It's Tricky!

Babies are, well, TRICKY! What works one day, well, just may not work the next! Let me give you the example of lulling Molly Piper to sleep. Usually, she is asleep by 10:30 or 11:00 at night, and she sleeps for almost 11 hours without incident, straight through the night. But tonight...OH NO...you guessed it...she is wide awake. Those "peepers" (as her daddy lovingly calls them) are still "peeping" and her smile is bright! Sure, her smile is the sweetest, bestest thing I have ever witnessed...but here it is almost MIDNIGHT and we're still awake with her! The other day we subscribed to BabyFirst TV on satellite in hopes of providing some educational entertainment to her, and that is where she is now--in front of their lullaby programming. I hate to just stick her in front of the TV but at this point, tonight, well, I don't know what else to do. She's fed, changed, swaddled. The passy is in her mouth. She's had her bathtime earlier this evening! There's white noise in the room (a fan). We've held her. Todd sang to her! I bounced and swung her in my arms! Molly was a big gassy earlier, so she was given Mylicon in hopes that that would solve the problem...UH...NOPE!! So I placed a soft blanket in her carseat and put her down in there, swaddled and passy in place, and turne on the TV and put her seat in front of it, HOPING it will lull her to dreamland. But, um, I hear her over there, grunting. Do I need to go check on her? Should I give her more Mylicon? HECK...I DON'T KNOW!!! This baby-raising stuff sure is hard! LOL. I'm not especially confident with it and tend to second-guess the things I OUGHT and SHOULD be doing. She's been sick with a bad head cold recently just this week, so I don't have any way of knowing if something is hurting, or if she's having trouble breathing or WHAT and I just hate that. I wish I knew instantly what was the matter, but I just don't.

She took a 4 hour nap earlier today...maybe that has her all messed up, I don't know! But she just kept snoozing and I just kept waiting for her to wake up so we could have tummy time and Baby Einstein time and just play together. During that time, I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and even got alllllllllll the laundry done! She woke up, drank some prune juice and then we played. A few hours later, she drank another bottle. And then about 8:00 she had her nighttime bottle, which usually puts her to bed about 10:00 or so....but tonight...it's TRICKY!

One thing is for sure and for certain: I have never known a love like the love I have for my baby daughter. When I look at her, my heart swells and her future flashes before my eyes. I know the dangers of this world and want none of them to harm her. I pray for her health and safety every single day and I tell her each chance I get that I love her. Her gummy smile warms my heart and her loose, naked scalp tickles my funny bone. She is the light of my life, the absolute reason I am alive. I feel so blessed, even at nearly MIDNIGHT on Sunday night. LOL. This little girl has blessed Todd and I beyond belief. If you're a parent, I know you can relate. I never dreamed that there would be TRICKY times like THESE but I also never dreamed I could love another person so completely and so wholly. The spit-up doesn't bother me. The poopy diapers don't phase me. Her laundry? I actually LIKE doing her laundry!!!!!!! LOL. Just seeing her smile at me and curl into me when I hold her, THAT is what I live for these days....