The Crazy Life

The days are whizzing by are they not?  It's late in the afternoon and I'm finally sitting in a sunny family room, with my legs propped up and the fan whirring above me.  Even though it's cool outside for Tampa, I got a little hot this afternoon in my SuperNanny attempts to keep Mia in her big girl bed for naptime.  It worked but I also worked up a little sweat in doing so.

So much has changed since Monday and Tuesday, when we set up Mia's room.  Her room is her room. She's thankfully very proud of her new room and isn't much interested in the old room.  I must admit it feels weird to walk into this old guest room and see it all set up for a little girl.  We're still figuring out how things should be set up and where some things might go, but as of now, almost all her belongings, clothes and shoes are in this room.  She doesn't even want her diaper changed on the changing table in the nursery anymore. "On the bed, Mommy," she told me earlier today.

We walked by the crib this morning when we were getting something from the closet and she pointed to the crib and said, "baby brother sleep in crib."  There had/has been anxiety about all these transitions; how will she handle it, what will we do, who will hit their breaking point first? (quick answer: usually me!), but thus far we've been okay! I attribute that much more to others' prayers and my requests for wisdom from God & more experienced parents more than anything else.  I'm really still such a newbie in all these transition times.

In terms of Mia's actual sleeping in her bed, she's done quite well at night the last two nights.  Naptimes always prove a tad more difficult either because a) it's mommy and not daddy, b) it's not dark outside, c) I've become lax in some of my handlings because I'm "tired and pregnant" (not always a good excuse, my friends)! or d), some combo of all of the above.  Yesterday she finally did nap, but didn't go down in a way I'd really like to replicate daily.  Today, we did the Super Nanny method (keep returning the child to the bed) and it eventually worked out.  I'm hoping we're on the start of something positive.  She will play in her bed for quite a while and be quiet (nice!) but then start to get up (not so nice).  Sleepy/Quiet-time needs to last more than 30-40 minutes, in my opinion.  

Mia's first night in her big-girl bed

"Playing" at nap time

Reading books to herself at naptime

We've had a great day overall.  The weather is cooling down and we took a walk through our neighborhood and then spent an hour at the park this morning. I noticed she was much more tolerable today at home than she has been otherwise...I think the lack of sleep from skipping naps and feeling cooped up in the house had been getting to her.  Today after lunch she entertained herself while still keeping a close distance to mommy.

Getting ready for the walk! Down with cabin fever

girl gon' love her swing!

Coloring while I scan some documents

Asleep today after a modified SuperNanny session

Beyond that, we're just heading into another weekend. As always--there is still more prep work to be done before bambino arrives but thankfully the list is a lot shorter than it was a week ago!  I have my 36 wk appt tomorrow (awfully bright and early I might add!) and some plans with some friends after that.  

Mia has an adventure planned with Uncle Luke & Aunt Allison on Saturday and I know she'll be jazzed about hanging out with them. I'm so thankful they offered to take her for an outing; it'll be good for her to spend time with them and for us to get some more things done around the house or just spend time together.  

This is my latest belly shot, pictured below with my friend Jenny, taken at church.  Currently at our congregation, there are at least 6 women who are pregnant between now and early April.  Crazy!  Thus far, 4 out of the 6 pregnancies, the moms are carrying boys.  And two other boys were just recently born in September.  ¡Increíble!  It's going to be a crazy nursery class pretty soon.  I'm so thankful for these friends though...it is a major blessing to be going through pregnancy and early childhood development with some good women.  I did not know this until after I had Mia and now I will not take it for granted!

pregnancy buddy at church -

JB: 27 weeks

MEC: 36 weeks

I'm documenting this all now because shortly so much will change and before I know it, 2011 will almost be over.  Blogging seems silly at times, especially when the blogs are lengthy, or uncharacteristically short, but for me, it is nice to be able to look back and see what was going on a couple of years ago.  Things change. People change. iPhones change.  But I don't want my memories to fade! Being verbal is my form of expression so I'll continue to let it out while I still have a voice! ;)

A Week in the Life of Mia -- A Photo Essay

Sometimes you just need to snap some pictures. This past week provided many opportunities for that. Here's a peak into the life of a now 10 month old Mia!

pinning the sprinkle onto the cupcake at 1 yr old's birthday party


smuggling in some goodies @ the new Five Guys

playing with a pacifier attached to a clip ... Mia's own num-chucks*

hanging out before church, gearing up for 1st visit to the babies bible class!

trying to console cousin Braden for picture time


sneaking into the kitchen


doing some personal shopping @ the grocery store*


watching lots of Olympics with Daddy ("Go Apolo!")*


'Twas a good week.


