Week 3!

We've come a long way in just three weeks. I finally feel like we have really gotten onto our feet. A new normal. And we're all doing really well.

Clara is precious. She is so easy to be around. She eats, then she sleeps. She is so mellow and content. It has definitely made the transition so much easier. We have gotten into a good groove with her. She typically wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00am for the day. I feed her, then she is usually up for two or three hours (with another top up sometime in there). Then she has a nap and I usually wake her at noon for another feed. Then back to sleep--and this is where we all usually sleep for a couple of hours (making a huge difference in my world!). At 3ish Soph wakes up, I wake up Clara and nurse her again. Then another nap till after dinner, when I wake and nurse again. Then I try to keep her awake for a few hours, feeding her as much as I can without putting her to sleep (with varying degrees of success). We go to bed usually at 10:00 or 10:30. She is usually only up once, but the length of time she's up varies from 30 mins to 90 mins (or last night two hours!!). Can't complain on that front.

Sophie is doing so so well. I am still shocked with how much love she has shown Clara. She is so gentle and affectionate with her. I think that I was really prepared for some major resentment and anger towards her (because that's what she would do with other babies that I held pre-Clara). She is sleeping better now, thanks to a brilliant idea from a friend of my sister's. She is so much happier, now that she's sleeping (amazing how those two things are linked!!).

We have been getting out of the house!! And it hasn't been too nutty for the most part. Going shopping, going to my school for plays, going over to friends houses. We're on the move--and it's done wonders for my mental health (and Sophie's too!!).

And I've been on my own quite a bit with the girls. And it's been fine. Brett has been working afternoons and evenings this week. We had people lined up to come over and help out, and I've needed way less than I thought. All I need help with right now is the hour before bed--bathtime, bedtime seems to also coincide with Clara needing to eat! I have figured out ways to avoid lifting Sophie and it's been no problem at all.

So that's it. All good in our world. Feeling euphoric about our new sweet angel. Feeling so happy that the pregnancy is over, the birth is over, the worst of the healing is over, and now we can get on to enjoying our new girl!!

The brilliant sleep idea!! I almost forgot. We have a lavalamp nightlight that we set on a timer to turn on each morning at 6am. Sophie knows (and understands!!!!) that when the light is off, it's still sleepytime. When the light is on, it's time to get up! It's working!!! And it's made a huge difference in everyone's lives!!