Daph Stats: Month 5
My Darling Daphne,
This month started out tough for us. Although you had been sleeping through the night since 6 weeks, you suddenly began waking up two, three and even four times a night! I was tired and stressed and you were too! We experimented with a few things before realizing your Dairy Queen Mama just wasn't cutting it anymore. On Tuesday, October 18, you had your first bottle of formula which you absolutely loathed. Grandma Bush called as I was attempting to feed it to you and I started crying, saying how sad I was to be giving you something besides breast milk, when to my surprise, she said that none of your Bush Aunties and Uncles had made it past 4 months either! It was hard for me to realize I could no longer be the soul provider for your needs, but I had to realize it was more important for you to be full and happy than for me to keep fighting a losing battle. Thanks for your patience with me.
However, the formula still wasn't enough to keep you sleeping through the night, so on Thursday, October 20, we upped the ante and started you on rice cereal. You were hilarious at first, wrinkling your nose and pushing the foreign substance out with your tongue. It took several days, but you are swallowing like a champ now and that "baby cement" has helped to keep you full through the night.
Finally, the last change we made this month was getting rid of your binkie. I was guilty of using your nuk as a plug at times when it was inconvenient for you to be whining. I also wondered if this was contributing to your fitful sleep when you would wake up and not have something to chomp on. I felt impressed that now was the time to quit your dependency and wean you of the binkie. The first couple of days were rough, but you have been binkie-free for almost two weeks! For a little baby, all of these changes have been pretty significant to you, but I have been impressed with how well you have adapted.
Likewise, you are settling into our new routine in Mesquite quite well. Since there are not a lot of young children in this primarily retired community, you are a big hit wherever we go. We never make it through errands without someone admiring you, hungry for their own grand babies. You love the attention and ham it up, totally making their day and mine!
Some other things you have started doing are:
1) Sitting up on your own for several seconds at a time
2) Playing with your toes
3) Snuggling with the giraffe blanket buddy Auntie Chelsea gave you
4) Rolling over more purposefully
5) Propping your weight on your hands when you lean forward
6) Rubbing your nose and eyes when you are sleepy (so cute)
7) Reaching for anything nearby
8) Staring, smiling and babbling at yourself in the mirror
9) Being dramatic and instantly crying as soon as I lay you down for a nap (little faker)
10) Getting distracted while you are trying to eat - you don't want to miss out on anything!
The other night I was rocking you before bedtime. You usually squirm and whine when I rock you, so I generally just sing a song and put you to bed where you cry yourself to sleep (seriously, I don't understand why you hate going to bed so bad!). However, this time you just melted into my shoulder, looking up at me with the most content, peaceful expression on your face. We rocked for a long time like that. No fussing, no rush. Eventually you allowed yourself to close your eyes and your breathing became slow and deep. I didn't want to move. I felt such an overwhelming sense of love, happiness and motherly fulfillment at that moment, twinged with a slight melancholy as I realized the days are passing by in a blur and you will be grown before I am ready. Promise me you will always remember that no matter how big you get, I will always want you to rest your head on my shoulder. Never forget, you will always be my sweet baby girl. Grow on little one.
Love you forever and always,
Your Mama
Finally, the last change we made this month was getting rid of your binkie. I was guilty of using your nuk as a plug at times when it was inconvenient for you to be whining. I also wondered if this was contributing to your fitful sleep when you would wake up and not have something to chomp on. I felt impressed that now was the time to quit your dependency and wean you of the binkie. The first couple of days were rough, but you have been binkie-free for almost two weeks! For a little baby, all of these changes have been pretty significant to you, but I have been impressed with how well you have adapted.
Likewise, you are settling into our new routine in Mesquite quite well. Since there are not a lot of young children in this primarily retired community, you are a big hit wherever we go. We never make it through errands without someone admiring you, hungry for their own grand babies. You love the attention and ham it up, totally making their day and mine!
Some other things you have started doing are:
1) Sitting up on your own for several seconds at a time
2) Playing with your toes
3) Snuggling with the giraffe blanket buddy Auntie Chelsea gave you
4) Rolling over more purposefully
5) Propping your weight on your hands when you lean forward
7) Reaching for anything nearby
8) Staring, smiling and babbling at yourself in the mirror
9) Being dramatic and instantly crying as soon as I lay you down for a nap (little faker)
10) Getting distracted while you are trying to eat - you don't want to miss out on anything!
The other night I was rocking you before bedtime. You usually squirm and whine when I rock you, so I generally just sing a song and put you to bed where you cry yourself to sleep (seriously, I don't understand why you hate going to bed so bad!). However, this time you just melted into my shoulder, looking up at me with the most content, peaceful expression on your face. We rocked for a long time like that. No fussing, no rush. Eventually you allowed yourself to close your eyes and your breathing became slow and deep. I didn't want to move. I felt such an overwhelming sense of love, happiness and motherly fulfillment at that moment, twinged with a slight melancholy as I realized the days are passing by in a blur and you will be grown before I am ready. Promise me you will always remember that no matter how big you get, I will always want you to rest your head on my shoulder. Never forget, you will always be my sweet baby girl. Grow on little one.
Love you forever and always,
Your Mama
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