Grateful Friday

Good morning all! Welcome to my grateful Friday (although I should be grateful everyday!).

• I am grateful that Abigail went down very easily for a nap this morning. It's been almost 45 minutes and she's still asleep!
• I am grateful that she slept through the night.
• I am grateful for our small group of young married couples. I love Thursday nights because I get to hang out with all of them. It is truly a highlight in my week.
• I am grateful (and excited) for friends of ours who are about to join us (in 7 months or so) we new parents! :) Yeah!
• I am grateful that God placed a fabulous idea in my head for a Christmas present. I am so excited about this I feel like I could jump out of my skin! It is inexpensive but so meaningful! Sorry to my family but it's for Andrew's family. You'll understand at Christmas.
• I am grateful that I have the day off!!
• I am grateful for my wonderful husband. He chose to (probably) miss an earlier bus this morning just so he could see Abigail and change her poopy diaper for me. You have GOT to love daddy's like that!
• I am grateful for the beautiful sunny day. I'm not a big fan of the gloom we've had recently!

Enjoy your Friday, everyone!

Why do I do this?

I must make a note to myself to not blog about sleep conditions improving. Whenever I do, we have a night like last night. All in all, it could have been worse, but still. . .

She woke at 1:00 am, wasn't hungry, was wet but not dirty, and was simply restless. I tried rocking, laying her down, holding her hand, etc, but she was still restless until about 2:30 am. Yikes! Not crying (thankfully) just not sleeping either. I checked for a runny or stuffy nose (nope), fever (nope), teeth (nope). No explanation.

To be quite frank, this stresses me out. This mainly stresses me out because the buck stops with me. I'm the mom and so I'm the one who people look to to figure out what the problem is, if she's not her normal self, so when I don't have an answer (right away), I get stressed! Hopefully it was just a little awake period and not anything else. She was pretty cranky this morning but she seemed tired to me, so perhaps it was just the night that made her tired.

I'm enjoying this fun stage she's in right now, but to be honest, I'm also looking forward to when she can talk!

Reminiscing

After finding that old blog post yesterday that contained Andrew's poem, I read a few more. The old memories came flooding back from our time in Kansas, our move here, etc. I did laugh out loud a few times at some of the comments that had been made by Andrew's grandpa on my blog and I must say this morning that I miss him. I'm glad I can look back and read those!

Sleep seems to be improving at our house. I hope I'm not jinxing things! Abigail still gets restless between 9:30 pm and 11 pm but she hasn't been waking up as much. She did cry out on Monday night so I went in there and unwrapped her from the blanket, and she promptly went back to sleep. I think she wanted to turn over and couldn't because of the blanket. She has slept through the night several times this week (last night being the fourth night in a row). She's still not a good napper. I just need to be thankful that she sleeps pretty well at night, I guess! We've been feeding her "supper" before bed and I think that helps with keeping her tummy full.

She has become quite the little piggy. Yesterday she ate over 8 cubes of food (ice cubes are the way we measure her food, since I make and freeze the majority of it), although it wasn't all at one time.

That's all for now. I'm trying to find time to study for my driving test, which I will go take on Friday for my Ohio license. It's probably about time to get that.

Calling . . .

If you all don't read girl talk, do it! I have been stretched, called, challenged, encouraged, and blessed by reading this blog.

Their most recent topic, "Doing him good" has been particularly challenging and encouraging to me. I am going to give you a dose of total honesty here . . . in the midst of a busy and hectic schedule, one of the last things I have felt like doing is looking for "additional" ways to "do good" to my husband. Most days I feel like just getting the clean clothes upstairs, food prepared, baby taken care of, and most of the junk cleaned up in our house is a huge stretch for me. However, I think God wants more from me. . . read on!

My attitude towards this challenge was very negative at first. I struggle with the "what about me" syndrome and that's not good! I was challenged by my attitude. I mean, hello, it is in the Bible, so obviously, I am called to do it! I am being fed lies from the world that I don't need to make an extra effort to help my husband and let him know he is appreciated. In fact, I have been challenged lately that I am called to put these needs above those of my child. Obviously, with her being a helpless baby, I need to feed her, bath her, love her, shelter her (and we do all those things and more) but I need to have an appropriate balance of these relationships.

