his mouth wide and looking for a bottle or smacking his lips. I knew he was starving, but every time I put the bottle to his mouth he would take a few sucks and then spit it out and start crying again. I tried the soother and that calmed him for a few minutes. But, same as the bottle, he would eventually spit it out and start up again.

I tried everything I knew that usually seems to calm him when he is upset. Swaddling, changing him, lying him on my chest. It would calm him for a few minutes. Then, just as I would start to relax and get ready to put him in his crib, he would get upset again. I had no idea what else to try. I was overwhelmed and tired and anxious. I was really troubled that I couldn't help him. It wasn't long before I was in tears as well.

Then Mum suggested she go to the store and get some gripe water. Before I could even say yes, Erik said no. I was so angry with him. Here I was, at my wit's end trying to help our son, willing to try anything that might make him feel better and Erik had to be all stupid and prideful. He hates accepting help. He doesn't want to feel like he can't provide for his family, that he can't do something himself. I understand, but I had a screaming baby who wasn't taking to anything I had tried. I wasn't going to turn away help or a suggestion, something that very likely would make him feel better, just because of Erik's pride. I finally made him go wake Mum up and ask her to get the gripe water for us.

And thank goodness I did! The gripe water worked like a charm! A couple medicine droppers full later and Tristan was instantly his happy, contented self again. He took the bottle immediately and downed the entire thing and then some. Then he went right to sleep and we didn't have any more tummy problems all night.

We didn't have anymore tummy problems, but he must be going through a growth spurt or something because we were up almost every two or three hours with him last night. At midnight he drank more than six ounces! Four ounces of formula and he even took two ounces of breast milk (from the bottle). He then proceeded to spit all of it up an hour or two later, soaking his bed and himself.

So, that was my night and I hope that it was a one time thing, at least for another two weeks or so. I don't think I could do that every night!

And poor Erik, I made him get up almost every time. I feel bad every time I make him get up. I feel like I'm taking advantage of him, and that's basically exactly what I am doing in my exhausted haze. To my credit, I was up with Tristan until 10:30. Erik went to bed at 9:00. But, I still feel guilty. Tonight I'll give him a break and try to take all of the mid-night wake ups.