I'm tired and weary...of nap time

Well, you all know where this is going...I attempted another nap time in the crib...

Today, I tried laying him down 15 minutes earlier than I normally do because I had read in the book (BabyWise) that if your baby cries longer than 30 minutes at nap time perhaps they are overstimulated.  So I followed their instruction and laid him down 15 minutes earlier.  He laid in there for 30 minutes- no noise.  I started to hear him cooing in there so I took his passi in thinking since he was peaceful that he might just go right to sleep---right???---WRONG!  For the next 15 minutes we played the passi game- I'd put it in, he'd spit it out, I put it in, he spit it out, you get the picture...I ended up just squatting beside his crib so I'd know when it came out then I'd pop up, put it in and squat back down.  Who said raising babies isn't a work out...and a full time job?!?!?!  I wish I had a video camera in there so I could see just how rediculous I looked.  After 15 minutes of this little game, I'd had enough-it was going nowhere.  I decided to see if maybe, just maybe, he could cry himself to sleep now...afterall, he had been in there 45 minutes.  But nope, 15 more minutes passed, the crying began and turned into screaming...so, mommy to the rescue.  I went in and got him.  I know...sucker, right.  Sucker, I may be, but I tried. 

So, this is where nap time started...

(This is my view during the Passi Game)

Look...I even tried to cozy it up a bit by hanging his quilt over the edge (since bumpers are now taboo) and put him some stuffed animals at the foot of the bed...even though that's against the rules too...

And...this is where naptime ended...

Oh dear.  The poor teachers at PreSchool are going to luuuuuuvvvv this! 

 Do you think they'll curl up on the mat with him to help him fall asleep???

I.THINK.NOT.

But, at least he napped...right???

2 1\2 weeks left

I'm having a serious problem thinking about my return to work.  I've had a few breakdowns this week when thinking about leaving my little lovie.  I keep thinking about leaving him with "strangers" and I wonder what he's going to think.  Does he have the capability to "think" yet?  Will he know that I'm not there?  Will he wonder where his mommy is?  Will he take a bottle from said strangers?  Will he still smile at me when he looks at me?  Will they smile at him and talk to him like I do?  Just a few of the thoughts running around in this head of mine.  I laid in the bed last night for at least an hour thinking about these things.  I just can't imagine how I'm going to feel getting into my truck with no car seat in the back and no face looking back at me in the mirror...

I keep telling myself every mother that returns to work goes through these same feelings but that doesn't seem to help my heart.  This is ME and this is MY BABY and I just don't know if I can do it. 

I'm trying not to dwell on these thoughts for my last 16 or so days...and enjoy every minute with my baby boy. 

In other news...naps...well, they are still a challenge.  I've not made him cry it out anymore- simply because I have realized my time left at home with him is so short and I don't want to spend it stressing over his crib.  So...we nap where we can- swing, bouncy seat, on the couch together.  I know that's not what I'm supposed to do but I can't help it.  I have attempted the crib almost every day but no longer than 30 minutes.  He'll lay in there all afternoon without going to sleep.  I've thought about resetting his mobile every 18 minutes in hopes that he will eventually fall asleep watching it but I haven't gotten to that point yet.  My fear is that at daycare they won't have these options so he's going to have to start from scratch anyways.  Naptimes have proved to be my biggest challenge thus far.  As for night time, he has only been getting up 1 time- the past 4 nights he's gotten up about 3:30 or 4am so that's nice.  He'll nurse and lay right back down...but daytimes are another story.  Perhaps he's that baby who doesn't nap, just cat naps here and there.  If that's the case, I can handle it- I just wish I knew that was the case.  He's happy when he's awake so maybe he just doesn't want to nap, he's afraid he might miss something. 

Here's a few of my favorite pictures from the past week or so...I'm going to have to clean off my memory card-it's jam packed with this little cutie...

Yes...Kirby still lives here...though I'm sure she wishes she had her old life back. 

She doesn't get quite the attention that she used to. 

 I'm trying to make a conscious effort to do better at that.

Happy Thursday!

Annie

Field Trip means NO Crying It Out Today! YAY!

