Favorite things

One of my favorite things about "new brand babies" (phrase courtesy of Dos) is the frog legs. Tres's legs are long and scrawny, just skin and teeny tiny bones, and nearly three weeks on they're still a little bowed from her curled-up days in the womb. She pulls them up toward her tummy when I change her diaper; she looks just like a frog. Adorable.

One thing I'm not so fond of, however, is the day / night confusion. Tres isn't quite as mixed up as Dos was the first months of her life, but still.... OY. I wouldn't mind getting up several times a night to feed her if she'd just fall asleep at a regular hour (any time earlier than, say, 3:00 am) and go back to sleep after eating! While I feel much more in control than I did after Dos's birth, I'm still running on a fairly significant sleep deficit.

I tried catching a nap yesterday while Tres slept. The first two refused to have naps (grrrr), so I told them to go downstairs and watch a movie. Quietly. And without destroying the house. I drifted off, Tres cozily at my side, and woke up about 40 minutes later to the sounds of something crashing, conspiratorial whispers of "Let's get out of here!" and the pitter patter of preschool feet dashing back down the stairs. Then the baby began to stir, working herself up to full wail at the injustice of not being fed right then, and I -- still groggy and struggling to open my eyes -- was left with a house in complete disarray and three children all with desperate, but separate, pleas for attention.

We're managing quite well, all things considered.

Uno is a legitimate help with the baby. She assists with diaper changes and bath time, standing with lotion or towels at the ready, and she keeps well-meaning Dos at bay. Dos frightens me with her "help" (she tried to pick Tres up by the head once), but she's sweet with her little sister: She sings the baby songs when she cries, and strokes her cheek. Tres (in those rare moments when she's awake during the day) watches the two of them with a look of blank fascination.

This transition is not without its challenges, but these three girlies are definitely a few of my favorite things.


~RCH~