Who's Training Who?

As the harsh reality of returning to work looms in the near future, I've renewed my commitment to get us in a daily routine. Because my Precious One is a lot fussy, it's been a huge challenge. I can admit that I don't like to hear her cry; what parent does right? Well I especially don't. It's very unnerving for me, specifically her top-of-the-charts shrills. She belts out like someone is trying to kill her. Little body, BIG voice!

Olivia psyched me out a couple days last week by sleeping nearly through the night. I hopefully thought that we had turned the corner on this up-all-night girl time she and I shared. Alas, not so. It appears it was all an illusion, that, or we've seriously regressed. From birth, Olivia would not really take a pacifier, which was ok with us b/c it was one less habit to have to later break. Well, in the last few days we've been relying more heavily on the paci b/c she's rooting a lot more and seems to get frustrated that she can't open her hand enough to get it into her mouth. She mostly keeps her fists clenched unless she's eating (and getting full) or asleep. I've tried to help her open her fists but by reflex they just close right back up. This frustrates her to no end. So we've been giving her the paci and it's been working.....until she pushes it out of her mouth and then gets mad b/c its no longer there and she wants it. Then we hop up and replace in her mouth and within 5-10 mins, repeat this cycle x 5 and I'd had enough. The last thing I want is her to have a dependence on the pacifier! We were only using it to help her self-soothe, but it doesn't appear to be working.

I have two books that are supposed to give great insights into how to soothe a fussy baby and get them to sleep through the night as a newborn. The Happiest Baby On The Block and Babywise came highly recommended by a number of parents on TheBump.com. It feels as though we've out phased THBOTB b/c Olivia won't stay in her swaddle. The shushing works sometimes and sometimes not. With that, I've moved on to Babywise. It's premise is that the feed/waketime/naptime cycles should be set by the parent and not the infant. Easier said than done, I know. What baby doesn't either fall asleep immediately after eating or want to do so? I thought I could push this philosophy off on Olivia today cold-turkey.....her response...ABSOLUTELY NOT! LOL

Last night was really rough. She was sound asleep in her Pack-N-Play crib in my bedroom while I was downstairs. The minute I walked into the room she started to stir and within 2 minutes was wide awake screaming! This, even after I did my best attempt to tip-toe in MY bedroom and get what I needed and leave. I picked her up and tried to soothe her by rocking her and patting her back. She went fast to sleep. As soon as I tried to put her back in her P-N-P crib her eyes popped open and she had a major meltdown! Rinse and Repeat x 7.....worn out! After several failed attempts I decided to try and slip her into her own crib in the nursery. EPIC FAIL!! Around 6am I threw up the white flag, left her asleep up on my shoulder and got into bed and propped myself up. Did I mention that I didn't get any sleep last night? Oh..ok, just checking.

37 Weeks = FULL TERM!!!

Wow...we've achieved yet another pregnancy major milestone. We are full-term!! This simply means that if baby girl were to be born anytime from this point on, she's considered a full-term birth although we're not quite at 40wks of pregnancy. Granted, there is obviously a benefit to a baby remaining in the womb for the remaining 3wks, 20 days or however you're counting it b/c its more time for the lungs to mature, but, if she were born today she would still thrive.

I am definitely at the point where I'm anxious. Ready for her to be born, but wanting her to be born when she's supposed to be....if that makes any sense. In other words, I don't want to will her here too soon, but I am so ready to finally hold my baby! Everyone warned me that the last few weeks would feel like the longest and this is soooo true. Luckily, I've had plenty of things to occupy my time but I do often wonder when she'll make her much anticipated appearance.

I'm still receiving gifts from friends and co-workers, which means there is sorting, organizing and laundry to do. I'm trying my best to keep her closet and dresser drawers organized. The child has sooo many clothes and one of my Sorors gave me a bag of clothes this weekend that her daughter has outgrown. There is literally not one single thing that we're currently in need of and that is such a blessing! The waiting is the thing that's going to drive me nuts! I need to know when when is!!! Baby girl knows when her birthday is, I just wish I knew too.

I'm pretty pathetic too. You should see me standing in her nursery, going through her dresser drawers several times reorganizing the very things I just organized a few hours prior. I love smelling her clothes, b/c they smell like baby. Her closet smells like baby too b/c its full of wipes, boxes of diapers and toiletries. Her little dresses are hung so neatly and all of her clothes are organized by size. My child also has several pairs of shoes already....something like 10 pair I believe. If she has a shoe thing, she will have certainly gotten it honest b/c I love shoes, handbags and fashion generally. Hey, I could have worse habits. LOL. Is it wrong to want your child to have the best of everything? I don't think so. I'm not just talking material things either. I want her to have the best health care, education, culture experiences, opportunities, etc. I can speak for G when I say that its truly our life's goal to be the type parents our daughter needs to facilitate her purpose. That's so important to her growth, development and confidence. I know my child has an extraordinary call on her life and it's our job as parents to ensure she reaches it. What an honor to be apart of her life's journey!

how far along? 37 weeks (have I mentioned that enough?) LOL

weight gain? 20lbs

maternity clothes? yes, will I ever want to wear regular clothes again?

how big is baby? About 6.5lbs and 19-20inches

stretch marks? yes, still very faint. My linea nigra is barely visible.

sleep? Sleep has been hit or miss this week. Some days are better than others.

best moment this week? finding out that I was "negative" for Group B strep (this was last week actually) and watching and feeling my baby's movements.

labor signs? not yet

cravings? a large Chick-fil-A lemonade w/the hospital crunchy ice and a Publix Boar's Head 6" sub. Not necessarily together.

belly button in or out? still in

what i miss? sleep

what i am looking forward to? the birth of my beautiful healthy, beautiful baby girl!

weekly wisdom? Patience is a virtue.

milestones? Making it to full-term!!

More on Baby: Congratulations-your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies spot only peach fuzz.

More on Mama: Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some "bloody show" (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away-or less. (If you have a heavier spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately). Also be sure to ask your caregiver about the results of your Group B strep culture. That way, if the result isn't yet on your chart when you get to the hospital, you'll be able to give the staff there a timely heads-up if you need antibiotics.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day-this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though her quarters are getting cozy, she should still be as active as before.

While you're sleeping, you're likely to have some intense dreams. Anxiety both about labor and about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange flights of unconscious fancy.

I'm gonna be a Grandmama

Greg and I told his Mama....and this is her reaction....I love it!!!