Georgia Christmas and 9 months

The day after Christmas we flew to Atlanta to visit with my Dad's side of the family for the annual family Christmas party.  My Dad and Susie were generous and sponsored our tickets up to see them and we were so grateful they helped us do that.  We weren't wild about flying during flu season with Clementine, but the other option of driving was pretty unrealistic given C's hatred of long car trips and the small number of vacation days Wade has.

We had a late morning flight out of Tampa so we grabbed food at Rollin' Oats, our local organic market, so that we could have a healthy lunch on the plane.  We arrived with plenty of time to park and head to the gate (with C in the pack), and with the benefit of priority boarding we breezed through security.  We got to the gate with just enough time for a bathroom break, some time for C to crawl around, and for us to change her diaper before boarding.  Once we were on, I practiced paranoid mom behavior by wiping down all nearby surfaces in my campaign to prevent us getting the flu (we also were taking some herbal remedies too).  We got everything settled, C proceeded to touch every surface on the plane within her reach (thank heavens for the precautions), and just as we were getting ready to lift off I latched her on to nurse and she immediately conked out for her morning nap.  It was almost too good to be true and we both tried hard not to laugh.  During the flight Wade fed me food while C nap/nursed and she woke up just before we landed so she was able to enjoy looking out the window a bit.  Her first time on a plane was a success!

Once we landed in Atlanta we had to change her diaper in the terminal because apparently there was a rush on changing stations.  Since we couldn't find an open one, we just crouched in a corner at a nearby empty gate and tidied her up which she seemed to think was novel and took in stride.  I strapped her into the carrier and we headed to baggage claim to meet up with Grandpa.  We got our suitcase in short order and headed to the car then were off to Whole Foods to get some supplies.  We were thankful my Dad was able to pick us up and had a carseat already so that really simplified things.  C did great for the 45min ride to Whole Foods with Wade on entertainment duty, but by the time we were done shopping and still had another 45 min drive to my Dad's she had had enough for the day and wouldn't nap in the car.  We stopped to nurse which helped some, but she was just at her limit and did a fair bit of crying.  Thankfully, once we got to the house we were able to get her settled in for a nap before dinner and she took her new surroundings in stride, however she was a bit more clingy than normal around folks.  We had a nice dinner, then took C upstairs for a bath and bedtime which she thoroughly enjoyed.  She loves splashing in water, but due to the way her baby tub is constructed she can only kick splash a bit but generally just enjoys the time with Wade.  At my dad's we had her in a full size normal tub sitting up on a towel (Wade spotted her while I washed her) and she was absolutely thrilled to be able to splash to her heart's content.  It was pretty funny.  We just had to be careful since we don't use tear-free shampoo/bodywash on her.  She went to bed fairly easily and we were able to have a nice time visiting with Dad and Susie before we finally headed to bed.

The next morning everyone was prepping for the party that night.  After lunch, my Grandma and Aunt Barb came over to see Clementine so it was nice to visit with them before the festivities.  Mercifully, we were able to get C down for an afternoon nap before heading to the party and when she woke up we walked down to the meeting hall.  It was so nice for everyone to finally get to meet Clementine and to see family we hadn't seen in too long.  At one point, I was watching my cousins' kids run around the room having fun and had a sense of deja vu to when we were those kids running around getting into trouble at the big family get-togethers.  C was the youngest of all the kids, but at one point she did crawl over to check out the toys the other kids had gotten, so it was pretty cute to watch her take off on her own to explore.  It was a really fun night catching up with family, singing Christmas carols, and doing a gift exchange.  This was also C's 9 month birthday, and I was having a hard time remembering to take pictures while trying to keep her happy.  Thankfully, we were able to get a few with my phone.  See pictures from our trip and C's 9 month picture file here.

The next morning we enjoyed a slow morning in our jammies with Grandpa and Grandmama/Susie before we had to get our stuff packed up and in the car.  Fortunately, I did manage to get a few nice pictures of C with her grandparents before we left for the airport.

C with her Grandpa and Grandmama.

The flight home was also pretty easy despite a little bit of fussing from C (she didn't get much time to crawl around before boarding) once we were seated. Fortunately, she slept through most of the flight though which made everyone happy.  The ride home was pretty good too so by the time we pulled into the driveway we were feeling pretty good about everything.  We had a really great time seeing my dad's side of the family, C traveled like a pro, and we were so happy C got to see so much of her family.  Thank you Grandpa and Grandmama!

Baby's 1st Christmas

This year we hosted Christmas at our house for the first time.  We usually spend Christmas Day at my Aunt and Uncle's, but since we were leaving the day after Christmas, and traveling anytime in the evening is pretty difficult with Clementine, everyone was sweet about accommodating a change in plans.  And since we were hosting this year, we had a last minute blast of motivation to finish putting up Christmas decorations.  lol  So the night before everyone came over Wade put up and decorated our old fake tree and hung the rest of the decorations in the living room while I finished off the kitchen and dining room.  We were really glad we did it since it looked so much more festive and helped us get in the spirit.

We ended up making a simpler Christmas dinner (Thank you Aunt Titi!) and had everyone over on Christmas Eve to eat then open presents.  We had a great time eating and visiting, then we were all entertained by watching C thrash around in the wrapping paper and tissue.  It was such a wonderful evening spending time with family and laughing and were were thankful C could experience it for her first Christmas.  Clementine was a champ and did really well during the festivities then peacefully went down for bed while everyone else stayed up to chat.  For C's first Christmas I made her a Christmas t-shirt to sleep in (front had snowflakes and said "Think Snow" while the back said "Dreaming of the White Christmas" and was decorated with snowflakes).  I also made her Christmas Day jammies which was a long sleeved onesie with a cardinal on the front and "My 1st Christmas" on the back.

She was a fan of the paper and bows - and her special Christmas Eve outfit that we found at the consignment store. :)

Granzie and Poppi spent the night so we could all get up and enjoy Christmas morning together.  We opened presents early as soon as Clementine woke up so I made a smoothie for everyone to tide us over until breakfast.  We just managed to get through our presents before it was clear C was overwhelmed and ready for her morning nap.  While she was down we tidied up, got cleaned up, then made breakfast so when she woke up she was able to have breakfast with us.  It was a really nice morning.  Thankfully Poppi and Granzie were able to entertain C while Wade and I finished prepping and packing for our trip to Georgia, so it was a huge help to have them there and we were glad C got to enjoy some more playtime with her grandparents.  During her afternoon nap, we made an early Christmas dinner that we enjoyed before Poppi and Granzie headed home and we settled in for some last minute packing and rearranging.  To see our Christmas pictures, go here.

