bye bye burrito

so far, the main thing i have learned about parenting is that once you get something figured out, it's time to change it.  i feel like we are always working towards a goal.  and once we accomplish it, we transition.  the current transition taking place at our house is dropping the swaddle.

we started swaddling promise at the hospital to keep her body temperature up - because the nurses told us to. we continued it at home when promise was sleeping to keep her from waking herself up with the "startle reflex" (where babies arms and legs flail about because they don't have control of their limbs) and to comfort her. this has always been a part of our nap-time and bedtime routine, and i have become quite skilledl at wrapping baby burritos.

but, my burrito is growing up...

2 days 

12 weeks & 2 days

...and she is at the point developmentally where she doesn't need to be swaddled.  she has pretty good limb control now, and she needs to be free to move.  but, the cold turkey thing didn't work. she likes being swaddled, and it tells her that it is time to sleep. so it's been a process. we started with one arm out, then both, and now we've moved to the softer/stretchier blankets (the ones that feel like t-shirt material) instead of the stiffer receiving blankets. this gives her more flexibility.  by the end of the week she will probably be swaddle free. 

all of these milestones are quite bittersweet for momma's heart. 

sigh.