Sleeping, Weather, AARP, Junk Mail, Quinn update

My body has been very tired the last few days (especially). I think I'm catching up on the sleep that I didn't get the last 10 weeks. And yet...I'm not tired when she goes to bed (usually 10pm). She'll wake up most nights about 4am. Luckily, goes back to sleep right after those early morning feedings (which she didn't do her first few weeks).

Her whole schedule was off yesterday as she woke up at 3am and 9am, was awake most of the day, and wanted her bedtime meal at 9 instead of 10pm but wasn't tired so she stayed awake. So, when Gma and Gpa B video called us at 10:30...she was wide awake and crying. Well, about 11:30 when she STILL wasn't going to sleep or playing, I fed her again...and I was awake until 1am or so. Well, she slept until 6:30!!! But, again, to me, only 5 hours of sleep, she went right back to sleep, I got another 2 hours of sleep, and Quinn was still out cold.

So, I decided to do house chores as my Ash Wednesday pennance (I think that's the word I'm looking for here) and take advantage of Quinn still sleeping so I didn't have to worry about her crying or carrying her with me and bonking her on the head with cleaning tools (it happens).

The first chore I did was clean my bathroom as I hate cleaning ... especially bathrooms...thought I'd get it out of the way first. Then, Quinn was awake so we played and ate and she got a bath and was out cold about 5 minutes after she was dressed again. Then to the kitchen to do dishes, trash, and recycling. I went outside and it's 7 degrees warmer than it is in our house (it's 61 in here)!! I'm in a sweatshirt inside...but outside, t-shirt and I'm warm! Overall, this is truly the oddest winter NYC has experienced in many many years (I'm guessing).
Now, time for a cute photo since all you in Mn and Wi hate me for that last comment...how much snow did you get yesterday???


Look at that eye/cheek! I can't seem to find a way to keep her fingernails dull! She has razors attached to her hands and she loves to have them on or near her face at all times. This means that since birth, she's had some sort of scratch on her face. They give her character...but they hurt me!! Any suggestions, moms????

Back to my stories...
With the US wanting to go "green", they sure do find a way to employ people (although probably machines as there are fewer jobs in the market) to send out TONS of junk mail daily. As you can guess, the next chore was to go through the mail. I do this once a week, and I really should do it daily. Today it took me 45 minutes to open, organize, and shred. Since there was time and money put into the junk mail process, I read most of it to see why it is so important. My favorite envelope was made out to "Mary Born" from AARP. Inside, the letter reads, "We notice you are not yet a member of AARP although you are 100% eligible." I'm tempted to join since I'm apparently eligible.

My blogging point being: has anyone found a way to stop credit card companies from sending application after application for cards we don't want??? Or all junk mail for that matter. This is ridiculous! I'm wasting my time and actual energy (cost which is ridiculous in NYC) to shred paper that will hopefully get recycled! If it's so important we protect our identity, why continue to send out applications with personal info? And, I thought for sure going paperless on our credit cards and all bills would bring us less mail every day. At least I don't need to sift through the junk to find the bills that need to be paid anymore. I still need to take the time to sort and shred...I can't wait until Quinn can help!! :)

As far as Quinn updates on her progress: She's sooo strong! Since birth, she's had amazing control of her head and loved to pick it up and look around. The control of these muscles grows every day. Her arms and legs are almost constantly moving when she is awake and she loves to chill on her back and just kick! When I hold her up in front of me to look at her darling face, she bears most of her own weight on her two legs. Last night, Mike was having her bend her knees, stretch out her legs in a jumping motion and zoomed her into the air above his head--she loved it (we think). Also, she will go to a sitting position almost by herself when we are playing. If I have her half sitting/half laying...she'll lift her head and bend her torso to get herself into a sitting position (especially if it's the time when I'm getting ready to feed her...anything to eat!!). So, already, she's being bribed to be fit...with food. Hmm....we'll need to work on that one!
She's gradually liking tummy time more and more, but not independently. She'll hang out on her mat for awhile, but gets frustrated. So, I put her belly on my belly and she'll pick her head up, her eyes meet mine and I get big smiles (not associated with spit-up or gas!!). She's still learning how to use her arms to help pick up her shoulders to get a better look around, so once we've mastered that, I'm sure independent tummy time will be her favorite!!

She LOVES her bedroom, as she has since birth. The yellows and greens are calming for her. She has looked at the mobile above her head since she could focus that far, but the smiles and coos that come from it when she's in a calm mood are adorable. It is fun for her silent or when it plays music and moves. Once you start the music though, it better not stop or she'll SCREAM! So, unless she starts to be fussy when she's in her crib, I avoid starting the music as it needs to be restarted about every 90 seconds and that's not comforting for me or Quinn.

We've also introduced hand toys and helping her realize she can entertain herself with something other than a white wall (although it's still her favorite thing to look at!). Many of the rattles we have are still a little heavy or large for her to grasp, but we have plastic keys that are by far her favorite.

Auntie Claire and Uncle Tom and family bought an octopus for her car seat that plays music when you pull the crab down...this has been BY FAR my favorite thing ever (even more than her pacifier!!). Quinn enjoys it too. That crab and music calm her down like nothing else when we're out walking and at the grocery store. There are so many new sounds and lights and things that I thought it would be fun for her to hear and see and learn...no. All she wants in the octopus to play music. Last night while I ate dinner, she sat in her car seat and I had her grasp onto the crab and I pulled her hand down. Wow the smile she got from that!!! My goal for her is to have her figure out how to do the entire action by herself...maybe a few weeks yet? Maybe when we're visiting! Wouldn't that be fun?!?!?! Yesterday it was warm, too, so she wasn't all bundled over her head in a blanket so she got to see the sky and people and buildings...I NEVER saw her eyes that wide before. Maybe that's why to slept so long...she needed to comprehend what she saw on our walk??? I wish babies could tell us what they were thinking....

I swear she associates when I eat with how she eats...it's hard to explain. I like to include her on meal time when she's awake. She'll watch closely and smile, start to drool (more) and move her mouth. Actions she doesn't do when she's just chillin'...well she does them, just not with the same intensity. I tell her as I eat that it is so she can grow up to be big and strong.

When we're at the store, I ask her what she wants to eat and she lets me know when it's something she doesn't want...so we don't get it and we try again the next time. Granted, it's probably all completely coincidental when she cries or smiles when I mention food in eat aisle...but it's an interaction none-the-less. Like the commercial for pediasure "I don't think I like chicken/I don't think I like broccoli/I don't think I like waffles"...maybe that girl didn't get to help decide meals in the grocery store when she was 2 months old and now she won't eat food but will drink a nutrition supplement. Crazy kids these days. :)

Hmmm...so that's a lot. I need some people here to talk to on a daily basis!

I'm hungry..PB and J for lunch! I hope I'm in the qualifications for not fasting as I'm feeding a baby too...