Happy Birthday Grandpas

Pope Aoife I anoints thee

We had a short week thanks to July 4th. But even more special were a couple of grandpa birthdays! Happy birthday Grandpa Steve and Grandpa Goose!


Aoife had a pretty difficult start of the week again. She just gets used to having us both around over the weekend, and when Monday rolls around, it becomes disruptive again. She was up Monday and Tuesday night every hour again. I felt so bad for her, I just couldn't figure out what was wrong. By the end of the week, I figured out that she wasn't getting enough milk. So, I had to increase my milk production which took a few days to kick in. Now my production is way up to satisfy her needs. Beginning on Thursday, she took on a new personality. All day she was good and not fussy. She had big smiles for us. This continued throughout the whole weekend. It's as if she suddenly decided that she loved us and life and everything it has to offer. It's so amazing to me to have this little person all of a sudden become happy. I guess we must be doing something right! Another thing we did this week, was put her back in the bed with us. She was lonely in her crib and would get very cold because she hates having a blanket on her; in fact she hates having her legs confined by most things. So instead she snuggles against my chest. She doesn't kick me anymore which is great. I also started to give her alcohol-free gripe water. At first she would spit it out, but then she enjoyed the taste and started to swallow it. It relieves her gas fast.

Now that I'm back at work, time seems to be zipping by and noticing the little developments that Aoife is having seems to be harder to detect. Some things I have noticed are that she is able to focus on things and grab them with her hands better. She also has started to explore my face with her hands. She pulls things close to her that she wants with her hands. She is fully aware of her feet as being hers, and she likes to stand up. She talks a lot more out loud; mostly they are vowel noises. She breathes faster when she gets excited and squeals sometimes. Sometimes her body becomes overactive and she flails all over the place finding it hard to settle down especially at night. She smiles a lot, but still has her frowny face. She can also lift her head pretty far. She squeals with delight when I sing the goodnight song and we say goodnight to things outside our window. She is also more patient and has a longer attention span for books. Below is one book I really enjoyed.

Transporting Aoife on the bus everyday is taking its toll on poor Aoife. It disrupts her day and I can't imagine that she enjoys it very much. On Tuesday, she was in a terrible mood and just bawled on the bus. I stayed calm with her, but realized that this is too stressful for her. So, I decided that maybe it's time to get a bike. My body is up for it; I think. My bike was stolen while I was pregnant, so I decided this time that I would buy myself a brand new bicycle. It's our only mode of transportation , so I wanted to invest in a good one. Tim and I spent the whole week going to bike shops. I am drawn to road bikes since ergonomically road bike are more comfortable for me, but I want to also be able to transport Aoife around when she is big enough to fit into a bike seat. After too much deliberation, I decided on the Specialized Vita. It's a beautiful ride. It weighs about 20lbs and is nimble as a road bike, but stable like a commuter bike. It is designed especially for women and fits like a glove. I love riding this bike. Some years down the road, I hope Tim and I can go trail riding again like we used to.