Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lydia's Big Catch

A few weeks ago we went to Ikea in Brooklyn to pick up supplies for the Baby Cave.  It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, which meant that we could take the ferry from Manhattan over to Ikea.  Ikea has its own pier in Brooklyn! Our plan was slightly flawed in that I didn't read the ferry schedule carefully enough. So, we were content to cab there and ferry back.

Lydia was excited for her big trip!

Aunt Adrienne came along to help out and do a little shopping of her own. She bought halogen bulbs and straws. Why straws? Because they make drinking water so much more fun!

Lydia found the most disgusting stuffed animal I have ever seen in my life.
This stuffed rat had a nearly 12 inch long tail! Eww.

John and I successfully purchased all the supplies for the baby cave, which was an amazing feat. I always seem to forget something on my shopping list whenever I go to Ikea.

After a 7 minute ferry ride, we were back in Manhattan!


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

A Slippery Slope

It all started two weeks ago with a trip to Grammy and Pops's in Washington state.

There was a cushy, padded playmat...  

Lots of cuddles...

Books on demand...

Luxurious spa treatments...

Warm fluffy towels, fresh from the dryer...

Lengthy baby massages...

And copious late night snuggles.

Lydia received a rude awakening when we returned home to New York. To ease the transition, Lydia now requires heated towels (fresh from the oven!) and an electric blanket under her changing pad. Oh the hard life she leads! I think Lydia is rather pleased with these new arrangements.

I wonder what will happen when we visit Grampy and Grandma in May?

Monday, March 21, 2011

New Sweaters!

Lydia is getting so big, and Grandma's latest batch of sweaters arrived just in time!

I love all of the different knits and textures.

Aren't they beautiful? I'm totally blown away by my mother-in-law's knitting skills and patience. Even if I knew how to knit, I doubt I would be patient enough to follow a pattern!
 

I love the flutter sleeves and pearly buttons on this little lilac number.

 This photo hardly does justice to this pink open cardigan. The yarn is just beautiful, having shades of green and yellow.

Love the popcorn details!

This is my dream summer cardigan- will work perfectly with dresses for church on Sunday.  Again, the popcorn trim is too cute!

This one will have to wait until next fall and winter, but it is just adorable in person. Cream wool and a matching beanie!

I was going to have Lydia model the sweaters, but she was busy with more important things.
Thanks Grandma!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Baby Cave

Lydia has always been a very sensitive baby, even from birth.  She has pretty strong reactions to light, sound, and over stimulation.  People had always told me that babies would sleep anywhere... not Lydia!  When she was about 2 weeks old I remember walking her in her stroller for what seemed like hours, hoping and praying that she would fall asleep... No such luck!  One day, I covered the stroller with a blanket and Lydia quickly drifted off to sleep.  Until all light and visual stimulation were removed, sleep was an impossibility.  Until Lydia was about 8 weeks old, we frequently had to rock her to sleep with a blanket over her head because she would get so worked up by her surroundings!  Thankfully, those days are over, but Lydia is still very sensitive to light.

During the day Lydia naps in our bedroom.  We move her out to the living room in the evenings before we go to sleep.  So far, our routine has worked fairly well.  But now that it is getting lighter in the mornings, Lydia is stirring hourly from 4am to 7am.  She doesn't cry, but just wakes up, rolls around, and eventually goes back to sleep.  A few weeks ago I purchased blackout curtains, which didn't exactly live up to their name.  They help a lot, but not quite enough.  

So, yesterday we hung curtains around the alcove where Lydia sleeps, creating what is now known as "the Baby Cave."  

Last night was Lydia's first night in the Baby Cave.  She did great!  She made a little noise at 6am, but then was silent until 7 when I went to wake her up.  

I found her wide awake- just enjoying her own company and thinking about very deep things, I'm sure.
So far, I think she likes the Baby Cave!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Big Happenings

Last night there were big happenings in the Pulliam household.  Anyone who has ever had a baby knows that sleep is a big thing for babies...and for new mamas.  

This has been Lydia's bed since she was born.

This was also my sister's bed, my bed, and my brother's bed.  My uncles designed and built this cradle, even steaming and bending the wood for arched sides.

When we found out that Lydia was going to be a girl, my mom sewed beautiful bedding for the cradle.  I picked out the fabric, and she sewed.  Pretty good deal, right?  I think the pleated skirt gave her quite a bit of trouble, but it turned out beautifully.


Well, we all knew the day would come when Lydia would outgrow this family heirloom.  I just didn't think it would come this quickly.

Last week, Lydia surprised us with a new trick...
Yes, her foot is inching up over the side of the cradle...  That's just fine during bare-bottomed playtime, but I knew we were in for trouble when I found both of her feet kicked over the side at 4am!

I had intentionally delayed the crib decision as we are in a 1 bedroom apartment... We did not want to put a full size crib in our bedroom because Lydia does not make a very good roommate- lots of night time noises. After much deliberation, I decided a pack and play was the best option, allowing us the freedom of moving Lydia in between the bedroom and living room.

Yesterday the pack and play arrived.  We tested it out in the afternoon...

 

 She likes it!
 She really likes it!

Sleep has been a difficult thing for Lydia, and so I was very nervous about how her first night in the pack and play would go.  Surprise, surprise, last night on the eve of her 3 month birthday, she slept through the night (11:30pm-7am) for the first time!  I did hear some noises around 5:30am, but she didn't cry!

I came out to wake up Lydia at 7am, and this is how I found her.


Sitting in the dark with her eyes wide open! Not to mention, having rotated 180 degrees from the position where I left her.  I have no idea how long she had been awake, but I think it still counts as sleeping through the night!