Pictures and Progress

Oodles of pictures:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=7a51e.4w9e6l07&x=0&y=-t1d9bm
There are 118 images here - each picture is in color and black and white, and some are in sepia as well. So don't click unless you have some time! The first few are so-so, but we're really excited about the rest of them.

Also, after lots of reading and hints from Morgen, it turns out that we needed to alter her routine from eating every 3 hours with 3-1.5 hour naps and an afternoon catnap to eating every 4 hours, which results in 2-2 hour naps and a catnap in the afternoon. She's much happier, nursing longer (Total minutes nursing over the course of the day has increased even though she's nursing fewer times - who knew?), and sleeping later!!

She woke around 3:15am night before last (after a day of feeding every 3 hours) but woke at nearly 5am this morning (after a day of feeding every 4 hours). I nursed enough to calm her and get her to take the pacifier and get back to dreamland since I needed to nurse her at 7am. (I'm treating her routine, which usually varies 15-30 minutes here and there, as more of a schedule (eat at 7, 11, 3, 7, 11, sleep for 2 hours at 9 and 1 and catnap around 5) to help her transition from the 3-4 hour timeframe.) After this week, I'll back off and follow her queues and allow for more flexibility.

I'm really hoping that the fact that she got very few calories overnight last night will result in her getting all she needs during the day today, and she'll make it till 7am tomorrow morning. If not, we've been using a technique to get her back to sleep when she wakes from a nap prematurely or to get her to sleep when she's overtired. It's not crying it out, but there certainly is crying. It only takes about 20 minutes of comforting, so it's not too painful for any of us.

In retrospect, after the first 3 days of a growth spurt when she had a 4 hour day, I should have been paying more attention to her queues. From what I've read, the days when she seemed to want to eat every 2 hours may have been an indication that she needed to be on a longer routine (bigger tummy can hold more...). Whew. Good to know for next time.

asl