It MUST be a Wonder Week

That is our answer now when Olivia is acting uncharacteristically fussy. It must be a Wonder Week.

And folks...we are AMIDST  Wonder Week 19--aka "mental leap 4" and she is ALL drama right now.

Here's what we're experiencing:

• laughing and suddenly crying in the same breath--and then laughing again
  
• refusing to nap more than 30 min at a time and thus tired earlier
• clinging to mommy (which I admittedly love)
• needs constant amusement 
• suddenly shy with grandpa and people who look drastically different than me, Charm City Daddy, and the nanny.
  
• and basically---fussy, Fussy, FUSSY!

But that's just the wierd stuff. There's good stuff too!

• she's swaddle free
• she's rolling/squirming around in her crib.
  
• she can almost sit up by herself---soo close.
• she's grabbing objects quite intentionally and easily.
• she's playing with the water in the bathtub.
  
• she can hold her own bottles when I use these nifty little trainer handles.
  

(major liberating moment for Charm City Mama pictured above!!)

I am actually glad to be on vacay this week to really give Olivia the attention and stimulation she needs right now. But hey, I'm not crazy--I've got nanny help everyday until 2 p.m. MAJOR sanity saver!

Speaking of sanity savers....I want to do a product review of baby gear I've found useful in the first few months. Working on it...

What We're Reading...

Charm City Daddy (CCD) and I both love to spend time and money in the bookstore. In fact, he almost brought me to one on our first date--although quaint, that would have been a mistake. Our tapas, drinks, and dancing obviously turned out to be the best date I've ever had.

Anyway...within a few hours of seeing "Pregnant" on the EPT, I found myself in a bookstore in the parenting section with a good friend of mine, Kev. I bought up everything I could rationalize buying and what I didn't buy, Kev bought. I told you he was a really good friend. :)

So here's our baby library so far...

A classic... What to Expect When You're Expecting by Murkoff & Mazel

A weekly briefing...Your Pregnancy Week By Week by Curtis & Schuler

A picture book...I'm Pregnant! by Regan (highly recommended by a friend)

A recipe book...I'm Pregnant Now What Do I Eat? by Riciotti & Connelly

A name book...Cool Names for Babies by Satran & Rosenkrantz (Thanks Kev!)

A daddy book...The Expectant Father by Brott & Ash (Thanks Kev!)

We've also been relying on the web for pics too....http://www.babycenter.com/ has some good stuff like videos of sonograms...pretty neat.

Next...Parent Education Classes and perhaps, Pregnancy Yoga!