Addie's at 10pds

Thanks, everyone, for your comments, emails, and phone calls. I feel like I have some more ideas to try to with the little lady now thanks to your help. Thank you for caring!!!!

We took Addie to the dr. today. She still has thrush and I'm curious if that could potentially be leading to her sleeplessness. I know that the Nystatin has sugar in it and I suppose it's possible that it could be hyping her up. I'm sure she's at least uncomfortable which could be leading to the fussiness. Anyway, I'm hoping that after this next round of antibiotics and probiotics we'll be done with the thrush. Also, she is now over 10 pounds! It's so good to know that she's growing.

Last week Tali had a fever. Owen started his fever on Saturday night and is still fighting it (102). I had him checked this morning and his ears are clear so far. Hoping that our kids are better by Christmas!

There's the update for ya. It's Family Day around here so I'm off...

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Someone Please Read this and Help

If you have ANY thoughts or suggestions for how I can help my daughter sleep, please comment or email me. I'm desperate.

Here's what she does...this is just one day for an example:

8am: nursed

8:40: swaddled, sang to her, lights off, fan on, put in bassinet

8:40-10: occasionally cried for no more than 5 minutes at a time and then stopped, each time I checked on her she was laying in her bed looking around...never slept

10am: Started screaming hysterically...I decided to just get her up since it had been over an hour. She was rooting around so I nursed her.

10:40am: swaddled, sang to her, lights off, fan on, put in bassinet...she started crying immediately

11:15am: had been crying off and on, eventually I went to get her because she was STILL awake

11:15-12: tried to rock her & other tactics...she would fall asleep for maybe 3 minutes at a time then wake up for a long period

12: nursed her again since she was wide awake and started screaming for food

1: she's still awake

Seriously, people. This isn't normal. Is there something I'm missing? She won't fall asleep. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that she's not in pain. She doesn't cry herself to sleep, won't be rocked to sleep, and isn't even really unhappy just WIDE awake/overtired. She's a fairly calm baby at this point aside from the fact that she won't fall asleep. Thank the Lord, she will sleep for a stretch at night (about 3-4 hours) before wanting to eat again every 2-2.5 hours. If you have any ideas for me, please email me or comment. I really am at a loss as to what to do here. Thanks.

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Addie's First 3 Weeks in Photos

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Update on Life

I can't post pictures because the camera cord is no where to be found at the moment. Sorry.

In case you're out there wondering how things are going around here, I would like to post this morning update:

Addie was awake today from 7:30am until 11:15am. Some of that time she spent crying. Twice in that span, she ate. This is pretty typical for a day around here except that she generally screams much more than she did this morning. She doesn't sleep much regardless of my efforts. Letting her cry, trying the swing, holding her, singing, whatever for however long really doesn't matter. She is just hyperstimulated overtired and can't seem to get to sleep. It is frustrating because I have 2 other kids to be with and can't spend 4 hours trying to get her to sleep.

From lessons I learned w/the older 2, I am confident that things will eventually get better. Tali & Owen were never awesome sleepers during the day either. My mom says it's because our kids are too smart and they lay around thinking so much that they can't sleep. I suppose that's supposed to be encouraging. But seriously, it is tempting not to get exhausted by attempting to help a newborn sleep.

Tali's got a fever today- 101. It's not her crazy weird fevers. The Lord's healed her from those. I'm not sure what this one's about but so far it's not been bad.

Owen is stuttering up a storm. He's been thrown off a bit by all the transition and it's really coming out in his speech. We're praying for him to adjust quickly and that his speech will go back to normal soon.

That's the update around here. I'd love prayers that God would give me wisdom for how to help Addie sleep. Also, that I would joyfully and patiently care for my other kids amidst all the screaming from the baby and the exhaustion from little sleep. I know it's possible to be in this season with JOY because joy is found in Christ alone and not in circumstances. Still, I'd love prayer that I would rejoice. Thanks.

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Life with a Newborn

Our photographer friend, Brandon, took some awesome shots of Addie when she was 3 days old (the photo above is just one example). He did an incredible job and we are so grateful! You can check out the photos at: http://bjritterphoto.squarespace.com/clients/fenskas/

(It might take a little while to load.)

So our little girlie isn't quite 2 weeks old yet and still it seems that time is flying by. Maybe it's the fog of interrupted sleep or the lack of routine or the increased pace all day and night. I don't know. Time takes on a weird dimension when you're caring for a newborn.

Some highlights:

• The other night I was taking care of Addie Beth and heard Tali exclaim from her bedroom, "God ansuhd my pray-er!" Then there was silence. Pretty soon I heard her shout again, "LuLu stopped crying!!!!!"

• Whenever someone comes over that hasn't met our newest family member, Owen will point to her and tell the guest, "That's my sistuh."

• Addie's currently going through a little growth spurt and is eating about every 1.5-2 hours. It is wearing me out. She's also really picked up the crying and it seems that food it about the only thing that will chill her out at this point. Again, it's wearing me out. Josh just reminded me tonight, "We only get to do this so many times. Because of the one who's doing the crying, even the crying can be something to thank God for." Good thoughts. She won't be a screaming infant forever.

• We have had so much help from my mom. I'm really not sure how anyone does this without help.

• So we're doing well, though tired and praying that her excessive crying calms down soon. She is still far from out-crying her brother at this age, and for that we're grateful!

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