I spent almost 9 months hearing advice from people I didn't even know about the 'right' way to do things while you're pregnant. Now that Keaton is born, people seem to come out of the damn woodwork to tell me how to be a parent. It's one thing if you approach it in a "This is what worked for me" sort of way. But yesterday, it worked out that Casey and I had to go to the car dealership, and my mom and Keaton came with us. So it was Keaton's first time around a lot of people. I realize this is not an ideal situation. I will say this- he did GREAT, and slept almost the entire time we were out! I think we may have ended up spending about 4 hours at the dealership, which was ridiculous. But we needed to do it (and are finally a 2 vehicle family again!! Yay for the new 2010 Honda Fit in our garage right now!!). Anyway, wouldn't you know, people were telling me left and right how I shouldn't have an 8 day old baby out around so many people. One lady came up and asked to see him, and then went on and on about what to do about jaundice (he's looking much less yellow now... not to mention the fact that they wouldn't have let us leave the hospital if he were not okay, AND he's been checked 3 times since then and his numbers get better every time!) and finally lectured me about having him outside and pushed my buttons enough that I said, "Honey, I wouldn't have done it if I had another choice." She then went on to say that people like me 'make her sick' because I don't look like I had a kid 8 days ago. I walked away and said, under my breath of course, "If I make you sick, the feeling is mutual!"
Look, the bottom line is, this is MY child. If he does get sick (God forbid!!!) I will be the one taking him to the Pediatrician, paying the medical bills, and feeling like a horrible parent. It's not like I let anyone else hold him, and I doubt anyone got close enough to spit or cough on him either. Leave me alone!! Don't preach at me if I don't know you! If I DO know you, that's another story. And who was yelling at me for taking him out when he was FOUR days old, to the Pediatrician, in an office with sick kids running all over the place, putting their germs on anything around them!? Hospitals and doctor's offices tend to be the place you pick up a bug from, anyway! Gah. I just needed to vent about this. People are really starting to get on my nerves and soon I'm not going to hold my tongue. Angry pregnant woman may have been one thing, but angry Mommy? LOOK OUT!
Keaton has been feeding a bit better recently. I figured with our outing yesterday, and the fact that he slept almost the whole time (except to eat and change his diaper) he would probably be up at all hours of the night, but luckily I *think* we are starting to get some kind of schedule going. Cluster feeding sucks, though. I fed him on and off for two and a half straight hours this morning. He wouldn't settle down enough to sleep. I have tried to avoid using the pacifier, too, but I realize there are times you just need it. Like when he will act hungry, but not actually BE hungry... the pacifier quiets him, puts him to sleep, and then he spits it out.
I don't know. Maybe I'm going about this parenting thing all wrong. But I have to believe that 1) there is an instinctual nature to parenting sometimes and you just have to do what you think is best for your child, and 2) I have a lot to learn, so if I'm doing something wrong, hopefully it won't be something permanent or disastrous!! I just know I can't possibly listen to every bit of advice given to me, because everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another. I hope not to be one of those people someday that sees a new mom and starts telling her the 'right' and 'wrong' way to do things. Hopefully this experience will make me step back and see how to approach people... if anything, I can learn from others mistakes. But if things start to go South and people are hurling their opinions at me, you can believe there'll be a blog entry about how I went ape on them and didn't hold back. I think that time is coming!
I should go now. I'm pretty sure that since I didn't sleep while Keaton is sleeping, I will pay for it later... hopefully he was drunk enough on milk from the last feeding that he'll pass out for awhile. :)
Thanks for letting me vent!! Oh how I love blogging. ;)
-Ash
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