This new year started out a lot like last year. Sick. I just recently FINALLY got over an upper respiratory infection and let me tell you, it was NOT fun. I finally went to the doctor and he prescribed the antibiotic, Zpac and it worked wonders. I am starting to wonder why I didn't go to the doctor sooner. Anywho, once I felt like I was finally back to normal we got the most dreaded phone call. Aric's grandfather was dying.
Aric's grandfather, Papa, had been staying at Aric's parents house here in Montgomery the past few months so Aric's mother could care for him. He had not been well for sometime and could no longer care for himself. He lived by himself in Big Rapids, Michigan. (his wife had passed away just two years earlier in 2008) We tried to get over to his parents house to visit with him, but Papa had completely lost his hearing, so the times we did make it over there, it was extremely difficult to communicate with him.
We kind of expected this day to come soon but at the same time still shocked and saddened that it was here. The afternoon Aric's mother called us to let us know he only had a few more hours, we immediately headed that way. Aric's sisters left town as soon as they could and made the trek to Montgomery. Papa passed away on the afternoon of January 13, 2010. All of Aric's immediate family was there by his side. He went peacefully.
The short time I knew Aric's grandfather, I really grew to love him. He had so many neat stories and being born in raised in Brooklyn. NY, he still spoke a strong NY accent, which I thought was pretty cool. He was a WWII fighter pilot and later became very skilled in several areas of trade. Woodworking, automobiles and gardening. He could do ANYTHING, literally. He was extremely smart. I am not even touching the tip of the iceberg here in explaining what a wonderful person he was. He will be missed and I am praising the Lord that he is now with Jesus and no longer in any pain. Rest in peace, PaPa. We love you!
We had planned to go on a ski trip with the Leaders Club the weekend following Papa's death. Aric's mom wasn't going to plan any funeral services that weekend and encouraged us to go on this ski trip, so we did. I am going to spare many details about that weekend but let me just say, it was one thing after another. Anything and everything possible went wrong. It might as well have been a Griswold family vacation times ten!! And to top it off, we didn't even get to go skiing because it was raining almost the whole weekend. But, there is a silver lining, the adults did very well handling everything and the kids were wonderful. They were a little bummed they didn't get to go skiing but kept a good head on their shoulders and made the best of the rest of the weekend. This may, however, be the first, last Leaders' Club ski trip. :)
We got back from the ski trip safe and sound and the following weekend we were back on the road. Papa's funeral services were being held in Carbondale, Illinois, which is also were his final resting place is. We took the long haul up north this past Friday after work and arrived in Carbondale about 2 AM. His funeral service that afternoon was wonderful and memorable and I am so glad I was there. Sunday morning we all got up early and caravaned up to Central Michigan to have a memorial service there on Monday evening. That too, was very memorable. Aric and I decided at the last minute to go ahead and leave Monday evening since we had 14 hour drive ahead of us. We got 2 hours under our belt and had to stop. It was snowing like crazy and conditions were just too dangerous. We got up the next morning and got on the road only to be slowed down by frozen winshield washer fluid. After some nice people at a Chevy dealer helped us out, we were on the road again and made back home by 12 AM Tuesday morning. Now, I have to brag on Savannah. She did wonderful!! From Montgomery to Carbondale, is about 8 hours and she never fussed. When ever we would stop to use the bathroom or get gas, we would get her out and let her "stretch her legs". Once we left Carbondale to go to Michigan, it is another 8 hours. She started to fuss a little towards the end of the trip but it was also close to dinner time. The longest time she was in the car, was on the way home and she didn't get fussy until about Clanton, but poor baby had been in the car for about 12 hours. I was extremly pleased with her and it made the trip much more enjoyable.
I know I have typed a lot and I hope I haven't bored anyone but it has been crazy these past few weeks. I am SO GLAD to be home and am hoping things will be somewhat calm, at least for a little while.
Take care and God Bless!!
