Well...

...things are getting a bit better. Edie seems to be adjusting to her crib and has slept all night in it for the entire week. She manages to wake up facing the opposite direction from how we put her down to start, but I'm learning that she always twists in the same direction, so I now put her down in the bottom corner of her crib so she won't wake herself up by ramming her legs into the side rail. Instead, she twists around and wakes up in the opposite corner. Last night we got her down at 9:30 again (without much effort!) and she managed to sleep a little over 5 hours before waking and then slept straight through to 8am. It's no 7 hours, but still, it's so much better than it was just a few days ago. One middle of the night wake up is SO much better than 2! I still wonder every night as I go to sleep how the night will go, so I by no means feel like the kinks have been worked out.

Edie did manage to roll over again yesterday, so that was very exciting. Hopefully she's starting to master this new skill and will then be able to refocus on being an awesome sleeper. Here's hoping.

A few new pictures to entertain you:

Wild Card

All bets are off with sleep these days. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Edie slept a little less than normal, but was still pulling 6-6.5 hour sleeps before waking up for her midnight feed. But since getting back on Sunday, things have gone totally haywire. Every night seemed like she was going to bed later and sleeping for shorter periods. She went from steadily sleeping at least 7 hours straight to two nights ago sleeping only 3. She hasn't slept only 3 hours since she was about 4 weeks old! I am attributing the chaos to a number of things:

1. Ann says that sleep commonly falls apart around 3 months. It can take up to a month or two before things get back on track.

2. Chaos before progress - Edie is still trying really hard to replicate the rolling over experience she had on Monday without success. She gets SO close, but can't quite roll over again.

3. We've transitioned her into her big girl crib in her own room this week.

4. In an attempt to get her to fall asleep earlier in the night, we've started waking her consistently at 8am instead of letting her sleep in like she normally does. This is in the hopes that it will reset her clock to start earlier, hence end earlier.

So I understand that things are complicated and I've been reassured by Ann (who leads First Weeks) that if you've had a good sleeper in the past, you will have a good sleeper again. At some point. But last night? Last night was just plain weird.

Jeff went out with friends so I put Edie to sleep myself. I should have known something was up when I was able to swaddle her and put her to sleep in her crib quite easily. Lately we're lucky to get her down y 11pm, but last night I put her down at 9:30 and she didn't make a peep when I dropped her into her crib. But at 2:10am or so, I heard rustling in her crib and decided to intercept before it escalated. I swooped in, nursed her and topped her off with a bottle all without waking her up entirely. She seemed sleepy, so I laid her carefully in the crib and then watched in confusion as she writhed around, thumping her legs, grunting and kicking herself in a complete circle. Then she opened her eyes and I knew all bets were off. So I picked her back up to rock her to sleep (which I should note I haven't had to do since she was about 3 weeks old - normally she eats and conks back out). Then she started grunting like crazy and fighting the velcro swaddle. All of a sudden she lets out a grunt so loud and long I swear the neighbors must have heard it. She was pooping! In the middle of the night! This has NEVER happened. This of course meant unswaddling her, taking off her pajamas, changing her diaper... all of which left her WIDE AWAKE at what was now 3:10am. Jeff came in and took over, bouncing her back to sleep and putting her back down in her crib by 3:30.

As if this wasn't weird enough, she then woke me back up at 6am. I assumed she was just hungry again, but when I went to pick her up I found that she was SOAKED in pee. I must have done a crap job of diapering her at 3am because everything was wet. I had to strip her down while she screamed for food, nurse her in just her diaper because she wouldn't wait to be re-dressed. Exhausted, I finally just wrapped her up in a blanket wearing nothing but a diaper underneath and climbed in bed with her. She woke back up at 8am on the dot and was all smiles, looking from me to Jeff and grinning as if to say, "Hey guys, last night was so fun - what are we going to do now?!" I thought I'd be more annoyed (and I certainly thought Jeff would be), but Jeff and I just looked at each other and cracked up. Ridiculous.

Shopping List for the Pregnant Lady

When you get pregnant you have grand notions of being the first couple ever to not sucker into "the stuff". You picture your house looking just like it does now, but with a cute baby in it. You say things like, "Babies don't need stuff, they're happy to sleep in a drawer!" You hate plastic crap and think most baby products are kind of tacky, right? But then you have the baby and realize that while most of the stuff isn't necessary, some of it is very helpful. Here is a list of the stuff that we use every day (or close to it).

