Good parenting or sleep train derailment?

Last night, for the eighth night in a row, I put Belle to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in the living room after the 12:45am feeding. When I heard her scream at 2am, I was concerned, She usually doesn't make a peep until later in the morning, and she hasn't yet screamed (she just sort of fusses). When the crying continued past a few minutes (Belle has never cried for more than a few minutes in the middle of the night), I threw thought about her fussiness since Sunday. She's just been more needy and more fussy and less smiley since Sunday. Yesterday, her nose started running like a faucet (thanks, Cousin Noah, though we were warned about your cold before we visited on Sunday afternoon) and I had a hard time keeping up with it between the tissues and the Nose Frida (superior to a regular baby aspirator).

Anyway, when I ignore the rules of sleep training and went to Belle at 2:30am, her face was wet with tears and snot (gross, but more so sad) and her heard felt quite warm: a fever. I calmed her down, gave her Tylenol, and settled her into the car seat so she'd be upright. She slept then until her usual 6:20am.

I'll call off my search for a tooth because I think this cold is the culprit of her recent fussiness. And I trust that the sleep trainers will forgive this one exception to the golden rule of leaving the baby alone while "in training."

I hope Belle feels better soon.

Loads and loads

Since Belle started eating real food (so far Belle- and Belle's bib and clothing and seat- tried rice and oat cereals, peas, carrots and sweet potatoes), I have increased the amount of laundry I wash each week. I promised a friend I wouldn't discuss poop excessively, but I can't ignore the drastic poop change in frequency, consistency, and ability to be retained by the diapers. This has all resulted in an increase of cleaning (buy Stain Stick and Shout stock- Belle will be sure to keep those products flying off store shelves) and washing.

Still no tooth, but she has a runny nose, likely a gift from her cousin Noah, so the uncharacteristic fussiness could be a result of her cold? Who knows... We just roll with the punches.

Belle helped me make the bed this morning

No-cry goodnight

Belle usually fusses when we put her down to sleep. She cries for a bit, but then sleeps just fine. Whether or not her falling to sleep is influenced by our sleep training, which really only kicks in after the first feeding, bedtime has been a dream these past few nights. Tonight marks the third night in a row that Belle hit the crib mattress and fell to sleep without a single cry or fuss. I could get used to this!

We'd better see teeth soon

My usually sweet and happy little Belle has been needy and uncharacteristically fussy since Sunday. I am thinking that a tooth may be on the way. I hope that with Belle's first pearly white returns Belle's pleasant and mild disposition.

Seven months and no...

In the seven months that we've been parents, we have not yet lost a sock, though we've misplaced a few (they are so tiny and often get stuck in funny places). We've never lost a pacifier, though they've all dropped in unsavory places and needed to be cleand before they could be used again. Belle has never slept through the night, but she has slept five hours straight (7pm-12am), and we're working on the second half of the night. I haven't yet slept more than four hours straight, but I have slept eight hours collectively (including the early morning naps that I sometimes take with Belle).

I think we're doing pretty well for seven months.

Sleep training update

The first night of Operation: Sleep Through the Night, Belle went to sleep in her crib at 7pm. When we went to bed at 10pm, we woke her, but let her cry in her crib until we all could sleep. Unfortunately for us, she fussed for about 40 minutes. When she woke again hungry at 1:30am, I fed her and put her down to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in the living room. I went back to bed, but immediately changed my mind and went to sleep on the couch in the living room next to the Pack-N-Play. Some maternal instinct wouldn't let me leave Belle alone on this first night. Somehow, I felt like if I was nearby, I could handle her screaming better. She woke at 5am, fussed for about ten minutes, and went back to sleep until 6:20am at which time I fed her (she was up for the day then).

Since then (it's been six nights now), she has gone to sleep easily before 7pm, woken up to eat between 11:30pm and 1:45am and gone back to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in the living room with no trouble. She has woken and fussed one or two more times (we can still hear here from our bed), but gets herself back to sleep. And when she wakes, it's a short fuss- less than five minutes for sure- each time. Then, she wakes hungry and ready to play after 6am.

I guess we'll consider her sleep trained once we don't hear her between the middle-of-the-night feeding and 6 or 6:30am. I don't know how long that will take.

