In an attempt to blog more regularly, I'm instigating random Thursdays. Mainly so I have an excuse to brain dump....
~ I've been thinking about trying to coupon more lately. I'm always up for saving money. I'm not talking extreme coupon here but do a little better about searching for deals.
~ I'm loving the women's bible study at church. We've only had one meeting but I can already tell I'm going to look forward to this time every week.
~ Mara is so much fun lately. Her new thing is grabbing our cheeks and laying a big wet one on us. It's the cutest.
~ I'm getting really excited for our upcoming family vacation. We're taking a week off here soon and are going to get away just the three of us. Not sure what we're going to do but hey we like last minute around here!
~ I'm really trying to be more organized in all aspects of my life. I have a few projects that are calling my name and I'm kind of excited to start. Yeah I'm that girl...
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Our Perspective on This Whole Sleep Thing...part 2
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*Note I do not write this post to advocate one way of "sleep-training" over another. I just write to document our experience.
Making the decision to move Mara to her crib was really hard. I felt so bad for wanting our space back, wanting to lie next to my husband again.
In the beginning it was really important for me to have a plan. How were we going to do this? I didn't want her to feel like we were abandoning her. I didn't want her to "cry it out". How would I comfort her when she cried? Would I pick her up every time or keep her in the crib? Would we jump into this with both feet or spend some time getting her used to the crib during naps?
We decided the best way to transition Mara was to move her crib into our room. We knew she liked having us close and I knew I would keep with it more if I didn't have to walk to her room. I know myself and I know how I am, especially sleep deprived at 3 am.
Josh thought that if we were going to do this we should just jump in. So that day I put Mara down in
her crib for naps and when we were doing things in our room. Although we were trying to get her used to the crib for naps already, she really hadn't spent a ton of time in there.
The first night was rough. She must have knew something was up because it took her a good two hours to settle down. Once she was asleep she stayed that way for about an hour, just long enough for us to fall asleep. I tried to stick to our plan. Comforting her in her crib every time she cried. I would try to feed her if I thought she was hungry and picked her up when she really got upset.
At 6:30 am we had gotten about one hour of sleep and she was consistently waking up on the hour. To say we were at our wits end was an understatement. As I was rocking her Josh quietly asked whether or not we should just let her self sooth. I immediately said no. I didn't want her to cry it out. But I relented. We had tried my idea. Now it was time to try his.
Her tears hurt me more than they did her. I crawled into bed feeling just helpless and bawled. I felt so bad. I am just thankful for Josh and his steadfastness. He was now tasked with soothing me as well as Mara!
After about 15 minutes or so, she fell asleep and stayed that way for four hours, just enough for both Josh and I to regain a bit of our sanity. As it almost always does, clarity came in the morning. She woke up smiling and laughing, her usual self.
Day two we weren't so stringent about naps. When she fell asleep in our arms we tried the crib but when that failed we'd whip out the baby carrier and not feel bad about it. We made sure we gave extra cuddles and enjoyed more play time.
Sunday night I decided to employ a few more sleep tactics. I swaddled her flailing legs but left her arms out. (she uses her hands for comfort) I also put my sleep shirt in the crib next to her so she would have my scent near. She went down in a record breaking 15 minutes, cried for about 10 and then slept for 5 hours. Just unheard of. At almost 6 she woke up to feed and then went down for another 2! That morning again we had our usual happy girl.
We were encouraged. We knew she could sleep on her own. Had seen signs that she was ready for this. And here was our proof.
The last two nights have really been just answered prayers. After a kiss from Daddy, I take her back to our bedroom to nurse. We sit on our bed instead of laying like we used to and I nurse her to sleep. I usually cuddle her for a few minutes then it is into her crib. She usually stirs but will now fall back asleep with a simple "shh" and a hand on her chest. I turn on her sleep sheep and humidifier, cover her up and walk out of the room.
She has been sleeping anywhere from 4-6 hours straight and only waking to feed. Her mornings are shorter intervals but that's how she's always been. Overall she's pretty well rested and we're even seeing her naps in her crib improve.
I never wanted to let her "cry it out", but in the end its what worked for us. I'm comfortable in what we did and know she knows were still close by if she needs us. She's still smiling and laughing and frankly I'm a better mom because I'm now getting better sleep. We also have reclaimed our bed for us and I know we needed it. And that's just good all around.
Bottomline: You have to do what's right for your child and your family. I know there are people who aren't going to agree with our methodology. Heck I didn't either! But we're happy with where we are right now and that's all that's important. I'm sure we'll have setbacks but we're moving forward. Mara's sleeping. We're sleeping. One hurdle down.....for now.
*Note I do not write this post to advocate one way of "sleep-training" over another. I just write to document our experience.
