Violet Ann Eloise 9+ Weeks

My sister and I just were talking the other day about our fear of claiming to have good babies.  There is this internal terror that hits that once I claim it tomorrow will prove me wrong and that by somehow failing to state what I think may be true, I won't be disappointed and left with a fussy baby.  But I'm feeling bold, so I'll say it: 

Violet Ann Eloise, thus far, is a great baby!

Our day doesn't have an exact start time yet...but it seems that she regularly gets up around 7:00 to eat and depending on the rest of the families activities she sometimes goes back to sleep till 9:30ish.  We eat about every two hours after that, and has been starting to also take an extended nap around 1:00ish, which momma LOVES because her brother is also sleeping around then.  

I would say that I'm encouraging schedule now, but not trying too hard.  I really try to have her hold off eating if its been less than 2 hrs, and I enjoy my "2 sleeping babies time" so very much that I make sure she is fed, changed, and if sleep doesn't follow after 1:00, I run the hair dryer and that usually does the trick!

I don't know that I've paid much attention to her schedule for the rest of the afternoon.  It seems she has one long nap and another cat nap or two.  Lately she's been pretty content in her bouncy chair (as long as the vibrator isn't on! much to her brothers dismay) and she lets me eat dinner with Joel and Benjamin!

Violet's evenings are confusing me.  I think I could figure them out if I tried harder, but I haven't...Week 2 through Week 6ish it seemed as though for about and hour and a half/two hours she cried if she wasn't being bounced.  I would say the last 2weeks, she is definitely beginning to move past this stage.  yeah!  However she does need constant attention: eye contact and conversation or nursing.  I get so tired after 9 that I usually just nurse her, but I'm afraid that I'm letting her overeat and subsequently throw up.  It happens regularly(a.k.a. every night).  It started because I thought she was cluster feeding, and honestly hungry.  But my fear now is that she just likes to hang out, and accidentally eats far more than her tummy can handle.  So back to the bouncing/2 hour "conversations" we go.  The other 2 options is that she's just a spitter (she has spit up other times as well, just not as regularly and not as large of quantity)

So around 10:00 I start to look longingly at my bed...I usually try to nurse Violet Ann Elouise one last time and then put her down.  This takes place one of two ways...If Joel is gone (Monday-Thursday) I nurse her to sleep in bed with me, and Joel puts her in her bassinet when he gets home.  Friday-Sunday, I usually feed her, and then run the dryer till she's asleep.  

Now for the exciting part, Violet has sleep through the night 4 times!  Joel thinks it is only because she has a cold, and that may be true, but hopefully we're developing a great habit!  Last night was "rough" but she only woke up twice, so I really can't complain.

Violet is getting extremely responsive with smiles and laughs.  She is having more and more awake time and content just watching us.  I love her so much and as much fun as I'm having watching her grow, I think I'm going to tell her to slow down just a bit!