Tired

I want a nap. But not just any nap, I want a nap where no motorcycles drive by and rattle my windows. I want a nap where I don't wake up every time my baby makes a peep. I want a nap where my feet don't get cold and my head stays cool. I want a nap where my hips don't hurt and I don't feel like rolling over. I want a nap in a room that is dim but I can still see everything. I want a nap on fresh, clean, soft sheets with fluffy down comforters. I want a nap where I dream of beautiful things and wake up with a smile. I want a nap...

Grey's Anatomy

I started re-watching all of the Grey's Anatomy a few weeks ago, and am impressed that I am now 3 episodes away from being clear through the show. Well, at least as much of the show as is available on Netflix. Apparently I need to spend a lot more time focusing on keeping my house clean and on studying for my Chemistry classes. BTW, my bio/organic chem class starts in 14 days. I kicked butt at intro to chem, so now I can kick the rest of this chem stuff to the curb! As much as I hate to admit this, I got a C in college Algebra. The biggest reason for the C is that I am lazy and waited to take about 1/2 the class in a 10 day period of time. I took the first half of the class in a normal classroom setting, but as I was in my first trimester, I vomited at least once a class period, and by halfway through just didn't think I could do it anymore. My very kind professor allowed me to take an incomplete and finish the class the next semester, but I procrastinated and waited until 10 days before the deadline to start working through it. I have no idea what my actual grades were on those last 3 exams, but I'm guessing they weren't pretty. The first half the semester I was getting A's. Anyway, I now have this blemish on my college transcripts, and I really don't want it to prevent me from getting into nursing school. So this past semester I got an A in my general Chemistry class, and this semester I will get an A in my bio/organic class. I must, I must, I must! Anything less is just not acceptable. So now I have put it out there in internet land, so I have accountability. But if anyone in real life ever mentions it and I'm not getting an A, be prepared for lots and lots and lots of excuses. If mistakes are made, others will be blamed!

Single Mom

I'm so glad I am not a single mother. Mike has been out of town for just 2 days, and I'm already looking forward to his return so that I can have a bit of a reprieve. I think, mostly, I am just too lazy to be a single parent. I like my slacking off time, and when caring for an infant, there just isn't any of that to be had unless someone else spells you off. For instance, last night John woke up every 90 minutes pretty much on the dot. I had to get up and help him fall back asleep every single time. Normally Mike would have had to take over at about 5:00 am, but this time I got to do every single occurrence. I got to change every single diaper, and feed every single feeding. I got to rock John to sleep, even when he screamed at me for 15 minutes, where normally Mike would come and spell me off after 10 minutes or so. I got to do every load of laundry, and every load of dishes. I got to answer every phone call, and make every decision. On any given day, I will do most if not all of this anyway, but it is just so much more fun to have the choice to do any of it. To be able to do it with the knowledge that I'm letting my husband relax after a long day of work. Doing it because I have to is just not nearly as fun. I love my baby, but boy, do I ever love his Daddy too!

Stuffed

Who knew that Fenugreek, and herb that is taken to help increase milk production, increases your appetite. So while I want to lose weight, feed my baby, and be healthy, it makes it pretty hard. So today for lunch, I had a HUGE plate of rice and vegetables and now I feel like my stomach has exploded. hmmmm, maybe I won't need dinner. :)

Exercise

Mike bought a Kinect for our xbox, and it kicks my butt. Also, our living room is not big enough to use it very well, so we are going to be moving some furniture around. Bleah, I hate moving furniture! But I like the Kinect so I suppose it is all worth it. Bubba is asleep and has been for an hour or so, and I think I'm going to crash soon too. Ha, I think I mostly just like typing my random thoughts.

Waiting for Mike

Mike had to go to Pierre, the South Dakota state capitol today. The weather has been very rainy and windy, and he is about 30 minutes later than I would have expected. It is so easy to worry that something has gone wrong and that he is somewhere hurting or cold. While the rational part of me knows that if something were to happen to him, I would get a phone call telling me to come to the hospital, I still worry. Its weird that love makes you feel both the most wonderful and the most horrible things in the world.

Mixed Blessings

Bubba sounds so happy when he wakes up. He babbles and squeaks and coos and sometimes grunts in the most adorable possible way. There is only one real problem with this. He often starts between 5:30 and 6:00am. This poses quite the dilemma; do I get up and enjoy my happy baby? Or do I sleep as best I can right through it? Mixed Blessing.

sleep Training: Day one

Last night was my first night of sleep training, and considering we weren't able to do it perfectly, still yielded pretty great results. The idea behind sleep training is to help teach John to do a couple of different things. #1 Sleep through the night, or for at least 6 hours straight. #2 Take his naps in his crib or co-sleeper and not in my arms and (eventually) #3 Sleep without his pacifier

After quite a bit of reading on how I should proceed, I basically learned that there are two separate camps when it comes to sleep training. The first advocates a Cry-It-Out method where you simply let the baby cry until he or she falls asleep. This can be punctuated with the parents going in to momentarily comfort the baby, but not pick up or cuddle the baby. This method was not one I thought I could do so I've decided to go with a second option.

The second option basically says lay your baby down while still awake, but tired, and let them put themselves to sleep. If the baby begins to cry, go in and pick him or her up and provide cuddles, kisses, or whatever kind of comfort your baby likes until your baby is calm, but not yet asleep. Then you lay your baby back down! Some people have said that they have had to go through this process 126 (literally) times before the baby has decided to go to sleep. One important part of this process happens a little before bed, and that is establishing a bed-time routine. Mike and I have decided that the best routine for John would be at 8:00 to give John a bath, give him a massage, nurse him while Mike reads our devotions, and then lay him down for bed. We actually started the bedtime routine a couple weeks ago, and John seems to have adapted to it. He really likes his baths and massages!

Last night was our first official night of sleep training. We were at a birthday party so by the time we got home and had finished his routine, it was 10:20. But I laid him down, and he went to sleep within about 10 minutes. I didn't have to pick him up and comfort him even 1 time! He slept until 6:00 this morning, so he already met a milestone of sleeping for more than 6 hours straight!

This morning I had the privilege of trying out the sleep training technique for naps. I decided that instead of a set nap-time, I would go for 1 hour after he is fully awake for the morning. Since he went back to sleep after nursing at 6:00, he didn't really "get up" until about 8:45. Or at least Momma didn't. So, at about 9:45, I changed his diaper, gave him a few kisses and laid him down in his co-sleeper. Five minutes later I heard loud wails, and went in and picked him up and cuddled him. I rocked and sang to him for about 5 minutes and laid him back in his bed. Success! He has now been asleep for 25 minutes straight, and I have not been holding him. It feels so wonderful to type with both hands instead of with just one as I have been doing for weeks now. If I post tomorrow, I will let you know how long he napped before waking up. But now I'm off to sweep and do dishes and laundry and all the things that I haven't been able to do for so long!

Ok, so it only lasted 3 more minutes from the time I finished this post, but still, 28 minutes is progress!