A Change for the Better!

Quick update as the frustration of the last post has eased considerably. Anna's sleep is improving by putting her in her own room. Despite our best intentions to make a little more noise around her as she napped over the last months, she's a light sleeper. Lisa thinks our tossing and turning didn't help her much, and we (well, mostly Lisa and her bionic ears), hears everything Anna does when she's next to our bed. To make matters worse over the last month, my cough due to cold has disturbed her sleep and Lisa's, too.

So far, in our new arrangement, Anna wakes twice before 'morning', which is more tolerable for Lisa.

Naps are still a work in progress. Hopefully she'll improve as she gets better rest at night.

Here's a photo from Thanksgiving at Pamela's.

Sleep: The missing element

Last night was the worst night in recent memory, with regard to sleep. At just past four months, Anna has still been sleeping in her bassinet, next to Lisa's side of the bed. This made night time feedings a little less problematic for Lisa, and we assumed that having us near gave Anna a little added security.

Tonight we are trying something else.

Last night, we put Anna down at her usual 7 o'clock, give or take 20 minutes, and unlike most evening, she did not wake up crying 45 minutes to an hour later. I predicted that this would make for a good night's sleep for all of us.

Instead, when I went to bed at 11, Lisa had already placed Anna beside her. Our thought was that she slept better with us. Shortly after I showed up, she began her muted cries and whimpers, which it seems are her way of getting herself back to sleep. Whether it helps her or not, it's very hard to endure. By 1:30am, I burst out with some expletives, saying, essentially that I was going mad. Lisa encouraged me to go into the other room, but I was determined to help get her to sleep. Fifteen minutes later, I relented, but I was too upset to sleep for almost another hour and the guilt of leaving Lisa alone with Anna bore a hole in my gut.

I got up when Anna did and let Lisa get a little more sleep. All told, I had about 4.5-5 hours of sleep. I tried to help our mood by making light, but we both understood that this is very upsetting and agreed to try something, anything else. I did suggest that perhaps a timeshare arrangement with another parent/parents might be a good idea.

Tonight we put her in her crib in her own room, but she woke up 20 minutes after Lisa put her down and could not be calmed while laying down. We went back to the 'miracle' blanket the second attempt and switched her back to her bassinet, hoping that would prove a bit more familiar and comforting. So far, she and Lisa have been asleep in separate rooms for an hour and a half.

Anyway, since I don't know what else lies ahead, I'm off to bed, too. Wish us luck!

This photo is of Anna at 4 months, sitting on her mother's lap.

Almost four months

Anna's personality comes out a little more each day. So far, she's seems like the social animal that her mother is. She really draws people in with her wrinkly nose grin. Of course, she does best when she has plenty of sleep, as she did yesterday. It certainly seems like she knows when it's Sunday, for she took two sizable naps yesterday.

Tomorrow will mark my forth Tuesday taking care of Anna. Generally it seems to get easier. I recall that first five minutes when Lisa left for a full day of work. I wonder how many times I checked the clock to do the math to determine when Mom would be back again. I still check the clock, but it's less often and with less anxiety.

The bad news is that as it gets colder, walks outdoors will be fewer and farther between. Sue's gonna watch Anna tomorrow so I can get a haircut. Patti has delighted in taking her a couple of times, but she, too, enjoys the chance to walk the neighborhood with her.

Inside, her play is changing. She used to be content to whack a ball hanging from a string. Now, however, she wants to put everything in her mouth so she can slather it with a proper coating of drool. She is also less interested in Daddy's roar game, since she's captivated by whatever is happening over her left shoulder. Lisa says it won't be long till she rolls over. Like the rest of us, though, when she does, I imagine she'll think, "Okay, now what?"

She's pretty glad to take a bottle now, but, as I have explained to the feeder-in-chief, it nourishes her, but it doesn't soothe the way breastfeeding does. I suppose that's for the best, but it doesn't make Dad's time so easy. Napping is still a problem, too. I try to nap with her so she'll remain asleep, but, unlike Lisa, I can't breastfeed her back to bed, although I think I'll wield a bottle for tomorrow's am nap, just to see what happens.

Meantime, we'll keep growing her as long as she'll have us. She's heartbreakingly cute! Here's a photo taken during her post-bath massage time.