Doing Great

It's hard to believe that we have now been home for five days. Anelya is doing great and, while I have a terrible cold again, I am doing very well too. We're starting to get into a routine now and Anelya is basically digging the dogs big time. She thinks they are so funny and she loves running after them in her walker. Gunnar, as predicted, is enamoured by her and jumps the baby gate every time I take her upstairs, only to be met by the dreaded new baby gate at the top of the stairs which there is no way her can maneuver. Sorry, dude.

It's 5:40 a.m. here. Anelya went to bed at 6:30 and did not want a bottle. I tried to feed her a lot more for dinner so she wouldn't need 3, count 'em, 3 bottles during the night (bedtime, 10:30, and 3). She was still sound asleep close to 11 and I stood there trying to decide if I should change and dream feed her, selfishly so that I can get some sleep. After a few minutes, I decided that yes, I should, and I change her. She then refused her bottle again, so I guess she was good an full. She didn't wake up again until 5, when I went in and changed her and fed her a 4 oz. bottle of formula. I have started putting her back in her crib with three quiet toys and she is just fine with that. I heard her talking to herself in there very quietly this morning, but now she seems to be asleep again. I am slowly trying to get her to go to bed around 7, although last night I was happy to go to bed at 6:30 myself, as I have had close to no sleep since a few weeks. Last night I got a solid 10 hours and I will nap with her again today, so I think I am good.

Yesterday, Anelya got to meet Steve, Lenore and Spencer. I had an appointment for an adjustment at the new office and Lenore and Spencer came to meet us. It was so fun and very nice of Lenore to watch Anelya while I grew about 3 inches from being adjusted after the trip! After that, Dad and I took Anelya to lunch at The Restaurant where she proceeded to charm a heck out of EVERYONE! Here is the funny thing - Anelya now poses for the camera. I am not kidding. She has a "camera smile". Here it is from yesterday. Guess maybe we took too many pictures of her HAHAHAHA

Our schedule is pretty set now. That's what she needed to sleep well at night. She sleeps about 12 hours at night, then breakfast, then play until about 9a.m. which is nap time for two hours, then lunch, then play, then nap around 2:30 until about 5, then dinner then bed at 6:30-7. So, it's really quite nice, but tough to get out of the house!

It's now 3:15pm and Anelya is down for her second nap. This one tends to be between 2-3 hours long. She is no longer upset by the restraint of the car seat, as long as I sing Old McDonald Had a Farm again and again. She especially likes the "oink oink" noises.

We spent a nice afternoon at Baba and Hoovie's house, where Anelya got to meet their two dogs, Sasha and Peanut. Anelya loves dogs. THANK GOD. She was walking (holding fingers) up a storm and jumping, playing, and eating. She seems to just love all of the baby food I made for her which is excellent, because I know exactly what I am putting into her little body.

Here she is playing with Baba in her first dress.

Teething is in full force and she is sucking on EVERYTHING!

Vogue.

At 1p.m. my grandparents, Anelya's great grandparents, came to meet her for the first time. She "walked" right up to them and gave them her squinty smile with huge mega dimples and they were DONE!!! As you can see, they had a lovely visit.

I am still sick, but Anelya's cold seems to be getting better. I have been putting the natural antimicrobial "lemon balm" in her juice bottle and it seems to be working. I sure hope so! Gunnar and Brody love their new little sister. Gunnar sits next to her all day and Brody goes in for kisses now, which is new. As I told you, Anelya calls Gunnar and yesterday she started putting her hand out for him to kiss. Today she started putting her cheek over the side of whatever contraption she is playing in to let him kiss her face. She is a funny little monkey.

She's been asleep for 45 minutes now, so I am going to lie here on he couch and take a little nap. Mom's coming over tonight to help me clean up and unpack some more. Because I have been sick, all I have been able to do is care for Anelya and it looks like a bomb went off here. Things are starting to feel normal now though, so that is excellent. Now all I have to do is kick this virus and I will be stylin'.