*photos courtesy of Greg's iPhone

Wishin'

Yesterday was a funny day for us, but I believe the story starts on Saturday.
We were expecting company late Saturday/early Sunday morning, so Saturday Greg & I were busy cleaning up our house for our guest. Having people over is always a good motivation for us to tackle projects around the house, and we got three major projects out of the way (getting rid of old computers; returning borrowed baby equipment; and moving a bunch of storage stuff into the garage, thus cleaning up our front room). Even though I felt stressed on Saturday trying to get everything done + grocery shopping, somehow it did all get done, and we were able to turn in before midnight. Yet, it was one of those nights where you know your visitor is coming after-hours, and even though you leave instructions, a key, etc., you are still anxious hoping they make it in okay. We heard our visitor make it in okay and get settled, but for whatever reason, we ourselves couldn't get settled. I think we tossed and turned for a couple of hours before we fell asleep, and even then, I think I clenched my jaw, hunched my shoulders, and thought, I hope I remember to wake up in the morning, or I hope I make coffee early enough ... just silly things that prevented a good slumber.

We must've sent those vibes to Mia's room, because she woke up at the odd hour of 6:30/6:45am Sunday. She would whine on and off for a few minutes until I finally did get her ten minutes till 7. She was fussy and irritable -- already cranky, I believe, from her early wake-up time. Sunday was the first day Mia could have gone to the babies bible class at church, since she just passed 9 months, but based on the way she was acting, I didn't think it was the best time to try it. So, anyway, off we went to church, and no lie...after getting there, I'm not really even sure what happened.
Sometime during bible class I took her to the nursery so she could eat and hopefully fall asleep. She ate but wouldn't fall asleep. I was trying all my tricks, but it seemed futile. So, I brought her back out during the beginning of worship, and she sat in between me and Greg for a bit, but eventually got a little too loud/fussy. So, Greg took her back to the training room, where she got to sit with other loud children who need help learning how to sit in the auditorium. Sometimes it's a hilarious room to be in. I could see Greg & Mia in the room from my viewpoint in the auditorium and could tell she still wasn't having the best of times. Greg texted me (during church, scandal!) and said, "Work called. I need help," which I thought was code for, "Mia's crying, please come help me." But no, he actually meant that HIS work had called. Odd for a Sunday, I tell you. So, Greg had to take a call outside, while I was holding Mia in the foyer.

Turns out, it was a bad day for lots of kids. One kid, who shall go by "E," was taken out more than once and given a few good swats. Another parent, who shall go by "C," told me that his daughter "J" "doesn't really like church." That statement made me laugh out loud. My friend "J" was out with her daughter "L," who had slumped on the floor reading books. And then there were whole families in the foyer, and a baby "A" just a couple months older than Mia, whining and not wanting to go to sleep.

So, what was the sermon about? I think it was about Grace, but I'm not really sure. Reminds me of the verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9 where Paul quotes the Lord: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness," where I know that God gives us enough grace for each day.

Well, back to our story, where I explain my title of "Wishin'". You may think I was just wishing she'd fall asleep during church, and while this is true, this isn't what I really wished for after Sunday morning services were said and done.
Mia was in the overtired and quiet phase, and when her Aunt Amanda asked to hold her after church, I wasn't optimistic that it would necessarily go over well, seeing that Mia was so ready for a nap.

However, Amanda was wearing a long necklace with little beads interspersed along the chain, which Mia found fascinating and almost like a little comfort tool, and snuggled contentedly against Amanda. Greg and I left Mia with Amanda for a while as we chatted with some friends & visitors. Later, I wondered where Mia was as some visitors wanted to see her, and the look of shock on my face when I saw my two good friends Linz & Laura, surrounded by Amanda & Mia, also shocked, was due to this scene:


Mia is not the kind of baby that will fall asleep on anybody just anywhere. She hasn't pulled a move like that since was probably 3 months old. Only in rare occasions will she just pacify herself to sleep in public on another person, although I wish that were not the norm.
So here I was seeing this sight, just shocked that she had done that. And righteously jealous too, I believe.

Thus, the "wishin'" is because I wish she would do that more often for me or Greg. It would make certain situations so much easier!! (And while it looks like Mia is sucking her thumb, she actually has one of the beads from Amanda's necklace clasped in her hand almost to her mouth.) Silly bebe!

PS: We were all granted grace later in the day, as Mia took an almost unprecedented Sunday afternoon nap for about 2.5-3 hrs, and Greg & I got our own naps in too. Very good!