Baby Monitors and Binkies

In my new life as a mother, there are two things that occupy my entire attention and focus: Jill and her binkie.

I am always on hyper alert as to how Jill is doing, where she is, who's holding her, if she's happy, etc. and as to where her binkie is. It is very important to know where it is and to know that it's not dirty.

Others do not share this sensitivity to pacifiers.

Jeff will hand me Jill, and I'll say, "oh where's her binkie?" He'll respond that he doesn't know. Then we'll have to go look for it.

Same with everyone else who holds her for me, pretty much.

I don't mind, haha. I just think it is funny that my personal orb of attention (or whatever) has expanded to include a small piece of plastic and whatever other materials make up the Nuk pacifier.

It is also kind of funny, because for the first month or two of her life, Jill hated the pacifier. She would have nothing to do with it. We kept putting it in her mouth though from day one, and it is so helpful, we've found. I know not everyone is an advocate of the pacifier, and that's fine. But I really appreciate its ability to keep Jill sleeping or to get her to sleep or to help her be happy when she's lying in her crib.

One of my friends recently had a baby and was told not to give her baby a pacifier until after 15 days at least. Which is interesting, because Jill had a pacifier (as I just mentioned) on the first day she was born. The nurses at our hospital joked (but somewhat seriously) that they disliked it when a baby was in the nursery to whom they weren't allowed to give a pacifier or a bottle, because then they had little to help when the baby was crying. So, we decided she could have a pacifier. Some say that giving the baby a pacifier right away might cause problems for the baby and breastfeeding. Maybe it can. I don't know. I only have one child in my experience. :) I definitely cannot speak for the average. I just thought it was interesting all the differences of opinion that exist. :)

Another baby product that has received my attention recently is Jill's baby monitor. In the past, it had only been used perhaps three times during the rare occasions that Jill was napping in her crib. Since her crib is in our "family room," I'm usually still in there when she is sleeping (if she'll nap in her crib). But a few times, she's been asleep in the crib when I've been upstairs eating or doing other things. So, it's only been used when I'm awake, because with the door open between the family room and our bedroom, we're only about seven feet away from each other. The baby monitor was not needed.

At my parents' house though, Jill has her own bedroom and we have our own bedroom, separated by two doors, a wall, and a hallway. So, we have been using the baby monitor when we're sleeping.

This has caused much stress on my part!

Haha. I never know how loud I should have it turned to, because I never turn it on until after I put her in there asleep, so she's not making any noise. When I'm awake that is not a problem, because the red lights come on when she's making noise even if the volume is down, but when I'm asleep, I won't be able to see the red lights. So I was always terrified it was too quiet. Sometimes I would turn it up really loud, just in case, but then the annoying static sounds (or whatever they are) would keep me awake, so I would turn it back down.

The other thing I have learned is that Jill makes a lot of noises in her sleep. The first night, I went in there unnecessarily twice, because I heard her through the monitor. When I got in her room though, she was fast asleep. Hehe. So cute. So, apparently when she and I are both sleeping right next to the monitor, I hear her better then when we're just a few feet apart.

It's kind of like when I sleep with her, except then I usually get woken up by flailing arms rather than cute little noises.

This morning was so sweet! I woke up and thought I heard noises in the monitor, but it wasn't crying. Jill was just babbling away to her self.

Be still my heart!

She's so stinkin' cute!