Weight: I'm guessing anywhere between 10 1/2 and 11 pounds at this point... which would mean that we've doubled our birth weight! Way to go, little Lizzie!
Sleep: Sleep this week is super. I've decided that parenting is such a "learn as you go" type of thing. You go through trial and error, and do a lot of 'critical thinking' about your little one's personality to determine what works and what doesn't (at least, what works and what doesn't this week :)). Anyway, last week I mentioned how I wanted to get back into more of the routine where I put her down for a nap when she starts to yawn, in hopes of getting better naps and a happier baby. And guess what? It's worked quite well, really. But at times, I was still getting these little 30-minute naps, which isn't conducive to having a happy baby. So I did a lot of reading and a lot of mommy-consulting about what to do to help baby put herself to sleep (both when naptime begins and if she wakes prematurely, in the middle of a nap). I've ruled out the "cry it out" method for us -- it may work for some parents, and that's totally great -- but for me, it's just not right. So what we've been trying is what I've been hearing other mommies have done and what I've read to be the "No-Cry Sleep Solution". Here's what it's all about:
We rock her, lullaby her, love her, until she's almost completely asleep. Then we put her down just barely awake, rub her tummy and stay with her until those little eyes close. Sometimes this does require us to pick her up again to settle her back down if she gets fussy and restless, but we're okay with that because she's still learning.
If she wakes up in the middle of her nap and fusses, we go in, put her pacifier back into her mouth or rub her tummy, and walk out. If she fusses again, we do the same thing. Today, this happened probably 10 times before she decided she'd go back to sleep. But I'm a stay-at-home mommy for the next five or so weeks, so the beauty of it is that I have the time to do this right now. Anyway, it seems to be working for us... especially because when she has woken mid-nap and we've used this strategy, she goes back to sleep for another two or so hours afterward.
So overall, she's napping a nice one and a half to two hour nap in the morning and a three hour nap in the afternoon, with another cat nap at night before going to bed. At night, she's sleeping great. Still on her usual schedule of sleeping four hours, then three hours, then another three hours before waking up for the day.
Medical Issues: We've cut out gas drops completely, and baby girl seems to be doing just fine without them :) Yahoo!
Clothes: Still hanging out in our newborn clothes. I've been testing the waters on our 0 to 3 month clothes, but they're all still way too big!
Socialite!: Lizzie got to meet some pretty special people in our lives this week, so that was pretty awesome. Hanging out with her usual crowd at the YMCA while I hit up yoga classes and also spending some time with her Grandmas, Grandpas and aunties as well.
Diet: Milk -- still nursing exclusively.
Baby Gear Love: We are loving our play gym this week! Lizzie Bear is finally starting to take an interest in it, especially the mirror, and doesn't get mad when we put her underneath it anymore! We're still loving our swaddle blankets, as well as a nifty sound machine that my grandma gave us. Sleep Sheep is still in heavy use at night, but he has an automatic off after 45 minutes, and the sound machine is constant, which makes it perfect for nap time, so that's gotten some pretty heavy use.
Crying: The crying has gotten so much better. She just gets fussy when she's tired and hungry now, but she is still a bit more "sensitive" at night and cries more easily then.
Mommy News: Last week I mentioned that I was going to start making her headbands rather than buying them... so I put my nose to the grindstone today during one of her three-hour naps and made a whole bunch of them!
I've also been having second thoughts about going back to work. I think this is coming just because it seems like school is getting so close now. And it's not that I don't love my job -- I do! And I love the people I work with. But I just keep picturing myself dropping Lizzie off and walking out the door without her. It breaks my heart! And I don't want to miss out on her, either. Sad, sad. I know it'll be fine. I just might need to wear waterproof mascara and have a fanny pack with Kleenex around my waist those first few days!
Milestones: Her smiles and coos become more frequent all the time :) She also discovered herself in the mirror on her play gym! She loves to look at herself and smile and talk. It is too sweet!
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