Nighttime Routine

Once we arrived home from the hospital with you, our new family addition, we slowly developed our daily routine. Big sister Bella was quite understanding and tried hard to be quiet to accommodate to your 'round-the-clock naps. At night, you slept in the co-sleeper next to our bed, while Bella eagerly slept in her own bed for once to avoid hearing your seemingly endless night-time wakings. Bedtime routine quickly became my favorite time of the day as I got extra time to nurse and cuddle with baby. ("Baby" became our preferred name for you, because Maddie or Madeleine was too laborious to say).

Daddy and I both cherished the alone-time feeding you at night. But then Daddy started noticing that feeding time was getting longer and longer. At first he thought it was his imagination that it was taking more than 40 minutes for you to finish one bottle. You had no problem eating when I nursed so I convinced Daddy it was all in his head and blamed it on his sleep deprivation.  Little did we know that you were trying oh-so hard to suck milk from that bottle. You must have been terribly tired!

And Daddy continued to complain. Night after night, your feedings continued to stretch on and on. So one night Daddy decided to keep time by watching TV, and sure enough, a full episode of Man Rules (a show you would probably detest if you ever watched it one day) passed and you were still eating. So, being the analytical scientists that your mommy and daddy both are, we began to analyze and dissect the issue. We checked the bottle, we checked the formula. We even changed feeding positions so you'd be more comfortable eating.  Finally, several trips to the store, a new formula, and two new bottles later, we confirmed that the nipple hole was too small for you  to efficiently suck. After all our efforts, Baby scarfed down her bottle in less than 10 minutes!

And then it wasn't long after the bottle when both of your lids became drowsy with sleep.  The sucking on the binkie slowed as your breathing became heavier.  Limp as a noodle, I lifted your little frame up to my chest and gingerly laid your wobbly head on my shoulder for burp time. A few minutes of light tapping on your back and a cough-like burp would emerge. Soon you would fall asleep and sometimes we'd share a nap together on the rocker, rocking back and forth, peacefully and quietly...

Goodnight, my Baby