happy mom

Thank you God!
After a frustrating begining with Emily... 40 mins to get to sleep then waking two hours later and 80 mins after that...At 9:00 I just bounced the Amby bed and she went right back to sleep. Yay! Then at 10:30 I tried this and she wouldn't soothe so I fed her then put her in the cosleeper. She woke up 20 mins later so I nursed her briefly then put her back in the Amby bed. By 11 she was sleeping soundly and slept till about 1:15 I nursed her then at 3 Claire woke up and came to me. I just put her back in bed and covered her up and she went right back to sleep. Whew! Emily slept through this but woke up around 3:30. Slept till 5:30 nursed and was awake at 6:20 as per her usual. She was talking and making lots of noise so Mark came in and got her and I got to sleep in. Claire came in at about 6:50 and climbed in bed with me and slept till 7:30 or so. All this to say that in one night of trying to adjust my way of doing things I saw progress towards a more normal night. I can cope with waking every two hours but not every hour or 45 mins. Just now Emily is taking a nap. She awoke at 45 mins and I heard her right away and swayed the Amby bed and she went right back to sleep. Hurray! It is usually very unlikely that I get her back to sleep after a short nap even though I try it as often as caring for Claire allows.

Other good news both girls seem to be growing according to our home scale. Claire is 23.4 lbs. I thought she was still 22 lbs. I don't know how she grows with as little as she eats! I weighed Emily and I together then myself and subtracted. It looks like she is about 12.5 lbs. I thought she was 11.5 or 11 lbs!

Just for the record...
Emily used to fall asleep in her bed so I know it is possible. She also will fall asleep in my arms without nursing sometimes. She will take a pacifier for about 2 seconds and then spit it out. If you hold it for her she will gnaw it for a while but doesn't suck on it much. (She likes to suck on her fingers and thumbs though.)

Claire had a very successful quiet time today. She did 15 mins without a single minute added! I let her sit on the floor instead of the chair and she was very focused looking at several books with flaps that open.

Yesterday we did a new craft project from the Toddler's Busy Book we stuck tissue paper to tinfoil using baby oil as the "glue" then she did some watercolors. Later she tore more tissue and we glued it to the watercolor. This morning we had morning exercize...I put on music and we danced and stretched together and got out the scarves and ribbon hoop. now she is "reading" on her own. I think I need to do more planned activities like this. I wrote lesson plans for this whole week on Sunday afternoon.