awake at 4:30 a.m.

I missed a deadline for the first time in my professional life. An article that was due by close-of-business on Tuesday, I completed at 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. Chances are that my editor would not have looked at it until Wednesday morning when she came in to the office anyway, but I am still disappointed. It was also very far from my best work. But it's done! So now onto the next deadline.

It's 4:15 a.m. and Sami has done tonight exactly what I predicted tonight. She slept very soundly all evening, even practically eating in her sleep during feedings. She screamed the majority of the afternoon (hence the reason for me missing my deadline), and then fell soundly asleep around 7 p.m. after her bath. Then even though I woke her up to feed her and tried to keep her awake as much as possible, she slept soundly all night until her 2:30 a.m. feeding. After she was done eating, I held for a little while and of course she screamed when I put her down, and has been awake ever since. All evening I told my sister and my mother that Sami was sleeping to save her energy so that she could scream all night. I was right. LOL. This is one case in which I wish I was wrong. Wednesday evening I am going to work very hard to keep her awake, with hopes she will sleep better at night. We shall see.

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. My sister and I kept telling Sami that she wasn't allowed to cry on Dec. 7 since it was her aunt's birthday. So aside from crying a couple of hours in the late afternoon, she decided to follow that rule, and waited for it to officially be Dec. 8 before she started crying again. Every time I put her down she raises her arms up, almost to ask to be picked up, but I know she is too young to know that gesture. I think she just likes to raise her arms up a lot.

In the afternoon, Sami has her weekly doctor appointment. She is doing well, and despite being awake now, has been sleeping a little bit better the past few days. It's funny that I almost look forward to her doctor appointments because it's one of the rare times I leave the house.

Yesterday I renewed my pre-paid cell phone (the one I use to speak to Elizabeth) for two more months. She has called me three times since Sami was born. The last time I heard from her was on Thanksgiving. She asked how the baby was doing (didn't ask her name or any details), and said she just wanted to with us a Happy Thanksgiving and tell us once again how happy she was that the baby was placed with us. I do not want her to call and find the number disconnected just yet, and her calls have been very few so I am comfortable keeping the telephone line open a bit longer.

The low tonight here is 37, which is very cold for us Floridians. We are all bundled up and have the heat on.