As far as my concerns, it has not been so bad for me. I still get once nighttime snuggle/feeding session. My body seems to be adjusting OK to the decrease in feedings. This morning she woke at 5am, but got herself back to sleep until 6:20am, so the wake-up/play time has been reasonable.

I have a plan to get together with some college girl friends over the weekend. Babies are invited, so the real test to this sleep training operation will be a sleep over in New Jersey when the stakes are higher (waking other non-parents and other babies). I hope Belle's sleep skills rise to the occasion.

Belle is 7 months old

Belle and her doll

This is how Belle usually plays: she is mild and smiley and, of course, ends up eating her toys.



Thanks, Katie, for the wonderful dolly!

A visit with Uncle Jeff, Aunt Joanna and Cousin Noah

Seren and Noah sneak in a little snuggle.



Uncle Jeff entertains his son and niece while they play together.






Uncle Jeff plays with Belle and Noah.
(Craig was excited to dress Belle in her Pink Floyd onesie today)

On the way to Cousin Noah's

Sunday morning with Belle

She's a little moody today. Little tired. Little pooping. Just a little crotchety. After she failed thrice at napping, the three of us sang Barbara Ann and decided that belle just needs to be held today.

So now I'm holding belle as we watch my best friend's wedding. The two of us are going well.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Happy birthday, Gaga (Great-Grandma Maxine)

Belle is ready for spring!

Take-your-daughter-to-work Day

Wild Child

I received a "sample" of these novelty diapers. Belle's bum is apparently a "wild child." Better the diaper read "Thunder Thighs" or "Baby Cankles."

Sleep training: Take Two (and why I'm opposed to it)

It's true: Belle is six-and-a-half months old and still wakes to eat twice a night. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, though, she sleeps throgh the night. The AAP counts five consecutive hours of sleep as "sleeping through the night." Well, Belle usually sleeps 7pm-midnight or 1am, so, well, she's sleeping through the night. It's just that she wakes to eat at midnight or 1am, and then again sometime between 3am and 5am before waking for the day. And, though I am the one who gets up with her and Craig most often doesn't even hear us, Craig is the parent pushing for sleep training.

Why am I not clamoring to get Belle to sleep eleven hours straight? First and foremost, I secretly love the nighttime feedings. We are both half-asleep and Belle is adorably snuggly and it feels like we're the only two awake in the whole world. She eats quickly, and then nestles her head between my shoulder and neck as I walk her back to her crib. She is usually asleep in my arms before I even put her back down. It is a such a special time for us (well, for me anyway). Would I prefer to sleep uninterrupted and wake up rested? Sure, but I know that Belle will only be this little and snuggly for a short time and I can sleep later (like in my retirement in 30 years). And I secretly really enjoy our special middle-of-the-night snuggle nursing sessions.

I am also concerned about my body handling a long stretch without nursing. I have already edured two painful breast infections, likely caused by blocked ducts which could have been a result of the breast not being emptied when it needed to be. Can my body handle not nursing for so many hours and still produce enough to fully nourish Belle? I have not yet gone more than five, or maybe six, hours without feeding Belle. Can my body handle a longer stretch?

Finally, Belle's pediatrician warned us that Belle may wake for the day earlier if she sleeps through the night. She currently is ready to play at 6:30 or 7am (sometimes as late as 7:15 or 7:30 on mornings when Craig's alarm clock doesn't go off). This late wake-up could partially be due to the fact that she her nighttime sleep is interrupted. Anyway, the doctor warned me that Belle could be ready to play as early as 5am if she sleeps straight through the night. Well, since I am the parent who'd be up playing with Belle at that super early hour (one I knew well when I commuted from Manhattan to White Plains via Metro North Train five and six years ago), I would rather get up briefly twice at night and stay in bed until 7am than get up to play at 5am.

Again, would I like to feel rested in the mornings? Yes, but no matter how it's sliced, new parents are always tired. Am I really going to be less tired waking up to play with Belle at 5am? Or waking up painfully engorged? I am not happy about giving up my special middle-of-the-night nursing/snuggling sessions with Belle, either.

But, the books and our friends and my husband are big fans of sleep training, so we're trying it again.

The plan, since I'm not ready to give up nighttime feedings all together just yet, is to put Belle to sleep in her crib at 7pm as usual. Before Craig and I go to sleep, we'll open the Pack-N-Play in the living room. After I feed Belle at midnight or 1am, I'll put her down to sleep in the Pack-N-Play in living room. When she wakes to eat a few hours later, we'll let her cry until she falls back to sleep.

So, here we go: Sleep Training Round Two.

Monkey faces and sing-song coos

I am making an effort to remove the pacifier from play time. As a result, Belle is a bit more vocal with her toys, including making sing-song-like coos. She also had started creating the most hilarious faces. She has this one where she draws her lips together and away from her face such that she looks like a little monkey. She doesn't need me to play because she enjoys her toys so much, but I just love watching her.

Anyway, I am a big pacifier fan. In fact, we just introduced her to 'Stage 2' pacifier (the previous pacifiers were meant for babies 0-6 months), which is a little bigger I think. For sleep and in the stroller and when Belle is about to have a meltdown, I am grateful for the little pieces of plastic that have consistently helped calm our baby Belle.

Belle and her toys

Belle loves playing with (and eating) her toys.

How did we get so lucky?

I ask Belle nearly everyday how her daddy and I got so lucky when we got Belle. How blessed we are that Belle's birth was simple and her health tip top. How lucky we are that she is happy and pleasant and easy-going and sweet. She is napping beautifully and peacefully now and, as I look at her curled up and sleeping in her crib, I find myself wondering how I got so lucky.

Playing

Belle is a very serious player. She examines her toys carefully with her eyes at first, and then her mouth, and she likes to feel each object with her finger tips. She is so focused on her playing, she rarely notices me. She is just happy to play with her toys by herself!

Gag me with a spoon

Belle likes the spoon as much or more than she likes the food, which I think is common among young eaters. She often plays with the spoon when the bowl of food is empty, usually using it as a teething toy. Sometimes, she accidentally gags herself with the spoon by putting it a little too far back in her mouth (my hand is always very near the spoon and my eyes on her at all times; don't worry, she won't actually choke on the spoon). After the little cough, she looks at me and smiles, as if to say, "Wasn't it funny that I just gagged myself with a spoon?" Valley Girls of the '80's would be so proud.

Humble, yet stronger

I have found in these six and a half months that being a parent is both humbling and empowering.

It is extremely humbling to be feel so unprepared for a role I have looked forward to my whole life. I have always loved babies and children- ti's one of the reasons I became a teacher- so I was so thrilled to become a mother. Little did I know that my days as a mother's helper, babysitter and teacher offered little aid to me in this role. I quickly found myself at the mercy of this tony two-foot-tall creature who became the boss of me on August 29 (she asserted her status as boss and made it clear that my schedule was hers when she arrived six days early). The physical discomfort, the challenges of nursing, the feeling that I have no idea what I'm doing: all so humbling.

And yet, I have the confidence that I am able to function (barely) on only a few hours of sleep (I still have yet to sleep more than four consecutive hours). And who knew I had the strength to carry a thirty pound stroller up a flight of stairs? I have successfully taken risks in trying new activities (Mommy and Me Yoga and Pilates) and reaffirmed my ability to make new friends (it's so wonderful to have other friends who are moms, especially ones with babies Belle's age).

It's amazing how motherhood is an exercise in humility while at the same time building my self-confidence.

Happy Purim

Belle is dressed us a UCONN cheerleader for Purim (those two rattles are her pom poms). Go Huskies!

Belle and Sophie

Belle enjoys her Sophie giraffe so much, she sometimes naps with it in her stroller. Thanks, Val, Ninfa and Lia for Sophie! We love it:)

Stumping the doctor

I called the doctor to find out what water I could put in a sippy cup (I had read that infants should avoid too much fluoride, and I wondered if the tap water contained too much fluoride for Belle). While I had her on the phone, I asked the doctor about spraying a detangler into Belle's hair. I remember my mother spraying Johnson&Johnson's detangler into my knotted hair when I was a child to ease the discomfort of hair brushing. Well, when Belle is in her stroller and she moves her head back and forth, she creates a rat's nest of the back of her hair that is difficult to comb out, even with water.

The doctor paused. "No one had ever asked me about using a detangler on such a young baby. Hmmm...let me think..." I stumped the doctor. Belle's long, thick hair (for a six-month-old, anyway) stumped the doctor.

