The Science of Sleep

We've been home from the hospital for nine days now, and all is well. Olive has been sleeping well - more or less - since then, with last night being one of her best. It's been a challenge getting her on the appropriate schedule; if things were left up to her, she'd retire at 10 am and wake twelve hours later. Yesterday, though, it was our mission to keep her engaged for as much of the day as we could. Success resulted; she woke once at 5 am to nurse and to remind me of a dirty diaper that needed attention. If the sun is on its way up, it's fair game, as far as I'm concerned. Still, with a full night's sleep behind her, she's been pretty out of it today, and no amount of raucous bouncing, tossing her into the air, or removing clothing to make her not quite so comfortable will quell the sleepies. Today was one of the most beautiful we've had in a long while, with lower winds and a warm sun, so we bundled her up to go on her first hike up to Shackford Head, at the overlook where we got married. When we reached our destination, we removed her from her carrier so that she could look out on the view of the bay, and Canada and Lubec across the water, but her eyes could not be pried open.

Shortly after we got home, I changed her diaper, and that turned things around pretty quickly. Some of our friends, Molly and Damon, brought over dinner for us, and they had to witness her in one of her rare wailing fits; she's really a wonderfully mellow baby 96% of the time.

And speaking of dinners, every single night since we've been home we've been brought dinner by friends in our community. It's been like going out to eat at a different restaurant every night without having to leave the house, which, in these new circumstances, is so very nice. The meals have all been superb - healthy, wholesome, homemade, and tasty. Rob has put away most of them, as my apetite is just starting to return. Molly and Damon's lasagne in the oven is smelling heavenly, heavy with basil. Olive has had her late afternoon snack, and we're of to eat, ourselves.