Guess who's a winner?

Paela is a cutie. Just check out the latest photo album if you doubt me. She's having longer awake times (once she even stayed up for three hours in a row!), and laughing more and more like she gets the jokes and silliness around her. She still loves going for nice long walks, and sits up for longer and longer stretches.

She's started scootching on her tummy in a circle to try and get that elusive toy. She wishes she had a exersaucer or johny-jump up like one of her new friends, but the swing is nice sometimes too. And recently Paela started sleeping on her tummy, for good or for ill.

I'm not opposed to tummy-sleeping, once the kid is putting themselves there. However, it is taking quite the adjustment. She was to the point that we could swaddle her and give her a pacifier, sing her a song and put her in the crib, and then we might have to go put the pacifier back in once more before she'd fall asleep. But now, she immediately kicks both feet in the air and twists herself until she's on her tummy. The only trouble is, she doesn't know what to do on her tummy! She thinks tummy-time = play-time, but then she gets frustrated that she's expected to play when she is soooo sleepy. So we feel like we've had to start from square one teaching her how to fall asleep again, but this time on her tummy. Sigh. At least she is a cutie (see the latest photo album, link included).

I had quite the social week, and Wayne was busy as a bumble bee. I hung out with a friend and her daughter and two ferrets(!) on Thursday, saw Kate on Saturday, went to another book club one evening, and went to a movie with Wayne (sans Paela -- thanks Alyssa!!). Ferrets tickle as they try to climb up the inside of your pants leg. Paela wasn't phased at all by the ferrets -- even then they climbed on her and stuck their noses in her face. Book club was on "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk". It was more enjoyable to read, though the audio book version I found a little condescending. I think it was just the voices that bothered me, because the I enjoyed the stories in the book.

Not all the week was fun and games, though. Between less sleep in the house and a bug that traveled from campus to our house...I had to take a sick day Friday to recover a little mentally and physically. And I did lots of cooking this week, which is unusual. Usually I do the dishes and Wayne cooks (and if baking needs to be done, it's all me!). And my co-teacher and I had sharing time to prepare for today. We opted to do a bingo game with pictures of ways we can follow the example of Jesus, taking a lesson from family reunions gone by. The kids loved the game, even if reverence was a little tricky. How do you give the three-year olds enough time to find the pictures, but not have the seven-year olds so fast and talking to neighbors? At least everyone had a good time, and I only have to do sharing time once every six months.

Wayne, as I mentioned, was quite busy. He had a midterm to study for and take Thursday, and another midterm project in the works with a classmate. So between school and his own projects, he had several meetings this week as well. This week, though, he lucked out and meetings happened when I was with Paela in the evenings or Saturday. I imagine meetings are easier without a five-month old in tow, but Paela misses her daddy...she gives the biggest smiles when he comes home again!

ps. We won a drawing for baby carriers this week. Not that we needed or wanted them because we're very happy with our moby, but we won. And Paela enjoyed the box, as you can see.