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Thursday, May 31
James' New "Word"
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Wednesday, May 30
Random Pictures
6 month photoshoot
Little tush!
Blowing raspberries.
Playing in grandma and grandpa's bed.
Cutest sandals ever!
Monday, May 28
A Whole New Thang!
WARNING: This is a long post, with no pictures, hope you have some time. It even has chapter headings.
Gangsta'
So my husband had to laugh at me yesterday because apparently I've picked up some gangsta' slang, and he doesn't think it really suits me. I don't know what he's talking about. I was certain that I was really pulling off the whole gangsta'-from-the-ghetto thing pretty well. Maybe not.
Props
My husband laughed when I said, "I had to give this mom in church props...". Anyway, besides my new habit of using ghetto slang, I really did have to give a thumbs up to this mom who was in front of us in church yesterday. She has three kids, girls aged 6 and 2, and a son who is 4. Her son was getting restless half way through the message, and was starting to stir up trouble with his two sisters. It escalated until the point where people in the near vicinity were doing the disgruntled turn and glare. At that point, the mom (who is also pregnant with No.4) picked up her son, put him on her lap and started to give him a back massage. He settled down quickly, and she continued to give him a massage until the service was over. He didn't make another peep, and the two girls coloured quietly without disturbance. I had to say to myself, "Smart move lady!". I've been hearing more and more about infant/toddler massage, and here was evidence that it can also be used to settle a restless child, quietly! If you think about how a back massage relaxes your own body, it certainly makes sense that you could use it to relax a child. Of course, the child will have to be one that will sit and enjoy the back massage, and it may not be fool proof, but hey - worth a try, don't you think? I'm definately going to remember that.
New Baby
I was totally THRILLED that Erik, Amber, Hailey and JAYDA were also in church on Sunday! I don't know what it is about Jayda, but every time I've seen a picture of her on Amber's blog I have been moved to tears. It was no different seeing her in real life in church yesterday. I guess maybe I just think it's so special that Amber, my friend since... well, almost since we were born, now has two daughters, sisters. I think it also just seemed like such a long wait for this little one, now that she is here and just so perfect... well, just another example of God's amazing miracle of life. Even Ryan said that she really is perfect. She doesn't have that "newborn" look to her, she is already so beautiful.
Exhaustion
This past week was basically one of the worst I've had in a long time. James just wasn't sleeping or napping regularly, and I was absolutely exhausted. In fact, I was tell-husband-to-pack-bags-and-leave exhausted. Yes, at one point during the middle of the night when James was crying I actually told my husband that he could pack his bags in the morning and leave. How bad is THAT?! I did apologize later, because I knew I was speaking out of anger, frustration and pure lack of sleep. I'm so thankful that my husband has thick skin in situations like that. He did forgive me, and we are still together. (wink, wink) Some nights like that I just lose all control over my tongue, and I lash out at anything within hearing range - because I certainly can't lash out at James. The word exhausted has a whole new meaning to me now. The books are sure right when they say you won't know exhaustion until you are a parent.
New Scheduling
The worst night was Friday, when James was up every hour from 8:30pm until 2:30am. When he finally fell asleep, he woke up at 6:30am, and didn't nap more than an hour for the rest of the day. (insert scream and hair-pulling here) I was flipping out! What was going on? I prayed, and prayed just for enough energy to pull me through. Saturday evening we went to a local restaurant for supper with Ryan's parents. Due to the rain, and the fact that it was buffet night, the place was packed and we had to wait a long time for food. I was getting nervous about how James would handle it. At 7:00pm the place had pretty much cleared out, and I was walked around with James resting on my shoulder. He was out like a light by about 7:15, and stayed asleep while we put him in his carseat and took him home. When we got home, even though he was due to eat, we just put him in his room in his carseat. He slept until 10:30pm, and seeing as we were still awake, it didn't bother us one bit to go and feed him as usual and then put him in his crib. He slept until 3:00am and I went in to feed him again. He then slept until 7:00am, but stayed happy in his crib until 7:30am! WOW! We were stoked. He then napped in the morning before church from 9:00am to 10:00am (we had to wake him to get ready for church). He then napped from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. He was happy and content all evening, and we decided we would put him to bed last night at 7:30pm again. This is an hour earlier than usual. He went down fine, although he woke up at 8:30 and complained for some reason, so I had to do the pick up/put down thing. It worked the first try. Then last night was much more like his usual pattern, the one that we liked! He was up at 11:30, got fed, up at 3:30 and got fed and then up at around 6:30 - but happy to be in his crib until about 7:00. All in all, I think this new schedule is going to work out fine. Of course, I'm not crossing my fingers on this yet - you just never know, tonight may be a whole new story!