First off, take a trip to Target and buy the following embarrassing items now that you will want for yourself post partum:
Lansinoh nipple cream - because, trust - your nipples WILL hurt. Not forever, but in the beginning.
Breast pads - because the cream will stain your bra and because some women leak.
Witch Hazel astringent - because you can soak a pad in it, freeze the pad and then wear it. It cools and numbs the area through which you just pushed a baby out of.
Pads
Tucks pads - basically just witch hazel pads. This is gross, but someone needs to tell you - you won't need them for hemorrhoids (hopefully), but they're good for wiping. Toilet paper isn't so appealing post partum.
Ibuprofen
Nursing bras for sleeping in - I liked the selection and prices at Target

For the baby (items to get used are in italics):

Vitamin D - you're supposed to give your baby 400 IUs per day and they sell the kind for infants that includes that amount in just one drop. Then you just drop it on your boob or the bottle nipple or your finger.
A baby carrier of your choosing - we personally really like the Ergo (with infant insert), but the Moby is great too, or a ring sling... you decide. Early on when Edie was more fussy, it was sometimes the only thing that would put her to sleep if we strapped her into the carrier and walked around.
A stereo in the nursery has been a life saver for us - but you could make do with a clock radio that's tuned to static.
A good nightlight for whatever room the baby sleeps in. At the start we didn't like to sleep in the pitch black but leaving our bedside light on was too bright.
Kidopottomus Swaddleme (ie; baby straight jacket - it's easier than a swaddling blanket and fastens with Velcro so baby can't get loose!) or swaddle blanket (the Dwell Studio ones from Target aren't quite big enough for a good swaddle, I recommend The Swaddle Blanket brand or Aiden and Anais brand)
Newborn sized diapers and alcohol free wipes
Diaper Genie - probably only needed if using disposable diapers, but without it, the poopy diapers are left to stink up the room
California Baby brand baby shampoo and lotion - tests WAY better than other brands for being all natural and free of all the nasty things that Johnson and Johnson products have. I've also heard that Burts Bees makes a good apricot oil instead of lotion, but it has fragrance, where California Baby brand is fragrance free.
Baby bath tub (I use our regular tub and bathe with Edie now, but we used the mini tub for the first month or two)
Crib - and if you plan to have the baby sleep in your room at first, a co-sleeper or Moses basket.
Be warned about using a second hand crib! They just recalled ALL cribs that have a drop-side!
Car seat

Stroller - We just use the cheap Graco brand one that clicks into the same brand car seat. It allows the baby to face you in her car seat, is super light weight and cheap. We'll be graduating to the nice, three wheeler any day now so Edie can face out.

Boppy - I use it every day for nursing.

Changing pad and 2-4 pad covers - we decided against buying an actual changing table and just attached a changing pad to a dresser we already had. No regrets.

Monitor - ours is Avent brand and no complaints so far.

Yoga/exercise ball - good for labor and also great for calming baby. Edie still likes to bounce more than rock.

Bottles and a small can of formula - not necessary, but I was glad we had them just in case when on day 5 or 6 my milk still hadn't come in and we needed to supplement rather quickly. We use Born Free brand bottles with size one nipples and have liked them. They're BPA free and you can sing "BORN FREEEE, free as the wind blows!!" while feeding your baby.
Exergen brand thermometer - these are the best things ever. You just slide it across your baby's forehead and it takes a temperature just as accurate as the rectal thermometer. Except you don't have to stick anything up your baby's butt! I think they sell them at Costco for not very much.

Optional and things you should definitely borrow/inherit/get used:

Bouncy/vibraty seat - Edie hates ours for the most part, but it can come in handy in the bathroom. I use it in the mornings and plop Edie in it facing the shower so I can take a shower and keep an eye on her. Also helpful for setting her in it while you use the bathroom.

Swing - Edie also hates this for the most part, but many babies LOVE it and take all their naps in it.

See? You really do need STUFF. Sad but true.

Orcas Pictures

We're thinking of treating ourselves to a fancy new camera for Christmas. Our tiny digital camera takes crappy blurry photos without the flash and crappy bright photos with the flash. We tried out Jeff's sister's camera over the holiday weekend and loved it. We're thinking of treating ourselves to one for Christmas this year. We still haven't downloaded the photos from our camera, so some pictures from the ferry ride are missing, but for now, here are some pictures taken using Kathleen's camera.

Kathleen's birthday dinner (happy 30th!):
Snoozing on Grandma:
Hanging out with Uncle Javi:




Jeff with Edie - she fell asleep on her first trip to the beach:

Then she woke up:
Thanksgiving is always at Jeff's Grandpa's house, which now belongs to his uncle and aunt. Here is second cousin Sophie greeting Edie Bee ("Maybe Eeedeeee Beeee wold like to play with my Froggie and my Lamb-y??"):
Thanksgiving Dinner:
Edie chilling the next day with her bumble bee rattle:
Dozing on my lap while I read:
Welcome to Edie's Place, can I offer you a drink? Tonight's special is Enfamil:
Doing our favorite thing to do at the cabin - nothing:

Dear Edie,

Today you are three months old. I cannot believe it. I mean, I can. But I can't. I saw a baby that was 4 days old recently and couldn't fathom how small he was; I just kept thinking, "Edie used to be that little!" which reminded me of the time I was rocking you in your nursery the first week of your life and cried thinking that you'd never be this small again. How right I was. I believe you are easily weighing in over 12 pounds these days and you are officially too long for your mini crib that we keep in our room. I can tell already that you're going to tower over me one day.

