A Cruel World

This past week we have all been battling a cold. I have a feeling that it was probably more like the flu but I shudder thinking about it. The flu is ick! It started not this past Thursday but the Thursday before that. Jenna came down with fever while at Grammy's house and her fever didn't break until Sunday. Jillian's fever started Saturday and didn't break until Monday. My fever started Wednesday and broke around Friday. Jared's fever has started today. :( The girls and I are on the mend but are left with a pesky cough that won't go away. Even my mom-in-law (Grammy) who watches them got it. Is it a coincidence that sicknesses run rampant around the same time kids go back to school?

Anyhoo, even though we are under the weather it doesn't stop the girls from all the things they like to do. :) Jenna is making headway on many milestones right now...which is super exciting. She has starting saying "Ga" which is great! Before it was just a bunch of "ahs." :) She is also starting to get up on her knees while on her tummy. I keep thinking she is going to start crawling each time but once she is on her knees she never knows how to get going so ends up doing a face plant into the ground most of the time. Soon though....very soon.















Jenna tries to stay balanced on her knees

Our challenge right now is we are trying to get the girls to only two naps a day. It is weird... when I wanted them to take three naps a day I could hardly get them to take any and now that I only want them to take two and not three they want to sleep all the time. Crazy kids. :)

We started having a really hard time putting the girls down for bed at night and we couldn't figure out why. They were sleepy but were just battling the physical act of going to sleep. So we decided to try different things...we put them in separate rooms, we turned off all night lights and then we started noticing that if they didn't get their last nap of the day then they were ready for bed on time and not only went to sleep fast but would stay asleep all night. So we started not putting them down at all for the last nap of the afternoon. Boy, things did a bit of a 180. (I know...knock on wood right?!?) Now their two naps of the day are usually really great (1 1/2 to sometimes 2 1/2 hours!). They are in bed and asleep usually by 7:30ish (8 at the latest) and don't wake up until around 6:15ish.

Sometimes I wonder though if this might be cruel and unusual punishment...for both parents and baby. From about 4:00-7:00 at night the girls are...um...durn cranky for lack of better terms! Poor Jillian was so cranky that right at 6:00 last night when I went to heat up her bottle she actually started to put herself to sleep on her play mat in the living room...

Jilly plays possum

I felt bad getting her up but knew she needed to eat and if she took a nap there was no way I would be able to get her in bed later. The girls are weird like that...if they even sleep for 15 or 20 minutes it makes no difference for them, it is as if they took an hour long nap. I try to remind myself that even though they are cranky this really is better for them. Before we were lucky to get 12 hours of sleep every day (naps and night time together) and Jillian was still having a hard time sleeping solidly through the night. Now, by us cutting out that last nap, they get on average between 13 and 14 hours of sleep, sometimes a bit more. Jilly also has an easier time of going to sleep and staying that way instead waking up a few times a night for her pacifier or mommy rocking time. The pediatrician says babies this age need between 14 and 16 hours of sleep each day so it seems we are on the right track.

More to Come,

Jessica

Jilly and Daddy are couch potatoes!

Jenna (L) and Jillian

One of Jenna's favorite dinners is Gerber Chicken and Rice Dinner. If only Mommy and Daddy could aim better, right? :)