Schedule, Smedule

Just when we thought we had it all figured out...Campbell had other plans for us! The past three nights have been a little rough. Last night was the worst - I got to see Campbell every hour on the hour, all night long! She was crying in her sleep. Not really waking up, her eyes were closed - but she obviously needed something because she was screaming. I guess I could have tried to ignore it, but at that point Travis and I were already awake. So...I'd do exactly what all the books would probably advise against. I'd run in her room, give her a paci, and return to bed. If I've learned anything, I've learned to read the books, take what advice works for us, and then trust my instinct to do what's best for my baby. Baby needed her paci! :) She just needed some comfort to help rouse her out of whatever sleep-crying fit she was having. Poor Campbell. She is SO congested...so she has trouble breathing through her nose while she's trying to suck on her paci, yet she insists on the paci. And what's with all this nighttime crying?

Well, we have several theories. One could be a growth spurt. That would explain why I've had to feed her the last three mornings at about 5 a.m., which is three hours early! Once I've fed her, she's gone back to sleep peacefully. But what about last night, she certainly wasn't hungry at 11 p.m. when she started crying in her sleep! Theory number two - teething. She has her bottom two teeth. They are about halfway up. Maybe they are hurting as they grow taller, or maybe she has other teeth about to come in up top. This would explain the fussiness and the congestion that is often associated with teething. Or theory number three - maybe she just has a cold? After last weekend in Roanoke, my niece had a fever and a runny nose and cough on Monday. Campbell only has the nose issue, but maybe she just doesn't feel that well? Or could it be theory number four - we have rocked the boat by introducing more solid foods? We started some sweet potatoes on Monday. We've been experimenting with maybe adding a second feeding of solid foods during the day. Maybe changing her diet has made her change her schedule.

I guess I have to just go with the flow, let Campbell work out her issues, try to make her as happy and comfortable as possible, and relax. This is one of the hardest lessons I'm trying to learn as a parent. Notice I say trying. I just want to figure it out, fix it, and move on. I'd like to jump right back into the perfect routine we had down pat! But then how do I do that? These changes could be caused by any number of factors! So which theory is right? Or is it a combination of several theories? God only knows. My money is on teething. I'm trying to tolerate our schedule being turned upside down. It's hard for me because I was SO excited to finally have consistent sleep at night, a regular feeding schedule all day that seemed foolproof, and a fuss-free baby. But hopefully a few days of discomfort is all she'll have and we'll slip back into Scheduled Bliss in no time.

Enjoy a few pictures below of Campbell's first experience with sweet potatoes. It was a success - although there are orange spots on all her clothes now! :( Today we went with applesauce...much less messy and I think she liked it too.

Sweet Potatoes - yum yum!

A full baby is a happy baby!!

A funny close up of a messy face and Campbell's two front teeth!!!!!!!

Our precious little ladybug. Btw, she got called "buddy" again yesterday in THIS outfit!! It's red, but seriously, would you put your son in this???? :)