Today we took a Field Trip to Downtown Franklin.

I know all the shop owners shuddered as we rolled into their stores.  

I'm not sure that Easton ever knew that we were in Franklin because he slept most of the time, waking only to eat---on a park bench nonetheless!  I'm not quite as comfortable with doing this as Brooke, but practice makes perfect right!

Reese played in the bubbles and napped like a queen in her stroller while Bev (Bebe) sang to her up and down the streets.

And...with us being gone all day, we didn't have to torture ourselves with crying it out at nap time.

We'll keep working on it but for today, I sure enjoyed my day with my bestie and my little boy!

CIO- Day 2

Easton Garrett is 2 months old TODAY- boy oh boy where does the time go???

I've been an anxious mess all day long.  In the back of my head, I've been thinking about this nap.  I'm praying that todays tears are less than yesterdays.  Today, I kept my voice low for a few minutes before I laid him down.  I changed his diaper and swaddled him before I laid him down.  I loved on him a little extra before I laid him down and then patted him for a minute or two before leaving the room...

2:00- So now...I'll wait...and research Cloth Diapers...

2:15- the fussing begins...not full out crying just making known the he's back there in his crib all.by.himself. 

2:17- the crying has begun. oh.my.heart...

2:36- Still crying...but it's started and stopped more than it did yesterday...

2:47- this has got to wind down soon...

3:04- I can't research cloth diapers, read blogs, watch HGTV, listen to this much longer...

3:09- Went in to soothe him- gave him his passi.  Stopped crying...

3:30- No crying, but not asleep...has his passi---I've put it in about 5 times now...cause it falls out

4:00---MISSION....Failed!  only 30 minutes before he has to eat again...so we BOTH needed a break! I bet I put that dadblasted passi in 20+ times.  I guess we'll try tomorrow. He has to be exhausted so I might tyr it next nap! I don't know if I have it in me...and really...a nap on the couch is better than no nap at all...

For now...this is what today's nap looks like...

Until tomorrow the next time I feel like I can mentally do this again...

Cry It Out...Day 1 Summary

DISCLAIMER: This is not for the faint of heart---Grandmothers, proceed with caution!

Today was Day 1 of trying to get Easton to nap in his crib unassisted.  He does very well napping everywhere BUT his crib, so I wanted to get that sorted out before he starts Pre-School.

This morning, he took a litle cat nap in his car seat while I went to the Chiropractor so I knew he would be ready for a good nap once it was time. 

The events of nap time went a little something like this...
12:45- Woke to nurse
1:10- Play time
1:40- Noticed sleepy cues- yawning, rubbing eyes, fussy...
1:45- I laid him in his crib- radio on, white noise on, no passi, no blanket (he gets hot in the afternoons)
2:00- Started crying...
2:10- Crying...I was doing ok- folding laundry---counting down till 30 minutes, because what baby can really cry longer than that---he's just going to cry himself to sleep...right???
2:30- Crying---hmmm....30 minutes---surely he's almost done- swept, swiffered and mopped the floors----trying to keep busy
2:45- Crying- the screaming would start and stop...not just solid like it had been...Why do I feel like a terrible mom instead of a good mom teaching their baby how to "self soothe"???
3:00- I couldn't take it anymore.  The crying was winding down some but he was still putting up a good fight.  I went in there to offer his passi but those alligator tears got me...they got me good.  His little tear streaked face broke my heart.  I sure hope I can do this tomorrow...
3:15- Finally settled down enough to take passi

Now....this is what a nap looks like...

On the couch by mom...

I'm a sucker, what can I say.

Tomorrow, we'll try again.  I pray that tomorrow will be better than today and hopefully end with a nap in his crib.  But for now, he's by my side, and I'm fine with that!

Until tomorrow,
Mean, Awful, Mommy

Sweet FIRST Mother's Day

Yesterday, was my very first Mother's Day.  What a special day it was.

