Update

Hi Kids, Well, Abby has been with us a week now and you all seem to have adjusted fairly well to each other. I really am surprised that you are doing so well, and Matthew, I actually feel a little sad that you aren't struggling more with not having as much mommy-time as you are used to. I guess you are more resilient that I thought and a lot more independent. Although I know you are very independent as you frequently go off by yourself when we play outside and find other things to do--you blaze your own trail and do as you please. I have a feeling that may cause some contention down the road, but for now it's an interesting trait.

Abby, you are an excellent baby. You cry when you need to eat, when you are gassy or just when you want to be held, but you are really quite good. You sleep all night, waking only twice for eating and go right back to sleep. Granted, we haven't figured out your sleeping "formula" yet and you mostly sleep in my or Daddy's arms. By formula, I mean that we haven't figured out what gets you to sleep and stay asleep for a good few hours. For Sam, the formula was: swaddle + pacifier + swing = sleep 4 hours. For Matthew it took us a long time to find a formula, but eventually we realized that if we put you to bed right as soon as you started to show signs of tiredness, you would sleep. We didn't even have to have much of a routine, other than give you a pacifier. It was the time window that mattered most. And the time window was usually between 5:30 and 6:30 PM.


Abby, we don't have a formula for you although we've only had you for a week, so it's understandable that we haven't figured you out yet and also, you are just a newborn, so maybe there is no formula to be found at this early stage of life. Anyway, you don't care for pacifiers and the other night, Daddy was extremely frustrated and said, "She hates the pacifier!" You don't seem to care for the swing and don't really like to be swaddled. Hmmm... I don't have any other tricks in my arsenal. You like to be held against the chest, so Daddy or I usually just hold you on our chests and doze as best we can throughout the night. It works, for now. I have a feeling your formula might involve thumb sucking as you seem to have found your thumb an amazing number of times during your first week of life.

In closing I have to include a story about Sam's bedtime tonight. I was feeding Abby and Jason took Sam up to bed. They went up the stairs, then a few moments later Sam started yelling down the stairs, "Hey everybody! Daddy didn't brush my teeth!" Then it was quiet and I assume the bedtime rountine went on as normal. When Jason got downstairs I asked him what happened and he said that Sam asked about brushing his teeth and Jason told him something like, "Oh, we don't need to tonight" and then Sam ran to the top of the stairs to tattle. There are no secrets in our house these days. Love you lots, Mom