Sleep patterns

Yesterday Reid and Jack visited the pediatricians office one more time to rule out an ear infection again.  Jack's sleeping pattern has been totally out of whack and apparently, mommy and daddy aren't helping.  Dr. Sullivan said we need to get him back into a pattern and she gave us a long handout on ways to "create a pattern".  Basically Jack needs to learn how to put himself to sleep so when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he can know to just go back to sleep, without mom or dad comforting him. 
Now, we've been working on moving his sleeping times up (instead of 10-9am, we've got it to 9-8).  That's been working pretty well.  However, there have still been frequent wakenings.  So, I gritted my teeth and tried to do the whole "put him down when he's drowsy".  Basically, the cry it out method.  He was screaming and crying...and it just broke this mommy's heart.  I tried to keep busy and would check on him every 5-7 minutes.  I'd go in and lay him back down (because he'd be standing at the crib side wailing) and pat his back.  But, he'd hop up and latch on for dear life.  So, I'd leave the room again and the crying would get loud again.  So...I broke.  After 30 minutes of crying you'd think the kid would be tuckered out.  I picked him up and brought him into my room and laid next to him.  Within 2 minutes, he was out.  I broke rule #1- no co-sleeping. 
I think/hope/pray it'll get easier and he'll catch on quickly.  I'm motivated to get him back to his good, restful nights sleep.  And I'm motivated to get my good, restful nights sleep back too!  Keep us in your prayers as we try and tackle our sleepy time monster :).
We've got a fun day ahead.  Today my dad is in town and I'm taking off early (Reid's got the day off) and we're going to go to lunch together. Grandpa Skoch will get to hang out with Jack for a bit and it should be a good start to the weekend.  Tonight, Reid's best friend and his girlfriend are joining us for homemade pizza and games. Definitely keeping me motivated to get through the day. 
Hope you have a great weekend...until next time...

Future pitcher? Quarterback?

I'm really enjoying Jack's new trick/game we've been playing...catch!  He's learned to throw any of his toys that are the shape of a ball.  We'll sit across from each other and he throws me the ball and I roll it back.  He seems pretty happy that he's able to play too.  The further it goes, the bigger his smile gets!  :)

Already chasing the ladies...

I almost feel like I haven't had a weekend, it flew by so fast!  We spent Saturday morning as a family with homemade pizza for lunch and we watched the Hangover.  (Well, Reid and I watched and Jack played).  It was nice to get some time together.  Work keeps us so busy and relaxation was much needed.  On Sunday, Jack and I took a LONG road trip to Wichita, KS for cousin Emery's (my cousin's baby) 1st birthday.  We were so thankful to have Ms. Melanie Davison along for the ride.  It worked out perfectly for her to ride with, since her family lives there.  I would've been in BIG trouble without her, since she even sat in the back and entertained Jack for the car ride home.  The ride down wasn't so bad, but home was hard because it was right through his dinner time.  Melanie fed him in the carseat and we kept trucking.  He was great until the last 20 minutes (after I dropped Mel off).  He screamed the WHOLE way home.  But, as soon as we were there, it was like nothing ever happened.
We had a great time at the party.  Good food and family time and Emery got some awesome presents!  It was fun to imagine Jack turning 1.  In just a few weeks, he will be 1, too!  Jack got a chance to play with some other little kids at the party, too.  He got attached to a little 17 mos old girl named Katie.  It was cute to watch him interact with kids.  He doesn't get to do that very often.  It was also fun to see him walk ACROSS THE ROOM!  Little Katie took off and Jack followed, on foot, right behind her!  I was SO proud of him.  Now he's walking without any help and he's happy because he is upright!  I think it gives him confidence to see the other little kids up on their feet too. 
We are still trying to figure out what has caused his sleep patterns to get all screwy.  We'll have one good night for every 2-3 bad nights.  He woke up every hour of the night on Saturday night.  It sure is hard being a parent sometimes.  As my dad always told me, "This too, shall pass." 
Hope your week is off to a great start!  Until next time...

