Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - A Lot of Things

After Michael explained how firefighters use a wrench to open the valve on a hydrant, Micah said, "Wow, I guess there is a lot of things to learn in this whole city." 

Michael promised to teach him everything, one at a time, on a need to know basis.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015 - Growing Up

Penelope has changed literally overnight. On Sunday, she started chatting. She suddenly was making a whole variety of different sounds, clearly directing them at me, waiting for eye contact and then "talking," all things she hadn't done before. The same day, I laid her down in the bassinet so that I could do a couple things and she started crying. Michael picked her up and for one of the first times was unable to console her, she was watching me and wanted me to hold her. As soon as I finished what I was doing and picked her up, she quieted down. The next morning, Monday, she did the same thing for Micah. She was laying in bed with Michael, started crying and watching Micah, and when he climbed into bed, she quieted down and snuggled with him. Penelope has an opinion for the first time.

On Monday, I decided she wasn't sleeping well in the carrier anymore and that I was going to try to get her to sleep in the bassinet. I put her down for her nap, she cried, I went back after five minutes, put my hands on her cheeks and my forehead against hers, told her she was okay, and she calmed down. I put the pacifier in her mouth and walked away. She cried for three more minutes before falling asleep for a half hour. That is the first time that she has ever been calmed just by seeing me. I think the reason we haven't had any success with the "cry it out" method is because when I've gone in to check on her, she doesn't feel any better knowing I'm there, she only wants to be held. It seems to me that this shift is directly connected to her chatting and calling out to me or Micah that started within the previous 24 hours. 

She took two solo naps on Monday and at bedtime, I started a bedtime routine and put her down in the co-sleeper alone. She cried for an hour total and then slept for half an hour. Last night, I put her down and she cried for a half hour total, and then slept for two hours. After that, I fed her and put her back in the co-sleeper and she slept for another two hours.

Every day we move away from her infancy is a little sad, but it's also so incredible to see these "firsts." She is actually changing on a day by day basis in such tangible ways!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Ahhhh Sleep

Penelope seems to have turned a corner on sleeping alone. On Sunday (yard sale day), she took an hour long nap in her bassinet. Alone! That night, she went to sleep for the evening again in her bassinet. When Michael brought her upstairs at midnight, I fed her and put her in the co-sleeper next to the bed. She slept for THREE hours there!

Monday night? Same deal. She slept in the co-sleeper all night, waking up to eat after five and then three and then two hours of sleep and then going back to sleep for several hours after I fed her before leaving for work in the morning!

Last night not so much. She insisted on being in bed with me, at times insisted on sleeping with my boob in her mouth, and woke up every hour or hour and a half.

But still. There. Is. Hope. And after a couple nights without her, it was actually nice to snuggle with her. This morning, I started edging away from her around 5:30am in anticipation of getting up for work at 5:45. When I pulled away, she scooted a little closer to get back in contact with me. It melted my heart. I seriously love this baby.