A garden full of flowers: ohhhh Chase......

warning...long post, but cute pictures at the end :-) !

I love my little guy. I love him with all my heart, and our family wouldn't be complete without him. His fluffy hair, those giant rosy cheeks, his big sweet blue/green eyes, and those oh so cute chunks. Not to mention that gigantic gummy grin he gives me every day. However, under all that cuteness he hides a deep, dark secret... My dear, sweet, innocent Chase is a....difficult baby. There, I said it. It is out, and the world knows! Chase is a hard baby. I read on so many blogs about babies who never cry, or who are "sooo easy!" Well, that is not my cute little guy, lol. Now, I know there are many babies who are sick, or who have other medical or physical issues who require lots of care. There are babies who have colic, or eating issues, or can't breastfeed, and so on. I know people who have lost babies, or who can't have babies and would give anything to have even the fussiest baby in the world. I am so grateful Chase is healthy, happy (when I am holding him), and that he is all mine. There are much, much more challenging babies out there, and if a fussy baby is my biggest complaint, I know I am very lucky. I wouldn't trade him for anything. However, That being said....my little guy can really wear me out. My daily routine goes something like this.... I put him to bed around 7. Sometimes earlier. He goes to bed really well because he is so exhausted by the time 6pm comes around (you will see why in a minute). I finally have time to myself after a busy day, so instead of going to bed early (you think I would learn by now), I usually go on the computer, play with Wesley and put him to bed, and watch tv. By the time I take a shower, and actually go to bed it is usually 10ish. Chase used to give me until 1 or 3, but recently he has been waking up around 11. So, I am just starting to fall asleep when he wakes up. I try to ignore him to see if he will fall back asleep but he never does. I groggily get up, and give him a pacifier. He might go to sleep for 10 minutes. I get up, and do the same thing and ignore his crying some more. If I am lucky, this process has been extended to 12:30, when I will finally get him and nurse him back to sleep. He will then sleep another few hours. The process starts over. I know that if I either bring him into bed, or nurse him again, he will probably be happy. However, at almost 7 months, I know he should be sleeping through the night, so I only will feed him once at night, and I try to get him to fall back asleep as much as possible. So, I will get up and give him a pacifier and try to sleep while he is fussing. If he does fall asleep he usually wakes up around 4:30 or 5, and is up for the day unless I bring him into bed, and hold him next to me. He always falls back asleep when I cuddle him, and he then wakes around 6:30. However, by then, he has been wiggling for a while, and my arm is always numb from him laying on it. I usually get up around 7:15ish, and get Wesley out of his room. I feed Chase, and then put him on the floor under his gym, or in the bouncer so I can eat. I get about 10 minutes, and he starts to fuss. From then on out, I literally have to hold him all day or he will pretty much scream. At the doctors, he didn't even care about getting shots...he was so upset that I put him down, lol. He cries the exact same way most babies cry when they are in pain. To him, having mommy put him down is so painful. There are things I need to get done, so I clean, and get Wesley his lunch and do other tasks while Chase is crying. I have tried the mobe wrap, but it is hard to get anything done with a 20 lb baby wrapped on me. He might take a 10-30 minute nap (sometimes I'm lucky and he will give me an hour) in his swing around 11am, and that is the only little break I get. Wesley has become quite independent in the last few months and is such a good sport about it all. Chase literally cries most of the day when he is not being held and walked around. He might give me 5-15 minutes here or there in his chair, or in his jumparoo...but I have to constantly be moving him from one thing to the other to give myself a few minutes to do what ever chores I need to do. I have had to learn to do many things while Chase is fussing. He wont take an afternoon nap unless I am laying with him or holding him. If I put him down...wake or asleep, he might take a 10 minute nap if I am lucky. I tried today, and he cried 2 hours before falling asleep. I kept going in to comfort him, but I want him to learn to fall asleep on his own. After 2 hours of struggling with him, he took a 7 minute nap. Not going to lie...It gets tiring. So, finally dinner time comes. Many days sweet Jason graciously cooks diner for me, but on the days that I to try to make something, I am cooking while Chase is crying. Then, I feed him, and while I try to eat dinner, he is crying too. Night is his fussiest time because he is soooo tired from not sleeping all day. A 7 month old needs more than 30 minutes of sleep a day. He also is a huge mommy's boy. Sometimes, I can't be in the same room if someone else is holding him or he will cry for me. He has started to reach his little arms out for me. I have to admit, it is pretty stinking cute, and pulls at my heart strings! I love my little man so very much, but if I seem to be a little "out of it" when you see me, that is why, lol. The other day I was walking around a store with him in his mobe wrap. He was all snuggled next to my body, happy as can be. His little hand was resting peacefully on my chest, and he was so content and happy to be snug against mommy. I love how much he needs me, and wants to be near me. I love that he will stop crying as soon as I pick him up, and is so happy just to be near me. I love that he already tries to hug me, and grab for me at 6 months. I have never been needed by another person so much in my whole life. Wesley was a fussy baby, but was a lot more independent, and he responded really well to Jason or my mom too and didn't need me as much as Chase does, or rather, didn't need me in the same ways. All babies need their mommy's :-) That being said.... here are some recent pictures of my little guys. All they need to do is flash those sweet smiles at me, and all the fussing is worth it!