Bebe on fire

Ever since Thanksgiving, C has been on the move, with everyday bringing her a new sense of confidence in her ability to get around.  She is noticeably less frustrated now, despite the teething (one top front tooth is in and the other isn't far behind which is causing her to grind her teeth).  We generally give her free run of the house and have tried to baby proof only the really dangerous stuff (light sockets, heavy tall objects, etc).  So far that's working out and she's enjoying the freedom (the other day she followed me around the house like a puppy while I vacuumed).  So she's motoring along happily and although she enjoys crawling, she is already thinking about moving on to pulling up (yikes).  I was able to catch this on camera just a few days ago:

We have also changed how we feed her.  She's still nursing, but instead of spoon feeding her solids we've switched to something called Baby-Led Feeding (or Baby-Led Weaning as the Brits say).  After a week of her refusing to eat anything from a spoon I decided we needed a new tactic and had read a lot of positive things about Baby-Led Feeding, particularly if you have a strong-willed kid (essentially you provide cooked food cut into pieces a baby can grasp and feed themselves, rather than using purees for veggies and fruits).  So, what used to be a battle at mealtime to get her to take one bite of say, green beans or avocado, now is a peaceful and fun experience.  She sits at the table with us and eats her own selection of food that's put in front of her, making it a nice social event (like it should be) since she gets to be part of the family meal and we actually get to eat our dinner rather than cajole her with a spoon.  She also now happily eats just about anything - her former nemesis (greenbeans) are now one of her favorites!  She's pretty funny to watch as she concentrates on picking things up and is getting pretty good about getting them in her mouth.  She's still working on knowing how much is too much food in her mouth so we do have to watch her carefully when she's eating.  It does create a mess to clean up afterwards, but that's par for the course regardless at this age and we've worked out a system to deal with it. 

And last weekend we lit a fire in the garden and made s'mores - a first for C and she was completely enthralled with the experience, it was pretty sweet.

It's hard to believe Christmas is next week already... we decided not to put up the tree, mostly because we wanted to make one, but ran out of time this year... so we have to start early next year.  We do have some decorations up, some lights out front, and a small fiber optic Christmas tree in C's room that she LOVES, so we're sort of feeling the spirit.  It also means we didn't get around to Christmas cards this year either, which is a bummer, but since we're on a lean Christmas budget anyway it made sense to take a pass this year.  And since we didn't have a decent family photo, we weren't too motivated to get cards out yet.  Maybe we can finally get a good family shot during the holidays, which would be really nice since we have so few.

November and 8 months

November went by in a flash - as I sat down to write this I couldn't recall what we actually did, short of having Thanksgiving!  A quick look back at the calendar and I remembered - the month was actually a good one and passed joyfully in lots of lunches and visits with friends, some paid work (hooray!), some writing (edible TampaBay), and a visit from friends over Thanksgiving.  Oh, and we watched Little C inch closer and closer to crawling, which she accomplished just before the holiday!  When she's in a hurry she drags herself across the slick wood floors in an army crawl fashion, but if we take off her pants and socks she gets up for regular crawls so her skin doesn't stick to the floor.  It's pretty funny and we're sure she's going to have killer chest and shoulder muscles from it (there's a video on our Picasa site).

She was also starting to find a rhythm for nap and bedtime which was nice and made life a lot simpler.  She has also been making progress with the cats, particularly Hilo who has taken to demanding to snuggle her (remember right after she was born, he would literally flee the room in terror?!).  I got this shot while C was nurse-napping in my lap:

Dogpile in the rocking chair - Hilo asleep on C asleep on me!

C and I headed down to Anna Maria a few days before Thanksgiving to spend time with Poppi and Granzie, prep for Thanksgiving, and get to see Kellyn and Conrad (and Baby Garrison - due in April!) who came into town for the holiday weekend.  The weather was perfect, but eventually turned chilly, so it was a lovely holiday weekend for quality time with friends and family.  We did get in a nice beach walk, but it ended with lots of tears because C wasn't able to get herself down for a nap in the bright sun so I had to nurse while walking with her to get her home.  It was pretty sad.  We felt bad she was so out of sorts since we let her try banana that weekend... she loved it so we just let her eat as much as she wanted (like all the books say) until we realized it was stopping her up (what some warn of).  After a really tough night and 3 painful poopy diapers we learned our banana lesson but we were all pretty behind on sleep and it's taken her a week to recover.  

C in her special Thanksgiving outfit - playing coy with us while trying to get her 8 mo photo.

It was definitely a new experience trying to do so much cooking and entertain a mobile baby, but it was so nice for C to be surrounded by so many loved ones.  However, we took shockingly few pictures since she kept us on our toes!  We tried to stage her 8 month photo, but since it was on Thanksgiving, we didn't get much time to really perfect a shot.  Something is better than nothing though and she was more into trying to stand than actually sit for a photo.  Check out her 8 month photo and video file here.

Halloween

For the little lady's first Halloween we decided to start a tradition of doing family-themed costumes.  And given the fact there were a number of variables involved (hot or cold weather? crawling or still wallowing?  something she could comfortably wear for the duration of a party?) it took me a while to find her costume, then we planned around that.  After lots of going back and forth, we decided that dressing her as sushi (shrimp nagiri to be specific from an awesome artist on Etsy) was the best option, with Wade and I accompanying her as sushi chefs.  

We were invited to our neighbor's Halloween party so we decided to go all out on the theme and also bring a plate of sushi to share.  It was a hit and a lot of fun.  To add the the fun, Granzie and Poppi came to spend C's first Halloween with us too and honored our request to come in costume and they did as the King and Queen of Halloween (I miss the Halloween parties we used to have in Miami where everyone dressed up - I am a sucker for an excuse to dress up).  Once we were all dressed and ready we headed over to our neighbors' for the evening.  We spent the evening outside snacking, chatting, watching the kids play, and watching C practice her moves in the grass.  She was the littlest one there, but was thrilled to see her buddy Mac who's a few months older than her (his parents were the ones throwing the party).  Once all the older kids and parents were ready to head out to trick or treat we decided to play it safe and head home since it was already C's bedtime.  It turned out to be a good decision since she had a peaceful bathtime and she easily went to bed (a first in weeks) then slept for 1:15 before waking again!  It felt like a trick for sure, but we were glad her first Halloween turned out to be such a treat.  To see more photos, go here.

