If no other skills come from this "stay at home mother" role, I at least know that I have a shot defusing bombs for the FBI.  Addicyn sleeps beautifully through the night.  Last night she slept 12 hours straight through and still has managed to takes naps throughout the day, however, it is the naps that are difficult for her.  Putting her in her crib is like trying to put down a bomb without setting it off.  She loves to be held tightly to my chest and rocked while sucking on her pacifier.  She drifts right off to sleep in a matter of seconds.  I usually wait until her mouth has gaped open and the pacifier has slipped slightly out before I try to move her.  I remove the pacifier carefully, trying not to touch the sides of her mouth as though I were playing Operation.  I then slip as smoothly as possible from the couch or chair that I have been sitting in, and hold her close to me as I walk to her room.  I am very careful to keep as much contact with her as possible until I can make the quick transition to the mattress, but it is no easy task.  If I am lucky, she doesn't wake up right away, but it usually never fails that I hear her little voice calling me maybe 15 minutes later. 

In the morning, she usually stays up for an hour or two and then takes her first nap.  I can read my school books or watch television while she naps, and she usually does so for a couple of hours...so long as I stay there next to her.  There are times that I take the chance and get up and do what I have to do and she sleeps just fine, but more often than not I am only allowed 15 minute spurts. After her 15 minutes she feels refreshed for a little while, I put her in her bouncer and she is good for maybe a half hour, and then she is starts to gets sleepy and begins to cry.  I rock her, she falls asleep and it starts all over again. 

I really need to find a way to put her to sleep and keep her asleep...anyone have any suggestions?

It has been 7 weeks since the birth of my daughter, Addicyn.  You would think that the reality of being a mom would have hit me by now, but I am still in a state of disbelief and funny thing is that now my husband is too.  It used to be that when I was pregnant, I would break out with, "wow, hunny, can you believe there is an actual person growing inside my belly??!!"  I know Tony was sick of the question, but I just couldn't believe it...a little person.  I don't blame him for being less than enthusiastic.  Unless he is able to feel the kicks and the jabs and the little hiccups, I don't expect him to truely understand my excess of emotion.  Now, since Addicyn has been born, it is an entirely different story. 

At first, he didn't have too much to do with her.  Occasionally he would pick her up and feed her a bottle, but she was primarily my responsibility.  Now that she is bigger, he has been taking more initiative.  He holds her as he watches television and gives me instruction on how to do this or that correctly when it comes to baby rearing...I just politely nod and smile, just humoring him.  I am just happy that I can see his love for her growing stronger.  The other day, as he was sitting on the bed, cradling our new bundle of joy, he said to me, "hunny, can you believe this little person came from inside your belly?  This perfect little girl is part of you and me?!"  I just smiled, because now, I know he gets it - she is a miracle...our little miracle.

As I am writing this, she is sleeping in her travel bed, that I have placed on the loveseat to my right.  This is our nightly ritual, so that Dad can sleep so he is well rested for work in the morning.  I put her to sleep in the living room and watch television and work on the computer, and when she is for sure asleep, I carry the entire travel bed into the bedroom and place her next to Tony.  She wakes up once during the night for a bottle and quickly goes back to sleep.  She is just beginning to smile and make her little cooing noises, so we talk for a little while before she drifts off to sleep.  It is funny, I want her to sleep so I can sleep or get things accomplished during the day, and yet I always want to wake her up and shower her with hugs and kisses. 

Here are some pictures I took while we were home and bored.  Goodness she is beautiful!


   

My new daughter.



   

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