Dear Button,
I was writing a check and realized it was Friday the 13th again! Six months from today we started out on this little journey together on a Friday the 13th. I had really wanted a 1.12.12 date for you. However, I knew that we were destined for a Friday the 13th baby when my water broke at 9pm on the 12th. It ended up being the luckiest thing that could have happened. The anesthesiologist wasn’t busy with any C-sections or inductions (I mean, who picks Friday the 13th for a scheduled delivery?). Then, we got Nurse Chris. We loved her! Because the doctor was so exhausted from all the 12th babies and your delivery was going along quite well, Midwife Alyssa – whom a friend had told me was “amazing”- delivered you! And then, we got a huge corner recovery room with a real second bed for dad. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky! So, from them on, I’ve referred to Friday the 13th, a day that usually calls for all sorts of mal suspicions, as Lucky Friday the 13th. It’s our day, baby girl!
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If last month was all about being awake, this month has been all about getting you back to sleep. On a schedule. Through the night. And not while I’m wearing you around. Our friend and resident expert, Ali, helped us set a schedule for you. After the first couple of days, I was pretty impressed with how easy it was! Then, everything changed. It was like when I go bowling and get a strike on my first turn, only to get gutter balls the rest of the day. Over the next three weeks, we figured out what worked for you. We are grateful Ali kept helping us out. Many thanks to Claire for suggesting the Jewel Children’s Lullaby Pandora station. No thanks at all to George Washington for perfecting the rocking chair; you like to be held, walked around, and patted on your back in order to calm down enough before we set you in your crib. We’ve known that you’re a tummy sleep all along and, sure enough, you started rolling yourself over before you fell asleep. Now we just put you on your tummy so that we don’t have to watch poor Sleepy Cow get thrown around in frustration as you get comfortable.
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You love to stand and sit up with a bit of help from us. We can already see you try to move your knees under you, a serious precursor to crawling. If your new habit of rolling around is any indication, you are going to be a girl on the go! Most of all, you love other babies! We celebrated the 4th of July with some friends on Coronado Island. Katie and you hit it off right away! She’ll be a good friend for you. As a first-born, I’m guessing you will be an A-type, headstrong kid. Katie is baby #4 and, at 7 months, has already mastered the balance of being laid back, but speaking up when she need to be heard. Sure, she will sleep as easy as 1, 2, 3 when you give her a paci and put her in her stroller. However, she can already say, “Dad!” It’s good to know when to just go with the flow and when to stand up for yourself. Talking of standing…
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Our biggest achievement this month is that we are off and running again! You get to ride in the BOB like a big girl now! Look out everybody else on the sidewalks of La Jolla World, here we come!
Grandma Alex - Yeaaay! Grandma was missing your blogs! I love this little window into your world. Avery is such a sweet little baby! <3