Smiles for everyone

It turns out that Griffin, like Ally, was a late smiler. Just as with Ally, I was armed and ready with the camera once he hit 6 weeks old, and I was ever prepared to capture his first smile. I waited and waited. And waited.

Finally, somewhere in his 7th week, he started to smile. He smiled at the giraffes on his bumper. He smiled at the cube thingy on his mobile. He smiled at Ah-ma and Ah-gong (grandparents). But he wouldn't smile for me! I was starting to take it personally.




But now that he is well in his 11th week, he is flashing his toothless grin at everyone, including Mama (woot!). He's cooing, gurgling, and squealing as he smiles, and his eyes just sparkle.

I have to say, it certainly makes those early morning feedings a bit more tolerable. It's hard to stay grumpy when someone is happily cooing at you (between gulps).

8 1/2 Hours

So last Wednesday night, the little guy slept for 8 1/2 hrs!!! He had been up all evening (6-9pm) and then went down at 9:30. I fully expected him to wake up at 3:30am, since he usually sleeps about 6 hrs for his long stretch. But not this time ... he woke up at 7am!

I was ecstatic, and well rested for a change.
And hopeful for the future ...


But alas, it was a one-time deal. He has since gone back to his old nighttime schedule, which is:
* sleep for a 6-hour stretch, wake up and eat
* sleep for a 3-hour stretch, wake up and eat
* cry, wriggle, and kick until mama starts walking up and down the halls
* play/talk/coo with half-asleep mama for 30 minutes
* conclude with a giant explosive diaper (often requiring an entire outfit change and changing area wipedown)

It's tough when the crying/ playing/ pooping thing happens at 7am, because that pretty much means I'm up for the day with less than 6 hours of (very interrupted) sleep. I know, I know, I should just go to bed earlier, right? Well, I am going to bed earlier (12:30am) these days, but I still can't seem to fall asleep until 1:30 or so. But it's just so hard to be disciplined about going to bed any earlier, because it's so nice and quiet when both kids are finally asleep! And each night, I can't help but be hopeful that maybe _tonight_ he'll sleep 8 1/2 hours again.

Sleep Train

so, after almost 8 weeks, i am finally getting some sleep.

for the first month, griffin was basically sleeping in bed with me. we had the pack-and-play in the room, but i would fall asleep while nursing and wake up just in time to put him on the other breast for his next meal. he was sleeping and snacking pretty much all night, and i was a total wreck because i was getting barely any sleep. then, one night after i had fallen asleep while nursing, i was suddenly waken by this weird sensation of something tickling my breast. i instinctively swatted at it, and immediately realized (with horror, of course) that i had been swatting at my little boy. so on his 1 month birthday, we kicked him out of our room, and he (and i) have been sleeping much better ever since.


he still was only sleeping 3-4 hours at a stretch for the first 5 weeks. and his 4 hour stretch was often in the middle of the day. but then at just past 6 weeks, he started sleeping from midnight to 5 or 6am fairly regularly. of course, that doesn't mean that _i_ am getting 6 hours of sleep. once he goes down, i try to get some "work" done (like blogging, paying bills, watching general hospital -- you know, important stuff).

ok, i have to admit that i still bring him into bed with me some mornings, but mostly because i'm afraid he'll wake up ally. and i do quite enjoy snuggling with him. :)

now his overall schedule is much more predictable, and this last week we have been venturing out for dinner. we went to koi palace on saturday and kisaku on sunday, and he was very cooperative for both meals. the secret has been to keep him up and play with him about an hour or so before going out, then feeding him right before dinner. oh, and rocking him in his carseat helps too. let's hope he keeps this up!