Routines

Arusha is 8 hours ahead of the East Coast. Adjusting to the time difference has been a bit of a challenge for all of us: I can't seem to stay up past 8 pm, Tim can't seem to get to bed before 1 am, and Eleanor's sleeping has been all over the map.  Our first few days here she slept so much I was convinced she was sick; last night she was exhausted, but didn't go to bed until 9:30.

It has become increasingly clear to Tim and I that we need to get back into some routines with her: a nap in the morning and one after lunch, time outside EVERYDAY- to play in the grass, chase the dogs, explore the trees and flowers.

Her bedtime routine has historically been quite important and included (in this order) a bath, massage, and nursing to sleep. When we first arrived in Tanzania, her nightly cleaning needed to be a shower, taken with one of us. She's never really liked showers (which makes me question whether she is in fact our child) so trying to prevent her from swallowing the water while she's covered in soap (and thus as easy to hold onto as a wiggling fish) and trying desperately to escape the spray of the water was not fun for anyone. This part of her nighttime routine, however, is really the most important in signaling her that it is time for bed.

Her new bathtub should help.
-kjd