BD --
Right now I'm attempting to write this letter to you as you doze fitfully by my side in the pack and play. Technically I should be napping too, but really, the times that you sleep are so rare that I'll take any moment I can get to get some work done. Today you turn two months old and it's been a month of big firsts and we're preparing
for some big steps.
This was the month that you smiled at me for the first time, which was very sweet. You've got a smile that lights up a room. While it wasn't visible at first -- much like Sesame Street's Aloysius Snuffleupagus, it only appeared to me (which had the added benefit of making Momma look like a lunatic when she said you smiled). But then you bestowed your grin onto Daddy and soon, everyone else could see what a smiley, happy baby you can be.
You're also showing interest in toys and playing -- Po Po's black and white horsey is one of your favorites. However, you still hate tummy time and will continue to lodge complaints as you do your reps. But I have to say that I'm proud of your attempts at push-ups. I can't even do one rep, so this is my way of living vicariously through you.
I also learned that despite the fact that you like being awake, you need your sleep. No really. You do. The bags under your eyes make it look like you've been on an all-night coffee bender with Auntie Keidra. While she may say sleep is for wussies, you're a baby. More importantly, you're my baby and I like sleep. So I will force you to like sleep so I can also get some sleep.
The noises that you're making now are also moving away from the petting-zoo variety. Instead of sounding like a baby elephant, you're saying things like "goo" or "ho" in a nice little British accent. It's very adorable and you're becoming quite the chatty little girl.
This month you met Uncle Greg and Aunt Susan, mind-melded with Auntie Stella and also met Uncle Dan and your cousins, Maddie and Elliott. This was also the month that we all went to Gen Con. While Momma was worried and had visions of you screaming bloody murder in the hotel as Social Services paid a visit, her fears were unfounded. You slept alright (after a rough first night) at the hotel, enjoyed seeing the Dealer's area and were nearly scarified to a Beholder. Zonk got a picture of that. I'm not sure if it'll drive you into therapy as you get older, or if you'll find it funny.
Your Auntie Stella's the one who finally drove it into my thick skull (which your Daddy is probably thankful for) that you need more sleep than the hour or so curled up around me after a feeding. I don't know what kind of voodoo she worked, but at her house in Champaign, you napped for TWO HOUR STRETCHES. TWO HOURS. Even with Elliott and Maddie running around and hollering. That's like manna from heaven. I feel like I can't reproduce those results unless I give you Scotch.
And that's what we're going to try to work on this coming month -- getting you into a regular sleep cycle and not so dependent on me or Daddy to have you sleep. We made the fatal error of trying to do that without reading books and it didn't go so well. Which is an understatement. You screamed bloody murder and later that night, screamed at the sight of the crib.
Which makes me feel like the worst mom on Earth. Doing this without some research is a bad idea, to say the least. Of course, I should've realized that cuddling you to sleep instead of putting you to bed when you showed signs that you were tired was opening the door to you needing to be cuddled until you slept. In short, I created a cuddlemonster.
This coming month may be rough for all of us as we try and break you of your cuddle addiction. It's going to be hard and you're probably going toscream a lot, but really, it's for the best. You need to learn that you don't need to be cuddled as a sleep talisman and I need to be able to get stuff done around the house. It may seem hard-hearted and selfish, but I want to tell you that this is going to break my heart as much as yours. But part of the trick of growing up is to learn that sometimes the right thing to do doesn't always initially feel good, but the results are worth it in the end.
Love,
Momma
2 comments:
Aw, letters to BD!
I hope this is one of many. And I am glad you all enjoyed Gen Con!
*tear*
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