Interested in her ultimate answer?:
"I don't see why not [I'm sure the doc did not intend the pun], just be aware that her skin is quite sensitive so keep an eye out for skin irritation on the back of neck and scalp."

Belle with a sippy cup

"Thanks, Cousin Noah, for loaning me your sippy cup!"
Belle is currently more into chewing on the spout rather than drinking from it, but she'll catch on.

Two days = the whole family

Between Grandpa Richard's birthday party on Sunday and a visit with the Levinsons in Connecticut on Monday, Belle saw her four great-grandparents, four grandparents, three uncles, three aunts and one first cousin in 48 hours. How lucky can one baby get?
It was a special treat to visit with Uncle JoJo and Aunt Carla as it was unplanned:

Enjoying the swing

How lucky I am that Belle is old and big enough to enjoy the swings at the park just as the weather is getting warmer. Listening to her giggle and seeing her eyes light up as she take in the excitement of the park makes for a great afternoon.

On the subway

Craig Cepler's Picasa Web Album - Belle - March

You are invited to view Craig Cepler's photo album: Belle - March Belle - March Mar 3, 2011 by Craig Cepler View Album Play slideshow If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=cepstar&target=ALBUM&id=5584112238974131601&authkey=Gv1sRgCJndmZDLgonOEg&invite=CKiLm6sK&feat=email To share your photos or receive notification when your friends share photos, get your own free Picasa Web Albums account.

Tonight Rice Cereal, Tomorrow Rib Eye Medium Rare

Tonight Belle tried rice cereal. It was 1 tablespoon rice cereal, 4 tablespoons milk. So it's a very very liquidy porridge. And this is what it looks like.



Belle seemed to enjoy it. Some cereal into her mouth, plenty of it ended up on her cheek, bib and the "catcher" at the base of the bib. She grabbed the spoon, trying to control it. All in all, attempt 1 was a success. The plan now is to do this once or twice a day, each time with stored breast milk. As we continue, the ratio becomes less milk to more cereal. Every three to four days, we will introduce another food. This week is rice cereal then oat cereal. Next week is veggie week. We picked up cans of baby food today to start off. We plan on making our own baby food after that.

Belle learns to drive 2

Belle followed Rule #1 (see below post).

Belle learns to drive

Rule #1: Don't eat the steering wheel.

Belle's new "office"

Belle is very focused when playing in her new ExerSaucer, which she loves. She is so excited you can see her feet dancing below the toys. We call it her office because she looks like she is taking care of business (usually with a smile) when she attends to the various activities that surround in the toy.

Swing swing swing

We visited a local park on Saturday and put Belle in a park swing for the first time (the bucket-type swing, not the kind that only supports the swingers bum). Guess what? Belle loved it! She smiled and giggled and had so much fun! It was time to get out of the swing when she nearly started eating the swing: her head just cleared the top of the swing so it was easy for her mouth to reach the delicious swing (everything is delicious to Belle). We will surely take Belle to the park to swing on the swings again soon.

Belle playing with Great-Grandma Selma and Great-Grandpa Leon

Today, Belle went out to Jericho to celebrate Grandpa Richard's birthday. Great-Grandma Selma and Great-Grandpa Leon got their fun too.

Chilling on a Sunday morning

Daddy and Belle sitting on the couch, listening to the Juno soundtrack.

When it's time to call Grammy/Grandma

Belle at Friendly's

Belle as barometer

At Mommy and Me Pilates the other day, each of the four other moms had to interrupt their exercise at some point during the class to care for their babies: a diaper change, a bottle, a meltdown. Not me, of course, because Belle was happy to sit or lie down and play while I used muscles I forgot I had. Just as the class was wrapping up, Belle started the fuss. The instructor, who knows Belle to be a sweet, happy, self-entertaining baby, said, "Well, I guess it really is time to end this class- even Belle's getting fussy."

Skill development

Belle is so talented (as far as six months old go). She can sit up on her own. She reaches for everything and can pick up items as small as credit cards (smart girl). She can pass objects from one hand to another (though she still most often primarily uses her left hand). And she can even go from lying on her belly to lifting herself so she is on all fours, as if she is preparing to crawl (though she's a long way from that, I hope). And she is on her way to babbling: I have heard syllable mixed into her cooing (she'll go from her usual 'ah oo' to 'bababa'). She'll be talking before we know it,

Throwing

Belle has started throwing things.  In her stroller yesterday, she took her pacifier out to play with it and then tossed it out of the stroller.  This turned out to be a big bummer for her, as she'd also soiled the back-up pacifier, which left her pacifier-free for the rest of our walk.  This morning on the changing table, she was playing with a burp clothe which she took and tossed.  This is more than dropping; this is throwing.  Maybe she'll play for the Mets one day.

