Today, I'm thankful for good nap days.  For the better part of a week, Jack's been waking in the middle of the night. A few of those nights were awful because he spent the time he was awake screaming. Last night wasn't quite as bad (no screaming was involved), but he still woke up, which means I was awake for as long as he was and then a bit longer as I tried to go back to sleep.  Anywho, because of his night issues, we've had some nap troubles, too.  But today, knock-on-wood, I think I figured out the timing. He long ago dropped his nap cues (yawning, rubbing eyes/face, red eyes), and so if I'm not watching the clock to monitor how long he's been awake, we can very quickly go from wide awake to overtired. Once he's overtired, naps are crummy. It's a relentless cycle we've found ourselves in as of late.  So, this morning, I glanced through past schedules, looked at wake-time lengths, and analyzed the data. I followed what I believed to be accurate, a...

1.   I've had to manage my time wisely during Jack's naps in order to do it, but I have been one busy baby-food-making momma the last couple of days. In between loads (and loads) of laundry, I've made a batch of green beans and potatoes for him to try out, two batches of peaches and cloves (which he can't get enough of), a batch of pears and cinnamon, a batch of apples and cinnamon, and another portion of oatmeal that should last us a couple of days.  For my future self, here's how I prepared things.  Green Beans and Potatoes One can of no-salt added cut green beans One (next time I'll do two) red potato, peeled and cubed Garlic powder to taste (needs a little more next time) Boil green beans and potatoes until tender enough to mash Blend in blender, adding some of the water from pan as needed Peaches and Cloves Two bags (1lb each) of frozen sliced peaches Cloves (powder) to taste--I just sprinkle some in  Steam peaches (one bag at a time...

Thankful Thursday. It's something I started a few months back, and then, when things got rough, I think I lost sight of the importance of being grateful and of how finding something to be thankful for each day can truly impact a person's outlook.  So, I'm starting it up again. I might not get around to it every Thursday, but I'll do my best. I'm incredibly thankful that four years ago today, The Husband held me tight and asked me to be his.  To be his girlfriend.  To make "us" official. Of course, it wasn't truly real until we changed our status on Facebook ;) Up until that point, we had just been friends.  Friends who sat on the quiet hill in the back of the park and listened to music, who watched movies together, who chatted online or on the phone until all hours of the morning. We hung out like that for about a month; though we had known each other in the context of Bible study for a while longer.  But that night, four years ago, he started us on a ...

1. These are the foods Jack has tried so far with stars to denote how much he likes each one. *** Loves ** Likes * Tolerates ^Does not like ~Oatmeal (from the canister, fixed on the stove) and cinnamon with mashed up chunks of apple * or pear ** or blueberries ** cooked with it ~Puréed pumpkin (from the can) warm ** or cold * ~Steamed carrots and apples mushed up with a fork * He liked this a lot for 3 or 4 days, but then he had a gagging incident, and I think it turned him off. He'll eat some, but it's not his favorite now. ~Brown rice with a little bit of apple and cinnamon ^ He was a good sport and tried it, but he could not handle the sticky texture and gagged and vomited twice.  It was sad to watch. We'll wait on the rice a little longer and try again in a few weeks maybe. ~Steamed and blended peaches and cloves either warm or straight out of the fridge  *** ~Steamed and blended carrots and blueberries--I just fixed a batch of this about an hour ago, so he hasn't t...

1.  I've been absent from the blogging world for a while, only posting an occasional photo here and there. Lots of things have been going on, and honestly, I've had no desire to write. 2.  The Husband has now finished week 2 of the sheriff's academy. The grueling hours of school and work, the daily physical training, the continual lack of sleep, and sometimes only seeing Jack for a few minutes each day (yesterday, he didn't see him at all) are wearing on him, and he's exhausted. The weekend is a much-needed respite, and I'm glad he'll get to rest as much as he needs.  He's applied for a different job, one that hopefully will be more flexible (hours-wise) and more in line with his career goals. If you feel inclined to pray that he gets called in for an interview, we'd appreciate it. 3.  As I mentioned in #1, lots of things have been going on. I'll be completely up front and tell you that my faith has been wavering. Floundering. Failing. I...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/sleep-deprivation_n_4557142.html?utm_hp_ref=-living