Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Breakfast Bandit

About 25 minutes ago I heard someone clanging around in the kitchen. I figured Kevin was home and getting something to eat.  15 minutes passed and since he hadn't come upstairs  I went downstairs to find him.   As I entered the kitchen I remembered that he said he wouldn't be home until after 9.  I knew someone had been in the kitchen though, one of the drawers was open and besides, the kitchen just had that feeling...someone had been there.  My heart started to race, I stood perfectly still trying to listen for signs of someone over the whirring of the dishwasher.  A car was stolen off of our street two nights ago, I wondered if that someone had broken into our house...I wished I had a baseball bat, or at least my phone.  Then I turned and saw this on our dining room table. 
Signs of a different type of break in.  Relief spread through me.  My 7 year old had stolen my heart again.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

10 days later...

Do you know how I can get ahold of Dr. Weissbluth?  I'd like to personally thank him for the return of my sanity.  I've been a little too superstitious to blog about Lucy's sleep, didn't want to jinx things.  I know that's silly but when you've been where I've been, you don't take chances.  It's 6:47 and I just laid Lucy down, without so much as a whimper, this has become her routine.  No more patting Lucy to sleep, creeping out of her bedroom, only for her to awaken 15 minutes later to start the process over--often for 2+ hours.  She's napping too--twice a day. It hit me this afternoon when she was napping and Kevin was sledding with the girls.  Rather that fearing this sleep might be my one chance to get something done, I laid on the couch in front of the fire and read!  In just a few days of Lucy going to bed easily at night, sleeping in longer stretches and napping again, I'm caught up (marginally) with laundry, the house is (fairly) clean, I've worn jeans not "workout" (oh the humor in that ) clothes, I feel able to listen and carry on a conversation and I don't feel the buzzing in my head that too little sleep and too much caffeine brings.  I'm back and it feels so good.  

ellie-  she is sleeping finally i feel good for her
That pretty much sums it up (Ellie typed that herself!).



Of course I couldn't resist taking a few photos of my sled riders before diving into my book!
                                                               Our sleeping beauty!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

She's a keeper...

Emma and Ellie sharing a book.  

Emma-age 3, at the St. Louis Public Library downtown.

I love watching my kids grow and change and yet stay the same.  Lately I've been looking at Emma and thinking, when did she get to be such a big girl?  She reads in a week what I do in a month.  Oh, who am I kidding, she reads in a week more than I do in 6 months.  She's been an avid reader for as long as she could pick up a book.  Books in the car, the tub, her bed, at the table.  Last night, a dream came true for her, she met Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Treehouse Series.  She told us she wanted to know "what inspired her".   When she shared that, I got choked up.  If you could have seen the sparkle in her eyes I think you'd understand. 


with Mary Pope Osborne

Monday, January 17, 2011

The dawn? Day 4

 Here I go again, recounting the details of baby sleep.  Comparatively, you're feeling like your life is full of adventure and excitement, aren't you?  Not so fast, some serious sleep is being logged around here and that is where it's at.

Last night Lucy slept from 7:05-11.  She nursed, then went right back to sleep until 3.  She nursed, didn't go back to sleep but quietly talked in her crib until 4, then she began to cry.  I resisted and did not go in.  I fell asleep (? how in the world).  I woke her at 7:30.

Nap 1- Down at 9:05, cried/whined until 9:25 (nothing too intense though), slept until 11:50
Nap 2- Down at 1:55, whined until 2, slept until 3:20

I just laid her down for the night.  She cried/whined for 10 minutes and is now asleep.  Unbelievable.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

It's always darkest...AKA Day 3

I'll just cut to the chase, this is miserable.  Miserable like you're running over hot coals with your shoes off.

 Last night Lucy cried from 6:45 until 11:00.  She took a 10 minute break every 45 minutes.  The really awesome part was the older girls couldn't sleep with all that screaming.  Fun times.

The rest of the night was pretty good with her only getting up twice to nurse between 11 and 7.

Today-
Nap 1- laid down at 9:20, slept until 9:40, cried until 10:40
Nap 2- laid down at 1:10 cried until 2:07
Thank God we had 6 grandparents here all afternoon.  It was a lifesaver, we are so lucky!

She went to bed at 5:30 she was so incredibly tired that she feel asleep after nursing for 3 minutes, she would not wake up, so I laid her down.   She woke up at 6:15, had to be hungry, so I  nursed her and put her back down at 6:30 she cried until 7:05....she is still asleep at 8:20.


Saturday, January 15, 2011

35 and Day 2









35?!  A great day was had ringing in the first day of Kevin's new year.  Even after 15 years of birthdays together I still think he's tops.   Happy Birthday to my thoughtful, handsome, generous, super smart husband.  I love you!











