I've started calling Ava "little foot" despite her monkey toes which she inherited from her mother.
She's also a squiggler, a squeaker, a snorter, and occasional snorer. She likes to talk with her mouth full too, as she can really carry on while she breastfeeds. Breastfeeding is going really great, but the trick will be when and how to go somewhere between feedings. I've already fed her in the car a couple times-parked just so you know-once right when we were trying to leave the hospital (I want to eat now thank you very much)
Friday, Grandma Tarver headed home to catch up on some sleep during the weekend before finishing out the last few weeks of the school year teaching. Nana Phyllis came Friday evening and has turned out to be an excellent shusher for Ava.We still have some rough bouts at night but I think I'm starting to learn more about how Ava behaves when she doen't get enough sleep or we try to do to much activity for her during the day. I've also been reading about setting a bedtime and about teaching her to sleep in her cradle. Lately we've gotten in the habit of sleeping together on the futon bed, which I enjoy some because I can be so close with her and wake when she stirs before she gets upset, but this arrangement also cuts into my ability to stretch out comfortably. Several folks I know have told me for a while their babies had to sleep on them to settle for those first few weeks, but I can't sleep sitting up. We'll see. I'll gladly take any constructive advice, but please be easy on the critcism.
Ava had many wonderful visitors this past week, including her Uncle Ron (from my work), Jesse Bowling and Helen Kruskamp, Jimmy Cretney, and her Aunts Gaby Lindsey and Kate Kaiser.
Ava and her Tia Gaby
Ava and her Auntie Kate
Found your blog from the toli listserv. Congrats on Ava. She is adorable. The first two weeks are the hardest. My son (Henry) slept with me most of those first two weeks with an occasional catnap in the bassinette. Around three or so weeks we got him in the bassinette at night but he still slept on me for naps for the first few months. Some days the threshold for a good day was being able to pee and eat so you are doing great! Henry's nighttime sleep improved a lot around 7-8 weeks but he still wanted to nurse every hour or two during the day until he weaned at a year. Debbie Blankenship
ReplyDeleteI say Pooh Pooh to folks that say that you shouldn't sleep with your babies. That's not natural. How wonderful is is to half-wake up to the baby half-waking up and then latch on and then drowse? Crying in the middle of the night - no thanks!
ReplyDeleteKick Jeremy out to the futon if you have to! Moms need to stretch out!