Making the decision to move Mara to her crib was really hard. I felt so bad for wanting our space back, wanting to lie next to my husband again.
In the beginning it was really important for me to have a plan. How were we going to do this? I didn't want her to feel like we were abandoning her. I didn't want her to "cry it out". How would I comfort her when she cried? Would I pick her up every time or keep her in the crib? Would we jump into this with both feet or spend some time getting her used to the crib during naps?
We decided the best way to transition Mara was to move her crib into our room. We knew she liked having us close and I knew I would keep with it more if I didn't have to walk to her room. I know myself and I know how I am, especially sleep deprived at 3 am.
Josh thought that if we were going to do this we should just jump in. So that day I put Mara down in
her crib for naps and when we were doing things in our room. Although we were trying to get her used to the crib for naps already, she really hadn't spent a ton of time in there.
The first night was rough. She must have knew something was up because it took her a good two hours to settle down. Once she was asleep she stayed that way for about an hour, just long enough for us to fall asleep. I tried to stick to our plan. Comforting her in her crib every time she cried. I would try to feed her if I thought she was hungry and picked her up when she really got upset.
At 6:30 am we had gotten about one hour of sleep and she was consistently waking up on the hour. To say we were at our wits end was an understatement. As I was rocking her Josh quietly asked whether or not we should just let her self sooth. I immediately said no. I didn't want her to cry it out. But I relented. We had tried my idea. Now it was time to try his.
Her tears hurt me more than they did her. I crawled into bed feeling just helpless and bawled. I felt so bad. I am just thankful for Josh and his steadfastness. He was now tasked with soothing me as well as Mara!
After about 15 minutes or so, she fell asleep and stayed that way for four hours, just enough for both Josh and I to regain a bit of our sanity. As it almost always does, clarity came in the morning. She woke up smiling and laughing, her usual self.
Day two we weren't so stringent about naps. When she fell asleep in our arms we tried the crib but when that failed we'd whip out the baby carrier and not feel bad about it. We made sure we gave extra cuddles and enjoyed more play time.
Sunday night I decided to employ a few more sleep tactics. I swaddled her flailing legs but left her arms out. (she uses her hands for comfort) I also put my sleep shirt in the crib next to her so she would have my scent near. She went down in a record breaking 15 minutes, cried for about 10 and then slept for 5 hours. Just unheard of. At almost 6 she woke up to feed and then went down for another 2! That morning again we had our usual happy girl.
We were encouraged. We knew she could sleep on her own. Had seen signs that she was ready for this. And here was our proof.
The last two nights have really been just answered prayers. After a kiss from Daddy, I take her back to our bedroom to nurse. We sit on our bed instead of laying like we used to and I nurse her to sleep. I usually cuddle her for a few minutes then it is into her crib. She usually stirs but will now fall back asleep with a simple "shh" and a hand on her chest. I turn on her sleep sheep and humidifier, cover her up and walk out of the room.
She has been sleeping anywhere from 4-6 hours straight and only waking to feed. Her mornings are shorter intervals but that's how she's always been. Overall she's pretty well rested and we're even seeing her naps in her crib improve.
I never wanted to let her "cry it out", but in the end its what worked for us. I'm comfortable in what we did and know she knows were still close by if she needs us. She's still smiling and laughing and frankly I'm a better mom because I'm now getting better sleep. We also have reclaimed our bed for us and I know we needed it. And that's just good all around.
Bottomline: You have to do what's right for your child and your family. I know there are people who aren't going to agree with our methodology. Heck I didn't either! But we're happy with where we are right now and that's all that's important. I'm sure we'll have setbacks but we're moving forward. Mara's sleeping. We're sleeping. One hurdle down.....for now.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Our Perspective on This Whole Sleep Thing....part 1
*Note I do not write this post to advocate one way of "sleep-training" over another. I just write to document our experience
We never set out to be co-sleepers. Honestly the whole idea of it made me nervous. I thought for sure I'd roll over on her. That I wouldn't get any sleep because I'd be worried about her. So for the first two and a half months of Mara's life she slept in her swing next to my side of the bed. When she woke in the middle of the night we'd nurse sitting up in our bed and then I'd place her back in her swing when she fell back asleep. (Yes the swing can create its own sleep issues but when you have a baby with gas you'll do anything)
Then we went up north for Christmas. No one had a swing so our sleep routine changed a bit. At each new place she had a hard time getting used to her new sleeping environment. So we pulled her in bed with us. As soon as she got used to the new place we moved her back to the pack n play. No problem. Great we thought. She isn't attached to the swing; maybe we can move her to her crib. Or so we thought.
