24 hours with Maya

Dear Maya,

Lately life with you has somewhat settled down into a sort-of routine.  There are fluctuations, of course--you are only 4.5 months old after all.  There are also improvements to this schedule that mommy and daddy are working on.  For the most part, however, this is how your days look:

5:30am
You wake up at this time more often than not.  Even if you sleep until 6 or later, mommy gets up so she can make coffee and pump--the two most important things at that time of the morning!

With your new seahorse toy from Grandma--looks like you're trying to rescue it from drowning :)

6:00am
After feeding you and getting daddy's breakfast ready, mommy jumps into the shower while you spend a little time with daddy.  He then gets ready and is out the door at 7:15 to go to work.

7:15am
This is our time to play on the floor, cuddle, pet the cat, etc.  Oh, and did I mention you always want to eat at least twice within 3 hours of waking up in the morning?  Hungry baby...

See the whole progression of this funny interaction in the photo album on the right titled "May 13-20"

8:00 or 8:30am
You take your first nap of the day.  This has become so much easier: we say goodbye to the world outside and shut the curtains, we read a book, mommy sings, you eat and you go to sleep.

10:00 or 10:30am
You wake up and mommy finishes her chores, especially noisy ones like vacuuming which you seem to like.  Then, weather permitting, we go for a walk around the property and visit the chickens.

12:00 or 12:30pm
Mommy counts two hours from the time you wake up from your first nap as a guide to put you down for your second nap, otherwise you get pretty cranky pretty quickly.  We do the same pre-nap routine.

2:00 or 2:30pm
You wake up and mommy changes you so we can get out the door quickly.  We usually go to the post office and see your aunts get off the school bus.  Some days we go for walks or go visit family or friends.

4:30pm
We go home around this time so mommy can finish making dinner.  You often start getting cranky in the late afternoon, but you usually have a smile for daddy when he gets home from work at about 5:15 or so.

5:45pm
Daddy offers to do the dishes but mommy always turns him down so he can play with you instead.  It makes him happy, you happy, and mommy ridiculously happy listening to you giggle and daddy fuss over you.

6:45 or 7:00pm
Bath time!  Except for our North Carolina trip and a few times mommy bathed you early when you really needed it, mommy and daddy have always given you a bath together.  You're starting to love baths lately.

7:15 or 7:30pm
Just like your naps earlier, we say good night to the world, close the curtains and read some books.  You eat and mommy sings to you and rocks you.  When your eyelids start to droop, mommy puts you in your bed.

You've been working on your fish face lately, or as mommy refers to it, your sea turtle face!

7:30pm to 5:30am
Now that we've been sleep training you for a couple of weeks, things are getting easier even though they're not perfect.  You often wake up and fuss at around 10:00pm and around 4:00am but usually not for long.

Last night, however, was the worst night crying jag you've had in ages.  You cried from 12:30 to 1:30am.  You've had some gas and bowel issues lately so mommy and daddy checked your diaper, making it worse.

It's hard to photograph how curled up and twisted around you are when you sleep, but trust us--it's crazy.

Even when you are sleeping soundly, lately it's a bit hard for mommy and daddy to relax.  We worry because your sleeping positions are getting weirder and weirder, i.e. with your behind raised and your face buried.

But you seem to be sleeping more deeply lately so I guess you feel most at ease in these weird positions.  Mommy and daddy won't stop checking on you anytime soon, but I suppose you'll be alright.  Sigh...

Love you!