7 months

I am having a hard time processing that we have a little girl in our family now.  It's still pretty surreal and she really is feeling like a little girl instead of a little baby more and more every day.  She is also a girl in motion and is constantly spinning, wriggling, rocking, or swatting (even when eating).  C does not take well to confinement right now unless she's highly entertained since she'd rather be practicing her moves.  She is thisclose to crawling which has been equally fun and terrifying to watch since we've been fairly lax about babyproofing.  We did finally get some outlet covers, door stops, and a few cabinet locks for the kitchen but largely want to find a way to teach her about what's safe and what's not without having to lock down every nook and cranny of the house.

Without further ado, here's the little lady at 7 months - a ball of energy who is a fan of pumpkin. :)  For more pictures in her 7th month, go here.

We tried putting in some props for the photo and she was clearly more about the props and getting her photo taken.

Firsts

The last few weeks have been a lot of firsts for Little C: first teeth popped up (bottom two), first solids (avocado), first rocking and army crawling (real crawling isn't far off), first "long" stretch alone with a sitter (it went great!), and her first tumble off our bed (bad Mama).  

Teething has been rough - lots of fussing and cramming her hand in her mouth and us trying absolutely everything to distract or soothe her.  We've tried the washcloth, the amber necklace, frozen breastmilk popsicles, teethers (silicone, wooden, cloth), toys, swinging at the park, suncatchers that make dancing rainbows, fun music, and depending on the day some work better than others.  The lead up to these teeth popping through has felt like forever - she's been showing signs of teething since August at least.  And we had a handful of days last week when she seemed to feel a bit better right before her second bottom tooth appeared out of thin air.  We suspect the involvement of upper teeth now given the fussiness that has been on display this past week.  She's also been waking up quite a bit and needing soothing and I keep having to tell myself this will pass but it's really hard since I have to take other people's word for it and I'm not one to take things on faith especially while in the trenches...

Starting solids has been funny (see the shots from her first feed here).  We decided to start with avocado (tomorrow is pumpkin) since a growing trend is to start babies with veggies instead of cereal.  The plan was to start her on an avocado from our yard since they are ripening right now, but the ones we're getting only taste so-so for some reason.  So I had to get some organic ones at the store and farmer's market, but go figure, they aren't much better either, and we didn't want to wait since she was already at 6.5mo, so we just said to heck with it and started.  She's been eyeballing our plates and mouths when we eat for the last two months, has been imitating me chewing, and seems really eager to get her hands on whatever we are eating so we knew we couldn't wait any longer.  She hasn't seemed to have any adverse reactions to the avocado thankfully (we have to monitor everything she and I eat and how she reacts since she could have inherited some of my food allergies), so tomorrow I'm going to roast a pumpkin and move onto that for the week (we have to introduce new things one week at a time to see if she has a reaction).  We also suspect she has a soy sensitivity right now based on an experiment I did 2 weeks ago by eating some miso soup (it tasted amazing and I've missed it so much) - it seems going off soy while I'm breastfeeding her has been a good precaution that I'll keep up for a while longer (btw - soy, like wheat/gluten, is in EVERYTHING so that's been a challenge to weed out any remaining sources and makes eating in public a pain - "Excuse me sir, what kind of oil do you fry your tortillas in?  Soybean oil?  Well damn, then I officially cannot eat anything here.")

Why are you doing this to me?!

I had a meeting to go to this week for an advisory board I am on so we had to brave leaving the minion with a sitter.  I say brave because when she gets really worked up, the only way we have found to break her meltdown cycle is for me to breastfeed her.  Once she goes over the edge we have not found anything else that works - she's the type of crier who works herself up more the more she cries until she's literally choking for air so "crying-it-out" is not an option (and because frankly it would be cruel given her personality).  This is why we haven't even thought about going out at night - once she goes to bed for the night, when she wakes up, no one, and I mean no one, has been able to soothe her except for me unfortunately).  We've been working on getting her to fall asleep without me having to nurse her down and have been making progress so our sitter and Wade can usually get her down for a nap now and can soothe her if she wakes up crying after a nap.  Bedtime however is another story entirely. :(  The good news is that C likes her sitter and the 2.5 hours with the sitter thankfully went ok so perhaps we can plan an afternoon date one weekend very soon! 

And the last first was not a positive one - C rolled or slid off our bed last week. :(  She was in the middle of the bed after I had just checked her to give her a toy when I walked 5 feet away to pour laundry detergent in the washing machine.  In the 30 seconds it took to do that she managed to work herself off the bed and hit her head.  I ran back to her, horrified and frightened, and assessed her to see a developing egg on her forehead so I iced it and called my mom for reassurance (I too rolled off a bed at nearly the same age).  Once I was calm and C was calm we called the pediatrician then headed into the office to get her checked out.  She actually smiled at the doctor when we got there and they cleared her but warned she'd get a nasty looking bruise and possibly a black eye - which she did.  Her egg wasn't so bad because I iced it so quickly, but she ended up with a spectacular black eye that made her look like she'd been in a bar fight.  And every time I looked at her I felt like the WORST mama in the world.  But go figure, later that afternoon she ended up rocking on her hands and knees for the first time that I'd seen (maybe that's why she went off the bed?) - so the fall was a good wake up call that we need to watch her more closely and take no chances since she is officially on the cusp of crawling.  She has been obsessed with rocking on her hands and knees as well as doing what looks like real pushups.  She's fairly mobile already mostly by spinning and being able to push herself backwards across the floor, but crawling will introduce a new ability for her to explore wherever her curiosity takes her rather than where she can happen to back up or spin to.  To that end, we hit up Home Depot tonight for a few baby proofing basics but still have a lot to do.  Yikes.

Happiness is in the air

This past weekend we finally had our first cold front of the season and it made me absurdly, deliriously happy.  Saturday we got up early and made it down for the season opener of the Farmer's Market, despite the rain and C took it all in stride while we picked up veggies, seeds, a ginger plant, Ethiopian food, and kettle corn.  We made it home in time for lunch with her Grandpa then we all went for a walk to the park to enjoy the swings, by which time she was pooped after some swinging.  So we walked for a bit enjoying the sun hoping she'd nap, but she fought it pretty hard and we all took turns carrying her until we made it home and Wade could pack her up in the air conditioning to finally get her down for a nap.

