Taking Care of Bailey

Please, please remember that Bailey has been home with me for 5 months and that she is a big-time Mama's girl. She may have a rougher transition than Jack. Bailey is a sweet, sweet smiley baby who will win your hearts quick.

Eating

Bailey eats every 3 hours. Since I'll be arriving and feeding her at 6:45, you can expect her to eat at 9:45, 12:45 and 3:45--approximately. She eats 4 ounces of water with 2 tablespoons of formula at a feeding. Right now, she is eating oatmeal in the evenings, but will eventually be eating it in the mornings. More on that later.

Naps

Bailey hasn't had a good nap schedule because we've been so laid back this summer. I'm sure that as she gets on more of a regimented schedule she will develop a nap routine. I usually put her bunny in with her to nap. If she happens to be wearing a head band or bow, please take that off before putting her down for a nap--I assume the reason is obvious.

Sleepy cues: rubbing her eyes (sooo cute), and not being contented when she has a full tummy, a clean diaper, and is being held. I put her in her crib and if she cries for more than 5 minutes, she's not going to go down. Unfortunately, she usually has to fuss herself to sleep a little bit.

Matt says that the hardest part about having Bailey when I'm not around is when she wakes up from a nap and I'm not there. She may fuss or cry, but just hold her close and try to comfort her as best you can. She will get into the rhythm of things soon enough.

Play Time

Bailey likes to play on the floor with little toys. She also likes her jumperoo. She's rolling all over the place, and will probably start to crawl at any time. If you see her get ready to crawl, knock her down :) Matt and I would like to be there when she crawls for the first time. It's okay to lie to us, too, "No, she didn't start crawling today." :)

Diapers

Bailey, unlike Jack, does not like to be in a dirty diaper--and she'll let you know! Unless she's poopy or really fussy, I try to change her after each feeding. You can usually tell if she's ready by the "squish factor."

She usually has her one big, stinky, smelly, gross poopy diaper about 1/2 hour after her first feeding of the day. I know this goes without saying, but she's a girl, and please remember to wipe front to back. She sometimes gets a little red and irritated, so I'll include some cream in the diaper bag.

Above all else

Just please, please, please don't let my kids kill Eli. Just kidding. We love you guys and trust you infallibly.