Well the past two weeks have been fun! I love spending time with my Char Baby. We hang out and play during the day. We watch movies, have tummy time, sing, read, and nap. She is just so much more alert and interested in things. It is wonderful. She is such a blessing!
We went to the movies this week with my sisters-in-law and Charlotte had a blow out in the theater! My sister-in-law was holding her and feeding her a bottle and when she sat Charlotte up to burp her, she felt wetness. A big ole poop stain. So she changed her into the extra set of clothes that I had and Char was all better. She wanted to talk and play during some of the movie but for the most part she slept. An interesting first experience for us both. : )
Charlotte has been losing interest in taking naps during the day. She is going for longer periods without sleeping. However, this can make her quite the fusspot. She will be uncomfortable no matter where she is laying and she is squirmy and fussy. But eventually she just tires out. After 2 hours of the fussing and squirming. So that is super fun. She is still sleeping well at night and has really done well adjusting to sleeping in the pack and play. She still really loves to be swaddled and knows that when the swaddle is on it is nighttime. We are now slowly trying to break her from her swaddle. If she starts to roll soon, she can't be swaddled anymore so we are trying to get her used to that. I think when she can roll though and will be sleeping on her belly she will sleep a lot better. I know I am going to freak when she is sleeping on her belly but I have read not to flip them every time they roll. So that will be a huge adjustment as well. I have started trying to get her to nap in her crib too. This is pretty new and is taking some patience but she will get it eventually : )
Charlotte is her father's child and loves to watch sports. She loves to watch football. I don't know if it is the colors or movement or what but she will sit and watch it and coo at the TV. It is pretty funny.
Charlotte met some of our college friends this past weekend. We met a few after the Florida game and one came over before the game to meet the Char baby. She is always a hit : ) I always forget to take pictures of her meeting new people. I am trying to do better.
My mom comes this Friday to stay for the week. I am so excited. I am asking for one night of sleep. I have plenty of milk saved for mom to use and I am going to ask her to just let me sleep. Just one night. That is all I need. Like I said, Charlotte does great through the night but she still will make some noises or I will wake up just to check on her when she is sound asleep and after her 5am wake up sometimes she can be noisy. So just one night of uninterrupted sleep will be wonderful. I am not even going to wake up at 5am to pump - hopefully. I figure one night won't hurt my supply.
Sleep is interesting to me. When Charlotte was first born and was waking every two hours to eat it was easier for me to wake then it is now. Because she sleeps for hours, I wake to check on her because I am panicked something will happen to her. When she was waking so often I knew she was ok. Then, like I said sometimes she will struggle and grunt and squirm between 5 and 9am and it can be harder to get her to go back to sleep. Sometimes she is just up and wants to talk and smile. Def not happening at 5 am. The newborn period was so much easier because she just drifted right back to sleep SO easily. I knew that this time would come when she would require more help to sleep and it is now here.
I went and got my hair done and left Charlotte with a friend of mine on Friday. It was so nice to have those 4 hours to myself. I never thought I would say that. I LOVE Charlotte with all of my heart but sometimes you just need a break. I didn't understand that when moms would tell me that when I was pregnant, but I do now. Charlotte was quite fussy that day. She was so tired and was refusing to sleep. I was just as frustrated as she was. I just kept trying to tell myself to relax and that she would eventually fall asleep but after over 2 hours of fussing it just wears on you. I started to cry right along with her. It is like the lack of a full nights sleep for me, the fussiness from her, and the feeling you get that you just want to make it better for the baby and don't know how had all caught up with me. About 10 minutes later she did fall asleep and she was really good when I dropped her off that night. I would much rather her be tough for me than when she is a visitor somewhere else so I was very proud of her for that. But the point of this story is that motherhood is not easy. Any mom who acts like everything is honky dory and easy all the time is LYING! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade one minute with Charlotte for anything else but if there is a day where I find myself crying in the closet, I'm not going to feel bad about it, think that I am a bad mom, or think that I am going crazy. Just saying. And I know that there are plenty more hard times coming my way but I am ready to take on anything for my girl.
Well I am looking forward to 11 weeks! I will be headed back to work soon so I am taking in every minute that I can. Thanksgiving is coming up as well and it will be fun to celebrate Char's first Turkey Day! Here are lots of pictures. Enjoy!
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| Go Gamecocks! Beat Mississippi State! |
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| The closest that men come to understanding pregnancy. |
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| The 2 month old! |
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| She's in love with that tongue. |
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| 9 Weeks! |
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| Big girl holding her rattle |
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| Tummy time! |
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| 10 Weeks! |
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| Mommy's girl! |
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| Daddy being silly! |
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| Bath time! |
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| Snoozing on the couch in Granddaddy's office during the Florida game |
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| Watching the game on TV! |
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| Carolina Girl! |
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| The big girl napping in her crib. |
