We had a wonderful holiday, and it was great for Yummy and me to have Dad at home for two whole weeks! She looked like she was actually really enjoying having both of us with her. She did pretty good with all the changes in schedule that came with Christmas and New Year's, and we've discovered that as long as we are with her, she doesn't really get fussy even 2 hours past her bedtime. We went to Quebec City for 3 nights at Christmas, and that felt like a real vacation, even if she woke up a bit more often at night. We think it was partly due to the new environment, partly because she's a bit tight in her pack'n play. (Do they make these things in bigger sizes???) After that trip, we saw a glorious light of hope, and heard angels sing as she slept for 3 nights straight without really waking-up. Pure bliss!
And then it got bad. Really bad, even though I'm sure somehow it could be worse: waking-up every 30-60 minutes, and taking up to 3 hours to go back to sleep. Do the maths... Even taking her to bed with me didn't work, so that idea is now gone for good, at least at home. It's hard to figure out what she needs, as sometimes she'll fall asleep on her own, sometimes she needs one of us to touch and softly rock her in her crib, and sometimes she needs to be held. I've rocked her in the rocking chair for an hour in the middle of the night, until I was absolutely convinced she was asleep just to have her spring to life, pop her yes wide open and scream and cry when I so very delicately put her back to bed. The girl can get angry! But comes morning, she's all smiles, often waking up very calmly and happily babbling in her bed before calling for us.
Friends with bio kids tell us that it's all normal behavior, and go "oh yeah" when we tell them about the situation. I guess the only ones Yummy is impressing is poor us, naive first time parents... Still, I'm glad I don't have to go to work: I would have to buy Advil by the pound. At the same time, I kinda miss using my brain for something other than finding out what the dog does, where my nose is or meal planning for a baby who lives off meat. I had a meeting for a private contract this morning, and boy did it feel good to wear real clothes, boots with heels, carry a real purse, and analyze and problem-solve!
And then the squeals of delight from the high chair when I came home brought me right back to the really important stuff... :o)
What else is new? Let's see... Yummy is growing way too fast. She now crawls everywhere, goes up and down a step we have to the living room, stands up wherever she can, cruises holding on to furniture, babbles with the cutest and sweetest sounds, makes sounds that actually sound like words, including her own name,knows a few body parts and a few animal sounds, has started to test limits, blows kisses, waves bye-bye, cuddles up to us, does amazingly well in the car, has started to use 2 signs together ("more" and "food"), often believes vegetables are poisonous, absolutely loves looking at her books and makes the sounds of the animals she recognizes on the pictures, loves going outside and feel the wind on her face, and is in a "I love spitting" phase...
Since the Quebec City trip went well enough, we've decided to be bold again this week-end, and go visit friends in Maine, and attend a telemark (we'll be skiing, not phoning people...) festival in Wildcat, NH on Saturday. I have a severe case of cabin fever, and so does S, to a less extent. We figured that the nights are already short enough here, it won't make a huge difference elsewhere. And if need be, we can always try to take her to bed with us. So even if we never sleep again, I'm still going to call it a mental health week-end. We're going!
Here a few pictures from the holidays:
On a walk on Mont-Royal on New Year's Eve
New Year's morning, joining us in bed: it doesn't really get much better than that... :o)
Getting into the recycling: I sense some door locks coming up...
Being cute and silly at mealtime
My gorgeous baby...
2 commentaires:
What a sweetie!
Seems you had a good time.
It took some time to have Maëlle comfortable in her crib. We had to hold her for a while before she would fall asleep and the same, you'd think she was ko and as soon as you'd put her in the bed she would cry. My arms were killing me and my back too so we decided to leave her in her crib and stay on the side without a word. She was very upset. After a few evenings she got used to it. Progressively we were moving back to the door and in about a month she started to fall asleep in her crib without us in the room.
Hope you'll find something that works for you and her. Good luck and best wishes for the New Year.
She really is a cutie and her personality just shines in the pics. I am so there with you on the sleeping and my kid is 3.5.
Oh well, they won't be young but once.
Beverly
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