Hmm, it really does get easier

It's funny how the number one thing I've heard and advice we've gotten is that "it gets easier." No one could tell us when or how but they assured us it did happen. I remember for awhile waking up every day, wondering if it would be that day (and then it totally wasn't! Ha!). But, sometime around 6-8 weeks, things just felt better. Interestingly, nothing had changed. We are still following the same nursing/bottle/pumping routine. I'm still not eating dairy. We still are on high alert for blood in diapers. Alaina is still the same pleasant, sunny little girl who gets cranky when it's time to eat or she's overly tired (though granted, she is certainly more fun these days). And most of the time I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing and I have no time to get anything done. But amidst all that, it's easier. I'm sure part of it is starting a routine. Part of it is also recovering from the c-section and hormones leveling out. And part of it is probably sleep (more about that later) and, in my case, getting back to work. I've also lowered my expectations drastically for everything from housework to nursing/pumping to research. No matter the cause, we are glad for it.

Last week was my second week back to work part-time. I actually really love it. I missed my job (and feeling like I know what I'm doing...most of the time). It is also nice to see my friends and students again (and talk to other adults). Alaina stays with a sitter on Thursdays and Fridays (her only availability this month) and then I go in part of the day with Alaina on Tuesdays. It isn't enough to get everything done but I'm easing my way back. We like the sitter, too which helps. I didn't cry the first time I left (or since) but at the end of the day, I'm ready to go home and hang out with my little buddy. I actually am looking forward to being able to go to work daily in the fall. There is a little drama surrounding that--we wanted Alaina to begin the first week of August but they just called to say she can't start until September 17. So we will have to work something out for a few weeks. It's annoying but just part of the system. We knew going into it there were no guarantees.

So I mentioned our feeding routine is the same. We plan to reevaluate things in a few weeks. The frequency of blood has dropped precipitously. But she still has symptoms of food sensitivity (more detail than most would want I'm certain). I am still holding out hope that it's just the dairy working it's way out of her system, not that she is also allergic to soy or something else. It's been 3 weeks since I gave up hidden dairy. And yes, I do dream about ice cream and chocolate and cheese. :) Rather than set an end goal for nursing, I'm setting mini-goals. Current one: to make it to 12 weeks. I'm still not sure it's the right decision but that's a whole other blog post.

For all the struggles we've had with feeding, Alaina makes up for it by sleeping great at night! She typically falls asleep around 9-10 pm and wakes up between 3-5 am to eat. Lately I've been sleeping from about 10:30 until she wakes up which has been awesome. Such a perfect little girl. She gets up for the day around 7. I could stand for that to be a little later but oh well. We are still working on naps during the day (which is difficult with her eating schedule). She had one bad night last week where she was up from 3:30-6:30am so Chad and I got a better understanding of why people keep telling us how lucky we are that she is such a good sleeper. However, she was back to normal the next night. Whew.

Developmentally we think she's doing awesome! She is so vocal! And hilarious. She is starting to work some consonant sounds (/m/ and /n/ primarily) into her cooing and gurgling. In terms of motor skills, she is starting to bat at toys and while she isn't really reaching, she does grab things that are close by. This has included Chad's arm hair, my pajama sleeve, and various toys. It's fun to watch her eyes connect something she wants and excitement when she grasps it. Very cute. I think her head control is on track but I would like to see her have a bit more strength in her upper body. She hates being on her tummy and really isn't interested in lifting her head and shoulders. So no rolling over in the near future. But that's okay.

We think she just gets cuter and cuter. We realize that there are things we may not remember later so I'm trying to make an effort to cherish the moments. My favorite things: the sounds and faces she makes when she is falling asleep, the little suckling motions she makes in her sleep, how pleasant and happy she is first thing in the morning (always laughing and cooing), and the way she just lights up. Yup, we are completely enamored with her. Who wouldn't be?