Now onto our weekend recap!
Saturday
After a couple months of major sleep progress with Chase, I think the trifecta of his first earache, teething and dropping his Magic Sleepsuit fouled us up a bit so I’m back to nursing Chase in the night. We’re hoping to work to change this but I don’t plan to do anything about it until we get back from Florida next Sunday because if travel has taught me anything, it’s that a lack of routine can foul up a baby’s sleep and I don’t want to have to tackle the sleep beast two times in two weeks.
Anyway, I share all of the above information with you to say that I was up at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday. Why? Well, Chase made a little noise that I heard on the baby monitor and when I glanced over, I totally forgot we put him to bed in a long-sleeve onesie and no pants since our upstairs air conditioning was acting a little funky this weekend. (We didn’t want Chase to get overheated in his normal zipper footie onesie.) Seeing Chase’s bare baby legs set my overly-tired mind spinning and I threw off the covers, loudly whispered “Chase got out of his pajamas!” to Ryan and ran into his nursery, expecting to find some horrible loose-pajama hazard surrounding my baby boy.
I flipped on the light and was greeted by a giant smile and a baby fully-dressed in a onesie with no pants, just the way we left him.
Well, once my crazy mom brain flips on, it doesn’t flip off, so I was up for the day before 5 a.m. and headed downstairs to make some coffee and work for a few hours before the rest of the Fagan family was up and ready for fun. (Even Sadie stayed in bed!)
Eventually 9 a.m. rolled around and I headed off for a speed and agility workout at Burn Boot Camp.
(Big thanks to my mom and sister for my new birthday sneakers! Love them!)
Truthfully, I kind of wanted to skip it, but since I knew Ryan hurried home from his workout so I could make it to the class in time, I felt like I should go and ended up feeling so glad I did! You know that saying, “You never regret a workout?” So true! It was a great one.
On my way home, I swung by the grocery store for some healthy essentials, including a giant tub of cookie dough. I bought an overload of cookie dough to make a cookie cake for an afternoon family play date we had on the agenda and cookie dough ended up being my post-workout snack.
I used icing to write “babies are awesome” on the cookie cake because that’s the name of the photo stream our group of friends has set up to share pictures of all of our play dates/random baby photos.
Ryan, Chase and I were supposed to arrive at Melanie’s house around 3 p.m., but ended up getting there closer to 4 p.m. due to napping baby delays. We arrived with a cookie cake in hand and had fun chatting with friends over drinks and a delicious spread of appetizers. (I went to town on a cheesy spinach artichoke dip and the most adorable ladybug caprese salad.)
(We missed you Carrie and Casey!)
We ended up leaving when Chase started to get fussy which was thankfully right at the time two of my other girlfriends’ babies told them it was bedtime, too. After we put Chase to bed, the rest of our Saturday night was low key. We got in bed early as well and I started reading The Girl With All The Gifts which is a bit disturbing so far. (I’ll report back with more thoughts once I get a little farther in.)
Sunday
Sunday morning was cloudy and rainy in Charlotte and I awoke feeling very sleepy. I think Saturday morning’s sleep fiasco caught up with me because I felt a little foggy all day on Sunday.
We spent most of our Sunday around the house, cleaning, meal prepping and working during Chase’s morning and afternoon naps, but managed to make it out of the house for a trip to Discovery Place KIDS. We bought a membership to DPK last week when we visited with my mom and the dreary weather inspired us to put it to good use on Sunday afternoon.
(Yes, Chase most definitely is in the same outfit he wore to Melanie’s house on Saturday. He was in it for less than three hours on Sunday = Clean.)
We had fun watching Chase observe everything with wide eyes and an open mouth and spent most of our time at the water table and Lego station. While I am absolutely not wishing the months away (believe me, I tell Ryan on daily basis how I cannot believe Chase will not be a baby for much longer!), I am looking forward to seeing him run around and play in some of the more interactive exhibits at Discovery Place one day!
