Sunday, March 23, 2008

Windham, Party of 4

We are adding one more member to our family.

And no, I'm not pregnant.

My brother, Fletcher, has moved in with us. He came up on Tuesday with my mom and Dave, and starts school this week. It's going to be a fun adventure, not just for Fletch, but for Jonathan and I as well. I'm looking forward to see what God has in plan for us all and really thrilled that Julia gets to be around her Uncle Fletch.

Now, in other news.... Julia is rolling over! She just rolls one way (when on her belly) and she's only done it a few times, but we're getting there. And when she's on her back, she rolls over on her side (especially at night). It's crazy, because it seems like it all just kinda happened over night. Before you know it, she'll be walking and talking.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Today is a day that will go down in history....

... I am back in my pre-baby jeans!

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

To swaddle or not to swaddle, that is the question

I'm sure most everyone who has gotten to see Julia either right before or after bedtime has seen her in her baby burrito (tightly wrapped blankets that turn any baby into a cute little burrito). For the last 3 months the baby burrito has been a true blessing. She sleeps so soundly and it helped a great deal when her tummy was hurting so much. However, the burrito is turning sour.

Julia, being too smart for her own good, has picked up on what our bedtime/naptime rituals are, and has taken to fighting us when we swaddle her. She'll arch her back, kick, cry, wiggle, anything just to keep from being swaddled. Only thing is, she can't sleep without it. Hmmm... I see a problem here. She has even started doing acrobats in her sleep and so she wakes up completely unswaddled after a few hours (and on the opposite side of the crib), thus going from a 6-7 hours a night sleeper, to 4-5 hours. It seems like every time I go into her room at night now her little left hand and arm are waving free. I secretly think she thinks it's a game: Let's see how long it takes me to get out of this one. She's a little Houdini.

Last week during nap time I would lay her down loosely swaddled or completely unswaddled as to wean her off. Yeah, that wasn't pleasant. She'd sleep for just a few minutes, startle herself, wake up, not fall back to sleep, cry, then be completely swaddled, just to sleep soundly for an hour, then wake herself up because she was able to free her left hand. Finally, by the end of the week I gave up and went back to a full swaddle.

Until today. This morning I vowed to try it all again, this time only doing it once a day (so as to not totally stress myself out - or her) and to leave her left arm free while doing a tight swaddle on her right arm and legs. Do you know what? That girl has been asleep for the last hour and a half. Seriously, she has not even made a peep. What is that?? See, here again proves my theory that she's playing games with us and that you can never, ever predict a baby. But I can see right through her cute little eyes and sweet little smile and I know, I know what's going on. She's going to spend the whole week being a perfect angel, sleeping one arm unswaddled, and then BHAM! she'll change it all up next week. I'm on to you Julia Mabel....

Alas, we'll see what happens. I'd really like to get her to a point that she can sleep with out being a burrito, especially as she gets bigger and longer. But part of me is a little sad, because she's a cutie in that burrito. That's for sure.

***Random hope/desire/prayer/dream/etc*** Dude, I really think Julia might be a lefty like me! I mean, she goes to town with her left hand like nobodies business. So, here's to having my daughter take after me in some way (seeing as she looks just like her daddy!).

This is an old picture, but you get the idea of the baby burrito in all its silly cuteness.