my hands!

Aveah is discovering her hands. They are quite interesting to her.  They provide hours of entertainment and comfort (she enjoys sucking on them).  Here are some pictures of her examing these new found friends.

Baby sleep, part 2

Okay, I'm bitting my tongue now.  After my last post about Avi not sleeping well, the whole situation has changed.  She must have read my post!  No, really, as with most parenting problems, the real problem lies not with the child, but with the parent. She is now able to put herself to sleep and sleeps by herself (until mommy and daddy go to bed and join her).  I was wrongly putting her to bed when we went to bed - around 10pm.  She was sleeping in the carrier as I walked around the house working - so I thought, she's sleeping, so it's okay.  But she much prefers to have a bath around 6:30, be swaddled and then laid in bed with some lullaby playing on the iPod stereo.  Mommy rubs her tummy and chest for about 5-10 minutes to make sure she is settled and then I walk out!  Avi is still awake when I leave, but miraculously, she's asleep next time I check on her (which I have to do, even though I have the monitor - I just miss seeing her little face).  Wow, what a new world this opens for us!  I have 3+ hours of freedom at night now.  Michael and I watched a whole movie undisturbed for the first time in 3 months.

Two and half months old.

Aveah enjoying Setti's arms and kisses.

Baby Sleep

The infamous question asked by all who know: So, how are you sleeping?  It seems a silly question, really.  I am sleeping just like I have for the last 28-29 years, closing my eyes and eventually drifting off into sleep that last until my biological clock wakes me or some other external stimuli (most notably and presently a baby) wakes me.  The real question should be,How's the baby sleeping?  That is a much harder question to answer.  

First, our baby does not like to sleep.  She likes to experience the world, take it all in with her eyes always looking around intensely.  We try to convince her that sleep is good and even fun, that many adults would give up prized possessions just to be able to get a few more hours of sleep, but she won't believe us.  She fights sleep, especially later in the day, like it means dying.  This is her view towards day-time napping.  Night-time is another story, and no, it is not a nightmare.  Avi actually sleeps really well at night.  She will happily stay in bed with us for up to 10 hours!  As long as a boob is nearby to nurse on, and her diaper is changed should it be wet, she is quite content and sleeps through the night (except for feedings).  We are quite happy with her in this regard.  Now, just to work on those naps!

Second, nobody ever warned me that you had to work to put a baby to sleep.  I assumed they were like adults, or even like our dogs - they would lay down, close their eyes and sleep.  No, no, no... not that easy at all!  You, the caretaker, have to work, literally work to get the baby to sleep (most of the time).  This wasn't true when she was first born or even weeks old, this is a new phenomenon.  So, we walk, rock, massage, swing, stroll, sing, bounce and swaddle (whatever the trick of the moment is) to get her to sleep.  But the sleep is so sweet when it comes.  Her little face, so trusting.  Her eyes, peacefully shut, long, gracefully eyelashes defining each closed lid.  Her mouth, often slightly open in the most precious little "oh" you've ever beheld.  Her breathing, slow and rhythmic set-off my dreamy giggles and gasps.  What a joy it is to watch a sleeping baby - that is the joy of a day's hard work!

The irony of baby sleep: It takes miracles to get them to sleep, but once asleep, they can sleep through dogs barking, moms running with them bouncing in the carrier, people touching, and arms out and flopping.

College baby!

Most parent's think their baby is the smartest in the world.  Well, I don't think that... I just know that she happens to be one of the smartest in the world.  She's only 2 and a half months old and already attending Adult School!  Hello!  Also, Meagan, her older cousin, sent her this t-shirt basically proclaiming her acceptance into Azusa Pacific University!

Avi and mommy go to Adult School 3 times a week.  Tiny Hikers on Monday where we hike different places in SLO County, Jogging Strollers on Wednesdays where we discover different stroller-friendly routes, and Parent Participation on Thursdays which is basically an excuse to meet other mommies and babies!  

little baby in the bonnet

Thanks to Grammy Louise's friend who HAND-SEWED this adorable bonnet!  You have to see it in person to fully appreciate the craft that went into every detail!

Hanging with Daddy

See this fathering thing ain't that difficult!

Car Seats Really Do Work!

Avi makes me laugh!  This picture was taken after I took her out of a friend's car.  I didn't want to wake her, so I just took her out with the whole car seat.  Once I set her on the ground, the car seat rolled back, but she stayed safe (and asleep) in the car seat's belts.  She looked so precious, contently sleeping in the parking lot, strapped into her car seat - I just couldn't miss this photo opportunity!

Poop: this ain't for sissies!

Pooping.  Though you may think the picture says it all, oh you are wrong, there is so much to be said about infant poop.  First of all, it doesn't smell bad.  Actually, it smells sort of sweet.  Next, poop doesn't always stay in the diaper - as seen in this picture, it can travel up the front torso.  It can also shoot up the back, get onto the baby's clothes (even through several layers of clothes) and occasionally land on the holder's clothes (speaking from experience).  The act of pooping also has an amazing sound - it's like a high speed wet fart!  I think we, as adults, would have more fun going to the bathroom if our poops sounded half as cool!  Lastly, (though could there ever be an end to this tantalizing subject) the clean-up takes an army sometimes - equiped with extra clothes, tons of wipees, a mat or two to change upon, and sometimes extra hands to hold baby up and out of the mess! 

Notice how her face isn't showing?  I did this so I wouldn't be tempted to use this picture as blackmail someday, say, at her wedding reception dinner slideshow.