 

(C's first time on the swings, to illustrate how funny she looks in the huge swings)

 

That evening the "cold" front finally blew through and we were able to open the windows which made me so happy I nearly cried.  I nursed C in the rocker by the window while the breeze floated in carrying snatches of bird song and rustling bamboo and it was magical.  I haven't felt that joyful in months and felt like I had taken something for the high - it was amazing.

The next day Granzie and Poppi finally came to visit after returning from NC and we had a fun day catching up and getting things done around the house.  We enjoyed more glorious weather, had lunch outside, put up Halloween decorations (they were a hit with C), got some yard work done, and enjoyed a soup from the slow cooker.  It was so wonderful to have a taste of fall and know it's right around the corner.  We capped off the lovely weekend by C actually going down in her crib for her first shift of sleep - a first!  We made chocolate chips cookies to celebrate. :)

6 Months

It's hard to believe this little girl is 6 months old already!  I started the monthly picture folder here.  We had fun this time around dressing her up cute for her pictures and we'll do it from now on (although the dress hides how long she's getting).

Playing on her new floor mats.

Good days and bad days

This month Clementine has continued to conquer new milestones and master ones she's been working on.  She has almost outgrown her play gym since she rolls over and around so much she gets tangled up in it then frustrated, so she spends more time on her playmat now where she has room to spread out.  This past week she discovered that her toes are the world's best chew toy and that she finally has the ab strength to mostly hold her self upright.  She still teeters over at a moment's notice but is much better at staying up and righting herself when she leans forward to grab a toy.  This seemed to indicate it was a good time to get her clip-on high chair out so it gives us another way to let her sit in a room with us while we're eating or doing something.  We have her clipped to the table in the breakfast nook and she likes to play with her toys while we're cooking or eating which is a nice change of pace.  She'll be starting solids in a few weeks, so we figured it's a good time to get her used to her chair now.

Modeling her starship captain's high chair.

And we still haven't figured out a rhythm with her quite yet.  I'm starting to figure out when to get her down for morning naps (around 9 and 11:45), but the afternoon has been a real crap shoot this week.  I can get her asleep on me, but the minute I transfer her to her crib she is up and crying no matter how many times I start over.  For my own sanity, my rule has been that I won't try putting her to sleep for longer than she will sleep, so after 40 minutes of trying I give up and we play instead.  From what I've read she's also supposed to be at the age to transition to 2 longer naps a day rather than 3, but she's been doing more like 4 since she cat naps (20-45min).  Every now and then she'll surprise me with a glorious 1.5hr nap but it's never predictable.  She does seem to be better at staying up longer now (for about 2 hours) before she turns into a mess.  We've been trying a few things from the No Cry Sleep Solution book, but it seems some of this is just a phase she needs to work through.

When it comes down to it, Clementine is actually a good sweet happy baby, but when she's tired you can tell she's off her game, and if she doesn't get enough sleep she eventually melts into a sad little baby complete with quivering bottom lip.  Otherwise she's not a crier - if she fusses it's because she was left alone too long or we missed her hungry or sleepy cues, otherwise she's pretty laid back.  So when she does her meltdown cry (which is very different than her I'm not thrilled about something or I'm hungry fussing), then I take notice because she is very clearly trying to send a message of genuine distress which, if ignored, turns into hyperventilating/choking extreme distress cry which is scary and heartbreaking.

So it's funny when people tell me, "Oh, it's ok, babies cry", because I know that - babies evolved to cry to let us know when something is wrong or jeopardizing their survival (too cold, hungry, can't breathe, etc), it's their one self preservation skill.  But her meltdown cry is something else entirely different.  So I do live in genuine fear of being somewhere in public and not being able to help her through a meltdown since she could literally cry herself into a blackout (the more she cries the worse it gets).  So far the only way to break the cycle is to nurse here somewhere quiet until she dozes off.  She has good days and bad days - days that I really enjoy being a mom and like spending time with her and feel like I can do this - like last weekend when we took a long walk with her while she napped, came home enjoyed time in her kiddie pool, made dinner, then went to the park before sunset for some playtime and it was a magical day (pictures here).  The next day we went down to Anna Maria and she slept the whole day down and back and we had fun pool time and all was well - a wonderful weekend which was in stark contrast to the previous week when she shrieked the whole way down to and back from Anna Maria and hated the sight of her stroller (an entirely bad weekend for her).

One of the good days.... playing with her toes.

A family outing to Vinoy Park at sunset.

So at this point I have to tell myself we have good days and bad days and I don't get to pick when or where and just have to go with it (which is also true of any adult).  I also just pray that the good days will outnumber the bad days in any given week.  I will finally start getting some help in the form of sitters (and Granzie) for a few hours a week so I can start trying to get some stuff done for work.  With her unpredictable naps and spending more time awake needing interaction I have had very little time to get anything done (this is the first time I've cracked open my laptop in 2 weeks!).  I'm hoping that's going to change with some help.

I am also hoping her fussiness from last week was still her working on her first tooth - she would only sleep on me or not at all last week, but was getting better about being down at night for longer periods before waking up for a quick snack.  She's showing all the classic teething signs, but still no tooth yet.

5 months

At the end of August Clementine turned 5 months - at this point she's over 18 lbs 3oz (97%tile) and over 25.75" (78%tile) long as per our last pediatrician visit.  I got some photos but she was definitely feeling more subdued than normal when I take these photos.  I can't blame her, she's been busy mastering lots of skills - she rolls over easily both ways now, she can spin around to reach things, she's blowing raspberries and talking our ears off, she can easily take a toy from us and put it in her mouth (her hand eye coordination is getting good), she can support her weight when we help her stand, she is getting closer to supporting herself while sitting, is doing some big time push ups ("tripoding"?), she has an incredible interest in our food when we eat and frequently gets her hands on our plates (Wade usually eats dinner with her sitting in his lap bellied right up to the table with him).  It's exciting to think she'll get to start solids next month and we're hoping it'll be an avocado or sweet potato from our yard for her first bites.  My mom ordered C's dining wear this week so we can let her start playing with her spoon and bowl while we eat dinner - give her something to do and help her get used to them. We're also hoping she'll get her first underwater plunge in the pool once she hits the 6 month mark too.  Below is a video of her splashing in the pool (her favorite activity) this weekend while we were visiting with my Aunt Titi and Uncle Rick.

