Bedtime

So bedtime has been difficult for us in the Schelbach household. The youngest Schelbach loves to fight sleep....and fight, and fight, and fight! This week, Monday night she was up until 3am. The "night" (technically we were well into Tuesday) ended with Dave finally getting an exhausted Delanah to sleep and having to sit next to me on the couch as I was crying. I was exhausted, felt like I should know what I needed to do to calm her down and felt awful because at that moment, I was not enjoying my precious daughter.
Dave was great, calming both his daughter and his wife down. I needed sleep, and I needed it badly. The next day I went back to my breastfeeding class where I discovered that Delanah now weighs 13lb 13 oz and ate a whopping 7oz during that feeding! (The nurse seems to think this is anatomically unachievable as her stomach isn't that big so we're going to try it again next week). I also had the chance to speak with a nurse working there and another mom and we shared the "no napping, not wanting to go to bed at night" stories. It was so wonderful to know that I am not the only mom going through this right now and that there is hope! It was what my heart needed. Tuesday night I tried the cuddling in the glider before I put her in her crib and it worked beautifully! We're still novices and it took us quite some time, but she was asleep by a little after 10pm and I had to wake her this morning to feed her at 7:30am! What a trooper she was! Tonight we tried some rocking, but she was more interested in interacting with us so it was into the crib she went and we had her mobile and light going, the mirror in there, her new rattle and plenty of quiet conversation with us. It was all she wanted. We did this for maybe 30min and soon migrated out and now she is asleep! YAY!!! We know she can sleep through the night, she's a little champ at that, it's us training ourselves to get a better bedtime routine for her and I think we can start getting to bed at a decent hour as well. :)
She is just getting to be a little champ for us in every way. Today she went between 3 and 4 hours between feedings (not so long ago it was every hour and a half!) and during our looooong day at the outlet mall, she only fussed if she needed a diaper change or was hungry. She took a great nap for us and was just so happy to be sitting in her car seat playing with her new rattle and watching the lights go by....well, she was quite entertained by us making faces at her as well. As we were sitting eating lunch I would tickle her hand and she would smile, laugh, pull her hand up to her face and want me to do it again. How much fun she is getting to be!
Dave and I are amazed at what an intelligent, sweet, loving, happy and beautiful daughter we created together. How did we get so lucky to have her? This afternoon we were wandering a Christian book store and Dave was doing a search for her next Bible. She has her first one now, and we love the short little stories in it, and we are just amazed at what is available to help us help her know the Lord. I found some new mom books meant to inspire, give support and give guidance to a stressed out new mom. This is what I need. Those days when I am stressed and stretched to the max, I need a reminder that I am not alone in this. The Lord is there to guide me every step of the way and He even gave me an instruction manual! I sometimes just need the cliffs notes to help me find what I am looking for :)
Thank you, Lord, for giving me this little girl to raise. You entrusted me to care for her; to love her, guide her, teach her, support her...how lucky I feel that I was chosen to be her Mother. I will do my best daily to provide her with everything she needs, and I will do my best to remember that You provide me with everything I need.