After a quick trip to Whole Foods for a late lunch at their hot bar, we made it back home in time for Chase’s afternoon nap which awarded me two hours of work time at the computer and enough time to make an early cheesy chicken pasta dish for dinner. (FYI, if you’re looking for more food photos on a daily basis, I share a lot of of them on Snapchat at juliepbfingers!) Once Chase was up, we spent the rest of the time we had with our energetic little man before bed at a local park where we played fetch with Sadie and enjoyed relaxing on a blanket in the sun that finally decided to come out to play.
After bath time and nursing, I put Chase to bed and prepped a blueberry casserole for breakfast (recipe coming soon!) before I could barely keep my eyes open and Ryan and I headed upstairs to bed. We spent some time talking about vacation ideas since we’re starting to feel the itch to travel again before I told him I couldn’t stay awake any longer and fell into a deep sleep before it was up to nurse my little man again a few hours later.
And I think that catches us up. I hope you guys had a great weekend and that this week is going well for you so far!
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It sounds as though you guys had a great weekend!! I can definitely relate to baby sleep habits being interrupted by teething or lack of routine. It is tough to stick to a routine when you are traveling and you know your schedule will be crazy. My daughter is only four months old, and we live in Alabama. When she gets a little older I am going to take her to the McWayne Center-it sounds a lot like the place you take chase to play. I just know she will love it!!
Hi, Julie. Love your blog. Daily reader! Love your SnapChat, too. Question: I’ve heard great things about the Nike Fly Knits. Are they pretty supportive for lateral movements? I see they are described as running shoes and sometimes those don’t give the support of cross trainers. I’d love your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Kristen! I LOVE them and wear them for my boot camp classes which definitely incorporate lateral movement across all planes of motion. They aren’t as supportive as traditional sneakers (they almost feel like extra-sturdy compression socks with a sole) but I love the way they move with my foot and don’t dig in/cause blisters at all. They might be worth going to a store and trying on if you’re concerned because they are definitely a different fit/feel than other sneakers I’ve worn in the past!
Thanks for the reply. I will definitely try them on somewhere. I’ve heard great things about them!
They make a specific fly knit shoe for cross training called the Nike Free TR Fly Knit. I have two pairs and I LOVE them! They definitely support lateral motion more than the normal Free Fly Knits, which are meant more for running. A little more expensive if I recall correctly, but definitely worth exploring!
Where are those leopard sandals from?!
I got them last year from White Plum but don’t see them on their site anymore! I found them on 6pm.com though! The brand is BC Footwear –> http://bit.ly/26P4gVy
sounds like a great weekend minus the 4:45 am wake up! Cant wait for the blueberry casserole recipe!!
Regarding baby boys sleep struggles, are you feeding him any solids, purées, etc? My daughter, 7.5 months, just started eating her solids really well, & it’s like magic with the sleep. She used to wake everyday between 5-5:30a, but now that her tummy is full, she sleeps until 7:30ish. I definitely still do a 10p dream feed every night, which I don’t mind if that helps to get her thru the night. Just some thoughts for you. All babies are definitely different & go st their own pace. The lack of sleep stinks, but he’ll get there.
Seconding Katherine here! Have to know where those leopard sandals (and your jeans) are from! 🙂
I hope Chase gets back into his routine soon so you can get some sleep! Yikes!
Glad you had a good weekend. His little shoes are so precious!
I remember the sleep regression. But like everything in life, this too shall pass. Time really does fly!
If I have learned anything as a new mom is that sleep ebbs and flows! We have good days and we have bad days. Our LO is a i think 10 days behind Chase and he can sleep 12 hours no problem, but other times he is up for a bottle. Or some days we have to wake him for daycare but like yesterday up at 5. And I totally agree on the waiting to do anything about sleep until travel is over. Looking forward to that breakfast casserole.. saw on your snap & it looked delicious!
Hi Julie! Wanted to let you know there is a sleep regression between 8-10 months that also has to do with gross motor milestones. Our guy went through his when he decided he was going to learn to crawl and cruise around the furniture on the same day. So keep at it and it will pass very soon!!!!!!!!!!! These little guys need us to help them process all the crazy changes in their brains!
