~ She started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks
MY MOST FAVORITE THING!!! Maybe I'm being selfish for wanting my baby to sleep through the night. After all, if baby sleeps longer, then mommy & daddy sleep longer too. But I do know that a well rested mommy means a less stressed, more productive, happier mommy AND wife. And if mama ain't happy...(you know the rest). I attribute her superb sleeping skills mostly to God blessing me with such a "good" baby, but also to our Baby Wise eat/play/sleep (during the day) routine. I believe it is making a HUGE difference.
I was surprised to read at babycenter.com that some babies start to sleep through the night at 3 months, which is considered early. Most sleep through the night by 9 months, while some babies do not conquer this task until 12 months. I cannot imagine the frustration! Thank you, Laney bug, for giving mommy the gift of sleep so early on! Muah!
Alaina is averaging about 7-8 hours between her late night feeding and her early morning feeding. She typically has her "late night snack" around 10pm, then wakes about 5am for breakfast. I then put her back down and she lets me sleep until about 7 or 8am. Adam loves if she wakes up closer to 7am because then he can have some special father/daughter time before she is ready to eat & he has to get ready for work. This usually involves him "playing" with her and it ends with a short nap in daddy's arms. So sweet!
~ She is a wonderful eater
I am so thankful to have had nothing but success with breastfeeding. I remember hearing about different problems that mothers/babies have with breastfeeding, and realistically thinking that we were bound to have some kind of challenge. But thankfully, she is a good latcher-on-er and I have not experienced any problems with pain or milk supply, etc. Additionally, she takes a bottle of formula just fine as well. No "nipple confusion" or anything like that. I personally think our little Alaina is determined to catch up with her peers and get out of the 10-25% statistical category. You can imagine how competitive infants can be.
~ She is a content baby
There is always a way to make her happy. Sometimes we just have to find it, but the majority of the times she cries, it's always for a good reason. Not just because she can. She is pretty much a happy camper as long as her belly is full and she doesn't have gas. Food-IN, Gas-OUT.
I'm particularly proud of her performance at my OBGYN appointment this week. I went for my 6-week follow up, and I brought the little tyke along for the ride. I must admit that I was nervous about it. I DO NOT...repeat...DO NOT...want to be one of those moms who drags her screaming, cranky baby around everywhere she goes. I know you cannot always prevent outbursts, however you can limit your exposure in public places if your child has a tendency to be cranky. Like if your kid's screaming in a restaurant or store or, God forbid, church - TAKE HIM OUT! Ok, I'm already off on a tangent...
Anyway, Alaina went to the OB with me so we could show everyone the product of the pregnancy. After all, they have been monitoring her and caring for her for many months. It's about time they got to meet face to face. The appt was at 11am, which is typically nap time. She had just been fed and endured a car ride, the perfect potion for sound sleep. BUT - once I walked in the door, her eyes popped wide open. And stayed open. Oh dear. I was SO afraid she was going to go nuts while I was undressed in my paper gown waiting on the doc OR in the middle of my examination. Oh no. After crossing my fingers and saying a prayer, she did just fine. No crying. She was a tad "questionable" a couple of times, however it was no problem that passy could not fix. She just sat comfortably in her car seat, studying the exam room and staring directly into the blinding flourescent light. This place was fascinating! And now I'm certain why people choose gynocology for a career (something that has always puzzled me). It's for the babies! Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed over her, even the doc who is not the most personable person you would come across. The talk consisted of how cute she is, how tiny she is, her beautiful big eyes, and of course how much hair she has.
Mommy checked out fine at the OB. Except for the fact that I am 12 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight. Where are these 12 lbs hiding? I admit to having a bit of a "muffin top" when trying on jeans. Truthfully, I cannot fit into most of my old jeans. So I guess now I should add exercise to my to-do list.
And can you believe that I actually ASKED to have my platelet count re-checked. Meaning I encouraged Katrina to suck my blood one last time. I must say that Katrina gave me kudos for doing exceptionally well with my blood draw this time. I attribute this to being distracted by Alaina by my side, having endured far more pain in the recent weeks, and praising the needle for bringing me sweet relief in the form of an epidural. I now have respect for the needle. Surprisingly, my platelet count is now 181, a drastic improvement. This means that we can isolate pregnancy as the cause of the low platelet count in the past.
Take a look at my pretty girl, who is now 7 weeks old!!!!!!!
Getting big!
You funny, mama!
1 comment:
Well, of course, she is making you proud! She is beautiful and perfect in every way. :) And, she is a very good baby. You and Adam are doing great as well. I am SO proud of all of you!
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