This has been a tremendous month for you developmentally and you topped it off by rolling over for the first time today. I set you down on your quilt for some tummy time this morning and you immediately arched your back, rocked back and forth a few times and promptly rolled right onto your back in one swift movement, then rocked right back onto your belly. I squealed in an embarrassing manner and you grinned at me with drool running down your chin. You're also spending a lot of time smiling and making funny noises, and while you started laughing this month, the laughs are still rare enough that we covet each one.
You love looking at yourself in the mirror and often give yourself a coy smile as if flirting with the other baby in the mirror. And while looking in the mirror is entertaining, far and away your favorite activity is standing with a capital S. You must spend at least 3 hours per day just being held under your armpits to stand and if we had the endurance for more, I doubt you'd say no. As much as you love standing, you hate riding in the car twice as much. Or maybe three times as much. We still get out of the house you and me, but the ride home is rarely fun for either of us. The only other activity you dislike is falling asleep. I can always tell when you're tired because you get red and cranky around the eyes and squawk like a chicken. Once you finally stop fighting the sleep and nod off, you're a good sleeper at night, although you recently went from spoiling me with 7-9 hour sleeps to a shorter, 6-7 hour schedule, at which point you eat and then conk back out for a 3 hour morning snooze.

This month you've taken two trips, one weekend in Bellingham with my parents and this most recent weekend on Orcas with your other Grandparents. Both trips were spent being doted on and entertained by immediate and extended family and aside from a little car-screaming, both trips were fantastic.
I take a bath with you every other night after dinner and your Dad has taken to calling it, "Ladies Bath Night". We linger in the tub for up to 20 minutes, floating around and blowing drool bubbles (you, not me) and then sometimes follow it up with a family dance party in your nursery. The other night during a dance party to LCD Sound System, you laughed over and over at my terrible dance moves.

There's so much more to tell you about yourself, but time is tight and you've just fallen asleep without a fight so I should probably head to bed myself. I hope you read this one day and realize how very much your Dad and I love you. Sometimes I get a swell in my chest just looking at the back of your head while you sit in my lap; your tiny shoulders that are half your Dad and half me, your head swiveling side to side on your strong little neck and the bulge of chub folding over the top of your pants. I even love your mullet. Which, by the way, we trimmed last week. You can thank me later.

xoxo,
Mom

Thanksgiving

This year we are thankful for The Little Beast:
We're taking her in the death-mobile (aka the car) and heading up to Orcas for the holiday tomorrow morning. So many firsts - First Turkey Day, first ferry boat ride, first vacation, first time to the beach... the list goes on. So excited!

Hope you all are celebrating in style and having a fabulous weekend. Trip photos to come upon our return.

Driving Miss Edie

Driving with Edie by myself is as close to a personal hell as it comes for me. She HATES the car SO MUCH. If she's not sleeping, she's screaming like she's being murdered in the backseat. I've tried singing to her, talking to her (in case it was the singing that was offending her), a pacifier, white noise, pumping the breaks, dangling toys from the top of her seat, and jiggling the car seat while driving. Recently my mother and I picked out a car mirror thing online and it arrived last week. It's intended to hang in front of her when seated in the car and it has a mirror and lights and the lights flash around while playing music and saying the colors of the lights in English, Spanish and French so as to distract her from her rage. It even has a timer so that you can have it play the whole drive. Result? I get to hear twinkle twinkle little star AND screaming. The whole way home. Thoughts I had on my way home from our outing today (warning: bad words have NOT been edited out):

Why is this guy in his stupid Prius driving SO FUCKING SLOW???!!!! I hate you Prius driver!!!!!!!

Please don't stop for that guy to cross the street with his dog!!! FOR FUCKS SAKE CAN'T YOU TELL I HAVE A SCREAMING BABY IN THE BACKSEAT???

Of course that light is turning red, EVERY light is turning red because the whole universe is against me and Edie and wants it to take us five trillion hours to get home from Ballard!!!!!

I wonder if we have any eggnog ice cream left in the freezer? If so, I'm going to scoo- OH MY GOD YOU'RE NOT DYING BACK THERE PLEASE STOP CRYING!!!!