Adorably Adaptable

Sleep. It occupied all of my waking thoughts for the first 8 months of Hannah's life. And there were definitely many waking hours...

Numerous Ferber attempts, lots of crying, a sleep sheep, a sleep sack...we tried it all and it eventually worked. I admit, I was partly to blame for the problem with nursing to sleep and co-sleeping but we made it through and now get a good 12 hours of a sleep night.

So why am I always so scared that we will have sleep problems when not in our usual setting? I think those 8 months tainted me to think that Hannah is a bad sleeper, when she really is not. Maybe its maturity, maybe its routine, but I think most of all, it is adaptability.

Yes, I can finally say it. My daughter is highly adaptable to different situations. In the past 2 months she has encountered a number of irregular events but her sleeping has continued to be constant and she, a happy little girl.

1. Our vacation- yes, it wasn't the most relaxing of getaways but Hannah slept well in the hotel, even for naps.

2. Moving into my parents' house. Hannah has never spent a night there but she slept so well. Even better than at home. Why did we wait so long for a sleepover at grandma and grandpas? Time to start!

3. Driving to Stowe at 7:30 on Friday night. Yes, every animal was named in a drawn-out version of Old McDonald but she eventually fell asleep and stayed asleep through the border until we arrived. A quick change into PJs and she was back asleep until 8am.

Impressive, don't you think? I do.

Time to start making those travel plans...especially before we hit the 2 year mark and flying is no longer free...

Weekend Report

The weekend started off with a bang after I experienced my first true nap on Friday.

By true, I mean not induced by a stroller, a car or by breastfeeding. Just the lull of the sleep sheep, the comfort of a sleep sack and 45 minutes of calming her down.

It was all well worth it. I got 1.5 hours all to myself. Heaven!

Granted I didn't want to clump around for this first encounter, I caught up on some emails and even watched 30 minutes of Oprah. Once we get into more of a napping groove I will go about my daily chores (laundry, cooking...) at an audible tone.

So after a relaxing afternoon, we headed down to Vermont. It was all planned with much calculation. In the car for bed time for the 2 hour drive. But when we arrived, Hannah did not enjoy the company of her pack and play. A few attempts later she ended up in the bed with me, and dad was on the couch next to us (usually reserved for the dog).

Night two was a bit more successful to start. With much effort.

I realized that to calm Hannah upon the initial moment when her body hits the mattress I rest my head on her tummy. Not so easy in a dropped pack and play. With back and leg aches to prove it I got her to sleep for an entire episode and a half of Mad Men (still waiting to understand what people are raving about). And then when she rose again we just all went to sleep early in bed.

Not a peaceful slumber as she decided to wake up every 2 hours and cry until I fed her for no apparent reason.

This morning we were blessed with a 2 hour nap (in our bed).

So naps are good but it seems that bedtime in new environments will take some work. We are off for Thanksgiving weekend to visit Hannah's great grandmother in Ontario, pack in play in tow.

Faced with two options:

1. A really sore back

2. Having great-grandma take out her hearing aids during the shrill cries!

Maybe I should book those massages now...

Extra Baggage

Tomorrow we are leaving for our first vacation as a family. We went to our country house two weeks ago but this will be our first time stepping into a plane with baby.

What to pack?

We're headed to Calgary and Banff so the weather is a bit of a guessing game...from a bathing suit to a sweater, I think I've packed it all. Her suitcase is brimming with colour and since there won't be a washing machine in sight I have definitely over packed. Better to be safe than sorry.

Am I nervous about the plane ride? Of course! We figure it will either go incredibly well or terribly miserable. We can only hope for the best. Luckily, I've read a few good books with traveling pointers. Who would have ever thought of packing poop bags to store dirty diapers? Definitely not me. Thanks to Winston, our golden retriever, we have an amble supply of biodegradable poop bags (too bad the diapers aren't). And so what if they've got paw prints on them? Hopefully, they will put a smile on the faces of our flight attendants - and win them over for a smooth flight.