When we got back home we thought she would take her typical two days of adjustment so we didn't think much of pulling her into our bed. Sure we tried putting her in her rock n play (we don't have a pack n play) but she wasn't interested.
Well two days passed, then a week and she was still in our bed. At this point she would scream if we put her in her rock n play, no matter how "asleep" she was. To top it off she was teething and had a little cold. So we became co-sleepers.
At first I really didn't mind it. Sure I wasn't sleeping the greatest but was overall getting more sleep than I did when we were trying to put her in her own space. There was also something sweet about waking up to her cuddled into my side.
Then she started to get TOO comfortable in our bed. She had her hands in my arm pit constantly and being a bit ticklish was waking me up at night with the slightest movement. She is also a flailer at night. Her arms. Her legs. Basically she was queen of the bed with Josh and I clinging to our respective sides.
She also got really used to nursing constantly at night and would wake up every 45 minutes or so to nurse. At four months nutritionally she doesn't need to nurse that much to keep her full. Basically she had her favorite thing next to her all night. Why not indulge? Yes nursing at night is good for babies and NO I am not ready to night wean her. That said, every 45 minutes was making for one grumpy mommy.
Finally on Saturday morning, with Mara flailing between the two of us, we decided that today would be the day. We would try to get her in her crib.
At first I really didn't mind it. Sure I wasn't sleeping the greatest but was overall getting more sleep than I did when we were trying to put her in her own space. There was also something sweet about waking up to her cuddled into my side.
Then she started to get TOO comfortable in our bed. She had her hands in my arm pit constantly and being a bit ticklish was waking me up at night with the slightest movement. She is also a flailer at night. Her arms. Her legs. Basically she was queen of the bed with Josh and I clinging to our respective sides.
She also got really used to nursing constantly at night and would wake up every 45 minutes or so to nurse. At four months nutritionally she doesn't need to nurse that much to keep her full. Basically she had her favorite thing next to her all night. Why not indulge? Yes nursing at night is good for babies and NO I am not ready to night wean her. That said, every 45 minutes was making for one grumpy mommy.
Finally on Saturday morning, with Mara flailing between the two of us, we decided that today would be the day. We would try to get her in her crib.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Super Bowl Sunday
We've been here in North Carolina for about six months now and really hadn't thrown any get togethers at the house yet. In Kenya we loved having people over for a meal or just to hang out. With the super bowl this weekend I thought it was the perfect time to have some of our friends over and just enjoy the company (oh and the game of course!)
I had a blast putting up a few decorations in prep for the game. Nothing major as I wanted to keep it low key but I'm always up for making the house a bit more festive.
My main focus of the day was the food. I LOVE super bowl food. I love all the munchies and not good for you food that you get to indulge in. We had a huge spread including: spinach dip, make your own chili bar, meatballs, veggies, spicy pumpkin hummus, cocktail sausages, chips & salsa, guacamole, and decorate your own sugar cookie station.
Neither Josh nor I had any team we were rooting for in particular so we dressed Mara up like a football for the occasion. I totally forgot that I had found this onesie and was super excited when I dug it out of her drawer. Perfect for a super bowl party!
Overall the day was great. It seems no matter where we go we always find an amazing group of friends and North Carolina is no exception. It was great to spend some more time with everyone and just catch up on life. Kids ran around the house. Food was consumed. Some football was watched. Perfect Sunday night!
I had a blast putting up a few decorations in prep for the game. Nothing major as I wanted to keep it low key but I'm always up for making the house a bit more festive.
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| Love having a mantel to dec out |
My main focus of the day was the food. I LOVE super bowl food. I love all the munchies and not good for you food that you get to indulge in. We had a huge spread including: spinach dip, make your own chili bar, meatballs, veggies, spicy pumpkin hummus, cocktail sausages, chips & salsa, guacamole, and decorate your own sugar cookie station.
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| The makings of a super bowl feast |
Neither Josh nor I had any team we were rooting for in particular so we dressed Mara up like a football for the occasion. I totally forgot that I had found this onesie and was super excited when I dug it out of her drawer. Perfect for a super bowl party!
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| Daddy its time for football! |
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| Football baby! She did amazing through the entire night! |
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Postpartum Reality
Being a mom is the hardest (and the most rewarding) thing I have ever done. Sure you expect it to be hard but at least my brain never comprehended exactly what that definition of hard would be. Now a days health care providers are quick to warn every expectant mother about the possibility of postpartum depression and the general ebbs and flows she may experience. I never had issues with the depression aspect of it but I do understand those highs and lows.
On one hand you have the most amazing gift in your arms. This beautiful baby whom you love unconditionally. That you have waited months for. You are overwhelmed with this blessing. Feel so undeserving.
