Thursday, June 25, 2009

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. ~Leo J. Burke

I am proud to report that you are really sleeping in your crib most nights. You still wake up sometime between 2:30am-3:30am. But honestly I am perfectly fine with that. In fact, it is 1:35am right now and I'm still up. Why? Well I am having a hard time with you sleeping so far away from me. It may sound silly but it is true. I lie in bed staring at the monitor (it lights up when there is noise) wondering whether it is going to light up with your crying. I don't suppose anyone expected me to suffer separation anxiety with you only two rooms away...but there you have it.

To make matters even more interesting...you now roll onto your stomach...while asleep. Now depending on how asleep you are determines whether rolling wakes you up crying or not. For instance about an hour ago you woke up crying because you had rolled onto your stomach and didn't know what to do. I put you back on your side and you quieted down. But I just walked in to check you ten minutes ago and you are now perfectly happy on your stomach. In fact, when I tried checking to see if you could breathe (I put my finger to your nostrils to make sure they weren't against the bed) you (understandably) got annoyed and didn't wake up you simply turned your head away from me. Ha! You showed me didn't you.

Daddy and I were concerned about letting you sleep on your tummy. Daddy was so worried that he even let you sleep in our room until your recent Dr's appointment - isn't that cute? But, when I asked the Dr she said it was your decision as to whether you wanted to sleep on your stomach and we could leave you alone. So it is up to you now. That is a huge relief for us.

Hmmm...if only I could sleep we'd be all good to go.

Love you baby girl.

xoxo
Mommy

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Roll back...

You rolled from your tummy to your back tonight! It was mostly out of sheer frustration because we think that you are ANGRY that you are unable move move move... So while you were crying to voice your annoyance at being static you pushed your arms straight and BAM over onto your back you rolled. It was quite a sight to see. I am so proud of you.

Now - if you could just figure out that you can do this again we'd be all set. Wink.

On a positive note, you now easily roll over from your back to your tummy from either side. Good job! Keep it going baby and you'll be crawling in no time.

xoxo

Mommy

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Your First Piercing...


ear piercing that is.  Wink.  I of all people cannot exactly limit any future  piercings you may want because that would be quite hypocritical - you'll understand when you are older.

Anyway - it is done!  I have been worrying about where we would be able to get your ears pierced since before you were even born.  It is a big tradition in Abuelala's family to have little girls' ears pierced as soon as possible.  In the past Drs used to do it - but now they won't.  Hospitals also won't do them anymore...  So where does that leave us?  Well, with earring stores like Claire's.  Of course I was not into that idea at all.  My idea of Claire's was a bunch of teeny bopper cashiers that had no idea what they were doing with a cash register let alone a piercing gun.  

Luckily my fears were unwarranted.  We stopped into Claire's while Abuelala was visiting and asked what the deal was.  Apparently, at least at this Claire's, they are very experienced in piercing babies.  Great!  Of course Abeulala insisted on asking who the best baby piercer was and demanded that she do it.  Heh.  Big surprise - wink.  She is looking out for you of course!  So after making sure I had all the appropriate paperwork, and picking out a yellow gold pair of earrings for you (out of nostalgia - my first pair were yellow gold too), we were ready to go.  You sat on Abuelala's lap and the store manager pierced you one ear at a time while Abuelala held your head against her chest.  I stood there wincing...  You cried.  A lot.  But no more than you do when you get your shots at the Drs office.  And we had a bottle ready to pacify you.  10 minutes later you were fine...as if nothing had even happened.

I am so proud of you.  You did a great job.  Hmmm I wonder if this experience foreshadows things to come in you future.  More piercings?  Tattoos?  Well at least I have time to think about that...

xoxo

Mommy

Update:  A week later and I am happy to say that your ears are beautiful and totally fine.  No infections or issues at all.  Good job!  Ah, the things we do for beauty.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Sleep Log

Okay it is time to pull out the big guns. You had two awesome nights of sleep...you slept in your crib and woke only once during the night. But after that? Yeah - not so much. We are back to the every two hour wake up. Little girl...

So I am going to pull out the big guns and write down your sleep pattern. Maybe there is a code to crack. I'll keep you posted on how it works out.

xoxo
Mommy

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Rock-a-bye baby Update

It is 10:50pm, Sunday night, and both you and Daddy are asleep! I hardly know what to do with myself. Daddy isn't feeling so hot...he has been really sick lately...practically sick every other weekend since you were born. Sigh, I know, it is tough. I am really worried about him.

Stress has a lot to do with sickness. Abuelala has drilled that into my head and I am sure that I will drill it into yours. Maybe part of why Daddy has been sick so often is because his head is so filled with worrying about you and me...working for us, staying up late with us, and generally being concerned with our little family. You and I will have to make Father's Day really special for him this year and let him know we appreciate him.

