Just a few pictures from the past few weeks

Sleep Training has begun...

Well first let me start out by saying AR is now officially in her room! YAY! We started last week slowly transitioning her to her crib in her room. Last night we left her in there all night (Riley didnt even bring her to me when he left.) I felt it was time to start "sleep training" and get her used to falling asleep on her own. I had read Baby Wise which is a very controversial book about parent direct feeding and sticking to a schedule. It also talks about you setting the nap times each day rather than the child. We have chosen to still feed her on demand rather than just every 3 hours (which usually is pretty close to that anyway). I am using more the E.A.S.Y method which is Eat, Activity, Sleep, You time and to me its basically the same but you dont stress out about the clock as much. It is just getting her on a routine that is the same everyday. I have started putting her down for a nap in her crib (while she is still awake). Yes, sometimes she cries and other times she just lays there until she falls asleep. Yesterday was the first day I did this all day and I have to say it worked well. I am not a fan of crying it out but I do feel that it is better if a child can learn to soothe herself and fall asleep on her own. Usually she will cry for 5 minutes max and then she is either asleep or she just lays there. If she cries longer it is usually because she is still hungry or needs a diaper change. If we have to soothe her we just go in there and do the "shh--pat" for a few mintues but try not to pick her up (which is hard!). I am also trying to not use the pacy as a way to get her to sleep. If she needs it then I give it to her but I am trying not to use it as a prop. We have been doing a night time routine for a while...bath, bottle, book, song, bed. However, we would rock her for sometimes an hour trying to get her asleep. Last night we just layed her down after we did the nightly routine and she was asleep within 30 minutes. She had received the Soothe and Glow seahourse from her little cousins at Christmas and we started using it and she loved it! I know its not always going to be this easy but its the consistency that I am working toward. My goal of sleep training right now is not for her to sleep the whole night...although that will be great when the time comes. It is more about getting her to know that nightime is sleeptime and how to fall asleep without us. I feel that when this is established, sleeping through the night will come (hopefully!) :)

Just have to let you know

Anna Riley smiled for the first time today! A real, on purpose smile! :) I just love it!

1 month (yesterday)

Wow... I cant believe that a month has already flown by! It has been a wonderful month being a new Mommy!! We have adjusted well to our new life and we are loving every minute of it!! Now I cant imagine life without her. Here are some things about Anna Riley...

*She is in between sizes...she has outgrown the newborn sleepers and is wearing 0-3 months in those and in some clothes but still wears some newborn clothes. She is now wearing size 1 diapers.

*I dont know how much she weighs now but I am guessing over 9 lbs. (she weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. 2 weeks ago)

* She is still fairly petite. She has long, skinny fingers and toes and long legs. Riley says she is starting to get a round belly though.

*I think she favors both of us but mostly Riley. She has lots of her daddys features. Her hair is still brown but it is lighting up a little bit and ever once in a while you can see red tents. I really dont think it will ever turn red like mine but possibly an auburn color. Her eyes seem to be brown...its hard to tell though.

* She eats every 2-3 hours during the day and usually every 3-4 hours and night.

* She is getting more on a schedule (on most days)-- we usually get up for good around 8:00 or 8:30 and she is up for about an hour and 1/2 and she takes a nap and then is up for a while and takes another nap in the afternoon (and sometimes I join her for this one! :) and then usually one in the evening around 6 or so. She had been sleeping so much so it is nice to see her awake more (during the day that is!)

*She sleeps pretty well at night. She has her off nights though! (like the past couple of nights!)Sometimes she doesnt like to go back to sleep but for the most part she does pretty good. I hope to have her in her crib full time in a few weeks. She does not really like to be swaddled and so I have stopped even trying. She also likes to have a light on and goes to sleep most nights listening to Willie Nelson (I bet you cant guess who started that...I put on Mozart and Daddy puts on Willie but hey she likes it so whatever works!)

*She does not usually cry much. When she is hungry she grunts really loud and every once in a while you hear a snort or two!

*She has the hiccups and sneezes a lot...it is so cute when she sneezes because she is very dramatic! haha

* She is so much more alert now and is constantly looking around. She is also grabbing things more such as my hair, shirt, her blanket, etc.

*I love when she 'smiles'...I know it is just a reflex but it is so cute. And Wednesday three different times I said "Smile for Momma" and she did! Haha... what a coincidence!

* She loves to stretch and we call it her "wake up routine" because she will stretch for at least 15 minutes. She also makes lots of funny faces. I feel like we are constantly laughing at her!

1st Bath

Last weekend we gave Anna Riley her first real bath. She liked it better than I thought. She kept trying to raise her head up like she was looking to see what she was sitting in! :)

Beautiful Weekend

The weather was perfect this weekend! I just wish that it would stay that way for a while!! We definitely took advantage of it and got out of the house. We have been trying to stay in for the most part since it has been so cold and with all the sickness but we just couldnt resist getting out this weekend. Saturday we went to visit Nana and Papa Doug (Rileys parents) and then came home and took a stroll around the neighborhood. This was her first time in the stroller and she seemed to like it because it put her right to sleep. Sunday we took her out to eat for the first time. We met my parents at Cypress Inn for lunch and she did great...she once again slept the whole time! haha I hope everyone else enjoyed the weekend as much as we did!!

Colic update: She is doing much better (knock on wood) with her fussy time. I think we are just finding better ways to soothe her. By the way, thanks for all the suggestions. She does not like to be swaddled...but I keep trying thinking she might decide she likes it! haha She does like to be rocked and sang too and the pacie helps. I have the worst singing voice but at least my baby likes it! :) I need to think of some more songs...I just keeping singing "Jesus Loves Me!" But hey whatever works!

2 week checkup

Yesterday we took Anna Riley for her 2 week checkup. We changed to a different pediatrican at the last minute and they were able to get her in the next day! She weighed 8lbs. 12 oz. (her birthweight was 8 even and her discharge weight was 7lbs. 4 oz.) so that was great! They said they like to see them back at their birthweight and she did that plus more...what can I say I have a hearty eater!! :) She was 21 1/4 in. long (birthlength was 20 3/4). They had to prick her foot again and she did so great, barely even cried! Dr. Roberts said everything looked great. However we are having a bit of a colic problem. She cries for about an hour or so everynight around 8:30. I am nursing as well as giving her formula because my milk supply is still low (but increasing). So we had changed her formula this week and also started giving her the Mylicon drops. But Dr. Roberts said it probably doesnt have anything to do with the bottles or formula or anything I am eating seeing that she only does it for that period at night. Last night we tried the Gripe water and it seemed to work pretty well.