What are you doing Miss R?

When writing this blog sometimes I feel like I am repeating myself when I describe Miss R because many of the the things she does are similar to what her sister did. Still, to be true to her and this record of her life I have to capture it even if it is similar.

I don't want to jinx us, but I think we are nailing our daily routine. Right now she eats at 6 AM and then even 3 hours after that until 6 PM. That's when we start our cluster feedings which are at 6 and 8. We are firm believers in The Baby Whisperer where this technique comes from and have a toddler who is living proof it works. We were doing a dream feed at 11 but didn't think it was really making a difference so we decided to move it back to 10 to see what happened. We've only done it twice but both nights she slept until 6 AM so I am going to keep it up.

Miss R seems to start out slow with her eating and pick up speed as the day goes on. What this means is she'll only eat a couple ounces at the morning feedings and then do 4 ounces in the afternoon feedings. She still spits up but I haven't figured out what triggers it. Sometimes she'll go without spitting up for multiple feedings and other times she spits up all over the place.

We've learned a few things about the way she likes to sleep that have helped us out tremendously. She loves, loves, loves to be swaddled otherwise her arms and legs are going a mile a minute and jolts her awake. With the swaddling she also likes to be warm and we add a blanket in addition to her PJ's and swaddler. When her hands are free (and often she manages to break free of the swaddler) she grabs the blanket and often pulls it up to her face. We've found that if we put a piece of a blanket near her face when she is tired she will turn into it and it helps her fall asleep. It's wild to watch her rub her face against it and be comforted by it and to watch her pull it to her face.

She spends time each day now on the exercise mat and kicks and swats the items hanging from it. Sometimes she even manages to grab a ring though I think that is by accident.

We've moved from newborn diapers and clothes to Level 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes. She wears a lot of Miss C's clothes but I also can't resist buying her some things of her own. I don't want everything to be a hand me down.

I think the most important thing she is doing right now is stealing our hearts. She is smiling and laughing which is wonderful to witness. Her coos are music to our ears and I like to tell Miss C she's talking about her and all the stuff she does that R likes.