Elena, Emma, and Jessie were invited to the zoo this week by Emma’s friend Owen. They had a great time looking at the animals together. Emma is also eating more and more solid food with each day. Elena and I put a plan together to wean her off breast milk and have been acting on it. As a result, Emma is sleeping though the night now which is a God-send for Elena and me. We also learned that we needed to let go a little with the baby monitor. We turned off the motion sensor when Emma turned 11 months because we were getting too many false alarms in the middle of the night due to her increased mobility. In the last month we also no longer sleep with the monitor “on” in our bedroom. Emma tends to cry and complain in her sleep. That sound, amplified and delivered to our bedroom ensures that her Mother and me don’t have a restful night. Our door is kept open so when Emma really wants us she cries out loud and we tend to her. It has done wonders for us. I only wish we would have thought to do that sooner. You live and learn I guess.

-Mark