Milestones: 8 weeks

My mom keeps telling me I should record Nina's milestones in a journal or book. But since I've got you guys, and this lovely private blog (unannounced to family or the world at large), I'll just tell you about it here!

At 8 weeks, Nina is smiling more frequently now, which is awesome. She also can follow an object or face from side to side. Ben and I were sitting on opposite sides of her the other day, and she kept turning her head from one side to the other everytime she heard someone speak. Pretty cool. She can hold her head more steady, but is still pretty wobbly when she's tired.

Graduated to size one diapers, and has already grown out of a whole crop of newborn onsies.  Kaycee- did you say you liked the Kirkwood diapers at Costco?

Sleeping arrangements have been creative. Thanks to the fabulous video, "Happiest Baby on the Block", care of my friend Lauren, we have her swaddled up tightly, and sleeping in a swing, with a white noise machine tucked in the side by her ear.

Earlier on, we had her taking her daytime naps in the swing too, but now she can sleep in her vibrating chair (thanks, Sooz!)

When the batteries die (always in the middle of the night, of course) she wakes up howling. This is her way of telling me she is not ready to sleep in her crib. I have tried putting her down under her mobile in the crib, but she will only last 5 minutes or so before complaining bitterly. Even when she's put down in the crib asleep, she will wake up shortly thereafter. The advice nurse at her pediatrician says we should begin to wean her off sleeping in the swing at night, but mommy really likes her sleep and is hesitant to jump the gun.

How much sleep at this point? It's erratic, but gaining steadily. Here she is, snoozing in the arms of my friend Karen's little girl Maya. I put her down at 8p, tho' sometimes, she goes down closer to 10p. She'll usually wake up again between 2 and 4p for a feeding. Occassionally, there will be an 11p rousing, as well. Then she's up again between 5 and 7am, once in a while making it all the way until 8am. Then, if I am lucky, she might go back down for a snooze til 10am, but usually she's up for good.

Here I am in my new nursing tank top (I had to order a size medium for the girls to fit). I swear, these things are bigger than Nina's head! I'd enjoy being a porn star more if they weren't so cumbersome and sore all the time.

Feedings last about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes with a diaper change. Then it's back to bed for me, which sometimes takes another 1/2 hour for me to fall back asleep. Needless to say, it definitely affects my ability to function. I feel fuzzy headed all the time, and make the stupidest mistakes. And don't even ask me to follow a complex set of instructions or have an intelligent conversation. Those brain cells are temporarily in hibernation!