15 weeks 4 days

(Is it "bear with me" or "bare with me"? - either way, I'm using the new blog post editor and I swear it's missing the spellcheck and I'm not a moron. Although those two things might not be mutually exclusive.)

Ok. This ad thing is rolling. So far, we've earned $.07. Adsense apparently only pays out in $100 increments, so keep it up. The internet might be obsolete before we get a check, but that's how it goes.

This week Sean was loaned a book by a co-worker (whose name escapes me or else I would credit her!) called, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Babies". That's the name of the book - remember, I don't know the name of the co-worker. Stay with me here. The book talks about techniques to get your baby not only to fall asleep but stay asleep longer and all of the behavior that is impacted as a result. Sean admittedly scanned the book, and I still haven't read it, but one of the main points is to put the baby to bed early and reap the rewards.

So we tried it. Sean feeds the girls around 4:30-5 ish, which is when they let us know they're hungry rather than a specific schedule on our part. I get home around 6 and cuddle with the fussiest girl until she's sound asleep in my arms. Ordinarily, I'd then put her in her chair in the living room and around 8 they'd wake up and eat again. Repeat at 11, 2, 5, etc.

In this new system, once the girl falls asleep, she gets put into her bed where it's dark, so there's no visual stimuli, and the radio is on NPR. (It couldn't hurt!) Amazingly, the first night we did this, the girls slept until 3 in the morning. That's 10 hours without eating and over 6 hours of sleep. Did I say amazing? We were a little uncertain if it was ok for them to go that long without eating until we remembered that when they're hungry, they let us know. In no uncertain terms. So, I wake up and feed them at 3 and then they sleep until the nanny arrives just before 7. And even better, when they wake up, they're calm and patient and pleasant. I don't know how it works. It's magic and it doesn't make any sense to me, but I like it.

The drawback is that Sean adjusted the schedule slightly on Wednesday because he had to pick up his sister at the ferry, so the girls were fed a little early and then fell asleep in the car a little earlier than usual. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get them back on schedule yet, but I'm eager to because I think this thing could really work out. I hesitate to say it, but I almost feel rested. Please don't let this admission jinx me.

We've now seen Lilah roll from her stomach to her back! Sean hovered with the video camera for several minutes when it looked like she was making progress, but when it didn't look like it was going to happen, he turned it off and stepped away. Suddenly, *roll*! She did it! And we missed recording it. So we turned her over, turned on the camera and waited. (Is that cruel? I picture her thinking - Jeez, guys, I worked freakin' hard to get in this position and now you make me start over?! Come on!) It only took her about a minute to repeat and we finally got it on tape. Another milestone is that when Sean was playing with Charlotte, tickling her tummy and her cheek, she smiled and giggled! It was the first time she had smiled and laughed in response to us, and it's another 3 month milestone that we can check off the list. We keep getting surprised by how much these girls are keeping up with the milestones for their non-adjusted age. After all, you don't see many 8 pound babies rolling over and holding their heads up independently. But they do have a *bit* of high-acheiver in their lineage. We'll have them quoting Shakespeare and tuning carburetors by their first birthdays. Wait and see.

In other news, I haven't blogged about this yet, but I'm having continued issues with my c-section incision and it's really getting on my last nerve (no pun intended). Apparently, the Labor and Delivery folks were instructed to try out a new type of stitch called a quill stitch, which is how they closed my incision. The perinatologist (whom we absolutely adore) described it as a stitch that works best for "overweight oncology patients". I'm still not sure of the distinction. Either way, as things healed up and swelling went down, the stitches started to loosen. And when they loosen, they rub their way up to the surface, causing small abscesses along the way until they finally break through the skin. There were a few that we had to snip or else they would continue to rub and cause me discomfort, but now that enough time has passed, once they get to the surface, they have started to dissolve enough that they break off on their own. About once a week I have a new stitch start to have problems. At my 8 week check-up, I let the perinatologist know that this was happening and she said that I wasn't the only one experiencing this problem and they have now stopped using that stitch. Unfortunately, there is no solution except to let it run it's course. I filed a quality of care complaint so that UWMC was aware that this was happening and not do it to anyone else, but the nature of those complaints means that I can't know the findings or outcomes. Bummer.

Hey, don't forget to vote for Best of the Northwest: http://best.king5.com/contests/best-of-western-washington/4749  (yes, you have to register) Sean and I are particularly big fans of Luke Burbank for Local Radio Personality, so if you don't have your own preference, cast your vote in his direction for us, will ya? http://best.king5.com/luke-burbank/biz/133325 He has to at least beat that lame schmoozer, Fitz. Sur-iously.

And finally, this Saturday our cul-de-sac is having a group garage sale, so come by and see what kinds of things we're trying to unload on unsuspecting strangers... or you.