I've been working to improve her napping, and despite some small signs of improvement at night, the day hasn't changed much.  In fact this past weekend was pretty awful for her since any time in her car seat meant a meltdown which made us feel like we were torturing her.  Thankfully Labor Day was better since we stayed close to home to let her recover.  We were able to get some chores done around the house and let C get caught up on sleep.  Last night we also packed up the co-sleeper and the swing to send them back to the friend we borrowed them from - she was just too big for both of them now and only seemed to be frustrated by the swing.

Oh my, 5 months old already?!

And some folks have asked how things are going for me since my last post was a bit of a downer.  I am feeling somewhat better - I've been trying to get out more and have had some small successes there which have helped.  Being outside and seeing friends are a huge help and I'm eagerly anticipating cooler weather when I can get out and walk with C more often.  I'm hoping we can finally get a patio put in this Christmas for me to enjoy with C so even if it's a bad day, we can both get some fresh air.  I've also been looking for a tree swing so C can enjoy the yard too.   

Ah, yes, that's what bottom feels like....

While the trials and tribulations of our cat-napper wear on, it's been a challenge to leave the house with her since she won't just fall asleep somewhere in public (it's honestly a MIRACLE if she does).  This is compounded by the fact that a constantly tired nearly 5 month old baby doesn't really like to be awake for more than 1.5 hours at a time (shorten that to a hour if we're out in public and she's overstimulated).  From what we've read she's working through "Wonder Week 19" and it should get better soon, but the last two weeks of this came to a head this week for me when she refused to nap at all on Tuesday and she cried a lot - then I did too.  It was pretty sad - she was miserable, I was feeling powerless because all of my efforts to help her were a giant FAIL so we both just cried all morning.  Wade knew it was officially rock bottom when I finally admitted that maybe I should borrow someone's swing to see if it helps (Spoiler alert: It did not help - it's real live people or nothing for her.).  So two wonderful friends came to my rescue that day - one brought the swing while the other brought lunch and they both managed to help me salvage my sanity.  It was amazing.

My takeaway lesson is that I have got to figure out ways to get out of the house with her to ward off the insidious seeds of depression.  The next day we actually did get out of the house in what I can only term a giant feat of pushing me outside of my comfort zone.  A dear friend/neighbor and her 9 month old got us out of the house - we walked/strolled all the way along the water to downtown to enjoy her pool membership at the Vinoy.  I have always been a water baby and love the pool (and C appears to be as well) so I went against the nagging voice of fear (What if it's a colossal failure and she melts down while we're out?!) and committed to it.  I have never walked that much with C before (over 1 hour and ~2.5mi one way) so I wasn't sure what we'd do if she wasn't happy about it (we've taken evening walks about half that and she has lost it before).  Thankfully our timing must have been good and she napped the whole way down and back.  She enjoyed some pool time and we had a hurried lunch but eventually the meltdown monster reared it's ugly head - she'd been awake too long and it was hot and bright out so I couldn't nurse her down to sleep on me while in a shaded lounger on the deck.  Eventually we made a run for the air-conditioned sitting room inside where I could quietly nurse her to sleep them slip her in the stroller where she stayed down until we got home.  However it was fairly traumatic to hear her get to that point of no return when she hits the infinite loop of cough-crying where she can't breath and turns red in the face and I couldn't do anything until we could get to the sitting room a 3 minute walk away.  I feel like I'm causing her brain damage when it happens - as if it's a seizure or something because she gets all hot and red and her eyes glaze over when she hyperventillate/cries and when it's over she's unfocused while she nurses and I feel like no one's home behind her eyes she's so overwrought by it all (this is also what happens in the car and did again the next day after lunch with a friend).  So it was good to see we can both survive an outing (admittedly, I was thisclose to calling a cab to take us home since I didn't think she's sleep in the stroller).  I clearly need to build up my confidence as a mom but also my competence about how to handle being a mom in public (what to pack or not, how to calm her if I can't just lay down with her, how to keep her from getting overworked).  When I got home Wade asked if it was fun and it was tough to answer - it was really nice to get out and spend time with a friend by the pool, but at the same time it wasn't exactly fun because it was so much work.  I have a new found appreciation this week for single mom's or moms who are out in public going about their business with kids in tow.  I am used to having my crap together when out and about - being efficient and productive, but now my bar is "Clementine is still alive, has not injured herself or eaten anything dangerous - ok, we're good."  I am hoping with practice I'll get better and more of these things will become second nature and I won't have to think about them as much, but it's small things like: "where to put the baby when you have to pee and you're alone?" or "how to change clothes and not let the baby fall over if you can't put her down?" or "how to quickly run out to the car for something you forgot (wallet, stroller, etc) when you're alone but have already dropped all your crap where you are?"  You get the idea.  In the last year I've usually been the person to try to open a door or something for a mom with her hands full in public, but I honestly am clueless about how to help with kids so I never know what to offer friends.  But now, I know when friends are around, at least I can now offer a spare set of hands because even that is a miracle.

4 months

Just as we got home form NC, the Little Lady turned 4 months old - what the what?!  Where did 4 months go!?  (Oh right, I've been living in a cave...)

I managed to get some shots of her, but she's clearly not as willing to sit still anymore. lol  You can see the file I started for 4mo. pictures here.

Are we done here?

That following weekend we headed out to the beach to celebrate Wade's new job, which largely consisted of us lounging by the pool or beach and one afternoon of driving around and shopping while the Little Lady napped in the car. :)  Check out some pics and video here.

Oh July....

July was pretty action packed and I feel like it went by faster than the speed of light.  For the Fourth of July weekend we stayed closed to home and tried to do fun things since we weren't able to do our usual weekend on the beach.  We grilled out for the holiday and gave the Little Lady her first dip in her kiddie pool (purchased specifically for the holiday weekend) as well as blew bubbles for her the first time (she was kind of oblivious to them).  It was also kind of grey and blah that day, so it wasn't quite hot enough for her to do more than scowl at the water in her pool.  She sure did look cute in her little swim diaper though!

Later that weekend we finally took the little lady to the beach for the first time.  It was stormy and overcast so at first we weren't sure it was going to work, but then we realized it was good because it kept it form being too bright for the Little Lady.  This was also the first time we debuted her sunglasses - they actually fit and she liked them! Unfortunately though, we forgot our good waterproof camera so we only had my iPhone to use for pictures - not the best, but at least we got the shots and we were even able to get a video. :)  She took it all in stride and seemed to enjoy the warm water.  The stormy sky made for some really dramatic coloring which was nice.

