Mason Shoma

Today has been one of those days. It all started last night. For some reason, I just couldn’t get to sleep. Well, actually, I could get to sleep, but I couldn’t stay asleep. I wouldn’t let Mommy or Daddy put me down. I would barely let them sit down while carrying me.

Daddy had the first shift and was practically carrying, rocking, and singing to me the whole time until my next feeding. For the most part, even when I have a hard time sleeping, I would sleep peacefully as long as I was in Daddy’s arms. He would rock me to sleep, try to put me down a few times, and if it was not going to happen, he would sit on the couch, swaying and rocking to keep me asleep. This time I made him stand the whole time. Even then I would cry, twist, and fuss. Daddy finally handed me off to Mommy when it was feeding time and I started to try to suck on his arms.

Even Mommy had a hard time getting me to sleep. I usually sleep right after feeding, especially when I get my supplementary bottle of formula, which I have recently only been getting at night. But this time I could not be put down. I at least let Mommy sit down on the couch with me on her chest, and I managed to sleep a little, but I woke up a lot.

Even though it was Mommy’s shift, Daddy emerged from the bedroom, worried about the two of us. He joined us on the couch. We all had short bursts of sleep, but none of us had long stretches of deep peaceful sleep.

I woke up around 5 a.m. for my next feeding and thoroughly drained the energy from Mommy. Daddy took his shift and let Mommy sleep on the couch. I was not crying as much anymore, but I still had a hard time going to sleep. Before we knew it, it was time for Daddy to go to work. He left for work barely having 2 hours of sleep. He has a changing work schedule and it just so happened that this was his third 12-hour work day in a row. Sorry, Daddy. Good luck.

It was a rough night.

Yes, my neck is hanging out over the edge of the sling and my head is upside down. No, it doesn’t hurt. Yes, it looks a bit weird. No, I’m not going to stop. Yes, I kind of get a head rush, which may be why I go to sleep quickly this way. No, this was not planned, it just sort of happened. Yes, it is a useful discovery because I go to sleep faster and longer this way.

There is a lot going on when I sleep. For one thing, I’m growing. Along with eating, which I do very well, sleeping helps me grow into big boy. I don’t always sleep well, but I am growing regardless. But besides that, I’m actually quite a busy sleeper. There are all sort of things that I do when I sleep.

I try to nurse when I sleep. I must be having dreams about nursing because my mouth is doing its sucking motion.

I also check my surroundings when sleeping. It is the time when I am the most vulnerable. So I occasionally open my eyes and look around while sleeping.

I also conduct other baby bodily functions when sleeping. It is just more efficient this way. This is a very common one. I think I do this one the most.

I’m still not getting any traction from my feet when I do tummy time. My legs are gearing to go, but I’m not getting anywhere. You might point out that my arms aren’t doing anything. You might also feel the need to mention that tummy time is not time for me to do what looks like horizontal stair climbers, but is time for me to strengthen my neck so that I can hold up my head. These are all valid points and I will look into them. But in the mean time, I’m just going to remain frustrated that my feet are moving but I’m not going anywhere.

It seems like I like more space above my head when I sleep. I often shimmy down in my crib and chair to make some space above my head. I don’t think I’m claustrophobic or anything. I just like more space above me. You may recall that I did the same thing in the baby bed at the hospital. A lot of that had to do with my weight pulling me down toward the foot of the bed since it was angled. But somehow I still manage it on my level bed at home. Go figure.

Today I helped Daddy get ready for work. Mommy was up with me a bunch last night, so Daddy took care of me as he got ready for work. I helped him by making his day so much brighter by being such a good boy early in the morning. He usually does not enjoy waking up early for work, but did not mind it today. It was nice that I got to see him before he left for his 12-hour shift.

Mommy and Daddy have a lot of different ways to hold me. They change the way they hold me based on my moods, my needs, and their present physical ability. But even with all the different ways to hold me, we seem to have found a way that works for all of us.

I’ve got fuel, the engine is running, the wheels are turning, but I’m not moving anywhere. This is what happens when all you have is two-wheel drive. I’ve got to learn how to shift into all-wheel drive and then I’m really going places!

Sleeping

Awake

Somewhere in between

I am not a light baby. So Mommy and Daddy’s arms get really tired holding me for a long time. Our solution is a sling. It is a simple baby carrier for babies of all ages. I think most babies like to be tucked completely into the sling in a little bundle, but I like to hang my head over the edge. Trust me, for me this is much more comfortable.

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Whenever I am put on my tummy, I try to lift my head up. There is so much more to see in the world when I lift my head up and look around. It is much easier to do that when I am on Mommy or Daddy’s chest than when on the floor. But at that angle, there are some natural consequences to all that abdominal flexing. Like the title of this post says, “Heads up!”

Sometimes when Daddy holds me, he sits me up at a more upright angle. Since I can’t quite hold up my head, I kind of get scrunched down. Mommy says I look like a little king in his thrown. “King Mason”…I like the sound of that. It does make sense. I do rule over this tiny kingdom of mine and have two faithful subjects that tend to my every need. King Mason, indeed.

https://vimeo.com/558129706/2795b8c4dc

Sometimes when I’m sleeping, if you look at me from the right angle, it looks as if I’m smiling. Maybe I am. I definitely am comfortable and happy. It’s not a full blown smile yet, but it’s getting there.

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There is so much going on in my young life that I have take some time to process everything. This is my deep thinking time.

I started to find my hand a lot, usually when I’m hungry. I find it, put it in my mouth, and start chewing on it. I don’t really suck on it like some babies do. After chewing on it for a bit and realizing it isn’t food I let it go free to flail about in the way it normally does.

I feel like I’m growing a lot every day. We don’t have a baby scale, but it looks like I gained about a pound of weight. But if you look at me, you can see that it’s not fat. We all think that I’m gaining size and muscle. Except for a slight double chin, I’m not chubby like many babies are at this age. It almost looks like I was born at a one-month-old size and am growing from there.

Another part of me is growing at a fast pace too: my eyebrows. It seems to be a family trait on Daddy’s side. Daddy and Grandpa have very full thick eyebrows that kind of stick out. If you look closely you can see my eyebrows doing the same.

Since I am a good eater, I cam getting heavier and heavier by the day. It is getting more difficult for Mommy and Daddy to carry me for long periods of time. Since I can’t quite hold up my neck yet, that means a lot types of baby carriers are not options. But a sling works quite well. I find it really comfortable and soothing. I squirm a bit at the beginning, make myself comfortable, and then I drift off to sleep. I have to admit, it is a bit cramped, but I don’t seem to mind.

And unlike other types of baby carriers that can be cumbersome and difficult to put on and take off, slings can be slipped on and off without any trouble. So once I fall asleep I can be placed down. Convenient, right?

When Daddy is at work, I keep Mommy very busy. She has to feed me, change me, soothe me, bathe me, put me to sleep, and just keep me happy in every way possible. The only time she has to herself is when I am peacefully asleep. But often, even then, she cannot use that time to do the things she wants. If I am fast asleep on her, looking peaceful and comfortable, she tries not to move in fear that it will disturb the tranquility of the moment. So she is immobilized for the moment. But that can be a good thing. I know that I’m a handful and keep her busy. I know that I cause her to lose a lot of sleep. These serene moments are my way of making sure she sleeps. Because how can you not get sleepy when hold such a cute snoozing baby like me?