Seven months = time for a new yellow chair pic!

Lu turned seven months old yesterday!! As you may remember, we're taking yellow chair photos each odd month.

You can find her five month photo here, her three month photo here, and her one month photo here.

Hooray Spring!

When I was growing up, anytime I was feeling bummed out, my mom's Rx was always "you need some sun on your face." It's true. It's amazing what a little sunshine can do, especially when accompanied by warmer temps.






Last night's sleep wasn't much better than the prior nights, but Spring arrived in full force today and we spent a little time hanging out in the front yard, introducing Luella's bare feet to the tickle of grass. We all feel a million times better.

Sleepless in Knoxville

As those of you who are my facebook friends may already know, we're currently working on transitioning Lu out of our bed and into her crib for nighttime sleeping. By "working on," I mean specifically that tonight will be night 3 of putting her down in her crib instead of our bed (she's been napping in her crib for more than a month).

The first night she woke up about every hour, and I finally relented and took her into bed with me at 4am. Last night she slept longer for the first stretch (til midnight) but then woke up over and over until I gave into the sleep sirens at 3:30. Both nights, even after I brought her to bed with me, she comfort-nursed on and off until sunrise. (Keep in mind that before this transition, she slept most nights from 8-midnight, nursed, and then slept again until around 6, and was up for the day around 7:30).

My fortitude is wavering, friends. I'm going to try again tonight, and am hoping that she feels a little more comfortable and sleeps longer... but I haven't been this sleep-deprived since the first few months. My productivity at work today was, well, not great. And I might not have been as nice to Allen this morning as I'd like to be.

Do you have suggestions or encouragement? I know that baby sleep is an area of vastly differing opinions, and I'm happy to listen to them all... though you should know that I'm not yet at the point where I'm ready to leave her to cry-it-out.

Here are the things we have been doing (many suggested by friends or sleep books I've read):
- Consistent bedtime routine -bath, massage, story, nurse to sleepy, pat down.
- White noise machine turned on just before sleep, and all night long (helps muffle our old-echoey-house noises while Allen and I are still up).
- If she wakes before midnight - try to pat her back to sleep. If she is crying, pick her up until she stops crying and relaxes, and then put her back down (sleepy but awake) and pat her to sleep.
- If she wakes after midnight - same thing, but may nurse her back to sleep if necessary.
- Using a lovey when snuggling and sleeping.

I want this transition to work - she's starting to scoot around in her sleep more and more. Given that she and I've got substantial travel coming up (and hotel beds with no bed rails) I feel like it would be safer for her if she can sleep in cribs while we're on the road. So - I need your help... or maybe just your sympathy.

And since you've read this far, here's a reward... a photo of the rare and ferocious Rolypolynx Lulu-zardius:

Rise and Shine

Any of you who have been around Lu for at least a day know that she may be at her most delightful when she wakes up - she's happy, excited to engage, and very silly. (I stress the "may" in the last sentence, because she's really delightful 99% of the time).

Last weekend, Allen was out of town and she and I had a girls weekend. These photos were taken just after she woke up from her morning nap.

She's our little sweet potato

Most of the excitement of the past month has revolved around the introduction of solid foods and the cup (which Lu loves even more than food). So far, her favorites (other than water) are pears and sweet potatoes. Avocados, bananas and peas are tied for a distant third, and rice cereal is dead last (oatmeal, on the other hand, gets two thumbs up). Here are a few choice pics (note the sweet potato smeared into the eyebrows in the second one):

Seasoned traveler

Lu accompanied me to DC again last week - and Honey Gayle (aka Marsha) met us there to play with Lu while I was at work!

I took this photo during storytime, just before bed.