Happy First Mother's Day ZZZZzzzzz

Sunday was my 1st Mother's Day as a new Mom and what a wonderful day it was. I spent a wonderful quiet morning with Rick opening up cards from him, Madison and both dogs (My 1 year old Schnauzer Roxy actually brought her card in to the room for me in her mouth and my 9 year old Zoe signed hers with a muddy paw print.) Then Rick was off to LA for training for a week so Madison and I enjoyed getting ready to go to Grandma's. We had a wonderful day playing dominoes and Pitch and Mom and I traded off playing with Madison. It was a nice relaxing unstressful day as all of our holidays in my family are.

Madison gave me the best present any new Mom could ever dream of receiving....She has settled in to a new sleep routine and for the last five nights in a row she has only gotten up...drum roll please...ONE time each night. This is an amazing turn of events for us (by us, let me clarify, I mean Madison and I, Rick has no clue) and could not have come at a better time. For months now I have been getting up every 2 to 3 hours to breastfeed and lull her back to sleep. She doesn't yell or scream to get me up, just enough noise that I hear her and I quietly go in and she sucks a bit and then goes right back to sleep and then luckily so do I. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I have actually said outloud in the night "Are you kidding me?". The dogs think I am crazy.

I thought I was doing okay with this whole sleep deprivation and then I got sick and it really kicked my butt. I began questioning my mothering instinct about not letting her 'cry it out' and told myself that she nurses so much at night because she misses me during the day while I am work. But then I worried I was not teaching her how to 'self soothe' and that I was a bad Mom. My theory is that she sensed what I needed and has provided it to me, some Z's. Funny how four hours of sleep in a row is so much more refreshing than it ever could have been prebaby. I know that it is short term because teething hasn't started but I am enjoying it while I can. What have I learned?If your baby lets you sleep long enough, your boobs will wake you up! (can I say "boobs"?)