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Monday, January 01, 2007

Sleeping Like A Baby

...Well most of the time anyway! These first couple of months with Baby O have been a joy but have also been extremely trying. Todd and I have been doing our best adjusting to being new parents. We look at Olivia everyday and cannot believe how lucky we are to have such an amazing, beautiful and healthy baby in our lives. But along with all of the joy comes the difficulties of taking care of a little one. Since I have been breastfeeding, in the beginning I was feeding her every 2-3 hours during the day and getting up every 3-4 hours at night. Needless to say I was feeling pretty sleep deprived. I cannot even remember what it feels like to be able to sleep through the night and feel well rested. But things are starting to get better. She is now only getting up one time at night to eat which is a huge relief for me.

But unfortunately Olivia is not the soundest of sleepers. Not only is she a noisy sleeper but she seems to sleep best in awkward places such as her car seat, the boppy and the bouncer. She also sleeps very well in our arms...imagine that! But when she is put down in her bassinet or crib she does not do as well. This is something that I hope she grows out of as it is important to us that she gets good quality sleep, in the right places. I am starting to wonder if she may have some problems with acid-reflux. She has quite a few of the symptoms and that would explain why she prefers to sleep in places where she is more upright. We are visiting the pediatrician this Friday and I am going to have her take a closer look. So for the time being if she prefers to sleep in her bouncy seat then that is where she shall sleep. I keep telling myself that she is only two months old and things will get easier and she will become a better sleeper with more of a routine.
But when Olivia is sleeping it is the most precious thing ever!!! Here are some candid shots I caught of her while she was catching some z's...
We know she has crashed when the paci falls out of her mouth!
Whoa is me...life is tough as a baby!
Not sure what is going on here but she was comfortable!
Olivia also received her first round of shots this past week. I think it was harder for me than it was for her. I could barely watch as they stuck three big needles in my precious baby's thighs. As soon as they did her face turned bright red and she let out a huge cry. But I immediately stuck the pacifier in her mouth and within seconds she was ok. She handled it like the big girl she is! And even better...she did not seem to suffer any side effects from the shots! Way to go Livie!!!
So overall things are going well. I have one more full week off and then I must return to work...sob, sob! I am so glad that I have been able to spend so much quality time with my daughter in the first weeks of her life.
More updates to come later this week as Olivia will visit the doctor for her two month check-up!
Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a year full of happiness and new memories!

1 comment:

Kim said...

Jess,
Just before you lay her down to sleep, place a heating pad where she is to sleep and warm her bed. Then, if she falls asleep on your shoulder, for instance, use a fleece blanket between you and her and when you go to lay her down, keep the blanket with her. Always try to use the same one and she will associate that one blanket with sleep and the scent of you and Todd. Also, doing sleep cues, such as a fan in her room and very dim lights will cue her that it is time to sleep. Whether you nurse her or do a bottle right before bed, she will be relaxed knowing her routine. Often babies are startled at a cold bed (when mom and dads arms are so warm) so heating the bed and giving a blanket help reassure her. She is old enough now for the crib to be her sole place of rest. It may take a couple of tries, but take it from someone who went through this with two. It does work. HUGS and hope for regained sleep.