THANK YOU for telling me this!!! And my goodness is seems like there is a sleep regression every other month, right!? Ha!
Our little one had an awful week’s sleep last week…the sleep struggle is REAL! He is several months younger than Chase, but went from 2, sometimes only 1 wake-up per night to only sleeping in 45-minute batches. It was my first week back at work, and naively, I’d expected to be more well-rested now that my husband would be sharing nighttime feedings with me. Ha! We hit a perfect storm of schedule change, growth spurt & the need to transition from the swaddle.
At least sleep-deprived mom brain can provide some comic relief…right? I woke up the other night as my husband got back to bed and asked him in a panic how long the baby had been crying. He wasn’t crying. He was cozily snoring in his crib after Dad fed and changed him.
(another Stephanie H!)
I love your sandals in the Discovery Place photo. Where are they from?!
Thanks Jen! The brand is BC Footwear! –> http://bit.ly/1Y5kL9O
I wish we had a place like Discovery kids by us, it looks so great. Isn’t it crazy how much baby sleeping and eating can stress you out? My 8 month old slept great for a few nights so I thought we finally had her sleeping a good 11 hour stretch only to have her go right back to her 5am wake ups. Thank heavens babies are so cute!
Sounds like a great weekend filled with being social… and prepping to make this weekend a productive one. A perfect balance. 🙂
Great idea to get out of the house at least once a day. Ashley over at “A Lady Goes West” suggested that to me once I started working from home, and my fiancé Ray has been my “accountability partner” on that one. It’s made a huge difference!
Hope your Tuesday rocks!
Hi Julie! Can you tell us where your ripped jeans are from?? They are really cute!!!
They’re super cheap (around $30)! I got them at Nordstrom Rack and the brand is Just USA!
Thanks, Erin! I got them from Nordstrom Rack and the brand is Just USA. They were around $30 so super affordable!
Hi Julie! I listened to this podcast today and thought you might like it, from one peanutbutter lover to another!
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/are-peanuts-good-for-you
Hahaha sweet friend! The sleep deprived mom brain is so crazy isn’t it?! I would have done the same thing! I am SO paranoid at night and will sometimes go in just to lean over and make sure she’s breathing if she hasn’t moved on the monitor at all!
We had a really rough night last night too – Adeline is starting to teethe I think, and after I nursed her to bed like every night around 7:30, she just started wailing and crying and crying and would not calm down for like 30 minutes. I know she wasn’t hungry, so I think her little gums were hurting which may have also been making her ears hurt a little bit. We finally just laid her in her crib and she rolled around for another half hour before finally passing out.
This mom stuff is hard!
Hi Julie! I love your blog so much! So much that I don’t read it first thing in the morning, when I nurse my daughter, but instead save it for her first nap so I can read it while eating my breakfast 🙂
You are making me nervous about sleep! My daughter is getting too old for bassinet and swaddling and we just started the sleep suit. She was already a great sleeper, but it has given us an extra 45 mins – 1 hr of sleep in the morning…it seems like she startles but then the suit helps her not wake up fully/ go back to sleep! I don’t know what we will do when she needs to give it up…I think she has a strong startle reflex! I’m sorry Chase is waking up again…are you guys still doing the dream feed?
You seem to get so much done during the day. I am still on maternity leave but I feel like I can’t leave the house at all without messing with my daughter’s naps. Is Chase on a nap schedule? and if so, what did you do to get him on it?
Keep up the awesome blogging!
xo
Where are those leopard shoes from?! So cute!
Thank you! They’re from White Plum but I don’t see them on their site anymore! I found the same shoes on 6pm.com though! The brand is BC Footwear: http://bit.ly/26P4gVy
I was going to ask that too!
If I wake up anytime after 4:30 or so, it usually means I’m up for the day too, unfortunately! I’ll usually feel productive until, say 8/9am – then am useless the rest of the day!
Not sure they are the same.. but very similar ones are on great sale at JCrew Factory!
https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/shoes/sandals/PRDOVR~E8847/E8847.jsp?color_name=leopard
Hi Julie!
