Coming off that travel high

Today my family woke up and realized that today is the last day of our traveling vacation. I have to say I was ready to get home. I was ready to let my little angel scream until his face looked like a squashed red tomato in the privacy of our own home. Nothing is worse than parenting in public. I am always in fear that the parent police will show and issue me a citation for permanently traumatizing my child because I a) let that diaper go just a little too long, b) let my child scream at 3 am., c) put said child in the bed with me to sleep knowing that this new habit will have to be broken when we return home, d) fed him peas in his car seat and did not care that half of them ended up on his hands and then everything else at the Waffle House, e) did not adequately disinfect the baby seat at the Waffle House after removing the child from the car seat. I don't know about you, but when the vacation is over, I just want to be home. Every hour in the car feels like five. I begrudge every stop even if it is for necessary duties like eating and restroom breaks. My child must be like me, because after a couple of hours in the car all the old stand bys for entertaining an infant in a car seat no longer worked. Yesterday, I ended up singing every song I could think of in chicken speak (cluck, bawk, etc) as I danced JP's little toy chicken up and down his lap. I have an incredibly patient husband. I should make an album.

Women Restrooms were designed by men

They just had to be. Who else would think it is a bright idea to put the baby changing station across from the entrance so that in order to change your little one's diaper, you must block access to all bathrooms and put your child on display. These diaper contraptions almost never have any hooks around to hang items like diaper bags or jackets. They are usually several feet away from the garbage can. I don't know about you, but my little one always saves his choicest diapers for when we are out in public. As a result, I have become an expert at changing my child in the car. Somehow my husband and I have figured out how to change a wiggling, 29 inch 6 month old on a 22 inch wide seat that slants towards the back. It is not the best solution, but at least it is private. Thank heavens for those little blue bags that smell like baby powder.

Have Baby will travel

We are at the end of our first out of state trip with JP. On the whole, it went very well. JP likes to sleep in his car seat, so most of the ride was uneventful. However, when the little man decided to melt down, we had to find an exit stat. I was not sure how well we would be ale to continue our sleep training on the go. Nathan and I decided that letting our little one cry himself back to sleep at 3:00 a.m works a whole lot better in the privacy of our own home than in the spare room of friends and family. So, needless to say, our schedule is out of the window. That means tomorrow night it is going to be on like donkey kong at the ole homestead. We have been in survival mode and are ready to get back to normal.

Merry Christmas

This year I am struck by how humbling it was for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to come to us in human form two thousand years ago. The Creator of the Universe, the Son of the Godhead, the salvation of all people came into to this world the typical, human way. I think about how Mary must have felt him in her womb and maybe even experienced third trimester heartburn as her body ran out of room for little Jesus. I think about how after His delivery, Mary and Joseph must have just sat there and marvelled at Jesus' tiny toes and fingers. How Jesus must have been cold and blinded to leave the comfort of the womb and to come into a very unforgiving world-- The creator of the World now wholly dependant on His creation to meet his most basic of needs. I usually think of all this as I rock my own little man and rub my cheek on his fuzzy little head. I wonder what JP will be when he grows up. Mary already knew as she wrapped her own Son and rubbed her cheek on His fuzzy head. I wonder if the joy and the sorrow just about ripped her in two.

Thank you Lord Jesus that as I lift my own little one up in prayer that You understand his plight better than anyone -- that you know what it is to be a little boy who at 6 months is discovering the world around him in a whole new way. Through Your Spirit, help me as his mother to pray in wisdom for my son.

Merry Christmas.

The Dreaded Night Waking

If it seems that all of my posts concern the sleeping habbits of my young son -- that's right. Nothing like a little sleep deprivation to make a person yearn for the soft, fluffiness of their pillow.

Last night, JP woke up at 11 for his last bottle and then was supposed to sleep peacefully until morning. He slept, but woke up at 3 a.m. This is the third night in a row that this 3 a.m. waking has occurred. I was beginning to see a pattern and decided to stick my courage to the sticking place and break him of this unnecessary habit. I tried to comfort him without the bottle -- the kid weighs close to 22 pounds at 6 months, so he is in no danger of starving. It took an 1 1/2 hours to get the little man to sleep. I learned that I cope much better with crying during the day than I do at 3 a.m. in the morning. Thank heavens my husband was there for moral support. He finally went to sleep at 4:30 and slept until 7:30. The little stinker woke up smiling like nothing ever happened.

