The Big 2-0

Dear Sammie Girl,

Another week, another letter. This has been a crazy, what-was-I-thinking-planning-all-of these-things-in-such-a-short-time-span-week. I’ll try to spare you the insanity and make week 20’s letter a little less chaotic that the goings-on of these past few days.

Friday night, we kicked off the weekend by going to the Caruthers’ fair with your Aunt Beth & Uncle Tom. You had a pretty good time and were captivated by all of the lights and sounds of the festivities around you. Fussiness set in around 8:30 , but that was to be expected, considering that you were up past your bedtime. I wriggled you into a way too small 3-6 month onesie and put you to bed as soon as we got home.

Saturday afternoon, I had a heart to heart with your closet as I stood there and unsuccessfully tried to add the way-too-cute clothes I had bought for you that morning to your already packed closet. It was time for me to put my pride aside, so, taking advantage of your lengthy afternoon nap, I packed up your way-too-small onesies and dresses in a box for your cousin Wendy Elizabeth to wear. It was a little sad to take some of your itty bitty clothes off their hangers, but 9 month clothes are really just as cute.

Sunday evening, you sported some of your bigger clothes (I called it an “Ode to Poppa” because it was a hippo outfit) and spent the afternoon with Nonni & Poppa while I took my college students to see a play. I joined you a few hours later at church’s fall festival, and you were unimpressed by the activities around you. In fact, you decided to let everyone within five feet know that you were displeased by spitting up so much that you managed to tag not only my sweater but also the carpet below. You followed that up with screams and sobs galore that neither Nonni nor I could stop. I took the hint and drove you home.

Monday through Wednesday brought about their own challenges. I don’t know what has changed, but naptime isn’t your friend anymore. There’s so much to see and touch and grab (the dogs remain at the top of your list of things to see, touch and grab, by the way), that you don’t want to miss anything…so you stay wide awake. The soothing sway of the swing does nothing for you anymore. And the comfort and tranquility of your crib? Nada.

Your dad and I aren’t quite sure what to do, because even though you’re resisting naptime with all you’ve got, your sleepy eyes are telling quite a different story. To compound the issue, I must’ve gotten a little too smug and told a few too many people that you’d been sleeping twelve hours a night, because you’ve managed to kick yourself into a tizzy at 2AM more than once over the past week. So…you’ve thrown us for yet another loop, kiddo.

For now, the plan is to get you on a fixed nap schedule. I don’t know if it’s the answer to the world’s problems, but it’s worth a shot.

Love you lots,
Your mommy

PS We got the next set of your professional pictures taken yesterday. You started off great with lots of smiles. I was quite amused by the fact that you—a four month old baby—managed to turn three grown women into blumbering noise making fools to get your attention for the camera. I hope our silliness paid off because you were still on your nap strike and hadn’t slept all afternoon so you didn’t last long and threw quite the screaming fit toward the end of the session. More pictures to come…