Hedgehog

I am typing this post one-handed while I sit propped up in bed with a sleeping Lucy on my shoulder. While I am not quite ready to be in bed at 8:00 p.m., and while many critics may be saying we need to sleep train our baby, I am happy as a clam with my sweet baby sound asleep in my arms. Jim is going to make the co-sleeper level with our bed which will make scootching her into it easier (she still startles VERY easily) and it will be nice to have some more snuggle time with Jim. For now, though, I savor every moment she takes comfort in my arms. She will only fall asleep softly at my breast for so long and I am in no hurry to see these days end.

Lucy did many new things in the past few days, even beyond rolling over. She figured out she can swat the toys hanging from her playmat, much to her delight. She gripped onto her hedgehog toy (from Aunt Crystal) in her car seat today and later held him and sucked on him while Daddy read Shel Silverstein poetry to her. She has never held anything but me or the occasional shirt of whoever is holding her and this seemed to bring her comfort. The great, growing girl suckled a pacifier until she fell asleep today and drank an ounce of milk from a bottle with daddy. We even went on our first library visit today. It makes perfect sense that she was sound asleep by 6:45 this evening!

At one point not long ago I couldn't put Lucy down so I could pee without overwhelming guilt and fear that she would feel abandoned. Tonight Jim and Lucy played/read/ate/got changed for bed WITHOUT my assistance. I even got to complete my nursing shirt improvement project. Because she hasn't been taking a bottle I only left an ounce for Jim to feed her, so she was still hungry and gladly fell asleep at my breast, but Jim did wonderfully, Lucy seemed to enjoy herself (as you can see from the photo) and I felt like we were parenting together. It really was terrific. No two days are the same. I have fallen into the trap of thinking Lucy may do the same thing two days in a row before only to have my expectations for the day destroyed. I do think it will be good to have Jim snuggle her, read to her, change her and occasionally feed her in the evenings as consistently as possible. I HATE to hear her upset even the littlest bit, but I understand the benefits of partnership and of Lucy and Daddy Bear learning about each other. I am thankful that this is (slowly) get less difficult and more enjoyable for me. Besides, I got to listen to poetry, too!