Two Steps Forward, 10 Steps Back

I love her but I'm a struggling mamma to figure her out.  These pictures were within a matter of 10 minutes.  I had bathed her, finally calmed her down, and was rocking her.  Happy girl, right?!  Nope. I got her to sleep then she still proceeded to wake up, fall asleep, wake up, and fall sleep all within 10-15 minutes.  My baby girl just doesn't sleep!  

At 8 weeks, I thought I had her figured out.  I was able to pace/walk and calm her down.  She had a few naps in the morning, and nights were good at 8 1/2 hours.  Then we took 3 giant steps backwards.  I then couldn't calm her down again.  She wasn't napping in the morning and her night time sleep is back down to 5 hours…ugh!  Talk about one discouraged mamma!  At 9 weeks we put her on formula.  We've switched twice and it still hasn't seemed to calm her down.  I'm at my wits end.   

Exhaustion, tears, why can't I figure her out?

I tried to brave it and go to breakfast with my grandparents.  I asked my mom to help.  Hudson was perfect but Hannah wasn't happy…again.  

She looks so peaceful.

Hudson tried to help calm her down by singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to her.  Have I told you how much I love my son?  He loves her unconditionally through all the crying, every time I have to say "Mommy can't do ____ right now, I need to calm Hannah down", and tells me "It's alright mommy, you go calm Hannah down."  Ah, break my heart!

I won't be going to breakfast again for a while.  While everyone has heard a crying baby I just hate leaving the house right now unless its for a long drive to calm my girl down.  It stresses me out and I hate seeing her so upset:(.

But Hudson did get this adorable puppy dog pancake they make special for him!

We went to a family friend's 90th birthday Saturday night and she just cried.  Everyone wanted to hold her so I let them but it was not fun.  She cried and spit up on EVERYONE.  Yuck!  Then the following  day she was off.  Did we overstimulate her?  She's just not the type of baby you take places.  She can't calm herself down.

Then I had some success with putting her in our travel swing upstairs.  A neighbor had offered her baby swing to us but I didn't need one with Huddy and would Hannah really like it?  I didn't know.  So the first night I put her in it and she slept 30 minutes but that seems to be the longest right now between feedings.  She was happy however, for the most part.  

So I tried it the next day

She liked the mobile above!  I was worried that all along we were overstimulating her but she was calm looking at it, something we don't seen very often.

She seems to like it!  Its nice to have her with us in the kitchen, higher off the group almost eye level.  The music and mobile keep her entertained.

For now, I'm thankful for the calm moments.

Then my mom was feeding Hannah and she fell sleep on her lap, on her tummy.  So my mom put her to sleep on her tummy.  Well that seems to have worked a few times.  Its nice because then she holds the binki in her mouth.

She still sleeps on her back at night.  I know tummy sleeping is a "no no" but Huddy was a tummy sleeper too.  He couldn't hold his head up as well as Hannah at this age.  The day we brought her home, she almost rolled!  Yes she is so squirmy and busy!  She also has held her head up from day one.  She can hold it up for quite some time.  It's hard to get her to lay it down and calm down so we end up cradle holding her otherwise she is MOVING!

For now I'm taking one day at a time.  I was a basket case earlier this week but I've had a few good days.  I'm just taking it day by day.  Any words of advice dear mamma friends?