I have seen some beloved people go through turmoil lately and this has driven this point home even further. People are walking on dangerous ground when one person in the relationship (or both) feel neglected, unappreciated, unloved, disrespected, or unwanted. So, my resolve is to look for little ways to bless my husband. They don't have to take hours. I started last night by making his lunch. I continued this morning but forgiving him and laughing, instead of getting mad, that he forgot to take the lunch. I am far from perfect and I'm sure I will fail each and everyday in my actions and attitude but it's still worth the effort because I am certainly blessed to be his wife!

In remembering years past, here is a link to a post I wrote on this very blog about Andrew. It seems so long ago, many states away! He no longer makes the bed (since I'm still in it when he leaves) and I am the one who generally handles the money now . . . but the rest is true! :)

Political Confusion

No, this isn't about who you should vote for. This is a rant that most people don't know what is going on when it comes to voting. See, I work at a polling location. 364 days a year, it is a church, but that one (possibly two) days a year, we have people that come in to vote. I have nothing to do with any of it, except that I open the door for the guys bringing in the polling equipment, and on voting day, I stay huddled in my office, only to be bombarded with people needing things (usually easy things like pen and paper). However, before election days starts, I always seem to get those lost people calling and asking ME for an absentee ballot. Yes . . . umm, please call your county courthouse. I have nothing to do with elections, even on election day, except that my office happens to be in the same building that you vote!!

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We had a grand weekend. We got a lot done, including almost every stitch of laundry in the house. Naps didn't go so grand, however. Abigail's last nap of the weekend was on daddy's lap at 5:30 pm last night. Not good! She was up until 8 pm and was restless in bed until about 9:30 pm. She has also been an eating machine. She probably ate a three-ice-cube size helping of peas, and a one-ice-cub size helping of sweet potatoes last night. She still woke at 3 am to nurse. I keep wondering when her magical age of sleeping through the night will be! She definitely does it more often but it's not consistent. She did act like she would have eaten MORE last night, so we just need to feed her until she's full. I spent a lot of time making baby food this weekend. I'm having to work hard to keep up with her!

Good Song

Oh, what time I am afraid,
Oh Lord I will trust in you.
When my heart it fails for fear
and I don't know what to do.
You alone will be my strength
and my courage you'll renew.
So, what time I am afraid
I will trust in you.
He was the worship leader at our church. Enjoy this video and hopefully you'll be encouraged!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpDDQclsEEk

My Goodness: Grateful Friday

I am grateful for:

• My washer and dryer. They've worked hard for me today.
• My husband. He works so hard and is still fun and easy going.
• My daughter.
• My comfortable house.
• The geothermal in our house (thanks to Andrew).
• Once again . . . the whole day off!
• My job and co-workers who graciously let me have the day off! :)

Ok, I'm not terribly creative today. It's been a day full of battles and there's one raging right now! Abigail refuses to sleep at our house. It's not fun! Grr! I'm trying not to let the frustration get to me but it's kind of grabbing hold, if I'm honest.

No nap this morning, until I nursed her, then she promtly fell asleep. I battled about 50 minutes this afternoon to get her to sleep and she slept for 40 minutes. When I got her up she was cranky and unhappy (rubbing eyes, etc), so I knew it was tired. Fed her some prunes (um, she LOVES them, so we may be in TROUBLE this weekend), and am working on another nap. When I rock her, she is almost asleep instantly but when I lay her down, she's up again. Grr . . .again!

Ok, I'm off to lay her down. I guess I can keep folding and putting away laundry during this whole process. Perhaps we'll just take a break from all of this utter madness in a while, if she doesn't fall asleep and go visit people.

Template Changes

I removed the image above. It was so big that it was annoying me. I don't think anyone will be too disappointed.

I also added a good reads widget to my sidebar so you can see on my blog what is on my read list. I couldn't decide if it would be more interesting to have the read, to-read, or to-be-read list. Any ideas?

