playing catch-up.

Paul and I went to a fund raiser for...something...I guess I don't know what we funded, but it was fun. Dancing With The Whittier Stars. One of his fellow Lion's was one of the stars, so we bought the tickets from him and then paid more money to cast our votes for him to win, (he didn't win) but just between you and me, there was a guy dancing who owns a bike shop here in town who I thought did amazingly well, so he may have gotten a few bucks worth of votes from me.We hung out with the family on Memorial Day. Auntie Annie made the kids 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2' outfits. They are so cute. In the bottom left corner, Garrett is doing his newest "party trick". That's what he does now when you say, "Garrett, where's your chest hair?"I can't get enough of this little ray of sunshine.We went to the park to have a barbecue tonight. We invited Paul's family to join us.And then the things I didn't take pictures of...

Paul wanted me to have a kid-free Saturday yesterday. So my mother in law took me to downtown LA to do some shopping. It's crazy! A 25 minute drive and I felt like I was in a different country. But I got some great fabric, ricrac and beads for super cheap. I'll show you what I make...when I get to it.

Phil's best friend and his family are in town from Seattle for the friend's mother's memorial service. The kids and I went to it, and even though I didn't know the woman, I really enjoyed the service. I like funerals. Is that weird? I guess I married the right guy. (For anyone new or confused, my husband is a funeral director.)

I was talking to the friends wife that night about raising children. We were talking about how the little challenges that come and go in the process seem so overwhelming and never ending when you're going through it, but then when you look back it seems like no big deal, and very short-lived. I needed that conversation that day because I'm smack dab in the middle of one. Garrett thinks that sometime between the hours of 3AM and 5AM is a fantastic time to be wide awake and ready to play. And if I disagree with him, which I always do, then he thinks it's a fantastic time to scream and throw his blankets and pillow out of his crib, and scream some more. One night it was bad enough that he and I ended up in the guest room together, which is where I learned one of his tricks while he was awake and I was faking like I was asleep. Have I told you that I cut the feet out of his sleepers and put them on him backwards so he can't unzip them and strip down? Yeah, I do. But somehow his diapers were still coming off and sliding down into his sleeper and then he'd pee all over. I was about 2 bedding changes away from writing a letter to huggies and then I caught him in the act. My wild child is now pulling his arm out of his sleeve and reaching down into his sleeper to undo his diaper! He did it while I was laying right next to him! So if you're wondering if there is a roll of packing tape in his room now, and if I wrap tape around the waist of his diaper every night, the answer is yes.

I got tired just writing that. So let me end on a better note. My brother, Taylor, who moved to Alaska a couple of years ago and got married last October is moving to St. George, Utah. He and his wife started their 6 day drive yesterday, each driving their own vehicles. Sounds boring. They planned to tow hers but there was a miscommunication at u-haul, and their reserved tow thing wasn't available. Anyway, the better note, my sister in law is pregnant. I'm finally going to be an aunt! My niece or nephew is due mid-November, just a couple days after my Lulu's 1st birthday.

Sleep Update

Because I'm sure you're all losing some yourselves just wondering how we're doing.

I think I've mentioned before that Addison really isn't a bad sleeper. Most people would welcome a 4 month old that goes 7-8 hours at night without needing to eat. In fact, we were with some friends Sunday night and one of the moms of 3 kids asked about it, and when I told her Addie's usual pattern, she said, "Wow, you're lucky." Yet another reminder that I was totally spoiled with Garrett, and I need to cut Addie some slack.

That being said, I still needed a couple things to change.

Here's what we've done (and been through) the past week or so. We tried cry it out. She's not ready for that. She cried for a hour and a half before she finally gave in. Paul would go check on her. And at one point I even went for a drive. About 3 hours later she was up again crying for a hour. The next day I apologized to her all day and hoped I hadn't traumatized her for life.

We had another totally crappy night, where, for some reason it took us 5 hours and 50 minutes to get her to sleep. Can you even image?! We started at 8PM and I crawled in bed at 1:50AM. Then she was up at 6AM. Some things I may have been heard saying that night... Is it too late to send her back?? ... I think she might never sleep again... If I ever tell you I want another baby remind me about tonight...

However, MOST of the time, it takes about 45 minutes to get her deep asleep, and then we get about 8 hours before a need to feed. But once or twice in that 8 hours she stirs and needs a binky and is right back asleep in a few seconds. That's where my issue come in to play. I CAN NOT get back to sleep once she's been awake. I toss and turn and worry and think and get frustrated and wonder if she's really asleep...then 5 hours later when I FINALLY start to doze, she stirs again.

