Tidbits

* Did I learn anything from Sunday's parenting debacle? Oh, yeah. If I decide to delay Isaac's bedtime, then I need to be prepared to handle the consequences gracefully. I was the one who decided we should play outside after dinner, after all. It wasn't fair of me to expect him to rush through his bedtime routine after that. But I got it in my head that he should still make his regular bedtime. I was a little bit laid back, then a whole lot uptight in response.

* Also, even when I yell I am not a bad person. But it is also true that yelling at Isaac doesn't accomplish anything. However, in general I'm not ashamed of expressing my feelings. Before I had children I was afraid that I would be too emotionally restrained as a parent. That hasn't been the case so far. Maybe I'll get all cold and logical when my kids are a little older. That unresponsiveness is infuriating, as I know from personal experience.

* Did you know Laurel is almost six months old? I'm not sure I do. Her first three months passed slowly, but the second three months have passed quickly. I bought the kids summer pajamas yesterday, and I actually bought some for Laurel in size 3-6 months. I knew intellectually that she is at the very top end of that range, but I could not believe that she was ready to wear size 6-12 months. The result: now she has two pairs of summer PJs that won't fit her by the end of summer.

* This week we put together the Jumperoo for Laurel. I realized that even though she can't sit unsupported yet, she is strong enough to be upright in the Jumperoo. She likes to stand in it, but she hasn't ventured a jump yet. Isaac, who as a baby cried when faced with the Jumperoo's lights and music feature, now really wants to turn it on. I won't let him, though. Everything is so new and exciting for Laurel, she doesn't need extra bells and whistles, so to speak, distracting her and spoiling her attention span and natural enjoyment of life. Plus the songs are annoying.

* Poor Laurel has gotten this far in life without a bedtime routine, or even a bed time. She has been a free range baby. She's still fairly agreeable, no matter what comes her way, but she is growing aware of the lack of structure, and over the past month it has caused some sleep problems. Let's put it this way: she slept better at three months old than she did at five months old. So it's time to settle down. Her increasing distractibility -- which is a good thing, right, because it demonstrates she is aware of the world around her -- means she has trouble napping or nursing when she's in the midst of activity. And, sadly, there haven't been stroller naps for many months now.

* Laurel's night time sleep is still very good, but it's not what it used to be. She woke up in the middle of the night for 19 of the past 30 nights. When she was three months old, she woke up only eight of 30 nights.