I am glad today went well. We had our naps on schedule with minimum fuss. Tonight -- so far -- everything is peaceful. But who knows what the future holds.

Sleep Training is Not for Wimps

At around four months, my husband and I decided that JP need to learn to fall asleep in his crib. Since my son is in the 97th percentile in height and weight, it was becoming increasingly difficult to rock him to sleep every night. I would lay him in his crib and sit with him until he peacefully fell asleep. This was working pretty well until the first ear infection, then the second ear infection, then the Thanksgiving holidays, followed up by ear infection number three. Whatever routine we might have had was destroyed in a flurry of doctors visits, infant eye drops (infant torture), family gatherings, and holiday cheer.

About a week and a half ago as I tried to rock my 21 pounder to sleep onlyy to have it turn into a leg wrestling match. Hour after hour passed. Screaming ensued. Sobbing followed. To make matters worse, I had overnight guests who had front line seats to this homegrown cage match. I reallized something had to change.

I began my research. I read the Baby Whisper, the Sleep Lady, and all the doctors. I spoke with friends and realitives all who had opinions on the best way to help babies go to sleep and stay asleep. I ended up going with my own hodgepodge of all the methods. Since my son would not let me hold him, my husband and I would lay him down in his crib after bath, book, and prayer. We would then take turns looking in on him at 5 - 10 minute intervals. Shushing and patting when needed, but not picking the little man up unless hysterical. Here is a brief run down:

Night One: TWO hours, let me say it again, TWO hours of angry screaming, crying, and guilt. But little one slept through the night.

Night Two: One hour of angry screaming, crying, and guilt. This only seemed better because it was not two hours.

Night Three: 45 minutes of crying, occassionaly screaming, some guilt, and I kid you not, rasberries and leg kicking. This kid has a hundred tricks in which to fight sleep.

Night Four: 30 minutes of fussing, crying, ect. I began to realize that my son has a flair for the dramatic and that he really is not laying there in a pool of his own blood. All I had to do was to look over the crib and he would stop and giggle.

Nights Five to Seven: 20 minutes! (Whoo Hooo) And he only woke up twice! Sleep glorious sleep!

Night Eight: Humbling the Proud. It took 45 minutes -- this after a day of victorious nap taking. I have not spoken about the coinciding nap training that was going on at the same time -- it is just too painful.

So I sign off not knowing what the night holds, but praying for peace.

6 Month Checkup

Tomorrow marks my six month anniversary as a mommy. I thought I would take a moment and do a brief check up.

*Am I still breathing? -- Yes
*Is my son still breathing? -- Yes
*Are all my limbs intact? -- Yes
*Are all my son's limbs intact? -- Yes
*Am I getting enough nourishment? -- Yes, too much. If only cookies were a major food group.
*Is my son getting enough nourishment? -- Yes, 97%
*Am I still sane? -- Sometimes

These last six months have been wonderful and awful all mixed up into one life experience that I would not ever trade for anything. When we first brought home our little son, I realized that all that prenatal reading did nothing to prepare me for the real thing. My mental train of thought was just a series of questions -- Why is he crying? Is he hungry? Is he hurting? Why won't he sleep for more than 45 minutes? Is he getting enough food? Why am I crying? Will I ever sleep again? I wanted to show JP the books and say, "See, according to this you should be sleeping at least three hours at a time." Unfortunately he has not learned to read yet, and even if he did my son is such a rugged individualist that he would do what he wanted anyway.

I thought I would start this blog mainly to have someplace to put down my thoughts. If anybody reads this and they are a competent mother, please do not judge me too harshly. Everyday is an experiment in faith and just one more step towards my earthly santification. The Lord gave us children so we could have an insight to His heart and so that they could knock off all the bits and pieces of us that don't match the Father.