Summing Up The Smiths: Sleeping & Eating..... or NOT?

Suzy has not been a very good sleeper since her surgery. She has been a great sleeper up until the big day. The day she came home from the procedure marked the starting date of her waking up at least three times per night. The first few nights I blamed it on her being hungry from being deprived food so long in preparation for anesthesia, but after three or four nights of waking up constantly my mind began to have a field day of all the possibilities that could be causing the problem. The most reasonable explanation that my brain came up with is that she was still a little freaked out by the feeling she had when she woke up from being put under. They told me in the hospital that she would wake up and be extremely disoriented and such, so I really thought that maybe waking up in a dark room was still freaking her out. That may be pretty far fetched, but I just could not figure out what the problem could be. We went to the ENT for a follow up appointment and he said that the ears look great and released us to make appointments every four months to check her ears. While we were there I had him check Suzy’s nose and throat due to her being snotty and grumpy. She has a cold. I knew he was going to tell me that, but I needed to know what she could take. He told me to give her Benadryl to dry up the runny nose. Dr. Chanin was not the only one to tell me to use Benadryl; the girls at work also told me about this lovely medicine. I should have given it to her a loooooong time ago. I gave her an infant dose according to her weight before bedtime. The girl slept all night for the first time in almost two weeks. She never woke up when I got her out of her bed, put her in her car seat, or out of her car seat at Memaw’s. The medicine finally helped her get some rest. Now, maybe I can catch some extra zzzzzzzzzzzs.

We left Memaw's house one night and she was asleep before we pulled in Mom's driveway (they live 1/4 mile away), but woke up as soon as it was bathtime, of course.

One morning that she woke up super, super early.... She got to play in the sink while I got ready.

We were out of school Monday for Fall Break. I woke up and took her to Tattle Tales. I thought that I could use that day to clean, reorganize, do laundry, rest, etc…. I did NONE of that, but rest. I came home and went back to bed. I slept until noon Monday. Pathetic, I know. I was worn out. I am still not fully recovered, but I am trying to get caught back up.

Sleeping wasn’t our only problem; she has not been eating very well either. She would take her bottles, but would not really eat her baby food. She would start throwing a fit midway through the container. I thought that she had just lost interest in me feeding her. I thought that maybe she only wanted to feed herself or something. I spent a ton of time googling, asking other mama’s, and reading trying to find a solution to her not having much of an appetite. I found no answers, but did find some suggestions on finger foods that she could “self feed”. I went home Tuesday afternoon and started cooking for her. I cooked lima beans, green beans, boiled potatoes, and boiled carrots. I put them all in individual little containers. I was so excited about eating supper with Suzy Tuesday night. I thought that she would eat her goodies while I ate my supper. The keyword is definitely thought. She did not want anything to do with any of the foods that I cooked her. Maybe I gave her too many choices, but I really think she just wants to play with the food instead of eat it. All that preparation ended up in a disaster. She ended up eating cheerios and half a baby food container of mixed veggies. She wouldn’t eat my veggies, but would eat Gerber’s. She is beginning to be just like me in the food department: picky, picky, picky. I kept all the little containers of food and hope that if I keep trying them with her that she will end up enjoying it.