Take the first night alone with her. We decide it's time to go to bed and take Addie into our room to swaddle her. My mom was standing in our doorway and I was like, "Wait! I don't know what to do!" Her response? "Good luck! Good night!" And with a smile she darted up to our guest bedroom. Talk about the feeling of helplessness creeping over. But I knew she had to let us go it alone. So I took a deep breath and grabbed Addie's swaddle. I mean, how hard could it be? We'd read the instructions and even practiced on a stuffed animal. (FYI, a real human baby is WAY different than a stuffed animal...) After several attempts by both Greg and I, I went racing to grab the instructions that had came with it. Finally! We, sort of, had her in her "swaddle me" wrap. Next up, getting her to sleep in her crib...
You'd think that this would be an easy prospect. I mean, where else do babies sleep but a crib? So it just seemed natural that I'd put her in it and she'd "sleep like a baby" just like I had pictured it. WRONG! Apparently the term "sleep like a baby" means to wake up every half hour screaming. By 3:30am I was calling the hospital nursery asking what to do with her. They said it sounds like she has gas and to give her gas drops if we have any. Let me say thank you Katie for the gas drops. Life saver. After a few nights of more futile attempts to get her to sleep in her big girl crib, we put her in her "rock-n-play" and set her right next to our bed. (and thank you sister-in-law Jen for that tip) ...And that is where she still sleeps. I know we'll have to try the crib again someday, but the prospect of another sleepless night is just too much to bare.
I'm still learning every day from Addie and from my other mommy friends and family. I understand her cues and cries better every day. She's actually put herself on a pretty good routine. She eats about every 2-3 hours (let me just say she takes after her mother when it comes to "grazing" because she will "snack" every 1-1.5 hours quite often as well) during the day and sleeps a good 4-6 hour stretch at night, and then another 2-3 hour stretch, with little naps right before bed and after she wakes up. With all of this sleeping you'd think that I'd have time to catch my breath, or write a blog, but I still don't. Not sure when this is all going to calm down but we're making it through just fine.
I was worried about getting bored with all of the goo goo gagas but I've been entertained just by staring at her when she sleeps and talking with her and making goofy faces at her when she's awake. Her Daddy thinks I'm loco but Addie LOVES my silly faces and smiles and coos back at me! I'll also pretend to eat her feet while I'm changing her which she gets a total kick out of.
She is still changing and growing every day. She loves to follow her little jingle bell butterfly with her eyes and she loves to play on her activity mat. Her legs are ALWAYS going so I know when she starts to crawl, there will be NO stopping her. She's also growing bigger too! She's about 9 lbs now, which I'm so excited about because she is fitting into her next size of clothes. Yay! Needless to say poor Addie has an unnecessary costume change some days just so I can put her in a new outfit that I haven't seen her in yet. :)
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| This is what happens when I leave Addie alone with Greg for 5 minutes. Yes, that is a diaper on her head... |
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| This is my attempt at catching a smile. Every time I hold my camera up, her smile disappears and she stares at the camera. Squirrel! |
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| I may keep a tutu by her changing station and throw it on her occasionally... so sue me. |
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| She already looks like trouble. I see mischievousness in those eyes. ;) She's 8 weeks old in this picture. |
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| BIG YAWN! |
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| Mama loves a sleeping baby :) |
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| Really lady? Another picture? Really?! |
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