sleep. it's a beautiful thing.

[knock on wood]
we may have figured this sleep thing out.

after about a week of experimenting, i think we've learned that little miss' sleepy time sweet spot is 9:30.  after fighting and fighting, she would always tucker out around 9:30, then sleep until anywhere from 7-7:30 (swaddled, one arm out).

i was super duper nervous because we were in the middle of working out a routine and we were about to have our first overnight weekend, because jake was in a wedding.  his parents had her friday night for the rehearsal dinner (we went back to their place after the dinner) and then pretty much all day saturday and the whole night.  overnight.  i wasn't sure how she was going to do for them.  and although my mother.in.law assured me that she could handle anything (and i know she can), you just always hope that your little one is on her best behavior isn't too much of a hand full.  i mean, we're going to need sitters again!  turns out, she did great!  they gave her a bath each night...put on lotion...then pjs...then bottle....and a little cuddling...then out at 9:30!

so last night, we stuck with the same routine.  and she was out!  didn't budge until 7:00 this morning.  and boy did we need that sleep after staying out until 2:30 saturday night :)  p.s. i just can't do that anymore.  never.  again.

i'm thinking that once i go back to work (in just three short weeks...tear), bedtime might move up a little sooner as she will have to get up a little earlier, but we shall see!  for now, i will take it.

now...i just need my "girls" to adjust to these longer stretches of sleep because they end up waking me up before she does.  it literally feels like there is concrete being poured into my milk ducts and then, slowly, it hardens  until all of the sudden i am pam anderson circa 1997.  i try not to get up to pump, but it becomes so painful.  will they adjust?  please, oh please.  on the upside to this, i am clearly not having any issues in the production department and we just had to plug in the deep freeze for extra storage!

here's another question for anyone who might have an answer:  i went to pump right before the wedding reception because i knew it would be a late night and i wasn't going to have access to the pump.  at the time, i didn't actually need to pump but i was afraid i would shortly.  it seemed like after i pumped, i felt a let down relatively soon after.  if i hadn't pumped...would i be able to go longer because they weren't signaled to produce more?  does that even make sense?  in other words, did the fact that i pumped cause me to have to pump again much sooner?

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