Cora and Olivia

We've made a few changes relating to bedtime lately. First of all, we put together an actual bed for Cora. She has been sleeping in our bed at night and she had a mattress on the floor in her bedroom, that obviously wasn't being used except to jump on. Her bed is an old trundle bed with a bookshelf for a headboard that was mine as a little girl. I had been trying to paint it first, but with the rain and the lack of freetime, I had only just starting sanding part of it in preparation. Cora was excited about the new bed even though it hasn't been newly painted. At first we had the old mattress from the floor on it; the mattress being of low quality to begin with, added to the somewhat loose support system of the bed, it sagged terribly. However, we noted that at least Cora wasn't likely to fall off because the mattress made her roll into the center! Cora really loves her "new" bed and was very excited to sleep in it and even just to sit on it and read. Olivia thought it was pretty fun too and has tried repeatedly to jump on it (always jumping, that girl!). Another new development has been to have Cora wear disposable pull-ups at night instead of diapers so that she can get up and go to the bathroom at night if she needs to.



Cora's first night in her own bed in her own (shared) bedroom went something like this... Quietly getting into her bed (Olivia is already asleep in the crib in the same room) and assuring mommy that she didn't need me to sleep with her. Getting up to tell mommy that she needs to go the bathroom, going to the bathroom, and back to bed. Getting up to tell mommy that she loves me, going back to bed. Getting up to go to the bathroom and back to bed. Getting up to tell mommy something she was thinking about, back to bed. Getting up to go to the bathroom, back to bed... I don't think she stayed in her bed more than 20 seconds each time she got into it, and sometimes it seemed like only 5 seconds! She must have gotten up to go to the bathroom more than 5 times, each time trying to seem like she really had to go. I finally made her stay with me to go to sleep in the guest room, then I moved her into her bed once she was asleep. Cora's first night was over a week ago now, and we have been having her go to sleep in our bed and moving her once she is asleep. It has been working pretty well so far, she usually sleeps through Olivia's constant awakenings (which of course have increased in frequency lately) and has occasionally woken up and wanted to go sleep with Daddy. A few times I have watched her sit up in bed, look around, and go back to sleep while I nursed Olivia back to sleep.

Last Saturday we went to the Square Deal Mattress Factory here in Chico to get Cora a good mattress. She tried out three different mattresses and made a decision, based mostly on color. She chose the medium firm, green ivy mattress, probably the best choice anyway. The mattress was delivered the same day and Cora couldn't wait to lay down on it. While Olivia was napping in the bedroom, Cora jumped on it in the living room. Once we put it on the bed she did not want me to put sheets on it, she liked it just the way it was! The new mattress doesn't sag of course so she has fallen out of bed once already. She seemed perfectly fine even though she hit her foot on the train table as she fell. We've now put a bed rail onto the bed to keep her from falling off.

More news: garage construction has begun, trick or treating on Halloween, and other small observances to follow soon (hopefully).

The other day we were driving around town and I had Olivia's window open. She was kicking her legs, practically bouncing in her carseat, throwing her head around and squealing with joy! She apparently really enjoys feeling the wind in her face!

Cora quote, Oct 30, as I was trying to chase her down to brush her hair:
"My hair is perfectly beautiful already!"