Day 2 of the Weissbluth plan

Good news for last night.  We put Lucy down at 7, she cried until 7:05.  Babysitter came.  We told her to let Lu cry for a few more minutes then to go and pick her up.  Texted sitter at 7:45, baby was still asleep!! Got home at 9:45, baby was still asleep!!  Lucy slept until 1:30!  Fed her then she slept until 5:30!  Fed her, then she slept until 8!

Today-
Nap 1- 9:45, cried for 3 minutes, slept until 11:37

Nap 2- 2:15, cried 5 minutes, slept until 4:15

Bed- Down at 6:45, screaming like a banshee as I write this at 7:05.  Oh boy.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Day 1 of the Weissbluth Plan

We've resorted to a sleep plan, a plan other than our own failing one.  It's Dr. Weissbluth's, his book was recommended to us.  The multiple copies at the library are currently checked out (looks like there are a few other parents in St. Louis hoping for sleep) so we bought a Kindle copy for my phone.   We've agreed to try it for the next week.

Here is what we have to do:

- put Lucy down for 2 naps a day, work on putting her down at about the same time

-let her cry when we put down for her naps, up to 1 hour, without going in to check on her :(

-follow night time routine, put her down, let her cry...for as long as it takes


Day 1-
Nap 1-  Laid her down at 9:48, got her up at 10:58 after an hour of crying

Nap 2- Laid her down at 1:45, cried until 1:52, slept until 4:20 :)

We have a babysitter coming tonight so we're not going to let her cry...way to follow our plan!

We'll resume the plan tomorrow morning.

 I know, I know, exciting stuff!


                     In other news we visited the library today.  As you can see, everyone was delighted.



Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Confessions of a sleep deprived mother

When Emma was in preschool I knew a sweet mom of 4 who was early to pick up every day and napped in her van right outside of the school.  2 of the 4 kids snoozing right along with her.  She said between dropping off and picking up kids it was just easier that way.  Fast forward two years...I'm so incredibly sleep deprived that this way of thinking makes complete sense.
Sleeping in small blocks of time for more than a few days makes the brain a little fuzzy.  Sleeping this way for months makes you feel like you can't quite comprehend the world around you.  I've fully entered into the latter.   Take for instance the day we were out of coffee.  I stopped at Starbucks.  I ordered a latte as well as a pound to take home.  The barista asked me if I wanted the coffee whole bean or ground.  Totally perplexed I said "I didn't think you could make it unless you ground the beans" thinking he was asking me if he should grind the beans before making my latte.  There was the day I forgot to open the van door for Ellie and then drove off (ok, just to the edge of the driveway) without her.  I've developed a terrible habit of wearing two pairs of sunglasses, one on my face, one on top of my head.  All of this I blame on my extreme sleep deprivation.  Today though, today, takes the cake.  Clayton Schools have a once a month late start day, a day where schools start an hour late in order for teachers to participate in staff development.  I write these dates on the calendar, just like every other parent, lest I ever forget.  Well, guess what?  I forgot that today was a late start day and I brought Emma to school at 8:30, not 9:30.  We said our good byes and I pulled away.   I got about 3 minutes down the road and it hit me...I just dropped my little girl off an hour early at school.  OH MY GOSH I'M THAT PARENT, that nutty parent that can't even keep her calendar straight!  So, if you see me sleeping outside of school in my van, let me be, it just might be easier that way.

         She's cute when she sleeps, isn't she?  Too bad she can't log a few more hours every night!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

5 months

Hold the phone.....Lulu is 5 months today! 

                  
                                                                      5 month stats

Weight- 15 lbs. 11 ozs
Length- Not sure
Eyes- Blue/hazel?  Our only light eyed girl
Hair- Red
Dimples- 1
Tricks- She's discovered her feet so you might as well just forget about putting socks on her, they're going to come off! 
Boo Hiss News- Both ears are still infected.  That's right, over a month.  She's on her third antibiotic.  Look at that girl though, you'd never know it (other than the slightly sleepless nights, baby with ear infections= baby that needs extra nighttime cuddles).

  My girls. My heart.  My soul.  Oh my.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Simple and Sweet

I go to the bank once, maybe twice a month--and by bank I mean the ATM.  This morning we stopped at the ATM---ugh, it was out of service.   I had to use the dinosaur drive-up teller.  Who the heck uses that thing?   Ellie was curious about what in the world we were doing.  I explained step by step, she was  mesmerized as she watched me open up the plastic capsule, place my deposit inside and send it away.  We both watched as the plastic tube swallowed up our capsule and delivered it to the lady behind the window.  As I watched, I remembered with fondness the Saturday morning ritual of going to the bank as a kid...and the lollipop..the best part.  And just like that, our friendly bank teller asked "how many lollipops do we need " I turned around in time to catch the most fabulously huge smile on Ellie's face.  After a lovely red lollipop was delivered in our tube and we drove away,  Ellie and I decided the ATM is totally old news, we're drive up window girls.