TWO.

that's the number of times we got up last night. TWO!!!! I hate to bore people with baby stuff ad nauseum, but this is heady, heady, celebratory stuff! we've had a somewhat rough week with growing pains/fussiness/gassiness/constipation?/micro-naps around the clock/who knows what/normal six week old behavior, but last night after a bath and some good second (or third?) dinner Magz went down around 9:30 and didn't wake me up until 3a with little grunts and coos. can you count how long that is?? I can, and compared to the rest of the week it's a freaking eternity! and THEN she went back to sleep around 3:30 and sweetly woke up again around 6, when she ate an early breakfast and entertained herself in her crib while mama took a bath, did some dishes, and made coffee. then daddy went in and played with her awhile before heading off to work, mama changed her clothes and fed her again, and now she's contentedly ensconced in her swing while I type this. guess what was absent from everything I've just described? INCONSOLABLE CRYING. EVEN FUSSY CRYING! there's been none of it and I'm so thankful, for her sake as well as ours. I think we all needed a little reprieve. when people described their baby's crying jags before I had one of my own, I honestly thought, 'huh, how bad can that really be? I mean, they cry and then you, the confident and cool adult, do something soothing and they stop, right?'

I'm sorry. I'm sincerely sorry, everyone, I'm a fool.

I don't want to make it sound like all she does is cry... it's not true at all. I think when you're sleep deprived it's easy to focus on the negative things you're trying to fix and sort out, but since I got ALL THAT SLEEP last night I'm all about the positives this morning. this girl's a great baby who's got a lot going for her...

- she's got a consistently fabulous appetite (only this week have I really felt that my milk production is starting to actually meet her demand)

- is a very flexible eater between mama's beloved breastusez and the occasional breastmilk or formula bottle (and sometimes tolerating the annoying teaser of the pacifier)

- will enjoy (and sometimes sleep in) her play gym, swing, and vibrating chair when she's in the right mood

- is smiling and starting to laugh and respond to peek-a-boo games and such

- can focus on, study, and drunkenly reach toward some of her rattle/crinkly/musical toys and gloworm

- is beginning to entertain herself for longer periods of time on the floor and in her crib/pack n' play, and is probably close to moving into her room for good

- does really well with slings and the baby bjorn (even if she wails a little going in)

- happily falls asleep on whatever chest she's laying on/against

- loves to be held upright on your shoulder, preferably while you're up standing up and moving around.

current dislikes mostly involve pulling things over her head and face (so be sure you really want her to wear THAT onesie, because trying on multiple outfits will seriously test her good humor), being strapped into her car seat, and laying her down anywhere when she wants to be up and held (which is a lot of the time). all of these things can make her scream like you pinched her, and if she's hungry, too, look out.

'shhhh, tell no one of this conversation, you have to trust me!'

'everyone who thinks Pixar is better than Disney raise their hand!'

'this is how we drink our tea, pinky out!'

'one-eyed peek a boo, yo!'

sweet.

fashion-forward on a Friday morning while mama blogs:

lest you think I'm incapable of writing about anything other than our baby, here's a little rug I got yesterday at the local Marshall's that makes me so very happy just looking at it:

it's thicker and more plush than I think you'd normally do in a kitchen, but the colors are really great and it feels so much better to stand on this while doing dishes (a chore I've never loved).

things I'm currently jonesing to do:

work out at the Y
thoroughly enjoy the steam room at the Y
do yard work and work in the beds. I love to get yard-dirty.
fit into one pair of my pre-baby pants
read something all the way through
print some new photos to put in frames and hang them

things I just need to do:

finish unpacking these last, straggling boxes
sort my clothes and pack up the maternity-wear I was loaned
file all of the papers in my 'IN' basket
cut down on my soda and sugar consumption. stupid cravings for sweet things.
up my real food consumption.
back-strengthening exercises... I feel mine being tweaked a lot lately with toting the baby around and whatnot

baby stirring, almost time to head out to the store and the bank. happy Friday, everyone!

-m.y.