Emily
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
I'll call it the "5-30 method"
As most of you know, if you are on Facebook, Savannah has a double ear infection. We went to the doctor and while we were there, I began to discuss with the him my concern about her sleepless nights. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but I went into all the fun details. From the time frame that she decides to wake up during (2 and 5 AM) to how she sounds when she wakes up (screaming bloody murder). The doctor's response was what I expected. Since she has this double ear infection, of course, her ears are probably bothering her, at night more so. She has two top teeth that have broken through and those could also be the reason for her restless nights. So basically we have 2 legit reasons for her sleepless nights. My concern then turned to when she doesn't have ear infections and is still continuing to wake up. In case you haven't noticed, I am seriously worried about this. We CANNOT keep waking up EVERY NIGHT to comfort her. Call me a bad mommy if you want to but we just can't do it. The doctor then began to explain a method we should try. It is a cry it out method but this is how he told me to do it. He said that once Savannah was well (no ear infections, cold, etc.) that if she wakes up crying, wait about 5 minutes then go in and check on her. Now, when I go in to do this, he said I should not immediately pick her up but instead to feel her and make sure she doesn't feel feverish, talk to her in a sweet voice, maybe check and see if she is wet, if so, change her diaper, give her a hug and kiss and leave the room. If she is still crying after 30 minutes, he said to go back in basically do the same thing. Keeping it simple, by just making sure she is ok without holding her and cuddling her. If she is ok, leave the room and if she cries, then just let her cry. Don't go back in no matter how long she cries for. That is the hard part for me. I can let her cry but then she will get so worked up she will start choking and then I feel bad, so Aric or myself will go in and check on her. Another hard part about letting her cry, once we realize she is ok, is going back to sleep. We don't have the biggest house in the world, so when she cries, it is crystal clear and at that point we CANNOT go back to sleep. So if she were to cry for 2 hours, well then, we might as well pop in a movie and hang out. (not funny, but you know what I mean?)
We have tried just letting her cry it out, but I am hoping and praying that by doing it this particular way will truly help Savannah get back to a normal night sleeping pattern.
I am going to have to wait about 2 weeks before we start so I can be sure that her ear infection is completely gone. I will post an update once we get going on this "5-30" method going.
The doctor claimed that he has told other parents to do this and it has worked. Now, only time will tell.
Have a wonderful afternoon and stay warm because, BRRRRR! It's cold outside! :)
God Bless,
Emily
We have tried just letting her cry it out, but I am hoping and praying that by doing it this particular way will truly help Savannah get back to a normal night sleeping pattern.
I am going to have to wait about 2 weeks before we start so I can be sure that her ear infection is completely gone. I will post an update once we get going on this "5-30" method going.
The doctor claimed that he has told other parents to do this and it has worked. Now, only time will tell.
Have a wonderful afternoon and stay warm because, BRRRRR! It's cold outside! :)
God Bless,
Emily
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year
Happy New Year!
I still can't believe it is 2010! A lot sure has happened in a decade. I can't wait to see what the next decade will bring!
We spent New Years with some good friends of ours. Savannah spent the night with my parents and had a great time. My parents eat up every minute they get to spend with Savannah and that makes me happy. I don't ever take for granted that we have grandparents in town, it is truly wonderful.New Years morning I woke up not feeling well AT ALL. (head cold/sinuses??) After some doses of Tylenol cold, I felt much better; until Sunday morning when I woke up and felt worse. So the New Year was brought in with me being sick and it seems like last year for the New Year I was sick. My spirits are high, however, and I am looking forward to 2010.
Enough about me and some stuff about Savannah.
Baby girl is STILL waking up at the earliest hours of the morning, between 3-6 AM, screaming her head off. Here's the thing, the few mornings she actually wakes up at decent hour, 7 AM or so, she wakes up happy and talking in her crib. Also, when she wakes up from naps, she wakes up happy. Back to the early morning wake ups. I JUST DON'T GET IT. I have thought maybe she was teething, but she does not fuss any other time of the day as if her teeth are hurting her. We usually just let her cry it out, but for awhile, we went in her room and as soon as we picked her up, she would stop crying, sometimes even go right back to sleep. Oh, but let us put her down and she screams bloody murder. Savannah usually goes to bed between 8-9. I know that is probably later than most babies but when it's bedtime, she let's us know, by either rubbing her eyes or waving when we say "night-night". The 8-9 bedtime has been going on for awhile now, probably since she started sleeping through the night well at just a few months old. Now it's to the point, where I am just frustrated, because, I don't know why she is waking up crying so early. Anyway, hopefully, it is just a phase or something. I feel like I really shouldn't be complaining/frustrated because being a parent is not easy and stuff like this happens so I should just get over it, but for this situation it is just hard.