Anyway...if you read my last post then you'll know that at 4mos old you are not exactly sleeping a lot at one go yet. Basically you have been waking up every 2 hours to eat. Yeah...it has been fun for us both let me tell you. Wink. But, I am not going crazy, not pulling my hair out. I figure you are little once and if you need to eat then you need to eat. I know that you'll grow out of it eventually and that is that. It is also why you have been sleeping in a cradle in our room...less distance to travel every 2 hours when you do want to eat. And, let me clarify, you don't exactly "wake up" - you mostly groan and make fussing noises with your eyes close indicating that you are hungry. If I don't respond and let you continue fussing...well THEN you wake up...usually with quite a bit of crying. We all like to avoid that so I get you as quickly as possible.

But...recently you have been periodically sleeping more at night. More meaning 3+hrs at a time. AND, last night was the first night that you slept in your crib in your own room. It was really hard for me. I could hardly sleep because I kept glancing at the monitor to make sure it was working and that you were okay. You went to bed at 9:30pm and I actually woke you at 12:30am to eat...and then you slept until 3:30am! Daddy and I actually watched a whole movie at once - we were both shocked. It was amazing...I am so proud of you!

Tonight you fell asleep around 9:30pm, woke up at 10pm because you were hungry, and then went back to sleep. I know I need to go to bed so that I will be awake later when you wake up...but it is so hard for me to sleep with you in the crib. We don't live in a big apartment but you feel so far away! We decided to move you from the cradle because you started moving around a lot while sleeping and I think the cradle was too confining - you kept waking up crying because your face was next to the bars. To the crib it is then.

Oh and btw...you went to Ikea for the first time today, where we bought you a new bigger play mat. You have definitely outgrown the tiny one you inherited from your cousin. AND sure enough we got home and you proved your need for a bigger mat by rolling over again. You work your way all the way to the edge and then roll over...it is pretty cute. Right now you only roll over on your left side. We'll have to work on your right. So much activity my love. I just can't get over how quickly you are growing.

Well it is 11:36pm. You are still asleep but I shouldn't push my luck. I will go to bed and listen for you. Sweet dreams.

xoxo
Mommy

Friday, June 5, 2009

No sleep till Brooklyn


Well my love we just spent the week in Connecticut. Our first reason for going there was to find out whether or not we could have you baptized at the church where Daddy was baptized. We went to church on Sunday and you were awesome. First of all you looked so adorable...in a white smocked dress with blue, brown, and pink embroidery, and brown leggings to match. Great outfit I must say so. You slept through the whole sermon and woke up right at the end. Good timing. Personally I think you enjoyed the sounds of everyone singing and talking.

Secondly, we went to Connecticut because your Aunt C and cousins S and T are there for two weeks. And because I made a promise to myself that you would know your cousins growing up as much as humanly possible...well we stayed at Mema and Boompa's house for a week with them.

It was quite a week. You were on excellent behavior and I think were fascinated by your cousins, who, at age 1 and 2, are two balls of energy. I hope you won't go out of your mind bored once we are home alone again. You did a great job of sitting on my lap and watching them play, scream, walk, screech, and occasionally bite and push each other. It was educational for you in the least.

Your cousins were not the only ones you were enamored with. You absolutely adore your Boompa...everytime you glance in his direction results in a big smile on your face. You found your Aunt C absolutely hilarious - she had the great ability to make you laugh so hard. One night she had you laughing so much that both Mema and I had tears in our eyes from laughing ourselves. It was hilarious.

Speaking of Mema, she insisted on keeping you one night so that I could sleep (you are still eating every 2hrs at night these days) and I resisted all week...until our last night in Connecticut. And my baby girl you definitely lived up to your reputation...you would NOT sleep in the Pack n Play, you kept making your I-want-to-sleep-but-can't noises, you wet through your diaper and had to have your clothes and the sheets changed (which meant Boompa had to wake up and hold you while Mema changed the sheets), and the evening ended up with Mema taking you down to the television room because you would only sleep on the soft comfy couch. I warned them. I told them that you were the Princess and the Pea. Does anyone believe me? Meanwhile I could barely sleep without you nearby...don't laugh...it was the first time I ever slept away from you for a whole night! It is a big deal! But we both survived. Needless to say it was rough but it was a big lesson for us both. We can do it - when we have to that is.

You also met many of Mema's friends. Some we met out at Breakfast with the Ladies, and others stopped by the house to meet you and Cousin T. You were charming as usual and gave all the appropriate smiles and coos. See you already have good manners! Let's keep it up.

All in all we are back home now and Daddy is very happy to have us back. He walked in the door and you glowed at him. It was just what he needed after our being gone for a week. Hahaha I just realized we got minimal sleep this week...it literally was No sleep till Brooklyn...

xoxo
Mommy