Movin' On Up.... to the crib, that is!

Hey Everybody!

Wow, on the go and so busy these days; and with a daughter that naps like mine (maaaaaybe 45 minutes... she doesn't want to miss a thing), it takes an act of Congress for me to find a moment to do one of my favorite things-- blog! While she entertains herself with her "friends" (her Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies and Lights Play Gym... my Lord, she LOVES that thing!) I can hopefully catch ya'll up on what's been happening in the Luker home! Miss Hayden is just growing like a weed, and a couple of weeks ago we had to go in for her two month shots.  Awful. Just awful! They first measured her and checked her out you know, and she is doing just wonderfully. She weighed in at 12.2 pounds and measured at 23 3/4 inches! My goodness, we have a little piggy! Haha. She was in the 90th percentile for both height and weight; Dr. Pocsik said "that's some good growin'!" Then.... dum dum dum. That meanie nurse and her needles! The nurse stuck both legs very quickly, to her credit, but it didn't matter how quickly she did it.... my poor baby just turned red as a cherry and then did what I call the "silent scream." She squinched her eyes and opened her mouth, and was in such pain, she couldn't even find her voice for a good ten seconds. Just stared at me with horror as the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. Oh, I would do anything, ANYTHING to make my baby not cry. It hurts my heart terribly! When I see those tears come out of her eyes, it feels like somebody has ripped me in half. And if someone's hurt her to make her cry, then I become Mama Lion, hear me ROAR! Even if it is for her own good (the shots, that is.)  I just scooped her up and held her and rocked her and talked to her and told her I was sorry and it was okay, and that "mama knows." She calmed quicker than I thought she would (but it wasn't that quick) and when she got down to sniffles, we gathered our things and came right home. I nursed her and then swaddled her up and put her to bed. This was her first nap in her crib. She slept for FOUR HOURS. I couldn't believe it. Hayden, Queen of the Forty Five Minute Nap. I kept checking on her to see if she had fever and watching her on the monitor, but she just needed to sleep it off. She had a slight fever but nothing some baby Tylenol couldn't nip in the bud. My poor princess!  She has two months until the next set of shots.... hoping she forgets about it by the next time! In other news, she is smiling up a storm these days! So cute! She is happiest in the morning when she first wakes up. She is ready to become unswaddled and streeeeeeeeeeetch those arms out (another of her favorite things: stretching. I notice I stretch a lot like her, too.) We change the diapy and immediately come downstairs for playtime in our jammies. I can hear her talking to her friends now. She can really see herself in mirrors now as well. Yesterday was a day of firsts: she laughed for the first time (a real laugh.... a purposeful laugh) at my dad when he was squawking and blowing in her face. She just loves him! He props her up right next to him and they sit on the couch and watch TV. I could NEVER hold her like that! She also held a rattle and played with another toy for the first time yesterday. The toy was a colorful dragonfly with crinkly wings from our friend, Sherrie K, and she grabbed the rattle in her crib while playing with her mobile yesterday afternoon. Hayden also watched Sesame Street for the first time, and thought it was hilarious! Sesame Street was a BIG favorite of mine as a kid (I had two Big Bird birthdays in a row!), so it lightens my heart to see her enjoy it, too. She just squealed and chattered at the TV the whole time. She's also been watching Baby Einstein Bach, Mozart, and Lullaby DVDs and loves them as well. Lots of bright colors and of course classical music. And, for the real biggie, she slept in her crib for the first time last night. Oh, tear. Last week I became weepy when we were talking about it being time to go to her room. Will said I could have one more week. However, the past two nights before last, she did not sleep well at all. After her initial wake up (anywhere between midnight and 2 am) she was up, down, up down. Which meant I was up, down, up, down. I was exhausted. I felt like she wasn't sleeping well in the bassinet and that the time had come. I got her crib all ready yesterday by removing the bumpers (it's a new thing... prevents SIDS. Bumpers are purely aesthetic these days.) and all the toys and animals. I moved the monitor and made sure her sheet saver was tied down well. She's been napping in there for two weeks, so I know she knows where she is. We also play in there during the day. Last night, she was very cranky because she was just so tired, so when Daddy got home, it was bath time then bed time. Will did a great job getting her ready for bed (diaper, lotion, medicine, pajamas, swaddle) while I bathed. By the time I was good and clean, it was time to nurse and head to bed. She fell asleep gratefully, went to her crib, and didn't move a muscle. Around 2 am, she woke up to eat, then at 2:45, 3:00, and 3:30 am to be comforted. Finally at 4 am, she nursed and I put her in the bassinet. I think she could sense she wasn't in the room with us. But I was happy with that, it's a process! We're going to ease into it. She did a great job. It's hard to sleep in a strange new place! Especially in the dark. So we'll go little by little until she's in there full time. I am very proud of her. And me, too!

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