The blog world (or at least my small one) has been so quiet lately. No one's posting and no one is commenting. Wonder why?!

Twittering and Winter's Here!

If you haven't read my last post, please do. Go to www.goodreads.com and add me as a friend. I'm addicted to that site now. I am so glad I can mark books when I read them now and I already have a huge list of books that I want to read. I can't wait for a trip to the Library!

I am debating with myself if I should twitter or not. If you don't know what that is go here. It's pretty much mini-blogging. I'm signed up but I haven't really figured out the ins and outs of it all yet. Do I really want one more thing to do? Hmm, I've heard it is so much fun. We'll see.

This cold snap hit us so quickly that I'm a bit unprepared in the clothing department. Each morning I have a dilemma as I stand by Abigail's closet . . . finding warm clothes. She had so many 6 month clothes (primarily because of Hawaii) that I could go two and sometimes three weeks without doing her laundry and she'd still have cute things to wear. Right now, she only has a few pair of pants, one long sleeved onesie, a jacket, and a few pair of jeans to wear in the chilly mornings! The jacket I put on her this morning (out of desperation) as a 0-3 month size! :) It fit but the sleeves were more like 3/4 length! Last winter this wasn't as much of an issue, as she was tiny and we carried her everywhere in her car seat with the Bundle Me on it. I don't carry her in the seat anymore, unless there is no other option!

We're going to have to go shopping this weekend and get Abigail some warm clothes! I bought some fleece PJ's a few weeks ago from Once Upon a Child so she seems comfy at night. Since we'll be at Walmart anyway with the car, that will probably be our shopping of choice this weekend. I've never been impressed with their infant clothes selection but perhaps we'll find a few things to tide us over for a few more weeks.

I also am having a similar issue with my clothes. I am having vague memories of all these sweaters and other shirts that I had but they are no where to be found. See, last winter I only wore maternity clothes. It worked out perfectly, actually. I only needed to start wearing these in September, so I didn't have to buy any summery maternity clothes. This, however, means it has been two years since wearing any of my sweaters or other winter clothes. Where could they be?

Reading!

I love to read. I always have. Many times on our chore list growing up, my sister's would have reading on hers and I would not. It's because I loved it so much that no one had to encourage me to do it. The love still continues today. I mainly enjoy reading fiction, although I will be working my way through a non-fiction most of the time. That's just not the book I bring in the tub with me or on a trip. So, yesterday I was overjoyed to read on a blog about a great website called: www.goodreads.com.

It is a place where you can keep track of books you have read, you are currently reading, and books-to-read. I am absolutely in love with this website. I have a terrible memory when it comes to if I have read a book or not, so this is the perfect solution. Also, there are many days that I spend time searching for the next good page-turner. This website gives suggestions, has reviews, etc. So sign up on the website and add me as your friend so we can share suggestions and see each others lists. Yeah!

I also have a slight problem with buying books. I'm trying to stop this and just use my local library more (must pay my fines still - from when Abigail was born). The problem is not that I don't read the books, it's just that I buy the books much faster than I read. I don't usually buy fiction books, unless it's really good or want to read it to my kids someday, because I rarely reread these, unless they are classics. So, I am primarily buying non-fiction books. These take me a long time to read through because I do it in conjunction with the fiction.

I'm beginning to get carried away with buying children's books. I know we have enough board books and should save up for some of the classics that I'll want to read her when she's older.

I have been reading to Abigail every night for over a month now and she loves it. Right now her favorite thing to do is to turn the page, so we're only reading board books! :) I just let the page flop out there and her chubby little hand grabs it and "turns it". It's amusing and she loves it. I am so glad I can share my love of reading with her.

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Other news: I was casually surfing the Internet last night after cleaning up from supper and before Dancing with the Stars was on. I happened upon the Point of Grace website and was shocked to learn that my favorite singer of the group, Heather, has left! I don't follow them (hardly at all) as much as I used to but still shocking. In my humble vocal opinion, she was the strongest singer of the group . . . the powerhouse soprano, if you will, so it will be interesting to hear what they sound like now. I also understand her reasons for quitting (she has 4 kids!!).

Muddy News!