After the holiday weekend, we spent the week packing up for our big road trip to visit Mom and Larry in NC, meet up with Wade's folks, go camping, and hopefully swing by Atlanta to see friends and family.  That last week before we left was pretty brutal - packing for 3 of us was a lot of work considering I didn't have any help during the day (and she wasn't napping much) and in the evenings she only stayed asleep if I was in bed with her, so I couldn't get much done at night.  Wade was also nose deep in prep for 2 jobs interviews so his evenings were spent prepping for those as well.  By the time Saturday morning came around and it was time to get the rental car, I could not start vacation soon enough.  We had a rocky start with the rental car company but finally got everything squared away before loading up the van and heading out.  The plan was to drive 5 hours then stop in Tifton, GA at a nice Hampton Inn that's pet friendly (oh, did I mention we rented a mini-van so we could take the dog, 2 cats, baby, and all our stuff with us??) - a place we've used quite a bit over the last decade from road trips to NC to hurricane evacuations.  The first day's ride was MUCH better than expected considering how terrible the start to the day was.  Clementine has developed a habit of melting down in the car if the conditions aren't perfect (or if she's alone in the back seat) - and it's scary because she gets so worked up she starts coughing and gagging and clearly can't breathe so we have to hastily pull over so I can nurse her to calm her down (at which point she's so worked up her skin feels like it's 1000 degrees).  But she slept most of the ride until the last hour - it was pretty bad when she was awake but tired and not happy while I tried everything to soothe/distract her so we could keep driving.   Luckily we made it safely and got upgraded to a suite which made life easier.  We all had a good but quick night of sleep before starting all over again the next morning.  The second day of driving was the longest of our lives and it would not be overstating it to say we were traumatized.  I was literally considering flying home for the return drive because the stretch between Atlanta and North Carolina was so awful.  It took us 7.5 hours but it felt like 12 (and should have been 6).  Despite the horror and chaos the pets were actually really good about everything thankfully.

Once we arrived, NC was a welcome 2 week vacation of family, relaxation, cooking, and me sort of feeling like I had a life again.  We also watched C bloom while we were there - for Wade's birthday she discovered her voice (sounds like she's calling dolphins), got proficient at rolling over, developed some neck muscles (no more potato head!), gave us a tiny preview of her giggle, started doing tiny baby crunches/situps, and got really good at grasping things.  She was clearly going through a big developmental milestone which explained the tough week we had at home right beforehand.  She was finally able to meet her Grammy and Grampy (Wade's parents) - NC is the perfect midpoint between our house and theirs so it was easier for us to both drive rather than figure out a plane flight.  It was a lot of fun and we tried to capture as much of it as we could in pictures and video.  Wade and I were able to enjoy our first date night, which consisted of us running downstairs to enjoy 30 minutes in the hot tub while watching fireflies - it was wonderful.  C also got to meet her Aunt Janis and Uncle Miles as well as her 2 cousins which was really sweet to watch.  Another first - I finally conquered nursing in public and feel fairly confident with that now (thanks REI and Mast General Store!).  I tried practicing just about everywhere we went which C seemed to need anyway (remotely hungry baby + carseat = disaster) and it was good practice for her nursing with lots of distractions around (maybe that's how she built up her neck muscles - craning to get a look at everything going on around her!)  Every day we were there we practiced trying to get C to take a bottle, but still had very little luck.  Although we did find a sake cup that we've had more luck with so that's a start.  Maybe she'll skip the bottle and go right to a cup?  Originally we were planning to also take C camping for the first time, but the weather rained out our window so we had to scale it back to a picnic and a short hike instead.  On our last day we headed to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to check out the campground we were going to use as well as picnic at a nearby area I had read good things about.  It was a gorgeous area and a fun little adventure.  We hope to come back to take Clementine camping there someday soon.  I've posted our photos and videos to our Picasa site.  The drive home was bittersweet, and tough on Little C again so we weren't able to stop in Atlanta which made us sad, but it was clear we needed to get the drive over with as soon as possible for everyone's mental health.

And the big news for the month - Wade got a new job!  He'll be a Senior Data Scientist for a health benefits company in Tampa that 2 of our friends work for.  It means Wade has to commute now (sad face), but at least it's a relatively short commute and eventually he'll get to work from home one day a week.  He's making enough money for us to survive now, which is a good thing since we were pretty much out of funds with my maternity leave.  (I've been working on finding some projects, but nothing solid yet.)  It also means I can work less to stay home with C, but we can afford to get some part-time help with her when I do have work coming in.  Oh yeah, and finally having extra money for things like a college fund and retirement fund will also be a welcome change!  Wade is also enjoying finally being able to say "That's what they pay me the big bucks for" and it finally be true. ;)

It's raining tacos

Although I'm on a restricted diet (no: gluten, dairy, soy; vegetarian) as a precaution against potential allergies for Little C, I'm finding it's not that bad.  We'll be vegetarian and gluten free no matter what, but there are a few dairy and soy things I do miss: miso soup, quesadillas, hard cheese, greek yogurt.  Once Clementine hits the 6 month mark I can test eating some of these to see if she has a reaction or not.  Despite all these food restrictions (or maybe because of them) she's growing like a weed and we think she's over 16lbs now (she turns 16 weeks next week)!  We also had to loosen her car seat straps this past weekend too and she is starting to look comically large for the co-sleeper.

In the mean time, I am finding that Little C has recently taken a sudden interest in watching me eat.  I frequently find myself nursing her while I'm eating and we joke that she just doesn't like eating alone.  She's pretty much been this way from the beginning so a food tray was my savior for the first two months until we managed to find a way for me to nurse and eat at the dining room table.  Now that she's eating mostly at the table with me I'm finding she is fascinated by watching me eat and even tries imitating my chewing!  Apparently she's already counting down the days until she can start solids.  

She has also been practicing swatting at my fork/spoon/hand while they are conveying food, which has ended in more than a few mishaps.  What I have noticed is that I am starting to hate some of my favorite foods given their poor ability to be transferred successful over a long distance from my plate to my face without raining/dripping down on a nursing baby - I'm looking at you: tacos, salad, soup, tacos, beans and rice, cereal, watermelon, tacos, mulberries, poached eggs, and wraps/sandwiches.  At this point I have officially dirtied more of her clothes than she has.  And I've almost lost it on numerous occasions when we have hot tasty tacos waiting and she decides she needs to eat at the exact moment they hit the table - cold tacos are pretty awful in my book and we eat them a lot so it's a constant challenge.