Aaahhhh...sleep

Just a quick update--Jack made it through the day yesterday with little to no screaming.  The doctor had suggested we increase frequency and decrease the volume of his meals.  We're back to feeding approx every 2 hours to keep him full.  He's liking all the snacks!  :) 
We also have tried to move back his sleep patterns.  He's been staying up until all hours (1230-1am!) lately.  So, Reid's making a great effort to get up at 8am with him, instead of sleeping all morning.  I hope that we'll all get on a better schedule because momma doesn't funtion on 4-5 hours of sleep very well.  Yesterday was day one of the new sleep pattern and Jack took his nap early (1pm) and was tired and ready for bed by 8pm!  He took his bottle well and fell right asleep.  He had one wake up around 10:30pm but just wanted his pacifier.  He was still asleep when I left at 7am!  And Reid woke him around 815.  Here's hoping for another good day/night! 
We're still not sure what is causing the screaming fits, but I do suspect he may have a tooth or two coming in.  He's also still taking the reflux meds.  Today is day 7.  My cousin sent an interesting article about children that start waking up frequently when they are about to walk.  It also said not to be surprised if they scream when you walk away, because they are the ones that want to be upright and walking.   Jack is just starting walking and so maybe that it's!? 
This weekend Jack and mommy are road-tripping to Wichita for cousin Emery's 1st birthday.  Daddy has to work all weekend (boo).  But, we're excited to help him celebrate!  I just can't believe these boys are already turning 1!
Have a great weekend.  Thanks for the positive thoughts/prayers...keep them coming for continued improvement!
Until next time...

Ravioli Rocks!

I had to post this cute picture of Jack enjoying some really tasty (and messy) ravioli.  He just LOVES it.  He was double-fisting it and "Mmmm-ing" the whole time.  I think he may have set a record for the amount of time it took him to scarf it down, too. 

He's really doing well with people food.  In fact, he wants to eat all the time.  I'm thankful I don't have a picky eater on my hands.  We're contemplating whether or not he's a southpaw (left handed).  He tends to pick things up primarily with his left hand, as well as feed himself with his left hand.  It will be interesting to see; I'm pretty sure it's heriditary.  Reid's dad is left handed and on my side, my little sister Lucy is the only lefty.  I'm sure she would be excited if he turned out to be left-handed.  She will be able to teach him writing and how to tie his shoes.
Also big news--I think it's safe to say that Jack's officially walking!  He's gaining more and more confidence as he goes along, but he walk to and from different toys in the living room, or from the couch to his walker or from the chair to his activity table.  I think it helps for him to see other little kids walking.  We had some friends over who have a 17 months old.  Jack and Gabby are about the same size and he wanted to stand up next to her and hug her.  It was really cute.  She got scared and started crying.  I can only imagine her thinking "who is this big kid?!"  haha
Obviously he's got a long way to go until he's walking successfully around the house, but he's taking "baby steps" (no pun intended).  We're sure enjoying watching him practice! 
Until next time....

Weekend Update

The weekend is here and I fear I'm not going to catch up on much sleep very much.  We've had kind of a rough week in the Kirby household.  Last week Jack was sick with cough/snotty stuff and just when we thought that was over, he began having screaming fits.  We're talking full out, alligator tears, 'don't hold me', screaming at the top of his lungs for 10-20 minutes.  I've gone over so many scenarios in my head: teething, a reflux flare up, exhaustion, hunger...but I just couldn't figure it out.  He hasn't been sleeping, which has caused me to not be sleeping; so we're a bit behind in the Zzz's department.  Today I broke down and called the doctor's for suggestions.  The triage nurse was concerned he may have an ear infection, because it's common for kids not to have symptoms like fever, etc, with ear infections...but it could have been the cause for the pain, which in turn caused the screams.  However, his ears checked out and the doctor and I had a long conversation about possibly starting reflux meds again.  Long story short, the long screaming spells didn't make her think of teeth.  She said usually teething is just fussiness.  So, Jack is back on Prevacid.  I'm willing to try anything at this point and she said it's not uncommon for reflux to reappear after you think it's gone.  The cool thing is...we get to use Solu-tabs, instead of a compound, so we got some FREE samples to try!  I felt better about that, because it's sure expensive to try it and not work.  So, I'm sure an update will follow about how this is going, in the future.  Thankfully, he's sleeping soundly right now.  :)
This weekend is quite busy for us.  Reid is working now, until midnight, and then has to get up and work 8-4pm tomorrow and 8-4pm on Sunday.  Tomorrow evening, we're getting together with a dear high school friend of mine.  She has a 4 month old daughter, so maybe Jack's going to meet his future wife?!  haha  It will be great to catch up with her; we haven't seen each other in probably 2 years!  Sunday is Reid's sister's birthday and we're celebrating with pizza....always a great birthday dinner choice, in my book. 
We hope you're having an enjoyable weekend, wherever you are.  Until next time...