I have started about four posts today but I can't seem to collect my thoughts to finish them. Perhaps my mind is still in a fog because we're still having sleeping issues at our house. Will it never end?! So that's the title of my post. These will be random and might not make much sense, since my mind feels rather muddy today.

Since we've let her cry-it-out (with checks) she goes down so much easier. However, lately she has been waking up at 10:30 pm or so. Most nights she goes in there with only one check-up. One of us lays her down and she's out. Not last night! We let her cry and did our checks for about 45 minutes before she fell asleep. Then she woke again at 11:30 pm. Since I had already been asleep, I tried feeding her. She acted hungry and got pretty angry when I offered the pacifier. I had assumed that all six of her teeth were in but this is the same way she acted when the other top teeth were coming through so I think the one just right of center is still working it's way down (her right). Then she slept the rest of the night! I hope this pattern eases off soon. It's just hard on us if we haven't been asleep yet because it can take her a while to go back to sleep with our method.

I'm sure that's what you wanted to read again . . . sleep issues but when that's the trouble, it's really hard on the parents!

Abigail did stand for us last night. She pulled herself up using the wall for support and then practiced letting go for a few seconds. She did this at the babysitters weeks ago but hasn't done it since. We think perhaps she was so engrossed with her toy there that she didn't realize what she was doing!

I believe my Friday this week will be filled with either getting my car serviced and/or getting my Ohio drivers license. Oops! I've technically been a resident for three years. I tried going on Saturday but the place was packed and I didn't have Abigail with me, so I had a limited amount of time to spend there. I need to be studying!

I promise more interesting stories and pictures soon. I haven't forgotten about the promised Hawaii post (talk about procrastination) or a post about my sister's wedding. They're still in the works!

Interesting Article

Ah, my second post of the day. I just wanted to share this interesting article, as it really pertains, explains, and is interesting in light of my main subject on this blog . . . sleep!

http://prayerofhannah.blogspot.com/2008/10/dealing-with-sleep-issues.html

I love this blog anyway. It encourages me as a new mom and guides me as I figure out who I am as Abigail's mom, since that changing and shaping is always a challenge. This article is great!

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Also, this is not my story to tell, so I'll leave the details and names vague but I wanted to just express my thanks to those of you who have prayed for friends of ours going through marriage trials. I got an encouraging phone call from my friend yesterday. It was awesome to talk to her after praying and hurting for her these past few months. I just want to give glory to God for what He is doing. It still won't be an easy road for anyone and the trials are not over for them (are they for anyone?) but hearts are being changed.

My Sniffer is Broken

Abigail usually has dirty diapers in sputs. For example, she will have four in one day and then go four or five days without pooping. This usually means that I don't change many poopy diapers as they happen while I'm at work. So on Sunday morning, I was surprised to find a dirty diaper while dressing Abigail for church. Got her cleaned up and off we went. She was in the nursery with Andrew first hour while I taught Sunday school (a whole other post has to be dedicated to the horrificness that was my classroom on Sunday! Ugh!) and then she napped a bit during second service and got another diaper change, just wet.

At Andrew's grandma's for lunch yesterday, she fell asleep in her seat (while Andrew rocked her) and when she woke up it was time to feed her again. I carried her all the way upstairs, nursed, brought her down to play with another sweet baby that was visiting. When I set her down, I saw a speck of something on the floor next to her so I picked it up. Poop! I instantly thought that the dog had brought it into the house (I'm not sure how dumb I can be!) and so I threw it away and washed my hands. In the meanwhile, Andrew's aunt was playing with Abigail and said, "someone's poopy." My poor darling child, had a blowout the size of Texas. It was all up her back, on her pants and on her shirt and I can almost guarantee she pooped during her nap. It definitely brings to light that my sniffer is broken, since I held her close and probably patted that poor poopy butt during her nursing session.

