Dealing with Colic, and Tips on getting through it...

So I skipped Charlottes 3 month update because things still wern't good. At all.  Today she is 4 months old and for 1 week exactly has been absolutely A-mazing!  Literally as I sit here at 9:47am typing this, she has not cried since yesterday morning.  Yep, yesterday morning. She has been happy, comfortable, content and NOT screaming her head off! Yay!!! <insert emoji of the lady in red dancing, because thats me- doing my happy dance> Im praying that this is it, and Charlotte is making that turn that colicky babies make around 3-4 months.  Looking back, I do believe in the beginning it was her UTI that was causing her pain, therefore she was super fussy and not sleeping.  But that was cleared up at 7-8 weeks old.  We still had another solid 2 months of colic. BUT we made it, and I really don't know how..  I remember her being 6 weeks old and someone telling me "she should be over this by 3 months" and my entire body just sank with feelings of "how in the hell am I going to do this for another 6 weeks" But I (we) did. We made it through, with barely any help at all. We've only had a hand full of nights out, just the two of us. Charlotte has only been watched here in our home, no days or nights out with grandparents, none of that.  Not that that was even an option, I would never let her spend the night out this young, and before she was sleeping through the night any way.   So yes, we did it.  It wasn't easy, but now I know we can handle anything these kids throw at us.

If you are dealing with a severely colicky baby, here are 3 pieces of advice:

#3 Try not to worry about any thing else other than the baby. This was most difficult for me. Letting my cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. go was extremely hard.  Looking back, if I had not worried so much about keeping up with the household stuff, I wouldn't have felt that extra stress and pressure. LET IT GO! (as Elsa would say... or sing rather)  *I understand you cant let everything go, just try, try, try not to stress about any thing else.  The screaming baby is enough for the moment.

#2 Just take it day by day. Do not look to the future, do not count how many days you've been dealing with it and how many days (hopefully) you have left.  Day. By. Day.  Live in the moment.

And #1 Take breaks when you can.  Sit in your car with the music playing, take a deep breath, (a shot of vodka) and regroup.  Go back in and start over.  I should have done this a lot more, sitting there listening to the constant screaming, after you have tried everything and nothing has worked (because with Colic, nothing will) Step away. To a place you can't hear it.  I would go sit in my bathroom with the fan on, which wasn't the smartest because I could still hear her.  You have to clear your head.  I felt like I was losing it about 99% of time because I didn't take breaks when I should have.

Just know, it will get better and it will eventually go away.  And when it does, have a giant size glass of wine and pat yourself on the back.  You just made it through hell and back.

Now, go enjoy that sweet, happy baby :)

The Making of an Oompa Loompa

I started thinking of costumes for Savannah about a month ago, I came across a bunch of cute princess', minnie mouse, elmo's, bunny rabbits, etc.  They were all adorable, yet my creative side completely took over.  I wanted to make her costume, something cute but something a little different.  So I came across a picture of a homemade Oompa Loompa toddler costume. I LOVED it, and I love that movie, I mean who doesn't?  So I thought, I would give it a try.

Here goes....

 The supplies

cut out of the shorts  

 after sewing the shorts together .....

(by hand- it took me forever, because HELLO, I don't know what Im doing)

 ...they were too small on her, so onto making a bigger pair.  

As you can see, that is not my hand; I enlisted a helper. Who actually ahem takes measurements.

What to do with the too small pair of shorts that I put an hour of time into... 

and multiple needle pricks in my finger? 

Turn them into hat of course!!

painting stripes on the tights

and the shirt

making the little balls for her shoes

 Done.  Painting felt isn't easy.

All I had left to do was the suspenders and painting and sewing on the buttons.

Homemade costumes are definitely budget friendly (this one anyway), however they are not time friendly. So I just worked on it here and there during nap time and after she went to bed.

Shirt and shoes - consignment shop :  $7

Felt, paint, buttons - JoAnns : $8

Tights - (on clearance at Target) : $1.25

Green Hair Spray - Free

Total : $16.25

And all that time paid off when we dressed her and saw the cuteness that is.....

 

I tried my hardest to get a picture of her in full costume looking, smiling and holding the cardboard Wonka bar I made.  Yeah.  That wasn't happening.