The Words That I Hoped to Never Hear.

I'm not going to deny that I was pretty impressed with myself:  Connor and Blake were both down for a nap at the same time. I was looking forward to crawling into bed for a little siesta, myself.  Dennis would surely be home in just a few minutes to join me. 

I filled up my glass of water in the bathroom and was just about to get into bed when I heard it.  I looked at the double doors to our bedroom and saw a little boy standing there, smiling, with his hands of his hips.  An evil chuckle escaped his lips.  And then he said it.

"Mommy, look!  My get out of my bed!"

I heard some dishes clanking together downstairs so I knew Dennis was home.  "DENNIS?!?!  Did you hear that?"

A moment of silence followed and I am sure that it was only because Dennis was trying to gain his composure. 

"Connor, this is not good.  Let's go tell your daddy what you just said to me."

"OK!  Mommy, hold my hand to go downstairs."  He couldn't walk down the steps fast enough.  "Daddy, daddy!  My get out of my bed!"

Dennis lost it.  "Connor, that is a very good thing.  Er, I mean, uh...impressive thing.  Crap."

Miraculously, we were able to bribe him into staying in his bed for the duration of his nap.  Discussing how we'd play outside with his bike if he cooperated was a key element in our plan.  And we told him that if he was to jump out, he'd be put into time out.  (He stuck out his lower lip when we mentioned that.)

And now our life has taken another turn.  Just when we think we are going to start getting really good sleep...well, life proves us wrong.  We are no longer in control.  Not even one bit.  This sleep thing is never coming back.  NEVER.

Any insight on how to proceed from here is greatly appreciated.  Do we get a big boy bed for him?  Do we make the crib taller so that he cannot escape?  Build a roof over the top of his crib? Tie his legs together?  Basically, my questions boil down to this... HOW DO WE GET HIM TO STAY IN HIS ROOM UNTIL WE ARE READY FOR HIM TO GET UP? 

Happy 5 Months

January 19, 2012

To my most sweet little girl,

Despite the cold that you've had the past few days, you are still all smiles.  It's amazing.  We've had extra opportunities to spend time together since you've been waking up multiple times each night.  When your dad and I come into your room in the middle of the night (rotating turns, of course) to comfort you and make sure that you are OK, you do your little dance and just smile as if to say, "Oh, hi!  It's such a nice surprise to see you.  So glad you just so happened to be awake right now with me.  Since you are here and awake, well, let's dance."

You and I went in to see the doctor yesterday to confirm that you don't have an ear infection.  The good news is that you were given a clean bill of health.  The not-good-but-not-necessarily-bad-news is that you weigh 18.5 pounds.  You are tall, though, too.  Twenty-five inches.  Instead of crying when you were placed on the scale, you giggled and made the nurses laugh along with you.  You are already a big flirt.  Maybe even a kiss up.  

We've ventured into the messy world of solid foods and it's quite the adventure.  You haven't turned anything down just yet and you seem to really enjoy your two servings a day of green beans, squash, apples, bananas, and even prunes.  

You and your big brother are so sweet together.  Several nights ago during bath time, Connor pretended to hit your leg.  For some reason, that made you laugh hysterically. And your giggle made him laugh. I sat next to both of you, laughing and crying because of how adorable the two of you are together. You just stared into each others eyes and laughed.  

Your hair is changing.  After being born with a full head of hair, it has become increasingly sparse as of late.  It's still there, yes, but from an aerial view, I would say that it looks more like a toupee than anything else.  And as your hair is growing back in, it looks like it may be a shade or two lighter. We'll see.  

Activity-wise, your fist love is the exersaucer.  You can roll over both ways but choose not to do so unless you are forced into it.  Or super tired of your current position.  Or if you are watching your brother and trying to catch up with him.

Happy five months.  It is amazing to me that we've had you this long.  It's been an incredibly fun journey so far and I know that we have so much to look forward to.  Your personality shows through more each day and I love the person that you are becoming.  Sweet, smiling, and definitely up to something. We are going to have to keep a close watch on you as you become more mobile...

I love you.

Love,
Mom
XOXO

Recent Photos

Above:  Connor and his best friend and neighbor, Kahn

Paleo Update

So I feel this need to give you an update on the Paleo challenge.  

First and foremost, we are still doing it.  Mostly.  Dennis decided this past weekend that he needed a cheat day because football, well, just isn't football, if you don't have a beer.  Or two.  

And I'm not saying that I haven't cheated.  Only a little here and there, though.  As I type this, I look at my I'm-sure-cavemen-drank-this-drink that is sitting next to me:  Sparkling water (zero calories), sweet tea vodka, and a splash of lemon juice.  True paleo means no alcohol but what fun would that be?  So, to answer your question in a very long-winded fashion, YES, I am cheating.  But only a little.  And it's for the better good:  so that I can stay the course.  Of course it is.

And what recipes have we tried?  You can eat 'paleo' pretty easily - - just eat lean meats, vegetables, a few nuts, and a small amount of fruit each day and you are good to go.  So, the need for actual recipes isn't a huge need but it is there.  And, knowing that I absolutely love (or loathe?) to cook, I'm sure you are surprised at my desire to find very simple paleo meals.  

We purchased Everyday Paleo, which is a great starting point for us.  Two recipes tried so far and we're batting .500.

Everyday Paleo egg cupcakes:  Um....Not so much.  I should've known that they wouldn't be very tasty just by looking at the pictures.  I had high hopes that were dropped on their face.  They did a nose dive off of the roof of a 20 story building.  The food was edible and well...yeah...that's about it.  I do not recommend.    

Let's look at the good outcome:  Sun-dried tomato chicken slaw.  Sounds kind-of strange, I know, but trust me, it's good.  Really good.  And the best part...it's easy.  My only question was if this is a 'slaw', shouldn't it be a side-dish?  I treated it as our main dish and our side dish all in one.  That's what momma likes.  

So, yes, we are surviving...and actually doing pretty well.    

Oh yeah, and CrossFit? I am loving it.  (Dennis, I hope you smile as you read this because I am saying:  YES, YOU TOLD ME SO.)

1..2..3..4..5..2..1

Not sure why, but I have this number in my head.  The number is four.  I feel like each month is a "good blogging month" if I post at least four posts during that period.

I know, I'm weird.  And to all that know me really well, I have a weird thing about numbers.  And to those who don't...well, just know that I am really good at counting.

And I don't feel like a simple video post should really count as one post. I mean, all that I have to do is copy and paste the code to embed the video.  No brain cells required.  Not really, anyway.  

So, here's my half post.  Enjoy.  :)