I need to get that fixed soon! :)

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In other news, of course, you all know I'm going to talk about sleeping! Last night she was tired out after a long weekend, so we put her to bed pretty early. She fell asleep at 7:15 pm but woke again, as I was in bed going to sleep around 10:30 pm. After letting her fuss for a little while (10 minutes or so), I went in and checked her diaper (gun shy now, you know), made sure she was comfortable, and laid her back down with a pacifier. She fussed a little when I left but fell back asleep and slept until I woke her up at 7:00 am!!! Seriously, the girl went over 12 hours without eating, and with sleeping most of it. So, it can be done. She can sleep through the night without eating. Can I say it again? Figuring out babies is difficult!

The Battle of Schechter Naps

Abigail has never been a very good napper at our house since my return to work. I primarily blame the fact that 1) she is just not consistently home for naps (we run around a lot on the weekends), 2) we've coddled her to sleep this whole time, just for some peace, and 3) she's excited to see us. I decided that since I'm going to have her home on Fridays, this whole nap time drama has got to stop.

I was 100% committed yesterday to MAKING her nap in her crib . . . not the car seat, our bed, in my arms, etc. She was TIRED at 2:00 pm yesterday and so I did our nap time routine (reading a book and rocking a while) then when she was very drowsy, I laid her in bed. No go. She was up in a flash but not necessarily fussing, so I just let her be. When she did begin to fuss, I went in, laid her down, kissed her and left. I never let her go more than 15 minutes without checking on her and folks. . . it took me TWO HOURS and FORTY MINUTES to get her to take a nap but I WON! I was so frustrated that whole time that it felt like my blood was boiling but I stuck to my guns. I know that she can and will go down easily for a nap by herself, just not with mommy (and sometimes daddy too).

She slept well last night and slept in this morning (until 8:30! yeah!). We did the same routine this morning and it took her 45 minutes to fall asleep. For this afternoon's nap, it took her a little under 30 minutes. We're making progress.

The great thing about this is I got almost our whole upstairs cleaned (I mean dusted, vacuumed, all clothes put away, organized, etc) while putting her down for a nap yesterday and today. It's like our bedroom is a spa! :)

Ok, since she's asleep (for how long, no one knows), I'd better get to work on our budget stuff. Oops, I didn't do that yesterday.

Rally Pictures

Patriotic Girl all ready to go!

The crew that went to the rally. The boys were cold!

Cool girl!

There are many pictures of us. Yes, I'm wearing an SC sweatshirt. I didn't have anything else red or blue! :)

All bundled up with mommy.

Cool picture with all the signs waving.

Congressman Boehner (I think I spelled that right) and Gov. Sarah Palin.

Sorry, there won't be much more detail. The baby is fussy and crawling all over me trying to get to the laptop! :)

Grateful Friday

Boy, I have a lot to be grateful for today! I feel like just having one extra day off a month is a luxury! I can't believe I get to only work 4 days a week. It is an amazing feeling. My house is already cleaner than it has been for months and months!

• I'm grateful for the opportunity to go to the Sarah Palin rally this morning and for good company to go with me! :) Thanks for driving, Ari. I will post pictures and more info later.
• I'm grateful that while Abigail isn't sleeping in her crib (yet) she's not crying either. Just playing.
• I'm grateful that since getting back home at 12:45 pm I have had the strength to make lunch, do a load of laundry, declutter the guest room, feed the baby, eat lunch, wipe off the counters, fold a load of laundry, dust the bedroom, call my parents, and feed the dog. I wonder what the rest of the day will hold! :)
• I'm grateful for my wonderful husband who loves and supports me through anything. I really do love you!
• I'm grateful for my wonderful baby girl and getting to spend a whole day with her. She was so good this morning!
• I am super super grateful right now for having this day off. It feel so nice (wait, have I said that before).

More pictures to come when I get my car cleaned out and the camera uploaded. Perhaps tonight, since I'm in a cleaning frenzy and don't want to break that cycle (except to blog, of course).

Politics

Let's not get into a political discussion on here. In all honesty, I'm downright SICK of politics right now but being that I'm a good American citizen, I realize it does affect my life so I do vote (but that's about it at this point in my life). However, I am going to be participating in something political tomorrow because

1) it's my first day off and
2) it's so stinkin close to my house, I just can't pass it up

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Calendar/Detail.aspx?guid=3c2d536e-0daf-4d32-a163-c57b5a9d1c00

I almost decided not to do it (and might not if it's raining or something) because I'm not sure how Abigail will handle it (naps and all) but I feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime (or if I'm honest with myself, now being an Ohioan, it's a once-in-four-years) opportunity.