Then there's the nights where she won't sleep. Won't let you lay her down. Is nursing every hour. Or not nursing properly. You're sleep deprived and frustrated. Tears flow down your face. You want to give up.
I always felt like such a bad mom in these moments. I felt guilty for being frustrated. Guilty for just wanting a few hours of sleep.
Over the last four months I've begun to (finally) realize that this is ok. That I'm going to have those moments where I am frustrated, tired and just done. Its what I do in these moments that is key. Whenever I am at that pivotal moment He reminds me of this little blessing I hold in my arms. That she needs me. That this is only a phase. That we'll get through this.
Having an amazing husband to remind me of these things doesn't hurt as well. I don't think I have told him enough how thankful I am for him. For his support. For not laughing at me when I am crying over the little things. For always listening no matter the size of the issue. For reminding me to turn to Him.
Being Mara's mommy is the hardest thing I have ever done but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every morning I wake up to her little face I am reminded of this humongous blessing she is. As I write this she has her head buried in my chest and is sleeping peacefully. The smell of her little head. Its softness and kissability just brings me full circle. There's no where else I'd rather be.
On one hand you have the most amazing gift in your arms. This beautiful baby whom you love unconditionally. That you have waited months for. You are overwhelmed with this blessing. Feel so undeserving.
Then there's the nights where she won't sleep. Won't let you lay her down. Is nursing every hour. Or not nursing properly. You're sleep deprived and frustrated. Tears flow down your face. You want to give up.
I always felt like such a bad mom in these moments. I felt guilty for being frustrated. Guilty for just wanting a few hours of sleep.
Over the last four months I've begun to (finally) realize that this is ok. That I'm going to have those moments where I am frustrated, tired and just done. Its what I do in these moments that is key. Whenever I am at that pivotal moment He reminds me of this little blessing I hold in my arms. That she needs me. That this is only a phase. That we'll get through this.
Having an amazing husband to remind me of these things doesn't hurt as well. I don't think I have told him enough how thankful I am for him. For his support. For not laughing at me when I am crying over the little things. For always listening no matter the size of the issue. For reminding me to turn to Him.
Being Mara's mommy is the hardest thing I have ever done but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every morning I wake up to her little face I am reminded of this humongous blessing she is. As I write this she has her head buried in my chest and is sleeping peacefully. The smell of her little head. Its softness and kissability just brings me full circle. There's no where else I'd rather be.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Southern Snow Day
Coming from the North, the thought of a little snow doesn't really phase me. I was in for a whole new experience when they put snow in the forecast for Fayetteville. With few snow plows, even the smallest of snow showers can spell a big problem for folks down here.
The snow was supposed to start about noon yesterday, just enough time to get to our meeting on base and a quick run to the grocery store. I was happy to see clear skies after my meeting and immediately ran to the store in hopes of beating the traffic home. To my surprise I was told the store was closing early. Guess its probably for the best as I'm sure the rest of Fort Bragg had already beat me to the bread and water. (For some reason everyone goes out and clears the shelves of these things at the slightest hint of snow) I was more just frustrated that I had already dragged Mara into the store and now had nothing to show for this. You get this if you're a mom!
The snow didn't start till that evening and was mainly a mix of freezing rain. Ha I thought. So much for their six inches. Well sometime during the night that freezing rain changed to snow and we woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. Very different than our usual winter drab around here.
Sure it was probably only about 3 inches. Laughable for those up north but we dragged out our snow gear and headed outside. Determined to show Mara her first snow day. We made snow angels and shoveled the little bit in our driveway.
When the chill started to set in we headed inside for some hot cocco (mama's milk for Mara) and changed into some warm clothes. Oh did I mention Josh got a snow day?! Yes we are loving having Daddy home in the middle of the week!!
The snow was supposed to start about noon yesterday, just enough time to get to our meeting on base and a quick run to the grocery store. I was happy to see clear skies after my meeting and immediately ran to the store in hopes of beating the traffic home. To my surprise I was told the store was closing early. Guess its probably for the best as I'm sure the rest of Fort Bragg had already beat me to the bread and water. (For some reason everyone goes out and clears the shelves of these things at the slightest hint of snow) I was more just frustrated that I had already dragged Mara into the store and now had nothing to show for this. You get this if you're a mom!
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| snow angel |
The snow didn't start till that evening and was mainly a mix of freezing rain. Ha I thought. So much for their six inches. Well sometime during the night that freezing rain changed to snow and we woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. Very different than our usual winter drab around here.
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| just in awe of the white stuff |
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| Mara got her first taste |
When the chill started to set in we headed inside for some hot cocco (mama's milk for Mara) and changed into some warm clothes. Oh did I mention Josh got a snow day?! Yes we are loving having Daddy home in the middle of the week!!
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| Mama and Mara |
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