At 12:09 on Sunday morning Lance and I were still awake- I had fed Easton his last feeding around 11:15 and Lance was playing on the computer.  Lance presented me with one of my gifts- he's not good at keeping secrets.  He had created two different DVD's- one from Kirby and one from Easton.  Each had a collection of priceless pictures.  Kirby's DVD took me a little further down Memory Lane since there was 8 years of photos on her DVD.  Easton's had a short 7 weeks, but my how he's changed in those 7 weeks- they do grow so fast.  Both were put to music- Kirby's had You've Got a Friend in Me and You are the Best Thing and Easton's played Let Them Be Little and Easton Corbin's new song A Little More Country Than That.  Needless to say, I went to bed with a stuffy nose from crying.  I will cherish both forever.

Sunday morning we had to get up quite early as it was our first Sunday back at Church since Easton was born.  Boy was I ready.  I have missed our church so much.  Lance fixed Muffins and gave me my last gift, a home made onesie for my little lovie...and a home made card. Isn't he good???

We made it to church by 9:00- a miracle in itself.  I went to a New Mom's Breakfast while Lance gave Easton a bottle in the car to keep us on schedule.  Yesterday was Baby Day at church so both of our families joined us for the 10:45 service.  It was wonderful to have both families at church together. 

Lovie slept right through his first church service...

Here's some pictures from after church- the mom's...

New Mom...

My mom (Gigi)...and sister :)

Lance's Mom (Honey)

After church we went to Chilli's for lunch.  We finished off lunch with the Chocolate Molten Cake, my FAVORITE.  Lovie didn't seem to enjoy it too much- I think it made him fussy.  I've heard before that chocolate makes babies fussy...and this did.  We had quite a time at bedtime last night!  I think it was because it was an abundance of chocolate, not just a little chocolate.  Dang, mark that off the list for the next year!

Mother's Day rounded out with an afternoon nap and a visit to Gigi's house...

Oh, and before I forget...a pic of my lovie with his onesie on!

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?!?!!?!?!

Happy Mother's Day Mom & Cindy. 

You two are the BEST!

If I can be half the mother's that you are, I will be happy.

"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."

Cardinal Mermillod

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. 

The Great Flood

As I'm sure you've heard, this weekend in Nashville we experienced rain like we've never experienced before.  I think at last count, we got over 17 inches of rain in 2 days.  Needless to say, it has wreaked havoc on our community and on surrounding communities.  Many are displaced from these storms, many have lost everything that they have; schools are underwater, homes are filled with water, possessions are gone, baseball fields look more like lakes, downtown is a disaster, distruction is everywhere we turn. 

Yet, even in our darkest hour, God is STILL God and He still sits on the Throne. 

I can't imagine how it must have been some thousand years ago when it rained 40 days and 40 nights.  Noah, however, was in complete obedience with the Lord and did as He commanded and built an Ark.  God sent the flood to destroy everything because of the earth's corruption.  I can't help but think about the promise that God made to never again flood the earth, but I also can't help but think about what type of warning this might be.  Perhaps this should be a wake up call to all of us, to focus on the One thing that matters- Jesus.  Yes, the destruction is unimaginable, tragic, but I have to believe that there is something to be learned from this catastrohpy.  Each person's lesson will be different based on what season they are in in their lives, but I know that there is a lesson for each of us to learn. 

What will your lesson be? 

What is it that needs to be washed away in your life? 

What needs to be made new? 

He makes all things new. 

Please pray for those in Nashville and surrounding areas that have lost everything.  Pray that they know Jesus and that He will be their source of strength in the coming days as they work to rebuild.  If you did not have any damage, pray that the Lord will lead you to help those that did in some way or another. 

First Baseball Game

Friday night Lance bought tickets for us to to see the Nashville Sounds play the Memphis Redbirds.

Lance, Easton and I made our way through the crowds and found our seats on the front row right behind the visitors bullpen.  There were about 8 players in the bullpen so that was fun to watch and listen to them.  They got sight of Easton and Lance let them know that it was his very first Baseball Game.  Josh Kinney, a pitcher for the Redbirds, who pitched for the Cardnals in the World Series, gave Easton his very first baseball. 

Easton enjoyed himself at the game, so much, he slept right through it.  Nonetheless, we went, made memories and took pictures!