Wednesday, April 3, 2013

3:30p.m.

So I went to work this morning and left Adam and Aubrey together, and Adam had to take her to physical/occupational therapy.  He managed to get her and himself fed and in the car and to the hospital with 10 minutes to spare!  I'm so proud.  Both therapists are really impressed with how Aubrey is doing; they said she's just about exactly where an 8 week old baby should be with her motor skills.  The only problem they found was when she was trying to follow a picture they were moving across her field of vision either she would lose it for a second or her eyes would stutter.  She thinks it's because there are so many stimuli going on around Aubrey and she's not sure which one to focus on.  She held her tightly with her arms and legs all in close to her body and tried again and she followed the picture fine.  Another therapist brought a bunch of students around while they were working with Aubrey and was amazed that she was a former 24 weeker because of how well she was doing.

Don't MAKE me get up out of this carseat, fool! :)

I think we're getting into some sort of routine for bedtime.  Baby has a bottle somewhere between 9:15 and 9:45p.m. (Adam is usually already asleep, but I'm not sure what will happen to our routine when he goes to night shift...).  Mama sits baby up onto her shoulder and baby manages a seriously large belch, disproportionate to her small size.  Mama keeps baby as upright as possible for at least 20 minutes, trying desperately to keep baby's spit-up switch firmly in the off position.  Mama must continue to pat baby's back or bottom this entire time, or baby sets about flailing her tiny arms and head-butting her mama in the clavicle with her large noggin.  Mama must set baby down in order to wash baby's bottle.  Baby does not approve and lets it be known by whining pitifully. 

Mama turns out lights, picks baby back up (to baby's great pleasure) and trudges up the stairs to baby's room.  Mama and baby sit down in the glider in order to try and make baby sleepy.  Glide, glide, glide, pat, pat, pat.  Baby's arms go limp and her breathing slows.  In hopes that baby is asleep, mama stops patting.  Bad idea, mama.  Arm flailing and head butting ensue.  Glide, glide, glide, pat, pat, pat.  Baby goes limp again.  Mama continues patting but rises from the glider.  Mama takes a peek at baby only to find very large eyes staring back up at her from behind very long eyelashes.  Mama continues patting and adds in a swaying motion.  Baby's eyes finally close.  Mama attempts to place baby in cradle while continuing said patting and swaying.  Mama is glad no one can see this because she assumes it would be very comical to someone who has no idea what it means to finally get your baby to go to sleep.  Mama gets baby hooked up to monitor and climbs wearily into bed.  Sometimes baby stays asleep, sometimes baby has ideas of her own.  Tired mama.