Encouraging Words
Even though James went down fine last night, I still broke down (still tired I think) after he was asleep. Somedays I just wonder if I'm doing the right thing. I wonder if he will turn out okay, and if he is truly happy. My husband did the perfect thing for me at that point. He just wrapped me in his arms, and told me how great a mom I was, and that he loved me and that James loves me. He told me how much he appreciates all I do, and he told me that it is evident by looking at James that he well taken care of, healthy, and content. It felt so great to be told that from my husband. So often I feel like no one notices how hard I work to try and be a good mom, so when it does finally get mentioned it renews my strength and my will to go on like nothing else could.
Bible Reading
Our Bible Study group is taking the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. We are really enjoying it a lot. The book has challenged me to think about being more knowledeable of the Word. I decided it was time to read through my Bible in a year. There is a schedule for that in the back of my Bible, so I have been doing that for about a week now. I currently have three days of catch-up reading to do, and I should be doing that NOW instead of blogging - but hopefully I will do it right after this. It already makes me feel better knowing that I am reading the Word daily, and filling my mind with it. I would highly encourage you to do the same thing. It feels so good. The idea is that by knowing the Word, you can use it to protect yourself from lies that the devil may try to tell you. The devil has been trying to convince me that I am not a good mother, and a terrible wife and friend, so I am going to surround myself with the Word, and watch as the devil flees from it.
Conclusion
Well, if you made it this far, I commend you! I guess I had a lot on my mind this weekend, and I just had to get it all out. I hope you have a blessed week!
Gangsta'
So my husband had to laugh at me yesterday because apparently I've picked up some gangsta' slang, and he doesn't think it really suits me. I don't know what he's talking about. I was certain that I was really pulling off the whole gangsta'-from-the-ghetto thing pretty well. Maybe not.
Props
My husband laughed when I said, "I had to give this mom in church props...". Anyway, besides my new habit of using ghetto slang, I really did have to give a thumbs up to this mom who was in front of us in church yesterday. She has three kids, girls aged 6 and 2, and a son who is 4. Her son was getting restless half way through the message, and was starting to stir up trouble with his two sisters. It escalated until the point where people in the near vicinity were doing the disgruntled turn and glare. At that point, the mom (who is also pregnant with No.4) picked up her son, put him on her lap and started to give him a back massage. He settled down quickly, and she continued to give him a massage until the service was over. He didn't make another peep, and the two girls coloured quietly without disturbance. I had to say to myself, "Smart move lady!". I've been hearing more and more about infant/toddler massage, and here was evidence that it can also be used to settle a restless child, quietly! If you think about how a back massage relaxes your own body, it certainly makes sense that you could use it to relax a child. Of course, the child will have to be one that will sit and enjoy the back massage, and it may not be fool proof, but hey - worth a try, don't you think? I'm definately going to remember that.
New Baby
I was totally THRILLED that Erik, Amber, Hailey and JAYDA were also in church on Sunday! I don't know what it is about Jayda, but every time I've seen a picture of her on Amber's blog I have been moved to tears. It was no different seeing her in real life in church yesterday. I guess maybe I just think it's so special that Amber, my friend since... well, almost since we were born, now has two daughters, sisters. I think it also just seemed like such a long wait for this little one, now that she is here and just so perfect... well, just another example of God's amazing miracle of life. Even Ryan said that she really is perfect. She doesn't have that "newborn" look to her, she is already so beautiful.