Hair 'up do' baby-style

Belle's hair has grown so much that it is sometimes in her face. To make sure she can see and her beautiful eyes are unobstructed, I put a clip in her hair (one that was approved by her pediatrician yesterday as not being a choking hazard). She looks darling:)
Though a bit out-of-sorts from her vaccines, she is a sweetheart and was patient with me while I figured out how to put her hair up.

At the doctor

Belle had her six-month check-up today. We learned that she is healthy and happy! She weighed in at 15lbs 5oz, which puts her in the 35%. She's 26.75 inches long, which is the 80%. Still long and lean (and super smiley). We learned how to introduce Belle to food, so we're starting solids soon. I have a feeling Belle will prove to be a great eater. Belle is hitting the developmental milestones as she should: reaching out, following a voice as the voice moves, recognizing her parents, social smiling (she is a great smiler!).

I still can't believe Belle is already six-months old. Anyway, it was great to learn that Belle is still on track and healthy!

Belle goes to the Met

Uncle Mitch walked with Belle to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Taking a walk with Uncle Mitch

Belle is confused: this guy looks like my daddy, but he's not Daddy....

A Busy Monday Morning

Long before I woke up, Belle and Seren had withdrawn to the living room. Belle has a new habit of waking up around 445, which neither Seren nor I appreciate. This morning, I woke up around 745 (I'm working from home today) and took Belle off Seren's hands so Seren could go back to sleep. Belle and I played until 845, when she started to look a little tired. I brought her to the crib to lie down, careful because Seren was asleep in bed. Belle fussed and cried and wasn't going to sleep. Seren told me to change her diaper. Done, and I put her down again. Still no sleep. So I took Belle and let her play in her new exersaucer. When she started getting tired of that, I put her on the couch to sit and play with some toys. She happily played for a few minutes and then leaned over and landed on her side. And then she leaned more and ended up on her tummy. And then she fell asleep. Like this...




What did we learn? That when the mood hits her, Belle can sleep anywhere, just like her father. As these two pictures from San Francisco (August 2005) can attest.

Showing Mommy who is the boss

As Craig posted, I enjoyed a wonderful weekend with three friends from Avon High School. They traveled from Philly, Avon and Boston to stay at an Upper West Side hotel so we could spend time together. Belle joined us for most of the girl time, but Craig was on Belle duty when we ladies indulged in spa pedicures and manicures in the afternoon. With nails done and feeling relaxed, the girls returned to their hotel to rest so I went home to see our visiting family, feed Belle, and get ready for dinner.

Dinner at Citrus was fantastic. We four old friends had a ball catching up, reminiscing, laughing (it felt so good to laugh) and just being together. After dinner, we walked around a bit and found ourselves at a fun bar to continue the conversation. At midnight, I realized that the last time I was awake at midnight, I had been asleep for two hours prior. And so I bid adieu to my friends and returned home to kiss Craig and Belle and pump.

I finally crawled into bed after 1am exhausted but happy. Belle woke up to eat at 4am and then to play at 5:45am. Holding Belle just after 6am, she pooped. Through her pajamas. Onto my t-shirt.


(The lavender shirt on the left is mine, the pink and green outfit is Belle's, and the mustard-colored blobs are poop.)

After I cleaned her up and fed her, she pooped again. So, after sleeping only a few hours, I cleaned two poopy diapers and scrubbed the poop out of two articles of clothing, all before 7:30am.

Belle is happy enough to let me enjoy some time away from her, but she is sure to remind me immediately upon my return that she is my boss.

Daddy Daughter Night

Last night, Seren's Avon friends were in town. I encouraged them to party so I got a treat with a Daddy-Daughter night. I invited my mom to come in with my grandparents during the day. That expanded to Jeff, Joanna and Noah coming too, and then Mitch, and then even my Dad stopped by after a long busy tax season Saturday. Everyone had a really enjoyable day playing with the two babies. Usually Noah reaches out to grab his cousin, but yesterday, Belle showed her cousin who's the boss. She poked him.