On to more fun stuff, in the New Year Savannah is still doing a bunch of the same old stuff. She is not walking yet, although, she can stand by herself for a minute or two. I feel like her vocabulary is still limited as far as saying actual words, but her "baby talk" is very impressive. She loves to open her books and "read" out loud. Don't know what she is saying but it is so cute! She loves to point at stuff when she wants something and if you say "nose" or "teeth" she will point to them!
She is very headstrong and knows the word "no" but loves to test Aric and I. I feel bad when I have to spank her but, we have to set boundaries, right??
There are a lot of things I would love to improve on in the new year. Here are some personal resolutions I have made:
-Be a better wife to Aric (date nights will be a must in 2010)
-stick to my training schedule to run a 5K in March
-Prioritize my chores better
-make more to-do lists and check things off as I go
-quiet time with God, EVERYDAY, no exceptions!
-set aside time with Savannah and have "school" for at least 30 minutes a day (that will be a challenge because, my child will not sit still for even a minute)
We will see how these resolutions end up through out the year. Now that I have one year of mommyhood under my belt, I feel like I can do anything. Bring it on 2010, I'm ready!!!
God Bless!!
Emily
I still can't believe it is 2010! A lot sure has happened in a decade. I can't wait to see what the next decade will bring!
We spent New Years with some good friends of ours. Savannah spent the night with my parents and had a great time. My parents eat up every minute they get to spend with Savannah and that makes me happy. I don't ever take for granted that we have grandparents in town, it is truly wonderful.New Years morning I woke up not feeling well AT ALL. (head cold/sinuses??) After some doses of Tylenol cold, I felt much better; until Sunday morning when I woke up and felt worse. So the New Year was brought in with me being sick and it seems like last year for the New Year I was sick. My spirits are high, however, and I am looking forward to 2010.
Enough about me and some stuff about Savannah.
Baby girl is STILL waking up at the earliest hours of the morning, between 3-6 AM, screaming her head off. Here's the thing, the few mornings she actually wakes up at decent hour, 7 AM or so, she wakes up happy and talking in her crib. Also, when she wakes up from naps, she wakes up happy. Back to the early morning wake ups. I JUST DON'T GET IT. I have thought maybe she was teething, but she does not fuss any other time of the day as if her teeth are hurting her. We usually just let her cry it out, but for awhile, we went in her room and as soon as we picked her up, she would stop crying, sometimes even go right back to sleep. Oh, but let us put her down and she screams bloody murder. Savannah usually goes to bed between 8-9. I know that is probably later than most babies but when it's bedtime, she let's us know, by either rubbing her eyes or waving when we say "night-night". The 8-9 bedtime has been going on for awhile now, probably since she started sleeping through the night well at just a few months old. Now it's to the point, where I am just frustrated, because, I don't know why she is waking up crying so early. Anyway, hopefully, it is just a phase or something. I feel like I really shouldn't be complaining/frustrated because being a parent is not easy and stuff like this happens so I should just get over it, but for this situation it is just hard.
On to more fun stuff, in the New Year Savannah is still doing a bunch of the same old stuff. She is not walking yet, although, she can stand by herself for a minute or two. I feel like her vocabulary is still limited as far as saying actual words, but her "baby talk" is very impressive. She loves to open her books and "read" out loud. Don't know what she is saying but it is so cute! She loves to point at stuff when she wants something and if you say "nose" or "teeth" she will point to them!
She is very headstrong and knows the word "no" but loves to test Aric and I. I feel bad when I have to spank her but, we have to set boundaries, right??
There are a lot of things I would love to improve on in the new year. Here are some personal resolutions I have made:
-Be a better wife to Aric (date nights will be a must in 2010)
-stick to my training schedule to run a 5K in March
-Prioritize my chores better
-make more to-do lists and check things off as I go
-quiet time with God, EVERYDAY, no exceptions!
-set aside time with Savannah and have "school" for at least 30 minutes a day (that will be a challenge because, my child will not sit still for even a minute)
We will see how these resolutions end up through out the year. Now that I have one year of mommyhood under my belt, I feel like I can do anything. Bring it on 2010, I'm ready!!!
God Bless!!
Emily
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