Other than that, I'm relieved she doesn't seem to mind strong tasting foods (onions, garlic) or spicy foods so we're hoping that'll mean she'll be an open minded eater with us.

Adjusted expectations

I have had some moments in the last week that made me laugh as I compared what I now consider normal to what I originally thought we'd do after Clementine's arrival.  For example:

1. Before: Snuggles in bed with the cats are wonderfully fun, After: Kitty snuggles now feel like a downright spa-like experience since they only want to provide purring sound therapy, apply themselves like heat rocks to my sore spots, and massage me - it's particularly nice because they want nothing from me in return and never cry!
2. Before: We'll only need one heavy-duty stroller for long walks around the neighborhood or for park trails and I'll use the pack when running errands, After: Little C likes to be held and carried but not squished in a pack when she's tired, especially by me.  Hello, umbrella stroller!
3. Before: Little C will sleep in the co-sleeper at night until she's too big then move into her room and crib after a few months.  (How do people sleep with a baby in their bed?!)   After: In the hospital it was clear she was happiest close to us in our arms and within a half hour of us being home she was sleeping in our bed and... we're ok with that.  She sleeps, we sleep, everyone is happy.  It's sweet waking up to snuggly baby smiles (and hilarious baby toots) - now we need a bigger bed. ;)
4. Before:  Nursing in front of people is going to feel awkward.  After:  My boobs are a useful, functional tool (that's what they're made for) that I need to use frequently, much like my hands, and it seems impractical, if not hilarious, to cover up my hands so why should I cover my boobs?  (lol, seriously)
5. Before:  Where can I hide while I'm nursing in public?  After:  Where can I find good arm support while I'm nursing in public?  I don't hide when I eat my meals, why should Clementine hide when she eats hers?  Shame on people for suggesting babies should eat in unsanitary bathroom stalls - would you eat your meal in the restaurant bathroom?  Ick.
6. Before:  I am terrible with kids and don't know how to entertain them.  After:  I am terrible with kids and don't know how to entertain them or put them to sleep (nursing her to sleep doesn't count since it means I'm stuck under her until she wakes up).

So far we've been pleasantly surprised that we were assuming the worst as far as sleepless nights and bodily fluids go, but it's actually been much better than we feared.  All in all the hardest part for me has actually been feeling like I'm stuck in a cave under a nursing or sleeping baby.  But weekly lunches with friends who come over have helped and we're trying to get out more with her (even if it's only a nightly walk) and that's helped.

And here's your daily dose of baby sugar:

Good morning sunshine!

All hail the sidecar

The little lady's sidecar (umbrella stroller) arrived last week while my cousin Ericka was here helping out.  She made quick work of assembling it then Wade spent the evening strolling Little C in circles around the house to see how it fit and how she liked it.  We ended up getting a Baby Jogger Vue - it's not the lightest umbrella stroller out there, but it's one of the more unique ones because the baby can either face you or face forward while you're pushing them which is perfect for a baby C's age.  If she's tired, she always seems to do better when she's knows we're around, and in her bigger chariot (stroller) we can set it up for her to face us too which she likes.  Another thing about this stroller is that it can recline almost nearly flat so she can nap in it too (hooray!) which she tends to do when we're out walking.  The stroller was more than we wanted to spend, but it's difficult to find an umbrella stroller that reclines, can face backward, and is made by a company that doesn't use nasty flame retardants on their products - fortunately though it was quite a bit less than some of the other higher end reclining strollers that are super lightweight.

Little C in her sidecar - yes, that is a little fan and it works wonders so she doesn't get too hot.

Last week Wade finished a big project at work that he's been working on for over a year, so to celebrate we decided to do something brave - we went out to dinner.  lol  Normally dinner time is not Little C's best time of day because she's usually tired and over stimulated by this point (or worse if she didn't nap in the afternoon) so the thought of going out to dinner had been pretty repulsive and not even remotely enjoyable to say the least (we've only managed one lunch out with her and that only worked with my mom to help too!).  But we decided to brave it with the new stroller.  We packed up for an early dinner and were downtown by 5:45.  I topped off Little C in the car once we parked then we headed into a little cafe I'd been wanting to eat at since before C was born - one of my favorite lunch spots closed last year and reopened a few months ago in a new and bigger location under a different name (Mickey's Cafe & Organics) but with the same owner and menu.  We had the place to ourselves since it was an hour before closing so we ordered our usual fare, got drinks, and their famous homemade chocolate chip macaroons.  The food was as good as I had remembered and it was so nice to get out.  C spent the meal in Wade's lap after a little time in the stroller (she always likes to see what's going on) and we had a great dinner.  Afterwards we decided to really push our luck and take our nightly walk downtown instead of in the neighborhood along the water.  We drove to the other side of downtown, found a great parking spot by the water and did a big loop of the main strip where the nice restaurants are along the water.  C slept the entire time and only woke when we finally stopped for tea and gelato/sorbet at our 2 favorite places (Paciugo and Hooker Tea) that we hadn't been to in quite a while.  It was such a treat!  We finished our walk back to the car and C began to get fussy so I fed her in the car again before heading home.  All in all, it was a successful outing that we really enjoyed (and was made possible by our new stroller)!

Hooray for getting out!

12 weeks

This week Clementine passed the 12 week mark - which was a little crazy, where the heck as 3 months gone?!  I did her monthly photo shoot, which was pretty funny since she' getting too tall for the nursing pillow to adequately prop her up anymore.

All smiles at 3 months old!

