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The time has come to make the apartment a little more babyproof. Aurelia is getting faster and faster. She loves to get under my feet while I am cooking,and since our kitchen is only about 3 feet wide,this is a major problem. If she is in the kitchen floor,I cannot open the refrigerator door –that is how small the floor space is.:) So,we found a gate for the kitchen “doorway,”which actually extends between the cabinet door and the side of the pantry cabinet. Marcus also found some “fencing”for the tv stand. I told him that the entertainment center needed doors…Anyway,we will do this for a while and then perhaps we will move on to persistently telling her no. I would like for her to learn that she just cannot touch everything so that she won’t be a tornado when we visit other people without kids.
Marcus Says:The only way to have an entertainment center with doors that would also protect the TV was to spend $1000 dollars. I’m quite happy with a $60 dollar fence. Later,Aurie can use it as a fort with blankets and boxes. For those whose thoughts and prayers have been with us over the past week while we have been in “sleep training,”thank you! While we were on spring break,Marcus and I decided that it would be a good time to work on getting Aurelia to put herself to sleep at night and stay there. So,after a night or two of some crying,she is doing so well! The first night or two,we had about 40 minutes of crying until she drifted off to sleep,then it was more like 10,and now she fusses until I shut the door –I suppose just in case I change my mind:). Beyond that,we are now trying to get her to bed around 7:30,which has been going well,even with the brightness of daylight savings time streaming through the windows. (I need to make her some curtains.) She has been sleeping until about 7 or 8am,now,with one feeding –hooray!! After 9 months,we will probably wean her off of night feedings entirely. I’ll find out what the doctor says in a few weeks. As for napping,that is a different story altogether. The one day that we let her “cry-it-out”for a nap,she cried for an hour,spit up a bit glob of mucus,and then refused any other napping for the rest of the day. I finally put her to sleep with a half hour speed-walk in the stroller. I also had to remove to tray and push it on the back two wheels to keep her from sitting up so that she would relax. So,after one whole day with only 30 minutes of napping,we have decided to wait on pushing the nap issue. So,we still cajole,rock,sing,swing and beg for her to nap –at least she usually does nap,eventually. I’d like to get her nap-routine more established,but this is very difficult,since there are three different people putting her down over the course of a given week. If we could get the consistency down,I think getting into sleep-mode will come more easily. One thing at a time –for now,I’ll take the early bedtime with a full night of rest!! Hallelujah! This picture was taken after she fell asleep against me on the futon. For naps,sometimes we nurse and then she falls asleep with her back to me. I sort of have to pin her down to get her to be still long enough for sleep to take hold. Sleep is still such a battle! Every night,it is at least 10 minutes of holding her down in bed to keep her from getting up. Then she finally gives in. Whew! I am so tired after putting her down. Little did I know that motherhood was so much like professional wrestling. (By the way,I scooted her back and then stayed nearby after this photo. I don’t leave her asleep hanging off of the edge of the furniture.) New tricks!! Aurelia has officially graduated to finger foods. She flat refuses to take anything on a spoon from Daddy or me –for 2 days,now. So,yesterday,I made her some very soft carrot bits to pick up and eat,which she did. Tonight she had Cheerios and carrots for dinner. I am going to have to think of more creative things to let her try. I am so uncertain about what to give her and what to try next. There is no way that she is going to be ready for most things in 2 more months –or at least is seems that way. Do you just toss her everything at once once she turns a year-old? So far,she has only tried about 8 or so foods. I just don’t see how she will be on tablefood in a few short weeks. So,while she was eating dinner,she stopped to applaude! I was shocked,since I hadn’t seen her clap before. Apparently,she will do it on-command for the babysitter the past couple of days. It is so cute! We took some video that should be up soon. The pincer-grasp is coming along nicely,too –that is also on the video. Oh,and she started waving bye-bye. We have to do a good bit of coaxing,but it is a full arm wave,not a hand open and close wave. I’m so excited about all of the new things that she is learning!! | |
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