State of the Union

With my pumpkin starting Day Care tomorrow, I compiled a list of cliff notes about all things Shelby. I am sure the staff there will figure things out pretty quickly, but I thought putting together some notes might help alleviate at least one meltdown.

Below is what I put together. It's a State of the Union, if you will.....

Thank you so much for looking after my sweet Shelby while my husband and I are at work; we really appreciate the partnership. With your years of experience, I am sure the below will quickly become evident, however I have compiled some notes about Shelby in an effort to make the "getting to know you" period go a little more smoothly.

As of her first day, she'll be 12 weeks and 3 days. To this point she has been exclusively breastfed - no formula, water, cereal, etc. She has not been keen on the bottle. We have tried giving it to her off and on for weeks and only sporadically will she take it. On a optimistic note though, she has successfully taken several ounces on several occasions. She seems to like Avent bottles best, but if you have suggestions for another bottle after observing her habits, we're open to suggestions. Chances are, I have whatever brand you have in mind, at home.

I have been home with her to this point, so yes, she is a mama's girl. Just recently she has become a little more social though, so I believe she will enjoy the active environment. I would not be surprised though if she fusses for the first several days - we're normally together 24/7.

She just started taking a pacifier a couple of weeks ago and loves it. She really needed it for quite a while. I typically only give it to her when she is tired. You'll notice her gnawing on her hands when she gets really tired.  She plays with her hands often, but when she needs to suck, it's more aggressive and she often fusses.  She doesn't fully know how to keep it in her mouth, so if it falls out she may explode like a volcano.....the whole day care will know she lost her pacifier.

Shelby is a great sleeper and really has been since birth. I know her schedule will soon change to accommodate her new school routine, but to date, she is pretty accustom to the below. She does not stick to this every day, but surprisingly, she does not deviate much. She has been swaddled for her noon nap and at night time since birth. If she is relaxed and very tired, you may notice her crossing her arms across her chest - this means she is ready to conk out.

6:30 am                Wake up, eat a ton

7:30 am                Back to sleep for 60 -90 minutes

9:00 am                Wake up, eat, bath, play

10:30 am              Quick Nap

11:00 am              Eat, play, tummy time - starts wanting pacifier

12:30 pm              Take long (swaddled) nap for anywhere for 2 to 4 hours (recently they have been 2)

3:00 pm                Wake up, eat, play

5:00 pm                Quick nap

5:30 pm                Wake up, eat, play

7:00 pm                Change into PJ's

7:30 pm                Quick nap

8:00 pm                Wake up, eat, start winding down, wants pacifier

9 - 10 pm              Falls asleep for the night              

Some other items of note...

She recently started to babble. It's awesome. If you talk to her directly and/or if there is music playing she'll start to try and "talk."

She loves toys with music and lights.

She is getting close to rolling over, but not quite there yet.

She cannot yet sit on her elbows/stomach. She def needs tummy time, as the doctors have concern about her head becoming flat (yikes!).

Sadly, she has a little bit of diaper rash. I am trying diligently to make it go away, but will need your help in keeping those fat rolls clean.

She only poops every few days or so. Sometimes she'll go daily and on other occasions it will be several days between bowel movements. She has MANY wet diapers in a day though.

I think those are the major "talking points" that I can think of to share. I really look forward to working with you to make this the best possible experience for Shelby. I know all of the above will soon change and she'll have new goals, routines, etc.

If you ever have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Schenk