Exhaustion
This past week was basically one of the worst I've had in a long time. James just wasn't sleeping or napping regularly, and I was absolutely exhausted. In fact, I was tell-husband-to-pack-bags-and-leave exhausted. Yes, at one point during the middle of the night when James was crying I actually told my husband that he could pack his bags in the morning and leave. How bad is THAT?! I did apologize later, because I knew I was speaking out of anger, frustration and pure lack of sleep. I'm so thankful that my husband has thick skin in situations like that. He did forgive me, and we are still together. (wink, wink) Some nights like that I just lose all control over my tongue, and I lash out at anything within hearing range - because I certainly can't lash out at James. The word exhausted has a whole new meaning to me now. The books are sure right when they say you won't know exhaustion until you are a parent.
New Scheduling
The worst night was Friday, when James was up every hour from 8:30pm until 2:30am. When he finally fell asleep, he woke up at 6:30am, and didn't nap more than an hour for the rest of the day. (insert scream and hair-pulling here) I was flipping out! What was going on? I prayed, and prayed just for enough energy to pull me through. Saturday evening we went to a local restaurant for supper with Ryan's parents. Due to the rain, and the fact that it was buffet night, the place was packed and we had to wait a long time for food. I was getting nervous about how James would handle it. At 7:00pm the place had pretty much cleared out, and I was walked around with James resting on my shoulder. He was out like a light by about 7:15, and stayed asleep while we put him in his carseat and took him home. When we got home, even though he was due to eat, we just put him in his room in his carseat. He slept until 10:30pm, and seeing as we were still awake, it didn't bother us one bit to go and feed him as usual and then put him in his crib. He slept until 3:00am and I went in to feed him again. He then slept until 7:00am, but stayed happy in his crib until 7:30am! WOW! We were stoked. He then napped in the morning before church from 9:00am to 10:00am (we had to wake him to get ready for church). He then napped from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. He was happy and content all evening, and we decided we would put him to bed last night at 7:30pm again. This is an hour earlier than usual. He went down fine, although he woke up at 8:30 and complained for some reason, so I had to do the pick up/put down thing. It worked the first try. Then last night was much more like his usual pattern, the one that we liked! He was up at 11:30, got fed, up at 3:30 and got fed and then up at around 6:30 - but happy to be in his crib until about 7:00. All in all, I think this new schedule is going to work out fine. Of course, I'm not crossing my fingers on this yet - you just never know, tonight may be a whole new story!
Encouraging Words
Even though James went down fine last night, I still broke down (still tired I think) after he was asleep. Somedays I just wonder if I'm doing the right thing. I wonder if he will turn out okay, and if he is truly happy. My husband did the perfect thing for me at that point. He just wrapped me in his arms, and told me how great a mom I was, and that he loved me and that James loves me. He told me how much he appreciates all I do, and he told me that it is evident by looking at James that he well taken care of, healthy, and content. It felt so great to be told that from my husband. So often I feel like no one notices how hard I work to try and be a good mom, so when it does finally get mentioned it renews my strength and my will to go on like nothing else could.
Bible Reading
Our Bible Study group is taking the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. We are really enjoying it a lot. The book has challenged me to think about being more knowledeable of the Word. I decided it was time to read through my Bible in a year. There is a schedule for that in the back of my Bible, so I have been doing that for about a week now. I currently have three days of catch-up reading to do, and I should be doing that NOW instead of blogging - but hopefully I will do it right after this. It already makes me feel better knowing that I am reading the Word daily, and filling my mind with it. I would highly encourage you to do the same thing. It feels so good. The idea is that by knowing the Word, you can use it to protect yourself from lies that the devil may try to tell you. The devil has been trying to convince me that I am not a good mother, and a terrible wife and friend, so I am going to surround myself with the Word, and watch as the devil flees from it.
Conclusion
Well, if you made it this far, I commend you! I guess I had a lot on my mind this weekend, and I just had to get it all out. I hope you have a blessed week!
Friday, May 25
World's Best Neigbours
You know you have the World's Best Neighbours when...... you can call there anytime, and feel better when you hang up.
... you have children within 6 months of each other, and you know they'll be friends.
... you can go over there crying, and you get a free lunch.
... you know their garage door security code.
... they know where your spare house key is hidden.
... you know they would gladly lend an egg, or an extra cup of sugar.
