Screaming Fits!

Well, Mackenzie has decided that she really likes to stay awake during the day, pretty much all day. For awhile she was napping for about 3 hours in the middle of the day - like 12 - 3 and honestly, I hope she goes back to doing that because when she doesn't get that nap, she manages to have a 45 minute cry session to blow off the steam from the overstimulation of the day.

This has happened I guess Saturday night (at 3:00 a.m. - thank you Aunt Carla for coming to my rescue) and then again last night starting around 8 and ending around 9:30. I can handle it if it's early in the day (and maybe now I can handle it a little better at any time just knowing that it will end because she can't scream like that forever) but there's nothing in the world like the feeling that your child needs you, and there's nothing you can do to console her. Its' heartbreaking to just let them cry it out, but I guess that's how they blow off all the steam during from the day.

She has done lots of amazing little things in her 5 short weeks out of the womb. She began smiling a couple weeks ago, and I'm waiting for the conscious giggle (she's done it in her sleep a number of times, and it is the cutest noise I've ever heard). When she smiles, her whole face gets into it - it's a wide, open mouthed, ear to ear grin! I'll try to get a picture to post soon!

Apparently she has learned a lot about the world, too. The other day, she started fussing when I put her in the baby bjorn facing in. So, I folded it down and faced her out and she seemed to tolerate it much better. She's not really quite old enough to "ride" like that, because it requires a lot more neck control than she has (even though she's pretty strong in the neck). Anyway, last night Carla and I went for a short walk around the neighborhood and I tried putting her in the baby bjorn facing in, so she would nap a little.

She decided that she didn't like being in like that, and began fussing a little bit. So, I open one of the sides and it seems to make her happy, so we take her out, turn her around and she goes on the walk facing out the whole time. As soon as she could see what was going on, she seemed as content as could be. She seemed to be able to see the rooftops of the houses, and she would turn her head back and forth the entire time we were on our walk. She checked out the trees, the houses, and the sun. Then, when we walked by this empty lot, she started fussing because she couldn't see anything.

Carla and I just laughed in amazement, and decided she's a smart little cookie who has decided that she is pretty happy to be here on earth and as long as she is, by God, she's going to see it! And not just a little at a time, all of it at once! I guess I can see why she's not as fond of riding through the neighborhood in her stroller. She has to lay down and she can't see anything.

She also spends time each day watching videos of Daddy reading books to her. She hears his voice and starts looking around for him. You can tell she recognizes him and his voice (I'm pretty sure she can see him on t.v. when she's up close) and is looking around for him wondering where he is. I took one of the tapes that he made awhile back for me to play to my tummy, and played in and layed her under one of his smelly t-shirts the other day. I got out of her sight line and just rubbed the back of her head. Hopefully that will help bond her to him. Thank goodness we can do such things.