Mary Clare- 7 months

Time is going by so fast. I want it to slow down! We are having lots of fun with our baby girl. She is sitting up on her own now, and her little hands are constantly exploring and looking for something to grab so she can chew on it. She is still not making sleep one of her top priorities, and enjoys having all-night access to her favorite milk machine. In fact, things have been a bit worse the last few nights (teething, I think). I am not exaggerating when I say she wakes up every two hours (or less). She only falls asleep one of two ways: the swing, with some white noise in the background (how Alex gets her to take naps during the day) and nursing. I know people swear by it, but I can’t and won’t let her “cry it out”. I will suffer through the sleepless nights if it means having a happy, securely-attached baby. This is not to say that I am ignoring the fact that she has very poor sleep habits that need to be broken. I know how important sleep is for proper growth and development, and that she needs to learn how to self-soothe. Right now I am reading “The No Cry Sleep Solution”(I skimmed through this book when little Alex was a baby, but never put much effort into the suggestions since his sleep problems weren’t nearly as bad). In the next week or so, I will start logging her sleep patterns so when I start to implement the suggestions in the book, I will be able to track her progress. In the meantime, I am trying to enjoy this stage which will pass all too quickly. I really do love the bonding time we get at night when I am nursing her, and when she wakes up for the fifth time after only half and hour, I try to offer up my minor sufferings for others who are dealing with much worse burdens. I imagine the mothers who are also awake, but are tending to children who are in pain through injury or illness. And I think about Our Lady. I wonder if she had many sleepless nights with baby Jesus. I know things will get better, and I am grateful my first born is a great sleeper!

I love putting her in cute dresses for Mass, but they are so impractical.  They always ride up when she is being held.  She usually spends the rest the week in onesies. 

 

Mary and her little lamb

We got the jumper out a few weeks ago.  She seems to like it so far.