Hyvee Christmas Party/Jack's first overnight

This weekend we got to celebrate the holiday season again!  The Gladstone Hy-Vee had it's Holiday Party.  It was a formal event, with dinner and dancing at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown KC.  We haven't been dressed up together since our wedding.  So, we went all out and I even got my hair done.  I coaxed Reid into wearing matching colors, and he looked spiffy!  :)  They treated us to a wonderful spread of chicken and prime rib.  Rosie, the party coordinator played "Let's Make a Deal" and the employees got to win gifts.  Reid won me a Bath and Body Works lotion set...AND he danced with me.  It was a great night.

Dressed up before the party:

After dinner:

Since mommy and daddy were out late, Jack got to spend the night at Grandma Kirby's.  We didn't want to have to get him out in the subzero temps at midnight or later, so she agreed to let him sleep over.  We slept in the guest room at her house, so that we could be there just in case he woke up.  But, he did great!  He loves his Grandma Judy's and he loves spending time with Cookie, Aunt Sarah's dog.  When we woke up, Cookie came in and tried to get Jack to play.  It was adorable; she'd lay in his lap or curl up right by his feet.  Had to get the camera out....

Cookie laying in Jack's lap:

We've been fighting a bug in the Kirby house...Jack's been sick a little over a week.  I think it's been exacerbated by teething.  He's been super fussy, sleepy, chewing and drooling...but, we're trucking through and ibuprofen is our new best friend.  He's on the up and up now and we're hoping to see some new shiny teeth soon!  He's still eating great; he's got the appetite of a horse!  He ate an ENTIRE Banquet frozen dinner the other night...he loved the Turkey Meal with peas, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and turkey.  He even ate a cup of applesauce for dessert.  We sure are happy he's not picky at this point. 
We hope you're having a good week!
Until next time...

New Year = new appetite!

Jack is officially eating "real people" food 3x a day.  I'm personally enjoying watching him be able to feed himself and share meals with him.  It is not as convenient as bottles, but it's great to see him try new things.  We just have to slow down a bit, and thats always good.  Right now we're learning how to feed him appropriately.  He doesn't really have an 'off' button, so we have to be careful not to stuff him.  If we let him, he'll just keep eating.  :)  He's really enjoying hot dogs, mac n' cheese, sliced cheese, green beans, peas, applesauce, and yogurt.  He even shared leftover chicken and dumplings, from Cracker Barrel, with me.  He's still eating an occasional bottle, mainly at bed time.  It's going to be great to not have to buy as much formula! 

Jack's first hotdog and mac 'n cheese:

We've also found a new game....Jack likes to play Cowboys and Indians...or just Indians.  Uncle Benny was over yesterday and introduced him to the game.  He will sit in your lap and hum while you pat at his mouth.  If you stop, he'll grab your hand and pull it back up.  I've tried to get him to do it, but he ends up chewing on his hand instead.  He just lays there and laughs and laughs.  It's quite hilarious to watch. 
We're enjoying all the new toys we acquired at Christmas.  Our living room is turned into a giant play room, at the moment.  I put the pack 'n play in the opening to the kitchen and blocked off some corners with pillows and Jack's having a ball.  Well...he's pulling on my legs to get my attention, so I better get back to play time.
We hope all is well--
Until next time....
Mommy and Jack

Happy 2010!

Wow-I cannot believe it's 2010--no more 00's...we're back to double digits!  I feel like just yesterday I was thinking..."Oh my goodness..the year 2000!"  It's amazing how fast time really does fly, when you're having fun!  We had a wonderful 2009 and we're excited for the new changes and adventures that 2010 may bring. 
Mommy and Jack hung out on New Year's Eve.  Daddy was at work for his normal 4pm-12am shift.  So, we decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese with my sister-in-law and her 4 kiddos (+ 1 friend).  It was so much fun!  I haven't been to a C.E.C. in probably 15 years!  Jack had so many bright lights to watch, games to see, and there were tons of kids running around him.  In fact, I had to turn the high chair around so he could watch, because he was trying to turn completely around in it.  He even rode his first ride--a Stuart Little car ride.  As soon as I strapped him in, he started spinning the stearing wheel.  It was too cute.  We stayed out until 945pm!  :)  Jack fell asleep on the car ride home and when I laid him down to change his diaper and get him into pjs, he woke right up and decided he wanted to wait until midnight like big people do.  We played for awhile with his new toys from Christmas and at 1140pm, we got a nice surprise...Daddy came home early!  We watched the ball drop together and reflected on our many blessings in 2009, together as a family.  It was a nice moment.   
We hope you had a safe holiday and are enjoying your first days in 2010.  May God bless you and your families. 
Until next time...
Love, The Kirby's

Jack's excited to be at Chuck E. Cheese:

Trying out his driving skills:

Hanging with Stuart Little: