3 Weeks

You are three weeks old today.

It is so hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it has only been three short weeks since your birthday. It seems like so much longer and I feel like you've been a part of our family for forever.

Next week you'll be a month old. A MONTH OLD.

Time needs to slow down.

Our day goes a kind of like this. You wake up at 6, you eat, and go back to sleep. We either get back in bed or lay on the couch until you eat again at 8. You snuggle with me on the couch while I watch Wings, and Daddy usually wakes up between 8 and 9. You get a bath every other morning sometime around in here.

Daddy and I eat breakfast and then he loves on you for most of the morning. You eat at 10 and 12, and Daddy usually takes care of those feedings and the impending diapers after each. You nap in the pack and play in the living room. I try to grab a shower and do things around the house before Daddy starts to get ready for work around 12:30.

After Daddy leaves for work around 1:30, we take a nap on the couch until 3 or 4. You eat again after nap time, and then you start your awake hours. I usually plop you in the Nap Nanny on the dining room table while I fold laundry, eat dinner, and do other things. You LOVE the Nap Nanny, and I can keep a good eye on you while you're content in there.

At 8, we change into our jammies (which are SO cute on you), have your last bottle, and we rock and read a Bible story. Then I drag the pack and play into our room, and then it begins...

At 9pm, on the dot, you start to scream. Every. Night. From 9 until 10, I try everything I can to get you to stop screaming. I flop you all over the bed, changing positions, singing songs, burping you, giving you a paci, rubbing your back...NOTHING works. Not a thing. It is so bad that Charlotte even leaves the room and sleeps on the couch until Daddy gets home.

I finally break down at 10 and give you a bottle. You eat, burp, and cry some more until 10:45. Then, at 10:45, your magic button is pushed and you stop. You finally fall asleep on my chest. I try very hard not to move until your daddy comes home around 11:30. I threaten him so he doesn't disturb you, and he crawls into bed beside us.

Now, I always said I would never put a baby in bed with us. But this is the only way you'll sleep. We tried to go straight to the crib from the hospital. Then we tried to have you sleep in the pack and play in our room. Both of these had you waking up every two hours, and crying as soon as you couldn't see us anymore. You were really only sleeping 30 minutes by the time you calmed down, and then you were awake again. It was rough on us.

Once I figured out it was me that you wanted, I began putting you on my chest to sleep at night. You sleep the whole night through if you're with me, 6 to 7 hours straight. It makes for a happier house if you sleep, so I'll do whatever I have to do. In a few weeks, we'll need to start working on sleeping in the pack and play, and then moving to your room, but for right now, it works.

You are so much fun, except from 9 to 10:45. You are a sweet, sweet baby who is very easy going. Nothing really seems to upset you, as long as you get your bottle, and change your position every once in a while. You smile all the time and are starting to mimic our faces that we make. You love when Daddy sticks his tongue out at you and you concentrate really hard to stick yours back out at him. You've also found your voice and like to grunt and make little noises to hear yourself. You recognize my voice very well, and are starting to recognize your daddy's.

I am loving being your mommy. There is no place I'd rather be than with you, even from 9 to 10:45. You are such a blessing to us.