Every Day is Different

The days with Alli are getting easier. We aren't on a schedule, but I can predict her cycles a little better, which is helping me deal with my daily happenings. And, we've had some successful outtings which makes me feel somewhat like a "normal" person again.

Lately I've noticed that Alli is finding her voice. Instead of crying being her only sound, sometimes when she is awake and happy she makes a sound that almost sounds like she is saying "hi". I view this as finding her voice, which will be a wonderful addition to the traditional sounds (of crying) that we hear.

I find there are several different sides to Alli. Some days, she fights sleep and is not happy unless she is being held. Once she falls asleep, if I put her down anywhere, she wakes up within 15 minutes and is pissed off cranky!! Luckily I have a Moby Wrap (http://www.mobywrap.com) so that I can have her tucked close to me while still having my hands free to do things around the house. She stays wrapped like that between feedings when she is that fussy. But then other days we have an Alli that wakes up happy, feeds, stays awake and plays, and then gets tired and takes a pacifier in the bouncy seat and falls asleep with minimal interaction from mom. I *love* those days!

I'm assuming that she will ween away from needing to be held so much. I keep thinking that sleep for her is more important than whether I am spoiling her by holding her so much. It's a fine line I suppose, and you never know if you are doing something that will have adverse affects later on, but for now, I feel the amount of time I give her to crying and fussing before picking her up is appropriate for her age, and sleep is a more important goal. But hey, every day is different...