Seren went out with the ladies around 7pm, leaving with my parents, just after I ran to Blockbuster and got The Kids Are All Right. I put it in around 8 after Belle went to sleep. She didn't nap well during the day, but Seren put her down before she left and she slipped into dreamland with minimal fuss. Seren also topped Belle off before leaving.

Around 930, Belle started crying. I went in, replaced the pacifier and started getting a bottle ready. I wanted Seren to have a worry-free night, so I didn't tell her that Belle was starting to stir. At this time, I took the bottle out of the fridge and put it in the warm water to get to temperature. Belle cried again a few minutes later, so I replaced the pacifier again and waited for the milk to get to temperature. And then she fell asleep, just as the milk was ready.

At 1045, she stirred again. Now I've had milk sitting on the counter at room temperature for an hour, so I figured it's time to feed Belle. I replace the pacifier and she's asleep. At 11, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is over and I want to go to sleep. But Belle will be hungry, I have milk on the counter at room temperature and I don't want to be lax on the feeding. So I start watching the Bourne Ultimatum. It's now 1145, I'm tired, Belle's asleep and the milk is on the counter. I haven't stayed awake past midnight since before Belle was born. And now I'm positively worried. Belle hasn't eaten in almost 5 hours and the milk is ready. Is she ok?

She was. At 1230, she woke up, just after Mom walked in. I don't know if she gave her hungry snort, but it didn't matter. I gave her a bottle on my lap and Seren pumped. It all worked out ok. And I think we got some sleep training in as well.

Now I can't wait for the next Daddy-daughter night.

See you later, play mat

Now that Belle is sitting up, she prefers playing with her toys upright, rather than lying on her back to play. And so the usefulness of the play mat has ended, as she would bump her head on the dangling toys were she to play sitting up in her play mat. I wash it and put it away until Belle becomes a big sister one day. And a new era of play begins.

The February Pics are Up

You are invited to view Craig Cepler's photo album: Belle - February Belle - February Feb 2, 2011 by Craig Cepler View Album Play slideshow Message from Craig Cepler: Belle is now six months old, but this last birthday was a traumatic one. How do you explain to such a cute face that she doesn't really have a half birthday? We tried. She sits up now, rarely thumping. Each week, we see her have more endurance in sitting up. She giggles. She eats everything. She's reaching for what she wants - pacifier in front of her, Dad walking in from work. She loves playing with her cousin Noah and loves singing with everyone. Bath time has become a fun play time. Love, Us If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=cepstar&target=ALBUM&id=5580764460103610465&authkey=Gv1sRgCPSdwc3OxYOg4gE&invite=CJqpu7wJ&feat=email To share your photos or receive notification when your friends share photos, get your own free Picasa Web Albums account.

Last baby standing

There were supposed to be six babies and six moms on the walk today. There were meltdowns and extended naps and bad baby mornings. One by one, as babies screamed and moms pulled off the walk to tend to the tears, our walking group thinned until Belle and I were alone. In fact, this duo did about half the walk solo.

Belle sure loves her stroller and enjoys our walks. And it is clearly important to Belle that her mom get in shape.

I hope Belle grows to enjoy exercise as much as she likes letting me exercise now.

Thank goodness for seltzer

When I was pregnant, Craig introduced me this great website called Sh*t My Kids Ruined (Or otherwise made filthy, distasteful, gross or painful.) The Huffington Post noted that the website makes for effective birth control. I'm not ready to submit anything to that website just yet, but we're getting closer.

This morning, Belle was sitting up playing with her ball and her Sophie the Giraffe on the couch. She stopped playing for a moment and looked out at the living room and then I noticed that look on her face: that poop look. I picked her up, but it was too late. She pooped through her diaper and left a tiny reminder of this morning's playtime on our couch. Before I changed her, I used seltzer and a clean, white paper towel on the couch, which I think is good as new (though I'm switching the couch cushions around and not telling anyone which one was the scene of the crime). Then I put the greatest gift my mother gave me to good use: the Clorox Bleach Pen. Belle, her clothes, and the couch are nice and clean.

It's a good idea to keep seltzer in the house. And Shout or Stain Stick. And bleach. And then it's a good idea to go shopping for nicer furniture when the kids go off to college.