So far here are the interesting bits we're observing:

1. She's already too big for some of her 3-6mo clothes and wears the 6 month size in some brands (Carter's) - I actually switched out her 0-3 clothes 2 weeks ago!
2. She's over 14lbs and 2ft long best as we can tell (we don't go back to the doctor for measurements until the 4 month mark).
3. She's been "talking" to us since around the 2 month mark, but just in the last few days she's been really starting to have conversations with us and is using her lips to change the sounds she makes.
4. She can hold her upper body up pretty well now and is about halfway to rolling over, which will likely happen sooner than we think.
5. She's been smiling since before the 2 month mark, but she's now getting mischievous about when she smiles, almost like she's playing a game with us.  This is particularly true when she's nursing, which is pretty funny.
6. She sleeps pretty well at night and only barely wakes to eat and goes right back to sleep when she's done.
7. Napping during the day is a work in progress, but we've found some white noise (particularly recorded nature sounds) and rocking helps soothe her to sleep (and keep her asleep).  She also nods off in the stroller, carseat, or in the pack when Wade's wearing her.
8. She seems to be a very observant baby and loves to take everything in and is happy to just quietly focus on new things and soak them up studying every little piece.  We think this is partially why it's hard for her to nap because she's stimulated by pretty much everything and doesn't want to miss a thing.
9. I had made a playlist of music that I thought would be good to listen to during C's birth, but that didn't happen since I actually preferred silence to concentrate, but instead the playlist has turned into her playlist during the day.  So far her favorite song is the Hawaiian version of Over the Rainbow by "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole (although the video version I linked to isn't the best).
10. Since she's now my sidekick during the day and isn't going to daycare like we originally thought, I've had to rethink how I am going to get out of the house with her.  Our big stroller (aka her chariot) is great for walks around the neighborhood on our uneven sidewalks and bumpy brick streets (and eventually park nature trails), but it's too heavy and big for me to take her out in it for quick errands.  And she isn't really a fan of me wearing her yet so that idea is out for now too.  Soooo, we had to break down and buy and umbrella stroller this weekend which should be here on Monday (thank heavens for Amazon).  This will be the sidecar for my sidekick and she'll get to test drive it tomorrow to see if she's a fan (if not, thank heavens for free returns!)

We celebrated her 12 weeks by heading to our local botanical garden, Sunken Gardens, to activate our family membership.  It's just a few blocks from our house so we figured it's a good place to get a membership so we can stroll down there with the Little Lady.  Sure enough, she conked out pretty quickly and snoozed through our stroll of the gardens and got to enjoy a nice nap among the trees.  Too bad she missed the flamingos though!

For more pictures from the gardens and her 3rd month, check out the folder on our Picasa site.  There's also more pictures in her 2nd month folder now too. :)  Enjoy!

Did someone say Meow?

All of a sudden, Hilo seems to be my 2nd sidekick (does having a baby and a cat following me around mean I have an entourage?) - he has suddenly been more in on the Clementine bandwagon.  It might be because he's lonely since Marley is still quarantined in our bathroom while he's coming off being radioactive kitty for his hyperthyroidism (fyi - so far he's doing fine but is incredibly lonely no matter how often we visit)?  But I actually think it's because Little C and I have been spending so much time snuggling and snoozing lately (Hilo's 2 favorite past times, aside from eating) that he's enjoying her company (except when she does actually wail then he runs as if she's an A-bomb about to go off).  I was scrolling though pictures tonight and noticed a cute trend - Baby Cat (aka Hilo, Mittens the Kitten, Twinkle, etc.) showing up in lots of Baby Clementine photos. 

Little C with her Mittens the Kitten toy that we tell her is her practice kitty before she gets to snuggle the real thing!

The real Mittens hanging out with Little C during playtime.

Baby cat snuggling me and Little C in bed.

Oh, and there was this adorable moment last week when she finally actually "saw" Hilo - as if she realized he was another living being in the house and not a toy (see below).  I nearly wept for joy since Baby has had the hardest time adjusting to Clementine and since I so desperately hope she'll be a cat person like her Mama, Granzie, and great-grandmother before her... it's kinda in her genes. ;)

Little C paying very close attention while Wade teaches her how to pet a kitty - it was both hilarious and adorable, and Hilo was eating up the attention.

Operation Sleep

The week after Memorial Day we thought the Little Lady had fallen off the sleep bandwagon entirely - she was fussy, didn't want to nap, and only wanted to sleep on one of us.  I finally got to a breaking point and did some Googling around to realize we were misinterpreting some of the daytime cues she had been giving us all week that we thought meant "I'm bored!".  What we eventually discovered was that she was actually trying to tell us she was chronically overtired and overstimulated - we were letting her stay up too long making it harder for her to settle down and sleep when she was supposed to.  

Sleeping on me in one of her carriers.... so cute and peaceful until I realized it was the ONLY way she'd sleep.

So Mama instituted "Operation Sleep" and Little C and Big C played hooky for a few days mostly having very low key days and snoozing in bed together quite a bit (well, I mostly read a book while she slept/nursed).  And after only one day it already made a huge difference.  She's back to our smiley, happy, easily entertained, cries very little baby and I feel like an idiot.  It also was a lesson that when everyone tells you to "trust your instinct" as a parent that only goes so far when you have zero previous experience with infants.  What we were taking as her boredom cues were actually her "I'm-so-tired-I don't-know-how-to-fall-asleep" cues.  I wonder how many other parents out there make blind, intuitive decisions in a good faith effort for their kids well being but are actually doing something misguided?

During Operation Sleep... one snoozy baby in bed with me.

Back to her ridiculously smiley self!

So now I know to be weary of when someone dismisses my questions about what to do with a "Oh, just follow your instinct!" - I need to look elsewhere for information.  My intuition always tells me to do some research to look at the options then make the best educated decision I feel is right - maybe that's how I ended up in science originally, but I just can't make an intuitive decision on zero external information.  What I excel at is taking a lot of information from a lot of sources (even when they're conflicting) and distill it down to make what I feel is the best decision.  Fortunately, I can use this skill in my work too, but now I'm having to fine tune it for parenting.  And I'm thankful for it.  You'd laugh if you saw my check-out list from our local library - I usually go through no less than 2 dozen books on any subject when I get started and have yet to find the check out limit from the library (heh-heh, even when I had 20 gardening books out at once).  I currently have 8 parenting/childcare books on the table behind me - thank heavens for our library!

And for the record, she actually sleeps pretty well at night and has since we brought her home - largely because she sleeps in bed with us.  She rarely cries, sleeps for long stretches (6hrs), and wakes up a ridiculously smiley, happy baby.  And shockingly, so do we.  It's easier to nurse her while I'm laying down with her and we both usually snooze while she's doing it.  It also means I hear her root around to nurse before it turns into a full blown cry.  It's probably why Wade and I both feel much more rested than we were expecting to be based on all the horror stories we've been told about sleepless nights, but so far, we've only had about 3 of those.  We've taken all the precautions to make sure it's safe, and the co-sleeper bassinet we borrowed is mostly serving as a nightstand for my stuff and her stuff and it keeps her (and me) from rolling out of bed.  We now realize we need a bigger bed and are trying to figure out how to squeeze a King-sized bed into our room once we save up for it.