I was a walking zombie, and not giving Addison enough credit for how well she was doing.

Paul, on the other hand can practically sleep walk her binky to her and never actually fully wakes up. So, desperate times called for desperate measures. We are not co-sleepers. Nothing against it, just not for us. But, we (Paul) gave it a try. I got the boot by Addie. I slept on the couch for 4 nights in a row and Addie slept with Paul. That way he could quickly get her binky to her and NONE of us lost sleep. Each night it got a little better. Less stirring, less need for the binky, sleeping a little later before needing to eat. Last night I ventured back into our bed and she went back to the crib. She slept 9.5 hours before needing to eat, and no binky wake ups! She went right back to sleep after the feeding and 3 hours later is still asleep. I'm not optimistic enough to say she's fully sleep trained, but I can tell we're on the right path and have found what seems to work to keep us all sane.

So here's what we do now: Bath at 7-ish. Feed until close to 8. Unfortunately we can't get her to sleep during feedings anymore. :( She goes in the swing for about 20-30 minutes. That swing is a life saver! We pick her up when she's good and asleep. Swaddle her. (Yes, we've brought the swaddle back.) And put her to bed...sometimes she needs just a little to eat post-swaddle, but she stays calm and sleepy.

Garrett on the other hand, I'm convinced could sleep through a hurricane now. He didn't make a sound on either of the nights from hell. (Cry it out, and 6 hour marathon.)

Knock on wood.

sleep, spoons, to-dos, naps, crafts,

1. I remember at church when Garrett was about a month old, saying to the mother of a one year old, "I'm just really looking forward to a full night's sleep again." She said, "I haven't had that in a year." Her mom, who was standing with us, said, "I haven't had that in almost 30 years." I guess that's something that is part of the mom deal. But I can't complain really. Addie has officially moved to her crib, and she's been sleeping great, makes me wish I'd done it a month ago. We've had about a week of 10:30PM-6:00AM. I just need to go to sleep at night when she does and I would be even better.

2. When I was in Utah my mom and I were cooking. She was using her go-to favorite wooden spoon (its actually bamboo) that she's had for a hundred years and she mentioned how much she loves it. I have the same one(s), it came in a set of 3, and they're the only ones I use. We bought them at the same time at a Pampered Chef party, not a hundred years ago, but probably 15. It's one of those kitchen items that if it broke, and I found out they were discontinued, I'd be sad. Makes me feel like I should order a few for each of us just to be safe. ...I just checked and they're still available. Phew. I find that I think this (stock up) way a lot. I'm kind of a hoarder.

3. We had visitors here a week ago, and we have more coming in a week. I love visitors for two reasons. One, I love visitors. Two, I get more stuff done around the house before they come. I always make a 'Before ________ Comes" list. And I do stuff like, organize my shoe racks, go through Garrett's closet, reorganize the diaper bags... It's usually stuff the visitors will never see or care about, but for some reason visitors get me to do the stuff that is otherwise hard to get to and always bumped to the bottom of the list.

4. Addie is finally learning to nap...knock on wood... She's been kind of a 20 or 30 minutes, here and there kind of napper. But the past few days she's done much better. I hope in continues. Garrett still takes 2 naps a day...knock on wood again... A 2 hour nap before lunch and a 1-2 hour nap after lunch and playtime. He's sleeping 10-11 hours at night too.

5. I want more craft time. I miss it. I guess if I have time to tell you what's going on on The Office, The Bachelor, Parenthood, Ellen, New Girl, and Glee, then I have time to craft. But I want uninterrupted, no-toddler-grabbing-everything-eating-glue-and-paper, craft time. Someday maybe... And since I'm wishing, I'd like a local Wood Connection, a closer Hobby Lobby, a big scrapbook store, and cheaper cricut cartridges.

And that's what's going on right now.

Cute Naked Babies

Paul asked me a couple days ago if I had any bath time pictures of Addie. I couldn't remember. But my thought was, compared to Garrett as a newborn, I don't really have ANY pictures of Addie. I didn't believe it when moms said you photograph #2 less. But it's oh so true. Too true. So here's Addie in the bath.And here's her older brother running around naked. And if you're wondering if he walked right over to my Christmas tress and stood there and peed all over them, the answer is yes.Speaking of Garrett running around. Both of my kids have exciting news this week! I mentioned that Garrett stopped even trying to walk once Addie was born. Before that, we had a few weeks of him walking only if we sat on the floor and encouraged him. But once the baby came, it was game over. He became Jell-o legs. My mom came to town last week for a few days and she was watching the kids one evening. She text me while Paul and I were out saying they had a surprise for us when we got home. When Paul and I walked in the door, Garrett came walking toward us laughing. It was so exciting! My mom said she wasn't even trying to get him to do it. She was on the couch with Addie and he was standing playing with a toy. He turned and smiled and walked to her. And then back and forth for about 20 minutes. By the time we got home he was all over the place. Picking things up along the way, going from the ground to his feet without holding on to anything, and the kid is fast! So from the time he first walked, until we could finally say walking is his mode of transportation of choice, it was almost 3 months. Phew! But I think the walking is here to stay this time.

