Sherrie slept thru the night!

Yes! My dear Sherrie slept thru the night the past 2 nights.. resulting in wonderful rested sleep (though I still hv to get up to pump.. at least she is not wailing for milk in the middle of the night)! V is happy that maybe, just maybe, the night duty is coming to an end.. it has been tough on him as he also has to work in the day. But he has been wonderful - as my relatives say, almost a PRO! Heh... I should seriously consider persuading him to be a house husband.

Anyhow, since i last wrote, Sherrie has learnt how to grap onto toys and has been spending alot more time playing. She loves just to hear me tell her stories or sitting in her rocker looking at the mobile. I tell her stories about the 4 animals that are on the mobile. Somehow, i think she will get bored soon. I also play with her in the Disney Discovery gym, hanging many colourful things above her for her to hit and to touch.

We have also cut her fingernails! It is rather challenging cos she doesn't like it and keeps moving around. Yesterday I only managed to cut one side, so today we shall attempt the 2nd side. We also dressed her up in a cute Minnie mouse hat and she looked sooo cute!

Oh yes, we took her out last weekend to Ikea, around 1030am in the morning, when it wasn't so crowded. She was well behaved and allowed us to eat lovely meatballs and fried fish for lunch. After that, while we walked around to look for things to decorate her room, she sat relatively quietly in the stroller. Of course, after a while, she grew restless and we gave her the pacifier. That worked and she went off to sleep, continuing to do so when we arrived home.

Last night, we went to Koko's house and she was so alert and curious.. Constantly looking around and even allowing everyone to carry her! Mama was so happy to be able to put her on her lap... Even che doo carried her! She really allows anyone to carry her... Isn't that lovely? She didn't cry alot at all.. In fact, she just sat quietly, looking around and taking in the new environment. V and i conclude that the reason she cries at home must be due to boredom (partially..). We agreed that we would try to make her room more stimulating so that she can have many things to look at. Maybe then she won't cry too much.

On another note, i've grown to recognise her cries and her behaviour. For instance, when she cries when feeding, she either has wind or pooped/peed. In which case, I would either burp her or check her diaper. Most of the time I am right as to which is the cause! Also, now I know that after she has fed, she'd like to stay awake - it's not a cue that she wants more milk... she wants to play! So I would put her to play in the gym or on the rocker or walk her around the house, telling her a story or singing songs to her. She loves music! Only after that, she will drift off to sleep.

Now i understand what it's like to enjoy the day with Sherrie. She is really growing very fast! She has started to coo, smile, gurgle and make cute sounds! I can't really imitate them but they are so adorable! We put her on a mat next to the both of us and she was so excited.... looking around and wiggling her legs! After playing with her for quite some time, all 3 of us fell asleep until she woke us up when she awoke. That was so cool! :)

She is now 7 weeks.. Soon she will be 2 months old! Wow! We would have survived a month without the confinement nanny and found some kind of routine. Am glad that things are working out....... :)

The real test

The confinement nanny has left.. meaning i'm on my own now. Today is the first day at home alone with baby. It has been an exhausting morning, but once she settled to sleep, thank goodness I managed to sneak in a nap and a shower.

The morning started with a feed. She did well, drinking up the 110ml very quickly. I was amazed when I put the teat to her mouth and she wanted more. AFter heating another 30 ml for her to drink, she seemed satisfied, but I could smell that she had a poop. I quickly brought her to be changed... As I was changing her, more poop came out and some of it almost hit the bed! Then as i was so caught up changing her diaper, I did not notice that she had thrown up some milk and it had flowed back into her clothes. I had to change her clothes then and wash her hair as it was covered in milk. When I thought all was done, she refused to nap even with my patting, so I had to feed her some more... She took 90 ml and then dozed off for an hour. During that one hour, i had to pump out my milk and heat up my lunch. Before I knew it, she was up crying again.. This time she had soiled her diaper again and spilt milk on her clothes!! I had to change her again. I had just about changed her when she spilt more milk onto the new top... so i had to change her top again!! After that, she looked hungry so she finished the remaining 20 ml in her bottle.

I put her into her rocker for a nap but she refused. I really wanted to cry!! Why was she not sleeping? the last choice resort was to put her to the breast. She took the breast for about 10 mins and dozed off again. I thought she would go to bed then... but it lasted barely 10-15 mins..... In the end i held her in my arms until she slept before putting her in the rocker. Thank goodness that worked! She has been sleeping from 2pm till now (4.30pm). I managed to sneak in a nap and even read the news on the net. Now as I write this post, i hear her moving next to me... it's going to start again!

Oh well... anyway, life as a full time mom is really not easy... though everytime I look at her I cannot help but smile. Give me strength to continue! here's her most recent picture. Ain't she cute?