Do you take most of your pictures with your cellphone or camera? If a camera, what kind do you have or if you have any recommendations for a nice one? I am in the process of looking for one to use for my little peanut. I like to take his “professional” pictures 🙂 Thank you! LOVE your blog!
Oh man, I feel like 99% of my pictures of Chase are snapped with my iPhone! I use my Canon Powershot on occasion (and my Nikon D3000 very rarely — that is almost exclusively reserved for food photos), but I feel like my phone gets used the most out of convenience (and my love for “burst mode”)!
I love how your friends have a group chat all about babies. One of my friends (also my boss) just had a baby, and I watch her sweet girl from time to time. Our text conversation is literally us sending pictures of her daughter back and forth, so i totally relate!
We’re in a sleep regression too! Decker had the flu a couple weeks ago and then that turned into a cold. He’s been stuffy and coughing which leads to him not sleeping very well so he’s back to feeding at night. Hoping he can kick this thing and we can go back to sleep training him as well. Good luck to you! 🙂
Sounds like such a great weekend!! I feel ya on the sleep thing though… I am struggling today… need all the coffee! 🙂
Big fat AMEN to working out because of a schedule/swap with your hubby! My husband and I are both avid morning exercisers, and on the days that I don’t feel super energized, I know it’s either my day to get up extra early and go (so no time to debate getting up!) or that he got up early so I could workout too… An ironic sort of motivation, but I’ll take it I guess;)
Looks like a wonderful weekend. Your family photos are great. Love the new sneakers. xo Lauren
I love your weekend insights. Especially that you are honest about sleep struggles and fussiness. I have a 3 month old and struggle with many of the same things. I also just started burn bootcamp in Raleigh and love it! Thanks again for being honest and frank.
Hey Julie! Have you seen these? I figured since you have family far away, you might appreciate it too! https://www.toymail.co/ – could definitely see your mom/sister/in laws leaving cute baby Chase some messages (and currently $20 off!). Anyway, thought I’d pass along!
Hope his sleep gets back on track soon! I feel ya on the mommy panic. I don’t think I’ve ever been as irrationally anxious as I now am once I’ve had kids. – I wish I made friends as easily as you do! Sounds like you have a good group of mommy friends to hang out with. I feel like making friends is more difficult as an adult maybe you could write a post on that ?
I’m really sorry to say this, BUT I am so happy to hear you are going through random baby sleep struggles. I thought I was doing something completely wrong since my 9 month old has suddenly started to hate sleep. I’m going slightly crazy thinking I’m alone in this and the only one who cannot get their baby to sleep like a normal person. Babies are just not predictable and sleep is something I cherish on the days it happens!
Oh man you are DEFINITELY NOT alone!!! I feel ya!
Can’t believe how long Chase’s hair is getting. So cute! My girl is just a few weeks younger and is cutting her second tooth. I feel your pain! As always, thanks for sharing! It’s nice to know we’re not alone with our baby struggles!
Firstly don’t even stress about the sleep regression (it happens even without teething ,earaches and colds)..we sleep trained our son and I swear we still follow the principles every few days. As our sleep consultant friend mentioned, they’re going to be teething and having colds for a looong time so as long as you keep things consistent ..it’s all good 😉 plus he’s learned it once he can do it again…
Also I love how dressy you are for your play dates, I wish I looked that good, my friends are lucky if my hair is done…soo cute to see all those babies together! Glad you got some rest after an early wake up..I feel your pain, my son is up any time between 530-6 EVERRRRYYYY daaaayyyyyy
I’m sorry to hear about the sleeping troubles. I love that teal dress!
I loved your honesty here. It was a treat to see that sometimes weekends aren’t always super glamorous (like sleeping in) and work, meal prep, and cleaning do happen. Thanks for sharing!
I have a baby a couple weeks older than Chase, I felt better about her sleep/wake-ups after seeing this article posted on another blog by a mother of 5…
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201302/normal-human-infant-sleep-feeding-method-and-development
Glad you had an amazing weekend! Your photos are always so darn adorable 🙂 but make sure you get in enough sleep–it’ll help you so much in the long run!