Thursday, November 16, 2006

Miracles happen

The last couple of weeks have been pretty tough Baby-wise. Let's just say that if she weren't such a sweet little girl most of the time, we were about ready to see what we could get for her on eBay. (And just so there's no confusion, that is indeed sarcasm. Besides, the baby section on eBay doesn't even have a category for actual babies.) In addition to her usual lack of napping, she was waking up at least five times during the night and not settling back down easily. It was literally worse than when she was a newborn. All of which makes for a very tired and cranky mother (and also explains why she is in a blogging moratorium), which in turn makes for a cranky papa. Good times all around, let me tell you (it'll make for fun stories when I go back to work next work and my co-workers ask how I spent my holidays).

Then all of a sudden last night she only woke up three times. Granted, that would have been normal a month ago, but compared to five times it actually let Gretchen feel like a human being this morning. Not only that, but both of them were rested enough to let us try a day trip to Strasbourg, France (since we had to cancel our trip to Venice, a closer city with canals had to suffice). She slept on the train. She let us eat a good Alsatian lunch. She didn't cry in the cathedral. She fell asleep in her stroller. She let us enjoy a fantastic tarte aux pommes at a nice little tea house (which we later found out was proudly featured on alsacegay.com...will we be allowed back into Virginia now?). She let us (i.e., Gretchen) change her diaper in multiple locations--including a really gross French train bathroom--without a squawk. She slept in the train on the way home. Then when we got home, the ultimate surprise: she fell asleep without crying or soothing. Gretchen just set her down and within 15-20 minutes she was asleep and three hours later still hasn't woken up. She has been like Bizarro Baby in every way today, but all for the good. I'm a bit nervous that writing about it is going to jinx it, but even if tomorrow is another rough day, huge thanks to Baby for giving us a great day!

(I think she's realized her Grandma Caril is arriving on Saturday morning, so she's already on her best behavior...)

Oh, and we really liked Strasbourg: