a winning formula

we had hoped to spend all last week posting pictures and anecdotes from our week in florida ... but annie had some different ideas. instead we spent all last week exhausted and only semi-functional.

since our return from the sunshine state, our little miss sunshine gave up sleeping at night. didn't anyone tell her that lent is over and we don't have to give things up anymore? well, apparently not ...

she went from sleeping 5 or 6 hours at a stretch when she was a newborn to waking up frequently ... as much as 4 times in 3 hours! who says, "i wish my baby would sleep like she did when she was first born"??? well, we do.

we had a week of nights like this. of course, we were also moving her from the co-sleeper in our room beside our bed to her own big crib in her own big room. this, coinciding with an expanded sociability and social awareness, and combined with an overall change in routine from traveling, led to a perfect storm that we like to call "baby insomnia."

during this craziness, mommy got word that when she returns to work from her maternity leave next week, she will likely have to travel.

oh, and the travel is to europe.

oh, and it will be like a 4 day trip.

oh, and she will have to leave the day after her first day back.

what?!?

so of course mommy did the only thing she could do.

panic.

then, collect herself.

then, break out the box of formula we received from the hospital.

we decided to introduce annie to the wonders of modern science, courtesy of abbott laboratories, in advance of her 3-month check-up this week. our rationale being that if we did have any issues with the old similac, we could bring them up with our doctor. we began thursday night.

and wouldn't you know it -- her sleeping got better starting thursday night.

and it has since improved every night since.

last night she went down at 8 p.m., awoke at 3:15 a.m. for a feeding and slept again until about 8 a.m. ... huzzah!

so, who knows what brought about the change (or really the return to the status quo ante) but whatever it is, looks we've found a winning formula!

(for now)