A New Day!

I'm so excited about how L is progressing. He's almost 18 months and is clearly phasing from a baby to a toddler. In the last month I can't believe the transitions he has made! He says like over 50 words and repeats many new ones each day. Plus, he is getting that little kid girth where you feel like you're picking up a child and not a baby.

So, two recent happenings have made me even more thrilled about his progress. About two weeks ago he began actually sitting and watching cartoons! He will sit on the little couch and watch cartoons with A or even when A is not around, he will sit there. He will clap when the show says clap, he will repeat when they tell him to repeat a word and it's like he actually comprehends what is going on. Then, it was adorable the other day because he was watching Diego and I looked over and he had went and got A's Diego doll and was holding it- adorable!

Then, the new thing that happened today was even more spectacular! I have always said that I am jealous of those people whose kids will just go to sleep anywhere at the drop of the hat. My kids fight sleep like it's a poltergeist out to get them! They just do not seem willing to go to sleep. I try to explain to them how they should embrace these days of getting good amounts of sleep, but they don't get it.

So, anyway... I had put A down for her nap and was doing a couple things while L watched cartoons. I went to check on A and when I returned, L had fallen asleep on his little couch! I was floored! I didn't have to rock him to get him to take his nap! I laid him on a blanket on the floor and he's been there for about 45 minutes sound asleep.

Is this a new day for me and mine? Are easier days a'comin? If so, I will totally embrace them with open arms! It would be great if by the time grad school starts in the fall, L is oodles easier, because that will just make life easier in general.

Hooray!

Random Mommy Misc.

So L's ears seem to be getting better. The doctor said they were just red now, so unless he takes a turn for the worse, he doesn't have to go back. Unfortunately he's broken out in a head to toe rash which is apparently common in infants after having an infection or fever. But, the best part about him feeling better is that he is sleeping better! The past 3 nights he has slept 4-5 hours, woke up and I bring him to bed and he sleeps another few hours. It is awesome, but I think my body and brain are confused about what to do with all that sleep!

I don't know if L has been sick more than A ever was because of going to daycare twice a week and picking up all the germs. I hate that thought, but I need those two days to get school work done.

I am getting nervous and excited about our upcoming trip to Florida. I am excited because I'm sure the kids will have a blast, but nervous because I don't think L will be very cooperative on the plane ride and I don't look forward to the hostile looks from my fellow passengers. I am planning to take A to Sea World as that's my favorite park down there and I think she'll love it.

I hope everyone is having a stress-free holiday!

Don't forget to check out my giveaway posted below.

The Battle of Slumberville: Me vs. L

I have two children: A is about to turn three and L is just shy of one. We were lucky enough that A slept through the night at six weeks old. Of course this meant that she slept in bed with us, had to hold our hand to fall asleep and wouldn't sleep by herself. Weaning her into a "big girl bed" was not too difficult, but she still expects you to hold her hand for awhile.

Well, so I thought all babies that I would have would sleep the same. Didn't happen that way! Here we are at almost a year and L won't sleep through the night. I would say seven days (seven glorious, wonderful, marvelous days) he slept for about eleven hours. Those mornings I'd wake up full of energy (I took up jogging) and ready to meet the world head on. Then came the sickness. During the time he was sick and for awhile after he'd wake up many times at night. It turned out that L was allergic to the milk based formula, but after two months of constant trips to the doctor and no answer I tried switching him to soy and voila!- sickness gone. I tried the Ferber method. That lead to him being able to fall asleep quickly on his own, but he still wouldn't sleep through the night. I tried the doctor's suggestion of letting him cry himself back to sleep. After two hours I gave up.

Fast forward to present time. My final solution was to bring L into bed with us. I am at the point where I will do anything that gets me more sleep. So, now instead of waking up four times at night, he wakes up once and I can get him to sleep later in the morning. I've realized that L is a very light, restless sleeper. The slightest noises wake him (he takes after me on that one) and he flops all over the place in his sleep (that he gets from his dad.)

I suppose until a better solution presents itself, it will be this way until he's old enough to comprehend a big boy bed. The title of that blog will be "Hallelujah 2011: A Good Night's Sleep."