PJs

Dressed in her PJs, we start to wind down and begin her bedtime routine which consists of quiet play and cuddling, Dad changing her into her PJs and washing her face while Mom prepares her bedtime bottle, final kisses and hugs, and finally Dad feeding her one last time before it's lights out. And every other day, we throw in a bath into the routine.

Elise still sleeps in our room in a Graco portable crib next to our bed. When she outgrew her bassinet a couple of months ago, we though it would be a good time to move her into the nursery where we've decorated it green, pink, and everything sweet. It's been almost 7 months now and she has yet to spend one night in her room. We just can't bear the thought of her all by herself WAY acorss on the other side of the house. Even though we don't run to her every time she makes a peep, it is very comforting to know she's only a few steps from our bed. Sometimes we'll stand over her as she's sleeping oh-so-peacefully. But we know sooner rather than later, we'll have to move her but until then we love listening to her sigh and purr in her sleep like a small engine.

In the morning (around 6:30am), she wakes up rubbing her eyes and staring at the ceiling. Sometimes she'll play with the toys we leave in her bed or babble to herself. When Dad is slow getting out of bed, she'll send out a quick warning wail to let him know that she's ready for breakfast and company. If her wail goes unanswered and Dad is still "REMing" it or pretending to, she'll start moaning in a low voice which progressess, octave by octave, to a full blown cry at a decibel we're sure the neighbors can hear. This usually jolts Dad out of bed pretty quickly and he is greeted with a huge gummy smile and flapping arms. Once a new, dry diaper is put on, she's handed off to Mom who's ready to serve breakfast. But by this time, she's so impatient that she latches on with full fervor, grabbing Mom's hair, shirt, breast, or whatever she can to get to the target faster. With her fists clenched tightly and her feet suspended in midair, you can hear the sounds "swish-swish-gulp, swish-swish-gulp" as she settles into a rhythm like a finely tuned piston engine. Mom usually slips back into light sleep and when Elise is done, she'll either "pop" off and fall right back to sleep (Mom's preference) OR she'll be wide-eyed and ready to start the day. So, half-asleep and with heavy eyes, Mom plays with Elise until her next nap at 9:00am.