Leila is already 7 weeks old. Amazing. And the weather is cooling down, so I can finally dress her in all the adorable cold weather clothes that she received as gifts.
She has taken to somewhat of a schedule, which we are happy to see. Sure, it may not last, but while it's in place, we plan to enjoy it!
She is awake for the day almost always by 9am. After her morning feed, we take a long walk with brother
Nalu.
Sometimes I jog with her, but just a few miles here and there, as I'm just getting back into running. I haven't run since the Surf City 1/2 marathon in February 2008, when I was 6 weeks pregnant. So, it's going to be a while before I'm back up to those longer training runs.
We have a nifty BOB Revolution jogger (see pic below). It's super easy to maneuver with 1 hand and her infant seat fits right into it with an adapter. This way I don't have to wait until she's 6 months to use it!
It is tricky to get used to running with a baby jogger and a dog strapped around your waist, but I'm getting more and more used to it each time we go. She seems to really enjoy being in the stroller. She always falls asleep in there. That, the car, and the Baby Bjorn. Reliable methods for calming fussiness.
My neighbor and I are going to run the Dana Point Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day and will also do another 5K in January. We hope to do a 1/2 marathon sometime in spring or summer of next year. And yes, Leila and
Nalu will be along for the ride as we train!
Leila rarely naps even if we try to get her to go down for a nap. (Ask
Oma and you'll find out her mom was just like this!!) You know how everyone says to sleep when the baby sleeps? Well, that only works if the baby sleeps! =0) Afternoons usually consist of feeding, playtime, and the occasional snooze. Sometimes she drifts off in the swing or the bouncy chair, but just for a few minutes. If I have to get something done around the house, I put her in the Baby Bjorn and things are all good. We also bought a carrier from Ergo Baby. This one is fantastic. It works on the front or the back and can accomodate her until she is 40 pounds.
I suppose the positive side of the lack of napping, is that she has a pretty set routine at night. She gets an evening bath and her last meal around 9 or 10pm. Sometimes she falls asleep right after feeding, but if she needs some help to fall asleep, I sing to her, rock her, or play music. We count on Disney tunes to help. She wakes up usually around 4 or 5 to eat, then goes back to sleep until 9am, and then we start the day all over again. It's so nice not to be up every 2 hours anymore. We treasure those hours after she goes to bed for the night, that we can have to ourselves, mostly to catch up on our sleep.
Needless to say, we are loving having Leila here. We think to ourselves often: what were we doing before this? Can't remember!
Words can't do justice to the incredible feelings I have for this little girl...I love her dearly! All I can say is, this is one fantastic ride, and I love it! God is AWESOME!!!
Happy Turkey Day!
