1,224 hours to 6 hours

happy 2 months tree monkey!

that's your newest name.

stemmed from dada. not sure why, but it has a nice flow when we ask "how is tree monkey doing?"

you gave me the best 2 month birthday gift:

6 hours (ok probably 5.5 hours by the time i fell asleep) of consecutive sleep!

i had to count on my fingers over and over again when i saw the clock strike 5:00 a.m.

you are so thoughtful like that.

it's taken you 1,224 hours of life to learn to sleep 6 hours at a time, 

and i know this isn't necessarily going to stay, but i will rejoice in last nite's slumber none the less.

and i won't lie, i'd like to bottle that night up!

in general, you've been sleeping the typical 2 month old stints 

2-4 hour increments.

thanks for throwing this one in there.

this is how you greet mama in the morning 

(and daddy if he isn't already at work)

oh how happy it makes me.

and a side note: your gummy baby smile is similar to mine as a baby. 

you are always pretty happy to be awake when you are ready to rise for the day.

you've been having to push a poo or gas out around 730-830 a.m. every morning-

wake up, cry, gurgle, grunt, push, ahhhhhh

back to sleep for about another hour and we get the above face :)

you still fight sleep.

every.single.nap.

night's are surprisingly ok, 

but naps.

i can see the wheels in your head going:

"oh no i am tired. i want the paci, but crap that makes my eyes roll back.

i better kick my legs and move my arms as much as possible to eliminate falling asleep.

i think i'll try biting the paci instead of sucking on it 

and maybe if i just make all sorts of noises i won't drift off to sleep."

- - - 

this is what happens.

but, much to your chagrin, i have learned to find some tricks.

simple tricks, some i would have used baby-sitting, but for some reason with my own kid

i guess i thought mama stroking or holding her own babe would be enough.

false.

first off, i know your tired cues now

and i know what time you will likely be tired after periods of awake time.

very helpful tidbits. 

i've started holding you so close to alleviate twitching movements

and even started swaddling you for your naps.

if you really need to be bounced, you nap in the wrap close to mama's chest.

i bet you like this one the best.

you will someday realize how precious sleep is and learn to embrace it.

by the time you learn to embrace sleep as a teen, 

i will have to remind myself of how cute you look as a baby stretching your arms above your head, 

tensing your whole body, your chunky legs and all, and slowly waking up. 

i promise i'll try to remember these times when you are almost late for school

or sleep until 11 AM on the weekends when most of the world is awake.

your sounds are becoming more controlled.

you aren't just making squawks, you are doing some mimicking (ok, trying...)

and your sounds mean more than noise.

playful. tired. annoyed. "im done here."

you sometimes sound like you are almost laughing or at least want to.

i'm not sure when that starts, but when i talk in a silly voice or if daddy and i make silly faces

you get this tone of excitement and breaths and if you could laugh i think you would.

can't wait.

you have your fair share of smiles to hand out,

but you also have your fair share of fuss.time.

little scorpio, you. patience is still something you will have to work out.

because of you, i am SURE improving.

there is an urgency with your cries. 

they are full, strong, sometimes out of the blue and say "i need you to fix this problem now"

you just may have inherited your daddy and mama's moodiness.

shocker.

there are so many day to day changes when you are so young.

you are becoming more rolly-polly.

we go to the doctor next week so we will see what is in store for your chunkiness.

you are such a good eater so it's no surprise you are chunking up nicely.

dada watched you the other night when i saw Billy Elliot.

i have to embarrassingly admit i was nervous.

not that i think your daddy couldn't do it, but because it was 4 hours i'd be away.

your 2nd time on the bottle and he'd never had to warm anything up before.

it was your on and off evening fussy time. 

you smelled and needed a bath and 

i'd never really shown daddy how i bathed you start to finish.

i didn't even give daddy a tour of your room where i store things for you.

BUT-

all was successful.

daddy figured it out and didn't need my tour to take care of you.

sure it wasn't my exact way, but my way isn't always the right way, 

it's just what i happen to know works (at least for me).

he said it was hard to juggle it all (naturally), 

but you were clean, quiet and sleepy eyed when i arrived home.

mission accomplished and you had a nice daddy/daughter date.

the days are still not easy, but they are getting easier.

and, more fun.

i knew this would be the hardest job in the world, and you've made that loud and clear, 

but i still wouldn't trade it.

hugs to my tree monkey.

mama loves you.