Firstly, let's get the big news out of the way. BabyBear sleeps through the night. In fact, she has been sleeping through the night since she was about 8 weeks old. And my definition of sleeping through the night does not mean the "midnight to 5 am" nonsense espoused by the child development experts. I'm talking nice, long, blissful sleeps spanning 9 pm to 5 or 6 in the morning.
Next, let's talk breastfeeding. Lots of moms have huge problems here. Cracked and bleeding nipples. Insufficient supply. Low weight gain. Feelings of inadequacy as a woman.
We have none of that. My nips were sore for a week or two, but that passed quickly. (Incidentally, those new to breastfeeding should seriously consider a nipple shield in the early days. It saved me when I got engorged and for a week or two thereafter.) BabyBear feeds like a champ and we have a nice routine going. Nothing like the horror stories I had heard pre-baby. By 11 weeks of age, BabyBear had doubled her birthweight and weighed in around the 95 percentile.
Even my post-partum crazies have dissipated (I diagnosed myself with a mild case of rollercoaster hormones and anxiety in the early days). Although I must admit that my fight or flight instincts reared up big-time when a fox crossed our path in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery last week. You read that correctly - a fox. Big red tail, emaciated body, and aloof attitude. Needless to say, BabyBear's stroller turned around on a dime and we got out of there quickly.
So that's my news. My next challenges include figuring out some kind of routine, particularly around the question of naps. (Under our current system, BabyBear sleeps whenever she wants...a recipe for the occasional 6 pm melt-down when she hasn't slept all day.) And we'll test the notion of traveling with a 3-month old when the 3 of us take to the skies next week.
I promise to keep you posted on all fronts and perhaps post a few photos. Until then, may your children sleep deeply and sleep often.
