Okay, so it is almost midnight, and after all the GREAT things today-- the smiles at Daddy & a great baby shower, we have had the hardest night of parenting yet. We're pretty positive that she had a bad colic spell this afternoon & evening... it was obvious her tummy was bothering her bad, and nothing, I mean NOTHING was consoling to her... she cried so uncontrollably off & on from 4:00pm- 10:30pm, and I feel like probably every mother does in this situation- like a failure. In those moments, it just seems like there is NOTHING I can do to help her and it is just terrible. I love her so much and I want to take away that pain she is going through.
I wish I could say that I handled it like a champ, but I was in tears this evening. It was really hard to remain cool & collected after hours and hours of inconsolable crying when I was doing everything I possibly could think of to help her. I called the nurse on-call to get her advice about the situation, too. Fortunately, I have a calm & logical husband who took the reigns when I wanted to go in a corner and just cry, so we did all the tricks including sitting her on top of the washer during the spin cycle and even taking a midnight Paul Revere ride in the car. (never thought I'd actually have to resort to that) But the car ride did the trick-- she calmed down and slept for about 20-30 minutes before she woke up "hungry" again. But then again, when we tried to feed her, it hurt her poor little tummy again, so she couldn't eat very much, and the cycle begins again...
Right now it seems like she is going down to sleep, so hopefully this gas-stuff will just work its way out by the morning. Please pray for me-- Marc is leaving in the morning to drive our truck to Virginia for the week, and it is just terrible timing for all of this colic stuff to come on so strong. Pray that God will grant me strength & wisdom to know what she needs and the ability to stay calm & think quickly. Also pray for Marc as he's on the road all day. I'll update you all sometime tomorrow. I have hope that things will be better, but just wanted to share both the joys AND the realities of parenting. We'll be back with more cute baby pictures tomorrow, I'm sure. :)
Oh dear friend! I remember some nights like that with sweet E. You wish you could hurt for them instead, and you wish you knew how to make it better. You did exactly the right thing - consoling her the best you can....and calling the nurseline when you were unsure. Babies do always seem to have challenges when daddies are out of town too -- I remember that, also! God will give you the patience and strength to deal with whatever comes your way while your dear husband is traveling. We will be praying for you! Hang in there...
ReplyDeleteSorry about the bad night, girl. :( They happen. I hope she figures it out soon enough!
ReplyDeleteLet us know if you need anything!
And SLEEP when she's napping today. Mommy Sleep Deprivation is THE WORST THING EVER.
Your cousin in Kinston can feel your pain. Baby Boy cried for 7 months...straight...there are times-- when you know she is ok...and you have to lay her down in the crib and go in the den and sit down. She will be fine and you will be too. Check in every 5 minutes or so to begin, to be sure she's ok. She will get through it...and you will, too.
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