And Addie's big news. (I'm less excited about this one because I don't know if it's as permanent.) She's had over a week of sleeping 6+ hours at night! Usually she wakes up between 6 and a half and 7 hours to eat and go back to sleep, but we've had 2 nights of 8 hours straight! It's amazing what a full night sleep can do for a mom. Garrett was this same way at this age and so many people told me to prepare for the exact opposite because I couldn't be so lucky to have 2 good sleepers, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Day time naps are a different story. Often, but short. Until yesterday. Garrett is in Utah for a couple days and yesterday was our first full day of just Addie and I at home, and she napped long and peacefully. So maybe the loud noise called Garrett is the problem...

Here's a couple videos. (The first is right when Paul and I got home and saw him, which is why I sound so excited.)

tired, wonderful moments.

Garrett took a late nap yesterday which made bedtime a bit of a struggle. For the first time ever he screamed every time I left his room. I went in 3 or 4 times because it made me so sad to hear him. He'd calm right down as soon as I walked in, and every time I turned to walk out he started screaming again.

Finally I went into his room and sat on the floor facing his crib. Paul and I both felt sick, but I felt less sick, so I was nominated to get him to fall asleep. I was so tired that I just sat there and leaned my forehead against one of the crib slats where he was laying crying. As soon as I did that he looked over at me, stopped crying, and reached out between 2 of the slats and put his tiny little hand on my cheek. He was so calm and he stayed like that for about a minute, just touching my face and looking at me. When he finally began to lower his hand I took it in mine and kissed his fingers.

It was wonderful.

I had an overwhelming thought that the time will probably come way too soon that he'll be a big boy who won't so easily reach out to his mom to be comforted.

I love him.

The evolution of the pillow...or something.

I love pillows. I need good pillows. It's really hard for me to travel unless I take my own pillow. But for the past 10 years or so I've slept with 3 pillows. Two under my head and one to hug. My pillow I hug has been the same pillow for 14 years. It's called my squishy. It's been to Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Ukraine a couple times, Mexico a few times, Peru, and all over the United States. It's usually the only pillow that makes it in the suitcase. But I can't sleep without it. When we first got married Paul hid it a couple times, but he quickly learned that that is not a funny joke.

Well, when I got pregnant and sleep stopped being so routine and easy I had to make some changes. I added the wedge to tuck under my side. It worked well for a couple weeks. Then it got annoying, but I kept using it. I've had a lot of back pain and I had a massage therapist and a chiropractor tell me to sleep with a pillow between my knees. So I did. That worked for a while too. But the problem was that I didn't trade these new pillows for old ones, I just added them. So not only was I getting bigger and looking like I also had a pillow under my pajamas, I was sleeping with 5 pillows. Poor Paul. And the other problem was how ofter I turned from side to side and how this process also required taking all the pillows with me and adjusting them every time. It stopped seeming worth it because I was spending too much time being awake. Fluffing the head pillows, re-tucking the wedge, flipping and fluffing and sliding the knee pillow and squishing up the squishy to put my arm around.

A few nights ago Paul and I went to Target and he found this.
A 50 dollar pillow. You know how every 2 or 3 weeks I find something pregnancy related that changes my life? (Like stretch denim) This is my new one. Paul bought it for me and I love it! I still wake up a lot but its better to wake up with this one than the other 5. Totally worth it. And the best part? I've ditched all the other pillows except the squishy. That one still hangs around.

These are the 2 head pillows.
This is the squishy.The Wedge.The knee pillow.Such a learning experience.

Also, last night I didn't sleep well at all. I spent the whole day feeling tired and big. I was feeling so big in fact that when I got home from work I tried on some old pants. Ones I wore in our engagement pictures a year and a half ago, and they buttoned and zipped up! A little snug, but it didn't take too much extra effort. So instead of going for a walk in the rain, I ate a graham cracker before dinner. Oye. 4 more months to go...