The Happy Sleeper

So it finally happened. Dalia slept as much through the night as a momma like me can imagine. And poor daddy missed it! There were a few very small bumps through the night, but she was solidly asleep by 11 pm and woke up for the day at 9 am. I feel rejuvinated and recharged! Perhaps it was just "time" or maybe there is something special in the Indiana air, but Dalia has been sweet as can be the last two days!

Today was full of enjoyment. After Dalia took her morning nap, I got to spend the day walking around Plainfield's Metropolis with my two favorite gals (mom the nucleus and little munchkin), pushing my little red UppaBaby buggy from store to store. And unlike most days, today was not only for window shopping!

We scored some great deals (including a skirt for $4.74 at Old Navy), and I even got to pick up Super Baby Food, a highly-recommended book on, well, basically home made baby food (I will be posting a book review in the coming days). The best thing? My mom treated me to a little early Mother's Day rondevous. I love coming home for a visit-you can't beat that!

We got an unexpected, but very welcomed visit from my sister and her own munchkin. So Dalia got to spend some time with her favorite little buddy, her cousin, C. Kiddos bond in that little person kind of way, you know? They crack smiles back and forth, make cute sounds, and connect on some level that I really can't get to. It is neat to see Dalia interact with other young people. She is curious and shy, and yet she exudes a smiley confidence. Her personality is already shining through, and it makes me happy and sad. Happy that she is growing into a beautiful little girl and a bit sad because she gets bigger with each passing day.

Mom/Grammi the Nucleus

Nothing beats a nice conversation with your mom, you know?

I love talking to Grammi. It is a rare occasion if I don't call her once (or maybe twice) in a single day. We love to catch up and chat about the family. Grammi is the nucleus of our family-everyone calls her to hear about everyone and everything else. She knows just about everything, and I think she likes it. Well I know she loves it, actually.

Who wouldn't like being the one that binds everyone together? The one everyone turns to for advice? The one that knows just about everything. What is funny is that when I call, she is often on the phone with another family member OR her phone just happens to ring several times while we talk. And if she doesn't pick up right away, try the cell. Home cell home cell home cell...yep, that is how we roll.

Maybe I should thank her for being so available, all of the time.

In other news, today is the day I finally recognized a "tired Dalia" (she brushes her face back and forth on my chest, like she is itching her nose) and put her in her crib awake. She moved, wiggled, and fussed, but eventually, I heard nothing-not a peep, not a whimper of a nursing request, not a single thing.

And.

It.

Was.

Awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I love nursing her to sleep. It is a very special thing to feed your baby with your body and put her into a serene state-of-mind. I just don't want to HAVE to do it every single time, you know? I mean, nursing is serious hard work-no joke. And while I love to bond with her in that close skin-to-skin kind of way, I also want to know that she is capable of falling asleep on her very own. And that, oh yes, happened today.

SUCCESS!

Hmmm...I hear a strange assortment of pterodactyl noises coming from our second bedroom. I better go investigate.