Olive has been on an amazing sleeping streak the last few weeks. I kept thinking it was just a fluke and that if I said anything out loud I would jinx it. It’s become another one of the many reasons why I love her so much. Easy baby=happy mommy.
When she wakes up in the morning Dave brings her into bed with me. She eats, hangs out, kicks, squeals, smiles and then falls back to sleep. If the stars are aligned, I can sneak away and leave her there to nap, while I get ready for the day.
But today, I didn’t want to sneak away. I wanted to lay there with her, stare at her little face, kiss those chubby cheeks, and maybe sneak in a few more minutes of sleep myself.
Then Gwen came in. “Mom, my diaper is wet.”
So I drag myself out of bed, away from this little piece of heaven, to go clean her sister’s bum. And these are the days of my life.
Ever since she was born, I’ve called her “Little Face” when talking to her.
That little face and those serious eyes looking back at me, makes me smile and brings happiness to my soul.
I love this girl.
Olive loves to be swaddled. She sleeps so well for me when she’s tucked in tight. Which helps me sleep better. Which helps me to be a happier mommy. Which has brought us such luck and fortune that we now swim around in a vault of gold coins.
Just kidding. That last part is not true. Plus, can you imagine how dirty that would be? Ew.
However, I was not always a swaddle-wise mother…
Back-story time! (Anyone else’s kids watch Phineas and Ferb?)
A day or two after Olive’s birth, one of my midwives recommended the book, The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. Unfortunately for me and my sanity, I didn’t immediately pick up a copy.
A few years before that, I read a blog post by Stephanie that was all about swaddling. It sounded interesting to me at the time and I decided that, with my next baby, I would give it a shot.
So, once Olive arrived, I revisited Stephanie’s post and gave swaddling a try. In re-reading her post, I noticed that she mentioned the same book that my midwife had recommended to me. Still, I didn’t rush out for a copy. Why, Holly? Why?
Even with Stephanie’s step-by-step instructions, my swaddling efforts weren’t quite working. Olive kept wriggling down into her blanket, which would cover up her face. This left me feeling uneasy every time she napped. I’m not the only mother in the world that checks to see if her napping newborn is still breathing, am I? I knew the blanket-over-the-face napping was not going to cut it long-term.
At my six-week check-up, my midwife again brought up the book Happiest Baby on the Block and swaddling. Finally, it sunk in. That same day, I reserved a copy at the library. I noticed they also had a DVD, so I put both on hold. Don’t judge me because seriously, I do not have much free time these days. And if I did have a rare free moment, and in that free moment, I started to read, I would fall asleep immediately. Plus I’m not a great reader, despite all my efforts and desires that I have to be a great reader. I’m actually jealous of my friends that read a lot (Brooke and Melissa, I’m talking about you. Oh and Courtney, you too.).
So, (luckily) the DVD arrived first. Dave and I watched it. In AWE.
The author/pediatrician has a few tricks up his sleeve to calm crying babies, and swaddling is just one of them. Now, don’t get me wrong, Olive has been a really, really good baby for me. But it would have been a much smoother transition after birth if I had followed these techniques.
So, for those of you who are pregnant, who plan on being pregnant, or who are about to get accidentally pregnant, read this book. I’d recommend reading it (or watching the DVD–I won’t judge) before baby actually makes his or her debut.
Look at that face! Is there any doubt that she loves the swaddle?
Anyway. It’s taken me longer to come around to the swaddle than it should have.
A lot longer.
But now, finally, I’m a beliver.
Olive is by far my easiest model.
I don’t have to tell her to look at the camera a million times like I do with Inez or Gwen.
She also doesn’t ask me why I don’t have/use a “wooden model,” like Inez has asked on a number of occasions. That girl is way too cool and/or annoyed to be posing for me these days.
She gives me a range of expressions all within a minute or two.
She can’t run away from me, even if she wanted to.
So it’s perfectly acceptable to have a gajillion pictures of her when she’s only two months old, right?
So there is this project I’m doing that I got from good ol’ Martha. Basically I take Olive’s picture once a month, wearing the same 12 month onesie (her, not me). I know this doesn’t look like a 12 month onesie, but I assure you it is. Then when she turns one, I find some cool frame with 12 spots and put all her pictures in it that I have taken over the first year. It’s a good thing.
One month
Three months
