16 Weeks

Well, I am posting this a little late, because the last three days have been emotional hell!  Carmen has been waking up all hours of the night needing her dummy (US translation: pacifier) to go back to sleep.  At my wit's end, three mornings ago I decided we were going to break this dummy dependence, cold turkey.  In doing so, we had to let her cry herself to sleep.  She would cry in my arms anyway, so we put her in her cot to cry and started the cry it out 'extinction method' (when you don't go in to check at all), which is supposed to be the fastest way and therefore less tears.  It was absolutely the most dreadful thing I have ever done to another living creature.  Carmen cried and cried, and so did I.  Jeffrey said he could stand her tears, but not mine.  It was physically painful.  And I don't want to tell you all how long she cried for.  Some naps she just cried through the whole thing, without sleeping at all.  But we had results  in the first night (after much crying!) - she slept through without waking for her dummy, just waking for her feeds.  So her night wakings went from 7 - 10 in a night to 2!  So I knew this was a good thing.  Waking that many times in a night was not good for her (let alone me and Jeff!).  But then on day two, the crying continued, without really easing up at all.  But the same thing happened on night 2.  Then yesterday the crying seemed to get worse!  We thought it would never work and that Carmen is just one of those difficult babies.  But last night again, she slept like an angel.  And then this morning, I put her down for her first nap, and instead of screaming through the whole nap, she talked to herself for five minutes and then fell asleep, and has been sleeping for over an hour already!  Woo hoo!  Victory!  I really can't believe it.  I can now stop drinking white wine spritzers (the only thing that has saved my sanity over the last three days).  Let's hope the rest of today goes as smoothly.

So, Carmen turned 16 weeks on Saturday.  We didn't get great photos, because this was day one of crying it out (something I thought I would NEVER do with her, but there seemed to be no choice).  She seems to be getting bigger quickly, and is mostly into 00 clothes now (this is 3 - 6 months), which is really good because she was born in the 10th percentile for size.  Still no more rolling over or anything fun like that.  We are going to try starting on solids in a couple of weeks (they are now recommending it at 4 months again here).  That is sure to be interesting!

On another good note, I have been very creative lately.  I have been churning out these fabric paintings, and I just love them and love doing it.  And yesterday I found this fabric store with the most brilliant selection of fabrics in it (thanks Ciri!), and now I am even more amped to do these paintings.

Jeffrey passed his medium rigid truck licence on Tuesday as well.  It was a rather difficult test, so I am proud of him.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Carmen (with her birthday bow) looking a little sad from all the crying.  :(

With her favourite toy of the moment

One of my new paintings (about 4 ft by 2 ft)