Isabella is 19 weeks old. And her milestones keep piling up. She hasn't rolled over yet (must be those MIA knee caps hindering her progress), and she hasn't yet recited Whitman's Leaves of Grass from memory, but there are several other very cool things happening in Ella's world.She's discovered her feet. Whenever I strip her down to change her diaper, she'll grab at her feet and attempt to stick them in her mouth.
After ignorning them since the day we brought her home, she's suddenly developed a full-blown fascination with the cats. Now, whenever they walk into the room, she tracks them with her eyes, and immediately starts babbling at them. If the cats start meowing back at her in response, I'll be very, very afraid, because Rich and I will be outnumbered.
Up until a few weeks ago, I could feed her and eat or drink something at the same time. No longer. She's now obsessed with anything that goes near my mouth. She'll stop nursing, and immediately look up at me with this intense look in her eye as if to say, "um, hello? Down here. A little decaf for me, perhaps?" And she swipes at things I'm attempting to eat and drink as well. We've had one mishap already, resulting in a blob of yogurt being deposited on her forehead.
She's pulling hair and glasses and grabbing at noses. During Christmas week, my mom was over visiting and I came down the stairs after showering and she pointed out this red scratch on my face. Isabella was swiping at my face earlier in the day, and had given me a scratch reminiscent of those my cats accidentally give me when I haven't cut their nails in awhile.
She's actually playing with her toys, and everything, and I mean everything, goes straight into her mouth. She's a massive drool machine, which causes everyone to ask, "Is she teething?" Her doctor says most babies start teething at six months, so I think she's got awhile before her choppers come in.
And finally, I can now make her laugh. She started laughing at anything and everything a few weeks ago. But now I can cause her to giggle by singing a funny song, or tickling her. It's a very cool thing to see indeed.
There is good news on the sleeping front too! It's too early to say at this point, and I fear I'm cursing my own recent good fortune as I type this, but it appears the little girl was simply missing being swaddled. See, her sleeping issues started to develop around the time we stopped swaddling her. I had read that most babies won't tolerate being swaddled after about three months time. And this seemed to hold true for her, as she would kick herself out of her swaddle, and create a smothering hazard in her basinett (where she was sleeping at the time). So, we stopped swaddling her.
So last week I asked her doctor if it was okay to keep swaddling her, and she said yes, and that they sell bigger swaddles as she grows. At first I didn't want to take a step backward and start swaddling her again, only to have her develop the same sleeping issues she's working through now all over again, so I didn't. But last night, I decided to give it a try. And she went down at 7pm easily. And she only got up once during the night. And today? She's taken a one-hour nap in the morning, and a two-and-a-half hour nap this afternoon, just like a normal baby! Please, Lord, let this swaddling thing be the answer. Because a not-cranky, not-whiny, not-pissy, not-sleep-deprived baby makes for a not-cranky, not-whiny, not-pissy, not-sleep deprived Kristi.
It's amazing how sleep can affect both her personality and mine. Yesterday, she had a 15 minute morning nap, and a half hour of afternoon sleep, all day long. Her personality yesterday as a result? Highly unpleasant. My personality as a result? Even more unpleasant. But today? Today, following her afternoon siesta, she was a completely different baby. Smiling, happy, alert, and playful. And her mother? Well, she took a step back from the edge.
Alleluia.
Yippee! Hooray for sleep!! I hope the swaddling's the ticket.
She's hitting some exciting milestones! Very fun. Such a dollie.
If Isabella and the cats start having a conversation, I do hope you'll YouTube it!
You are certainly bringing back memories for me, and since my baby is 35, the memories are very old! I always took a nap when my baby did, so as to avoid "the edge"...LOL
Lorelei would get so mad at that age when she couldn't have our food... she still does but it has easy some now that she gets her baby food... she just gets really pissed when we don't share the ice cream lol... and the no knee cap thing... so strange... glad she has them lol...
Glad to hear there may be more sleep in yours and Ella's futures. Alleluia, indeed!
God bless the sleep! Can't believe she's already 19 weeks. Maddy is 14 tomorrow. I still remember when you were going into the hospital to have her! Wow.
I can't wait! She is so adorable and I am really glad to hear the swaddling worked.
YEAH! That's great you found a solution! :)
Marie-I'm totally going to tape Ella talking to the cats one of these days. It's pretty funny.
Kenju-I wish I could nap when Ella does. Unfortunately, I have to work when she naps. :(
Shannon-Oh no! Ella's going to get angry when we won't share our food??? That could get ugly!
Sher-I hope she enjoys it. Then again, I won't be sharing all the posts with her. :)
L-Thanks. Me too!
Michelle-Time flies, doesn't it?
My Wombinations-I am as well!
Anne Marie- I was so happy that the problem was solved with something so simple as returning to swaddling her.
after reading your blog daily since the birth of isabella (our daughters share the same birthday), I have decided to officially "de-lurk" (international blog delurking week is as good a time as any, right?). i love having someone to compare liv to, and relate to, and commiserate with. and i love your writing, and recipes - yum!