... they let you plant things in their beautiful garden.
... you look out your kitchen window, and there are TWO mowers working on the lawn!
... this list could be filled with many, many more items, but I have to quit here.
Thursday, May 24
Time to Vent
So I took a little break from posting about all my baby problems, but after reading a few other blogs today I realized that I am definately NOT alone. The big issue: James just doesn't sleep long. It's not that he doesn't sleep - he just doesn't stay asleep for long periods of time. The longest he'll sleep now at night is about 4 hours. That's not too bad - but that is the LONGEST, and it doesn't happen every night. I feel like I am at my wits end, but I just can't let him cry it out. I've tried that, and his whining escalates and escalates until he is totally wailing and then he is nearly impossible to get back to sleep in reasonable time. It's much easier on all of us to just feed him (if it's been at least 4 hours since previous bottle), or rock him (if it is less than 4 hours since previous bottle). At least if we do that we get to sleep for those precious few hours in between. I thought that once he was on solids he would do better, but that isn't the issue. He seems to be waking up with gas. We give him Ovol at each nighttime feeding, and that doesn't seem to be helping. We also try to burp him, but sometimes he is so sleepy that he just falls asleep - and doesn't burp. I guess we could try a different formula, but I wouldn't know where to begin with that. I have also been told to try different bottles (we are using Avent ones now), but it would be SO expensive to switch. I don't know what to do, I just know that I really don't enjoy being up so much at night. My hubby helps out, which is SO wonderful - but even when he goes in to take care of James, I am still awake - just in case I'm needed. I just keep thinking, when will I have that glorious moment of waking up to find that it's morning?! Otherwise, James is a great baby. He has been napping pretty well, especially since I started using Hyland's Teething Tablets. He naps 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. Sometimes the naps are shorter, but that is the usual. However, if I even lay down for a second while he napping he will wake up within 5 minutes. I'm NOT kidding. That kid can sense when I am taking a break! I am literally afraid to lay down when he is napping, because it will cut his nap short. Isn't that weird? So I can't even nap when he is napping. Anyway, I just thought I'd blog about this so that some of you other moms would know that I'm in the same sleepless boat as you are!
Tuesday, May 22
Half a Year
Wow! Has it already been half a year since we were coming home from the hospital with a newborn? Somedays feel like it was yesterday, and other days feels like I've been doing this (being a mom) forever. I can't imagine life without James - he is my sunshine, my laughter, my entertainment, my SON. It would be difficult to make a list of great things about him, because I truly think he is outstandingly brilliant in every way. He is cute, smart, content, funny, happy, and getting more and more curious about life around him. My favourite times are after his naps, when he cuddles in my arms with his head on my shoulder. I also love it when I look at him, and he is staring at me and smiling. The last six months have been the hardest, the happiest, the most challenging, and the most rewarding. I have cried often, laughed harder, worried more, and thanked God daily. I have had to learn to "lean not on my own understanding", and try to rely on my God-given mother's intuition. If I had to give a new, or future mom a word of advice I would tell them not to read BOOKS! Just try and do as much as you can without others telling you what to do, and how to do it, and when. God will help you out - but sometimes it's hard to remember to rely on Him. He does care, even about how to treat a diaper rash, or how to get more sleep. I really appreciate all of your continued prayers, and readership. It is nice to know that I have a little Blogger army standing behind me in the battle for the Quest Through Motherhood. God bless you all dearly. I love you!P.S. My plans for the Blogger Brunch fell through, but I am still in the planning mode.
Thursday, May 17
Tagged
What would happen if I didn't blog...
1] I would be in bed earlier!
2] I'd have to look at books or call my mom for baby advice.
3] I wouldn't know all of YOU!
4] I would be cleaning my house.
5] I wouldn't be destined to need glasses soon.
6] I would be reading.
7] I would be taking a bath.
8] I would be a little bit bored when James naps.
9] I wouldn't worry that James isn't sleeping through the night.
10] I wouldn't have a cool way to share pics with distant friends and family.
I choose not to tag anyone - but if you want to do it, go ahead.
1] I would be in bed earlier!
2] I'd have to look at books or call my mom for baby advice.