"What a good baby!"

My mom power walk ends in the middle of Central Park for toning exercises and stretching. During the workout on Wednesday, one by one, each bay had a meltdown causing the babies' moms to stop exercising to tend to the screaming baby. Each baby, that is, except Belle. Belle was awake in her stroller watching me exercise, watching the people walk by, listening to the other babies scream and cry, smiling away. A few of the moms comments about what a good baby Belle is. I was the only mom who completed our entire circuit of toning exercises and all tne stretches (Belle must really want me to get in shape).

Belle is a good baby. She has her share of meltdown (ask her uncle and grandfather), but she is rarely upset when she is outside and among people. Yup, what a good baby:)

Beds are for sleeping

Snuggling in bed together turned into nap time for Belle. She slept cozily and well for nearly an hour! This picture doesn't really capture how sweet and peaceful she looked snoozing in the middle of our queen-sized bed.

Easily entertained

Belle is happily sitting up (!) on the couch enjoying the back cover of a magazine. The pacifier prevents the paper from going in her mouth and the colors, folds and crinkles keep her fascinated for a while. She is adorably easily entertained.

The sacred Sunday shower

Among the many aspects of daily life I took for granted in my pre-Mom life in the shower. In fact, one of my first requests from the store when Craig went back to work in September was a shampoo/conditioner all-in-one because speed has become top priority when showering with an infant at home. Most mornings, I bring Belle into the bathroom in her bouncy seat and she plays while I shower. If she gets fussy, we play peek-a-boo and I swing to her, but there usually isn't time for her to get bored of her bouncy seat playthings because I now shower in just a few short minutes. Unless Belle's morning timing works out for Craig to take Belle with him to Shabbat morning services, I make sure to take a quick shower Monday through Saturday.

Sundays, however, are different. Most Sunday mornings, Craig is home and eager to play with Belle. That leaves me free to sleep and shower. On Sundays, I can indulge and wash my hair shampoo and then use conditioner. On Sundays, I can let the warm water fall on my head and back without looking through the glass shower door to make sure Belle is OK. On Sundays, I revel in my shower.

This past Sunday, when there was no hot water, I nearly cried. I didn't, but I nearly did. Don't the maintenance workers in the building realize the value of a hot shower on a Sunday morning? I might not even noticed the tempertaure of the water during the other six days when I'm in and out of the shower in about the time it takes Craig to change Belle's diaper.

So, I showered quickly, as if it were a regular Wednesday, and Craig made me tea so I could warm up. And, though it's Tuesday as I write this, I am already looking forward to Sunday for my sacred Sunday shower.

The sweetest alarm clock

On my mom power walk the other day, one of the moms asked me if Belle ever wakes up happy. Her daughter always wakes screaming and crying, she told me. While Belle does often wake from her naps and in the middle of the night with a whimper or a cry, she usually wakes up happy from her best sleeps. In fact, the sound of her cooing and talking to herself (and her beloved pacifier) is often the first sound I hear in the morning.

I used to wake up before 6am to the music from my alarm clock radio. Belle's tiny sweet voice is a much better sound with which to start my day.

An 'old Seren' day

Today felt like my days used to be: packed with back-to-back activities. I was busy around the apartment in the morning. I marinaded the fish for dinner, paid bills, sent emails, did laundry. Then we went to Central Park and joined three other moms and babies for a power walk through the Park that ended with a exercises at the benches near the Band Shell (gluts, quads, and triceps). From the walk, we skipped coffee with the moms and headed straight to Mommy and Me Yoga. I fed and changed Belle, grabbed a bite myself, and had time for a few breathes before our yoga class. Belle's favorite instructor Jhothi Larson, who literally wrote the book on Mommy and Me Yoga, was out, but we enjoyed the class anyway. After class, I chatted with a friend, stopped by the post office, and visited our next-door-neighbor before finally getting home for a snack and a shower. And Belle was a champ throughout, until 3:30pm when she had a mini-meltdown. She is now napping calmly and sweetly. It was a busy, productive, active, wonderful day. I felt a bit like my old self again today. Only better because I enjoyed the day with Belle.

OshKosh B'Gosh

Belle (OK, Seren) is so excited to finally fit into her OshKosh B'Gosh overalls. She enjoys sucking/biting the metal clasps (must feel good teething-wise).