Andrew is getting me the ticket tonight on his way home.

Anyone else in the Ohio area want to come with me?

On Being Accidentally Fashionable!

Many of you know my views on fashion. While I like looking fashionable, I'd rather be debt free and have money to get things for my daughter. So, I made a decision in May to not purchase any new (used is ok) clothes for one year (with the exception of underwear - standards people). I also do my best not to spend much money on beauty items.



I will get my hair cut once every few months and buy a dab of make-up but I just don't do much else. So, I was pleased to read this article today on natural nails being "in". I keep my toes nice and pedicured (at home, no $40 pedicures for me) but my nails just get cut when they get dangerously long. I used to paint them and I'm not against any of it. I just don't have time or money right now. Plus with caring for a baby constantly, and washing dishes, they wouldn't last long. Ok, here's the article.



http://www.chic-critique.com/2008/10/natural-is-beau.html



See, I am being fashionable with my healthy natural nails and I didn't even know it.

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We had a fun birthday dinner for Andrew last night and the burritos were close to Chipotle, if I do say so myself. The tortillas weren't the same but they were big anyway. As I came downstairs this morning to leave for work, I spied the unfortunate bag of peanut butter cookies and pan of brownies that was left at our house by the grandparents. Hmm, and I'll be home on Friday to eat them. Not good!

You are the Love of My Life . . .

Today, twenty-eight years ago, you were born. Since that moment, you have been a blessing to everyone who you have come in contact with. I am so blessed to call you my husband and to have you as the father of my child. I am thankful every day for you and your steady, positive attitude, your hard work and dedication to our family, and the fun and silliness that you also bring to my life. It is much needed! So, on your birthday, I just want to say that I love you very much. I hope you have a wonderful day!

I am posting this picture because I know it will make you happy!

Disclaimer: This photo is fake! I don't want to scare anyone so I am letting you know that Andrew edited it with photoshop! :) It was taken at Red River Gorge last weekend. I was actually standing right by Abigail when this was taken and then we each sat for our pictures while the other held the baby. He then combined the three pictures. Pretty good, huh?!

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Also, it is our real life and now blogger friend, Jenn W's birthday as well. Please go over to her blog and wish her a Happy Birthday as well!

Abigail's newest adventure and Birthday's!

Last week, Abigail began to stand on her own at the babysitters. She has not done this for us yet but she stood so long at the sitters that she was able to snap four pictures of Abigail standing. Yeah! Here they are. . . (yes, she has LOTS of toys there. Abigail is so underwhelmed at our house with the lack of toys compared to her sitter's house.)

A little blurry since she's shaking a toy.

We had a great weekend. On Saturday, Andrew wanted to go to Red River Gorge in Kentucky to take in the sights, so we headed out at an early hour of 7:15 am! Abigail and I slept in the car while Andrew drove! :) We went on two pretty short hikes (the baby is heavy!) and took a sky lift up to see Natural Bridge. It was fun and the scenery was beautiful. I really enjoyed spending the day with Andrew and with Abigail. On Sunday, we had some friends at our house, using Andrew's photo studio. I had so much fun. Our friend then hung out with us editing pictures, etc, until evening. So much fun! I had a chance to work ahead on Andrew's birthday supper, so I'm in good shape. I'm going to MOPS tonight so I won't have time to prep anything for tomorrow.

In other news:

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I want to say Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law (and my aunt-in-law, Linda - but I don't think she reads this). I must say that I am so very blessed to have the in-laws that I do. My mother-in-law helps us out each and every day by keeping Abigail (I hope she's good for you today - thanks for keeping her on your birthday!) and she is also always feeding us and taking care of us! :) Have I mentioned that she's a fabulous cook? I am very blessed to have in-laws that love the Lord and will also share that love with my daughter. We hope you have a fabulous birthday day!