3] I wouldn't know all of YOU!
4] I would be cleaning my house.
5] I wouldn't be destined to need glasses soon.
6] I would be reading.
7] I would be taking a bath.
8] I would be a little bit bored when James naps.
9] I wouldn't worry that James isn't sleeping through the night.
10] I wouldn't have a cool way to share pics with distant friends and family.
I choose not to tag anyone - but if you want to do it, go ahead.
Tuesday, May 15
Sunday, May 13
First Mother's Day
Happy (somewhat belated) Mother's Day to all you mothers, soon-to-be mothers, future mothers, friends of mothers, etc, etc! I hope you had a good one. We celebrated Mother's Day with a bit of a sleep-in after a HORRIBLE night with James. I'm not even going to talk about it, it was just that bad. We went to church, and Ryan's uncle Stan took care of James during the service - so we were free to actually listen to the sermon (which was quite good too). We then came home, got James packed up and took him to my parent's place while we took off to the city to go to the mall and for a little drive. We then met up with them, and my grandma for supper at a little Japanese Sushi & Buffet restaurant. All in all it was a good day. James wrote me a letter (it was very cute), my dad gave me a really cool plant, and Ryan gave me coupons for various things like back massages (from him), a family picnic, etc. It was very special to be honored in that way. I think I am really going to like Mother's Day in a long run.
In other news, James is basically sitting on his own! In the photo he has the Boppy for support - but that is more or less to cushion his occassional tumbles. He is doing really good with it though, and appears to be very proud of himself. He is also teething like crazy! This kid can soak a shirt in drool in two minutes flat! He pretty much slimes everything and everyone he touches. Not to mention the chewing! He chews everything right now, even the edge of his highchair when he can. I am just waiting now to see some teeth popping through. He's creeping up to that 6 month mark now at high speed - I can't believe it's almost been half a year! No one told me it was going to fly by at warp speed - they just said it goes by fast.
Wednesday, May 9
Lovin' It
James lovin' his RazBaby teether, inside...
... and outside!
If it's hot out tomorrow, I think we'll take this travel tub outside and make it James' new pool. How fun is THAT?! I love this thing. I got it at Target for $9.00 - but they also sell them at Walmart here in Canada.
Monday, May 7
A Death in the Family
Our dear little kitten DJ went to Heaven today. She has been sick on and off since she wandered into our lives almost two years ago. She was a sweet little stray, and we kept her. Since then, we have had to make numerous trips to the vet with her because she seems to constantly get sick - even though she got all her shots shortly after we adopted her. We finally decided we could no longer afford to take her to the vet, so this time when she got sick we just hoped she would get better on her own. We set her up in our laundry room, and for the last few days she has remained in there. She lost bladder control, and soaked her little kitty bed (which Ryan lined with a towel). Poor little gal. When I got into the house this morning after being away, DJ was throwing herself madly around our basement and screaming. It was completely heart-wrenching. I took a towel, and threw it over her to calm her down. She finally laid down, and I was able to keep her calm. I petted her for a few minutes, and she quietly died. She was a fun little kitty, and a friend for Puss, we'll miss her.Saturday, May 5
Frustrating, but Funny
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Thursday, May 3
Tuesday, May 1
W.W.Y.D.
What Would YOU Do? James' current 'schedule' goes as follows (most of the time)... he is up for the day anytime between 6:00-7:00am, but sometimes as late as 8:00am. He eats every 4 hours, and gets a little cereal in the morning, fruit in the afternoon, and veggies and fruit in the evening. He naps usually for about an hour in the morning, around 10:30-11:00. He may take another nap in the morning, but usually not. He then naps from about 2:00pm until 3:30-4:00pm. He is usually up then until bedtime, which is 8:30pm. He goes down to sleep no problem. He is then up every four hours (usually 12:30am, and 4:30am) to eat, and goes down no problem after that. (Unless he has gas, and he often has gas.) He's then up again for the day. This isn't a HORRIBLE schedule, but it isn't great either. What would you do if this was your kid? I have tried to let him cry - VERY briefly - but I couldn't handle it. It's too hard for me. I need a different approach to help him sleep better. Any suggested tactics?
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