I think OCD is genetic, Mom and Dad. : )
I have been lazy this week. I got a little ahead on school stuff last week, and Ryan suggested I just do my house cleaning on Saturdays when he can help and/or distract Anya so that I can get it all done in one go. So I've just been trying to enjoy a little down time. Though I'm still working on homework a little bit each day, and the urge to mop the kitchen tiles is almost overwhelming. Is it weird that I get a cleaning high? Haha. I enjoy cleaning and organizing. Or at least the feeling of productivity and the sense of accomplishment once it's all done and everything looks awesome make me feel that way. Which is why I claim that I am OCD. Because I'm a neat freak, and I am very particular about the way things are organized. If Ryan moves something at the wrong angle I will have to move it back. Sometimes he feels like even when he helps me I end up doing everything behind him anyway so that makes him feel like he can't do anything right. That's not true. I just get a nervous tick when things aren't just so. That's not his fault, and I try to let things go when I can so he doesn't feel bad about not doing something to meet my impossible standards with cleanliness and organization.
Sadly, for Ryan, I can already see the OCD in Anya. She is stubborn about routine and sameness. And heaven forbid if you don't do whatever it is the exact same way every single time. She will freak out. We try to mix things up sometimes by taking her out or letting her nap when she's tired instead of trying to put her on too rigid of a schedule. But oh my goodness the crankiness that ensues when she doesn't get to do it her way. Her daily routine currently looks something like this since she and I are at home all day during the week:
8:00AM-9:00AM: Morning bottle, reflux medication, diaper and clothing change
8:30AM-9:30AM: Playtime on the tummy mat
10:30AM: Cat nap in the bouncy seat while I shower
11:00AM: Playtime with Mommy usually on the couch
11:30AM-12:00PM: Lunch bottle, dirty diaper change (like clockwork)
12:00PM-12:30PM: Long afternoon nap in her crib with many pacifier replacements
4:00PM-4:30PM: Afternoon bottle, reflux medication, diaper change
4:30PM-5:00PM: Playtime with Mommy often on the tummy mat or couch
5:30PM-6:00PM: Playtime with Daddy while I work on dinner
6:30PM: Cat nap in Pack 'N' Play or the swing in the dining room during dinner
7:00PM: Playtime with Mommy and Daddy usually on the couch
7:30PM: Bath, diaper and pajama change, bedtime bottle, reflux medication, story
8:00PM-8:15PM: Bedtime followed by many pacifier replacements through the night
And she just kind of fell into that by herself. I notice her sleepy cues and such, but other than just putting her down when she starts looking tired I have done nothing to put her into such a predictable routine. She refuses to take more than one long nap so she just takes one really long nap with a couple of cat naps. She's down to four bottles a day with no night feedings. Replacing her pacifier is getting really old so at 6 months instead of buying the pacifiers for the next step up, we're just going to quit them cold turkey and deal with a few days/weeks of crying it out. I have a feeling it will be rough because of her stubbornness. Anytime we take her to the store with us during those nap times it is always crazy crankiness by the time she finally does get some semblance of a nap. We try not to let it get in the way of doing what we would normally do within reason, but sometimes she tries my patience with her fussiness. She is a drama queen already. God help us both if this is a sign of how she is going to be throughout her entire childhood and - I shudder at the thought - when she is a teenager. At least then I can reprimand her for behavior I think is unacceptable. It's not easy trying to reason with a 4 month old who only responds to funny faces and the trippy light emanating from the nose of her musical polar bear.

















































