Friday, July 27, 2012

How Daniel spent Thursday

I am pretty sure Daniel is trying to log a complaint with the Parenting Board about me.  The latter noises are how most of the day sounded.....until Daddy got home.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Loneliness

We both knew it was coming.  After the death of my Aunt Sharon, my Grandma Pearl's last daughter, we predicted that Grandma was going to have a hard time.  Caring for and fussing over Sharon had filled Grandma's life for three years.  Without the hours spent fretting and bossing Grandma is lonely.  Very lonely!

Her loneliness manifests itself in various ways.  Driving to Harrisburg unannounced is her newest one.  She calls my beautiful sister at a minimum of twice a day.  It also manifests itself in some very difficult ways.  She uses harsh words when it comes to her great grandkids and the parenting of her granddaughters.  She speaks meanly about her neighbors.

I love Grandma for so many reasons.  I can see God using this situation to refine me and as my beautiful sister has blogged, her as well.  I pray that as Jeremiah writes I can somehow show Grandma that God intends to "turn [her] mourning into gladness."  He continues, declaring the word the Lord gave him, "I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow....and my people will be filled with my bounty."  Jeremiah 31: 13-14.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Things learned on vacation...

...some of which need to be unlearned at home!

We have been (more or less) on vacation since July 13.  Eleven days of less structure, fun, food, family, friends, treats, adventures, and less structure (Oh, wait! I already said that.).  In that time the boys have learned some great and some not so great things.

1.  If we ask for it we will get it.  That means cookies at 8:00 AM or a movie about penguines that dance or pizza from Papa John's.

2.  If Daniel cries, there is always someone to pick him up.  Immediately!

3.  4-wheelers, tractors, sling-shots, pellet guns, and bouncy horses are all great entertainment and pale in comparison to what we have at home.

4.  If Daniel cries in the night or at nap Mommy is magically there in mere seconds.

5.  Bedtime is a myth.

6.  Life jackets make you float in the pool but no life jacket means you sink.

7.  Soda and cookies and ice cream and juice and cupcakes go with any meal.

8.  If we ask enough (nag) we usually get what we want.  (see number 2)

9.  When Great Aunt Patty asks if we like snakes that means we get to go to a really cool place with a lot of them.

10.  Police officers have really cool stuff (no, we didn't get arrested).

11.  Rest areas are a blessing.

12.  Ties on little boys are so adorable.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

You Are My Sunshine

Daniel recently received a rather annoying toy from Grandma Donna.  It sings, "You are my sunshine" over and over and over and over (mostly because he is chewing on it or laying on top of it).  So, I go about my day humming, singing, or running that song through my head.

The thing is that song is a painful reminder that the woman who used to sing that song to me is no longer here.  Legend has it she used to sing "You Are My Sunshine" to me and my beautiful sister when we were in the bathtub.  I, of course, do not remember this but I do remember my mom signing letters she sent to me with parts of that song.

She passed away ten years ago today.  I miss her dearly and pray that one day I can get just one more hug and hair stroke from her.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Deep Dark Secret

It is no secret that Daniel is cute.  He is smiley.  Daniel is a good eater.  He is generally a very good natured baby. 

Our secret is that Daniel is not sleeping through the night.  And I have to say it...I stronglly dislike people who have babies who sleep through the night on their own because I am at a loss on how to get this one to sleep through the night.

We have been working on sleeping through the night in a serious way for the past few weeks.  But, it never fails, at between 3 and 3:30 AM he decides to wake up, and then sometimes he wakes up again at 4 and then at 5 (when I finally feed him).  He hasn't been fed overnight for several weeks but that has not twarted his attempts at night time attention.

I feel like I should have this figured out by now. He is my third son.  He, however, is not like his brothers who needed just one night of crying for 10-15 minutes.  No, Daniel, cries for an hour before Chris or I break down and go give him his pacifier and a pat to let him know we still love him.  The bags under my eyes and the ecezema breakout on my hand attest to the stress I am feeling.  We have a couple weekends of trips coming up and sleeping for more than 5 hours would be so refreshing.

He is really cute though....see...