All you need is...

Love, love, love is all you neeeeeeeeeeeed!!! A sleeping baby never hurts either! Funny, I ended up taking this on the last official night I put her to sleep in our bed - it took forever too!

Last Thursday we started putting my daughter to sleep in her crib instead of our bed. While it has been a transition, night number three was the worst and it seems to be smoothing out. I'm always hesitant to say for sure though because they change their routines so quickly, once I get used to it I'll have to adjust.

For me to stay sane and get enough sleep with a new born co-sleeping is the only way, but there becomes a time when I need an evening with my husband without having to nurse my daughter every hour or two (thirteen and a half months seems to be the mark.) So down she's been going. We still care for her - I'm not a big fan of cry it out - so we go in and lay her down.

Yes, she starts to do the Stevie Wonder (as my husband calls it) she sits leaning against the side of the crib bobbing her head around like you or I would dozing on an airplane. At least she lets us lay her down and then settles in to sleep.

Following after her brother who used to fall asleep with his arms and legs hanging out the front of the crib with his forehead resting on the jail crib slats, but he was older and a much lighter sleeper so he would wake up at anything. I have no idea where my kids get their stubbornness from!

Oddly enough, she seems to sleep better, initially, in the crib. She sleeps for 4-5 hours in her initial stretch each night so it seems to be the right time to begin this transition.

Now, as soon as I'm in bed all bets are off, if she fusses it's back to our bed so that I can nurse her back to sleep and get some myself. Seems to be working for now, we'll see how it goes.

Simply Perfect

My almost one year old is finally jumping onto the solid food bandwagon! As our weaning road begins to take shape, she nurses almost exclusively before naps and at night. Naptime is simply perfect. I never want to give up this opportunity to lie down with my little beauty.

Yes, usually I'm pestering my almost four year old to keep it down and that quiet time means Q.U.I.E.T. or impatiently waiting to do one of the million things on my to do list. Recently however, I’ve been overwhelmed and I’m finding solace in the simple. Time where I am just there with my daughter. Thinking about how much bigger her head is than it was almost a year ago. Breathing in the sweet smell of her while tucking a stray wisp of hair back behind a tiny ear, knowing it will never again be this small.

Sometimes she is so busy that she'll begin attempting calisthenics. Rolling onto her tummy, keeping her head fairly still, she’ll walk her feet up actually lifting her bottom off the bed. Softly I place my hand on her chubby, rosy cheek whispering a reminder that it's time to be going sleepy. Gently I'll pull her lower body close, letting the weight of my arm rest there, holding her still enough for sleep to wash over her.

While last week I was comforted skimming words and silently turning pages, this week I find myself scanning a gorgeous face, memorizing the exact hues of blue in her eyes and beautiful red of her lips. My thoughts wander a bit to the sandy blonde wisps of hair, curious if the hint of strawberry will fade away as more years pass.

Tiny fingers clasp my seemingly giant index finger so softly at first and then strongly they pull my finger toward her chest right below her chin. Tiny toes tickle my pale stretch marked tummy as her little eyelids do touch and goes.

I linger a bit longer, knowing that dishes can wait for a Mommy to marvel over a miracle of life. My own breathing a bit slower, my spirit revived and my heart full, admiring the innocent look of peace sleep brings over my daughter’s face. I soften my footsteps out the door and down the stairs knowing that so much more than perfect nutrition was just shared.

I could really use a cup of coffee...if I still drank it.

We all arrived safe and sound! Saturday was a long day but everything went as smoothly as it could. We flew in over the river looking at buildings boats and bridges. My boy says to me "Mommy an airplane is just like a bridge." Confused I look down at him and ask, "how?" He replies,"They both go over the water."

I guess they are similar then.

Back to that imaginary cup o'joe - cream, no sugar please. Oops, dairy free something I meant. Boy jet lag is a funny thing. You'd think a little two hour time difference wouldn't throw two kids into a time warp. They are both up late and then early. Both fell asleep just before 10pm last night (8pm at home) so not too bad. I could have skipped placing me had in warm goo at 4:15am when my daughter woke up to nurse for the how-ever-many-th time.

Finally getting us put back together and back to sleep I hear rustling from the corner where my son is supposed to sleep. I think I've only just closed my eyes since the diaper fiasco but then I also hear quiet movemets out in the kitchen so I know it's closer to 6am (yeah, 4am at home).

Without opening my eyes wider than the cover of a cheap paperback mystery I ask my son to grab the blanket that fell off the air mattress durig the night and cuddle behind me. Next thing I know wool over my eyes (actual wool), baby arms flailing and eye's pop open. Have I never mentioned that we don't throw blankets over sleeping mommies and babies. I have now!!!

My daughter seems to be taking a decent nap currently but I've tried every thing (short of glueing his eyes shut - I don't know where my Mom keeps it!) he just won't go to sleep. (current time 2:47pm)

I've already taken a bunch of pictures. Yesterday we went to Lasdon and walked the memorial trail as well as around the grounds. Then we went to muscoot farm. It was a fun morning and my nephews birthday party in the afternoon. Maybe I'll get some pictures up if my kids go to bed tonight, but of course - don't hold your breath!!!

Last Night's Pic

For history click here.

Toddler bed transitions

After 2 weeks and two nights in his toddler bed, my son is finally testing the waters by getting out of bed in the evening. I say testing the waters, but we are still so lucky since it was only last Saturday and Sunday nights that he's come out. Twice on Sat once on Sun. My hubby tells him to stay in bed which I back 100%. The one time I was right there when he came out I said that since it was night time he needed to stay in his room and that he could go to sleep wherever he was most comfy - for me that's my bed.

Saturday night we found him like this at 10:30 pm...

Sunday night he was sprawled out on the floor and last night he was in his bed with evidence that he played quietly before turning in!

For several weeks when we switched him from co sleeping with us to his own crib (about 18 months old) we'd find him asleep sitting up in the crib but were never able to get a picture of it because he'd wake up as soon as we walked in. I'm glad that he sleeps more soundly now! I'm also looking forward to having another little one in bed with us!!!

We would have let my son stay longer but we all started to sleep worse and worse and then he was waking up to nurse every 1.5-2 hours again like a newborn. We all were crabby and something had to change, my hubby would go in and parent him to sleep in the night, basically night weaning him. We all survived and with all the not going to sleep issues we had with him I'm glad that we've learned that we can't make our kids go to sleep. Even if we want them to -boy were there times I wanted- it's just not possible for a human to make another go to sleep!

This got long winded awfully fast - off on a tangent I went!