My growing belly and more bedtime battles.

Amelia, as you all know, is a good girl. Michael and I love her. If I could change one thing about her, I would magically transform her into a child who likes to sleep.

After coming back from California Amelia was going to bed at some ridiculous hours - often around one in the morning. Mike and I were letting this pass for a while, thinking it was jet lag and would resolve itself on its own. After several days it became apparent that this was not the case.

Feeling that something had to be done, I went back to the authoritative text on sleep: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and have started trying to get my daughter in bed at a more reasonable time. That "reasonable time" started off as midnight, but has since moved to 10:30 p.m.

Last night Amelia was nodding off when we took her upstairs and put her in her crib. That didn't stop her from crying and pleading, "mommy, daddy, mommy..." off and on for 45 mins. Tonight, we put her down at 10:30 again and I think she has given up and fallen asleep...after only 40 mins. of crying and begging.

At some point Amelia will go to bed without the dramatics, at least according to the experts. Until then we'll continue waking her up at nine o'clock and trying to get her to bed at 10:30. I hope to eventually move her bedtime to nine, but that may not happen until we reach California, and then all bets are off.

On another topic, tonight I had Michael take another profile shot of my expanding belly. My stomach seems huge to me, but when I compare it side-by-side to images of my pregnant belly from this same stage in my first pregnancy, the photos are remarkably similar. I am now into my 32nd week (according to the pregnancy calendar) and still hoping to make it to, at least, the 38th week before giving birth. Wish me luck.

Lisa