I'm three!

Months, that is.

It's been busy around here! I got to see lots of people this month, including all of Mama's friends from Stamford. I also visited with Pappa's friend and their new baby, Layne. We walked across the bridge together! This month I started laughing at the silly things Mama and Pappa do, and I am so strong that I can pull the toys on my bouncy seat so they play music. I'm sleeping much better for naps, but only when I'm swaddled.

Oh, and Mama started work, so that's why she's not writing - she has no time!!

--Stella

Already proving her momma wrong

My dear husband took Stella to her 3 month checkup today (more on that in the next post), and the doctor said we should NOT be letting her nurse to sleep, we should be trying to get her to put herself to sleep ("drowsy but awake" is the lingo). I've tried this a few times, but Stella always ends up screaming at me, and nothing but nursing will calm her down. So of course, I share this with Gian, I'm freaking out b/c I think I've created a terrible, unbreakable habit and I'm dreading bedtime.

So what happens? Gian and I put her down "drowsy but awake" and... no tears, barely a fuss. She is asleep in minutes.

Already making me out to be the liar, the bad guy, Stella just has to prove her mom wrong!!

This is not new, this proving me wrong. She slept through the night at my parents' house after I warned them of her nightly habitual wakings, and I told everyone how she loves to fall asleep in the carseat and then dear Stella proceeded to scream and cry halfway from East Hampton to Colchester.

HOWEVER, if these are the ways she is going to prove me wrong in life, I'll take it. Well, maybe not the carseat screaming, but sleeping??? It's all good.

A few moments to myself.

So Stella is FINALLY napping. She has been a great night sleeper, but her daytime napping skills are practically non-existent. She will only sleep for about an hour in the morning, and then she takes 1/2 hour catnaps throughout the rest of the day (read, Mama can't get much done!). But today she is all swaddled up, pacifier in mouth, swinging away - and it is working! So with the few minutes I have left, I thought I'd blog.

I start work next week. As nice as it will be to have adult conversations (well, as much as you can have in an elementary school) and to see new faces and new surroundings (other than my home), I am pretty torn up about leaving my little girl in the care of strangers. Am I going to miss those milestones that are so important in a mom's life? Will she remember who I am? Will she know how much I love her, even though I'm leaving her behind all day?

Will I be able to keep up with work, being a mom, and being a wife? As I've mentioned in the past, I like a clean house. I've gotten pretty good at keeping it that way: I've divided my chores among the 5 workdays, instead of trying to get everything accomplished all on one day (usually Sunday!). This has worked well; I have manageable, feasible tasks to complete, and my weekends are free to spend time with Gian. I'm hoping I can keep to this schedule, so that I can still have weekends free, at least from house work, if not school work.

At least the first week won't be so bad - I'm not leaving her with strangers, but with family. The parents and Auntie Holly have decided to come "help" (more like getting face time with Stella), but it will help me ease into the new schedule. I'm hoping this will help get me on top of my game before I have to send her off to strangers.

As for Stella updates, she has started laughing - not quite outloud yet, but getting there. She has also become fairly good at grabbing the rings on her bouncy seat and activity mat, and I just put her in the exersaucer today and her feet finally (but just barely) touch the ground. She's huge, too: 24 inches and 13lb4oz at her 2 month appointment! Those extra 2 weeks of wombtime must have been good for her. :-)

So, while she naps, one would think that I would be working on lesson plans, preparing my items for school, labeling her items for day care....

But no. I sit here, watching her swing away. Because next week, I won't be able to.